Vash

Chapter 85 [Unedited Draft]

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sona asked, her voice carrying a slight pout as she crossed her arms. "Mou~"

She let out a small huff, turning her head away with that characteristic stubborn expression she wore when she was genuinely bothered but trying to maintain her composure.

And she was frikkin cute.

"It was a surprise," I said with a grin.

Sona's violet eyes softened slightly as she looked back at me. "I have to admit, I was really amazed, even the entire supernatural world is talking about it." She paused, her expression growing more serious. "But Leon... are the pods and VR really true? Can you actually do what you claimed?"

I leaned back in my chair with a playful smirk. "What, my beautiful girlfriend doesn't believe in her amazing boyfriend's abilities? I'm hurt, Sona."

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she straightened in her chair with that prideful look she got when she felt challenged. "That's not what I said! I'm just... it's hard to process the magnitude of what you're claiming."

“Fine… Fine I’ll stop teasing you haha.” I raised my hands in surrender.

Sona shook her head, but her expression remained curious. "Seriously though, Leon. How did you even create these technologies? The Scroll alone represents decades of advancement beyond what should be possible."

"I had help," I said simply.

Her violet eyes narrowed with interest. "From who? I know you've been working alone on most of your projects."

I smiled and spoke clearly. "E.V.E., introduce yourself to Sona."

A smooth, feminine voice suddenly filled the room, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Good afternoon, Miss Sitri. I am E.V.E. - Enhanced Virtual Entity. I serve as Leon's artificial intelligence assistant."

Sona's eyes widened in complete shock, her composure finally cracking entirely.

“What…?”

“This is E.V.E. my personal A.I.”

“An... an artificial intelligence?" Sona stared at me in disbelief. 

“Yup.” I replied.

Then she stared at me, perhaps not knowing what to say next, then after a moment she spoke again.

“I've only seen artificial intelligences in human movies and books. While magic can theoretically recreate such things, it would require massive resources and years of development by entire teams of specialists."

She stood up abruptly, pacing to the window. "The supernatural world has been working on magical constructs with basic intelligence for centuries, and even our most advanced attempts pale in comparison to what you've just demonstrated."

"E.V.E. is more than just intelligent," I explained. "She helps with research, development, calculations, planning - she's been instrumental in creating everything I announced."

Sona turned back to me, her expression a mixture of awe. “Leon... what more are you hiding?”

I stood up and walked over to her, gently taking her hands and pulling her up from the chair. "Don't worry, Sona. I’ll tell you everything soon enough.” I said softly, drawing her closer.

Then I leaned down and kissed her gently, and she melted into my embrace. When we broke apart, she rested her head against my chest, and I could feel some of the tension leaving her body.

Then my thoughts drifted to Issei. It had been almost a week since he'd nearly been killed by Raynare and still as if guided by destiny, he and Asia still had met and become friends, just like in the original timeline.

But I thought grimly about what was to happen now. With Issei still unable to awaken his Sacred Gear, there was a huge chance Asia would truly die unless I or Rias intervened.

And that idiot still hadn't given me an answer and worse, had been avoiding me. Of all the times to feel shame, it's this? I sighed, feeling how incredibly stubborn that pervert was being. But still, he was my friend.

But I'd decided not to intervene until he asked for help, so he could learn his lesson. I mean, he could become strong without becoming a devil if he just asked me. Though that idiot probably hadn't thought about it - he probably thought he only had two options: remain a normal human or become a devil.

The irony wasn't lost on me. Here I was, someone who could give him power beyond what any devil peerage could offer, and he was too embarrassed about nearly dying to even talk to me. Meanwhile, Asia was walking straight into danger because of his pride.

"You're thinking about something troubling," Sona observed, her voice pulling me from my brooding thoughts.

I looked down at her, realizing my expression had probably darkened. "Just... frustrated with a certain perverted friend who's too stubborn for his own good."

Sona's lips quirked into a small smile. "Issei Hyoudou, I presume?”

“Yeah.”

"I've been curious about him too," she continued. "I detected traces of an unusual power signature from Hyoudou-san. It felt... familiar, but I couldn't place it. Even Rias wants him to be part of her peerage, so I am sure he is not that simple. Do you have any idea what kind of Sacred Gear he possesses?"

I thought about it for a moment.

"It's the Boosted Gear…"

Sona's eyes widened in complete shock. "The... the Boosted Gear? You mean..."

"The Red Dragon Emperor, yes."

“The Welsh Dragon, Ddraig, is sleeping inside that perverted idiot?”

I laughed. "Yes."

"No wonder Rias wants him. Maybe that's perhaps the reason she didn't tell me about his Sacred Gear."

I studied her expression. "Do you want him for your peerage as well?"

Sona thought for a moment, I can see her mind weighing the pros and cons. Finally, she shook her head. "No. A Longinus wielder would be incredibly powerful, but Issei... he doesn't fit with my goals or my peerage's dynamic. Besides," she smiled up at me, "I already have someone far more interesting and capable in my life."

I smiled. "That you do."

She leaned up and kissed me softly. "Though I have to say, knowing that one of the most powerful Sacred Gears in existence belongs to someone who spends most of his time thinking about oppai is... somewhat concerning."

"Trust me, I share that concern," I said with a chuckle. "But sometimes the most unlikely people surprise you."

"Perhaps…" Sona mused, settling back against my chest.

=====

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the park as Issei walked alongside Asia, both of them carrying ice cream cones from the vendor near the entrance. It had become something of a routine over the past few days - meeting at the park, talking about everything and nothing, just enjoying each other's company.

"The sunset is beautiful today," Asia said softly but there was something wistful in her voice, a sadness that Issei couldn't quite place.

Issei nodded, stealing glances at her serene expression. "Yeah, it really is." He paused, then added awkwardly, "You know, Asia, I'm really glad we met.”

Asia's smile was gentle but tinged with melancholy. "I'm glad too, Issei-san. You've been so kind to me." She looked down at her hands, her voice growing quieter. "More kind than I deserve."

They found their usual bench near the pond and sat down.

"Issei-san," she said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper. "If... if something were to happen to me, I want you to know that these past few days have been the happiest of my life."

Issei turned to look at her, alarmed by the sadness in her tone. "Asia? What are you talking about? Nothing's going to happen to you."

She gave him that pure, innocent smile, but there were tears gathering in her green eyes. "You're such a good person, Issei-san. Promise me you'll stay that way, no matter what."

"Asia, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

Before she could answer, a low growling sound echoed from the nearby trees. Both of them froze, looking around nervously.

"What was that?" Asia whispered, her earlier sadness replaced by fear as she pressed closer to Issei.

The growling grew louder, and suddenly the bushes exploded outward as something massive burst through. It was grotesque - a writhing mass of dark flesh and tentacles, with multiple eyes and mouths full of razor-sharp teeth.

A stray devil, though Issei didn't know the proper term for it.

"Asia, run!" Issei shouted, jumping to his feet and pushing her behind him.

But the creature was fast. Faster than anything that size had a right to be. One of its tentacles whipped out, barely missing Asia as she stumbled backward.

Issei tried to grab a broken tree branch, anything he could use as a weapon, but the creature's attention was fully on them now. Another tentacle lashed out, this one catching Issei across the chest and sending him flying into a tree.

Pain exploded through his body as he hit the trunk hard. He could taste blood in his mouth, and his vision blurred for a moment. But when he saw the monster advancing on Asia, who had fallen and was scrambling backward in terror, something inside him snapped.

"Get away from her!" Issei roared, forcing himself to his feet despite the pain.

That's when he felt it - a burning sensation in his left arm, like fire racing through his veins. A red gauntlet materialized around his hand.

"Boost!" the gauntlet announced in a mechanical voice.

Issei felt a surge of power flow through him, doubling his strength. It wasn't much - he was still just a normal human at his base level - but it was something. He charged at the stray devil with a yell, his enhanced fist connecting with one of its smaller heads.

The creature reeled back, more surprised than hurt, but then its multiple eyes focused on Issei with renewed interest. It seemed to recognize what he was carrying.

"Boost!" the gauntlet called out again, and Issei felt another wave of power.

But even doubled twice over, he was nowhere near strong enough to take on a stray devil. The creature's next attack sent him crashing to the ground, the Sacred Gear flickering and fading as his consciousness began to slip.

Through his fading vision, he could see the monster turning back toward Asia, who was frozen in terror. This was it. He was going to die, and worse, Asia was going to die because he was too weak to protect her.

Then, suddenly, a figure appeared between Asia and the stray devil. A man with silver hair and an arrogant smirk, dressed in what looked like a fancy suit.

"My, my," the newcomer said in an amused tone. "A stray devil in broad daylight? How distastefully crude."

The creature lunged at the silver-haired man, but he simply raised his hand. Light energy gathered around his fingers, and with a casual flick, he unleashed a blast that completely obliterated the stray devil.

Just like that, it was over.

Issei struggled to sit up, his Sacred Gear having completely disappeared now. The man turned to look at him with cold, calculating eyes that held nothing but disdain.

"Freed Sellzen," the man introduced himself with a mocking bow. "And you are quite pathetic, aren't you?"

Chapter 84 [Unedited Draft]

The familiar news jingle filled living rooms across the world as the evening broadcast began.

"Good evening, I'm Sarah Chen with Global News Network. Tonight, we continue our coverage of what many are calling the most significant technological announcement in human history."

The screen shifted to footage of the Mishima Corporation headquarters, still surrounded by crowds of reporters and curious onlookers two days after the conference.

"Two days ago, Leon Mishima, CEO of Mishima Corporation and the world's youngest billionaire, unveiled three revolutionary technologies that have sent shockwaves through global markets and left experts scrambling to understand the implications."

The broadcast cut to clips from the conference - Leon holding the Scroll, demonstrating the holographic interface, and the crowd's explosive reaction to the Nexus announcement.

"The first product, called the Scroll, went on sale yesterday morning exclusively through Mishima Corporation's authorized retailers worldwide. Despite its premium price point of three thousand dollars, the device has already achieved record-breaking sales figures."

The camera switched to aerial footage of massive crowds outside Mishima retailers in major cities around the world.

"These scenes played out in over fifty cities yesterday as eager customers lined up for hours to get their hands on the revolutionary device. In Tokyo, the line stretched for eight city blocks. In New York, Times Square saw its largest gathering since New Year's Eve."

Cut to street-level footage of the Tokyo store, where hundreds of people waited patiently despite the early morning chill.

"I've been here since three AM," said a young programmer near the front of the line. "This isn't just a phone or tablet. This is the future. I'd rather be first in line for the future than comfortable in bed."

The broadcast shifted to footage inside the stores as the first customers emerged with their purchases. The reporter followed one buyer, a professional photographer named David, as he carefully unboxed his Scroll for the first time.

"Oh my god," David breathed as the transparent cylinder activated, projecting a crystal-clear holographic interface into the air above his palm. "It's actually real. The projection is so clear it looks solid."

A crowd quickly gathered around him as he demonstrated the device's capabilities. His fingers moved through the floating hologram, typing on a keyboard that existed only as light but responded perfectly to his touch.

"Watch this," David said, opening the camera application. A three-dimensional preview of his surroundings appeared in the hologram, but with incredible detail and clarity. "This is better than my five-thousand-dollar professional camera setup. And it fits in my pocket."

He took a photo, and the image appeared in the holographic display with stunning clarity and color accuracy that made several onlookers gasp.

"The processing speed is insane too," he continued, opening multiple applications simultaneously. "Video editing, photo manipulation, 3D rendering - everything happens instantly. No lag, no loading screens, nothing."

The news report cut to various locations around the world, showing similar scenes of amazement and enthusiasm.

In London, Dr. Sarah Mitchell, a surgeon, was testing the medical applications. "This anatomical display is more detailed than anything we have at the hospital," she said, manipulating a three-dimensional model of a human heart that floated between her hands. "I can see individual blood vessels, muscle fibers, everything. This will revolutionize medical education."

In Dubai, a business executive was conducting a holographic conference call with colleagues in five different countries. The other participants appeared as life-sized, three-dimensional projections around a virtual conference table. "It feels like we're all in the same room," he marveled.

In São Paulo, a gaming enthusiast was demonstrating console-quality games being projected in perfect 3D detail. "This isn't just mobile gaming," she explained to the gathering crowd. "This is better than my PlayStation, better than my gaming PC. And it's all happening in thin air."

The broadcast returned to the studio, where Sarah Chen was joined by technology analyst Dr. Robert Kim via holographic projection - ironically, from his own newly purchased Scroll.

"Dr. Kim, the public response has been overwhelmingly positive, but I understand this isn't what people are most excited about?"

Dr. Kim nodded, his holographic image crystal clear. "Exactly, Sarah. The Scroll is impressive - revolutionary, even. But it's the other two products that have everyone truly excited. The Nexus VR system and especially the Eden Pods represent technologies that could fundamentally change human civilization."

The screen showed clips from the conference again - Leon's demonstration of the sleek Nexus headset and his dramatic finale about genetic reconstruction.

"The Nexus promises true FullDive virtual reality - complete sensory immersion that's indistinguishable from reality. That alone would be the breakthrough of the century. But the Eden Pods..." Dr. Kim paused. "If Mishima can deliver on those promises, we're talking about the end of genetic diseases, perfect healing from any injury, the correction of birth defects. Essentially, the end of human biological limitations."

The broadcast cut to footage of desperate scenes outside hospitals and medical centers around the world. Families holding signs reading "Release the Eden Pods Now!" and "My Child Can't Wait!" Protesters demanding immediate access to the revolutionary medical technology.

"The announcement has created a sense of urgency among those suffering from terminal illnesses and genetic conditions," the reporter explained. "Many feel that life-saving technology is being withheld from them."

Cut to an interview with Maria Santos, whose daughter has a rare genetic condition. "My little girl is dying," she said through tears. "If these Eden Pods can really fix genetic defects like he said, why aren't they available now? Every day we wait is another day she suffers."

Back in the studio, Sarah addressed the camera directly.

"Mishima Corporation has remained largely silent about release dates for the Nexus and Eden Pods, issuing only a brief statement that both products will be available 'sometime this year' and that they are 'committed to ensuring the safety and accessibility of these groundbreaking technologies.'"

The screen showed the official Mishima Corporation statement, followed by footage of their headquarters still surrounded by media and curious crowds.

"Stock markets continue to react dramatically to these announcements. Traditional technology and pharmaceutical companies have seen massive sell-offs, while Mishima Corporation's valuation has reached what economists are calling 'unprecedented levels.'"

Dr. Kim's holographic projection nodded grimly. "We're seeing entire industries being disrupted by products that haven't even been released yet. The pharmaceutical industry alone is facing an existential crisis - why invest in traditional drug development when genetic reconstruction might make it obsolete?"

The broadcast concluded with more footage from the conference - Leon's confident smile as he walked off stage after dropping the bombshell about the Eden Pods.

"Whatever Leon Mishima's timeline," Sarah said, "one thing is certain - the world is holding its breath. In hospitals around the globe, families are counting days. In research labs, scientists are trying to understand how these technologies are possible. And in boardrooms worldwide, executives are scrambling to prepare for a future that might be arriving sooner than anyone expected."

The camera zoomed in on Sarah's serious expression.

"The question everyone is asking isn't whether these technologies will change everything - it's whether humanity is ready for the changes they'll bring. This is Sarah Chen, Global News Network. We'll continue following this developing story as it unfolds."

The broadcast ended, but around the world, the conversation was just beginning. In every timezone, people were asking the same questions: When would the Eden Pods be released? How would they change medicine forever? And what would happen to the world when genetic perfection became available to everyone?

The future had been promised. Now the world was waiting to see if it would be delivered.

Chapter 83 [Unedited Draft]

The Mishima Corporation headquarters in Tokyo was packed. Reporters from every major news outlet crowded the massive conference hall. Cameras were positioned at every angle. The world's most powerful business leaders sat in the front rows, all waiting with barely contained excitement.

Today was a massive day for the world. Not just the supernatural world, but the mundane world too.

Today was the long-awaited conference of the Mishima Corporation.

A few weeks ago, the world was shaken by news from the most powerful company on the planet.

A press conference. While not the first time the company had held one, the last had been before the previous head took over.

This was the first time the Mishima Corporation would conduct one, and what's more, it would be the CEO himself speaking at the event.

Leon Mishima.

If you asked a random bystander, they would definitely know him. 

The most famous man in the world. 

The richest person on the planet. 

Every magazine called him the most eligible bachelor on Earth. Girls around the world had his picture on their walls. Social media went crazy whenever he appeared in public.

He was every woman's dream and every man's envy. The perfect combination of wealth, power, and looks that made him seem almost unreal.

Business journals analyzed his every move. World leaders sought his attention. 

And now, finally, the man everyone wanted to see would speak directly to the world.

For the first time since he took hold of the company.

Even the supernatural world was buzzing with excitement. What was the Mishima heir cooking this time? It hadn't been long since he crushed the White Dragon Emperor so easily that it left everyone speechless. Of course, most were merely curious about what the Mishima Corporation was planning next.

The venue itself was stunning. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The stage was polished to perfection, with the Mishima Corporation logo gleaming behind the podium. Security was tight. Men in black suits stood at every entrance, their eyes scanning the crowd constantly.

A low murmur filled the air as people whispered to each other. "When is he coming out?" "What do you think he'll announce?" "God, I hope I get a good picture."

Then the lights dimmed. The crowd fell silent.

A single spotlight hit the stage.

He looked perfect. Dark suit tailored to fit him like a glove. His golden blond hair gleamed under the stage lights. Those sharp amber eyes swept across the audience with quiet confidence. He moved with the kind of grace that made everyone stop and stare.

Leon stepped up to the podium. The microphone picked up his voice clearly.

"Good afternoon," he said, his voice smooth and commanding. "Thank you for being here."

He paused, letting his presence fill the room. This was the first time he had spoken publicly since taking over after his parents' death.

"A year ago, I lost everything that mattered to me.”

The crowd fell silent as they knew what he was talking about.

"But from that loss, I learned something important. The world is changing. And we can either change with it, or be left behind."

"Today, I want to share with you not just our company's future, but the future of our world."

He paused, his amber eyes scanning the crowd with that signature intensity.

"Every once in a while, a revolutionary moment comes along that changes everything. Today..." He smiled slightly. "Today, I am going to introduce three revolutionary things that will reshape the world as we know it."

The crowd leaned forward. You could hear a pin drop.

"The first thing is a device that will completely redefine what we think of as communication."

"Today, Mishima Corporation is proud to introduce a product that represents five years of intensive research and development, backed by an investment of over twelve billion dollars." He reached into his jacket and withdrew a sleek, transparent cylindrical device. "I present to you the Scroll - a revolutionary advancement in computing architecture that will transform how we work and live."

Leon held the device with the confidence of someone unveiling a masterpiece. As it activated with a soft blue glow, the audience leaned forward with keen interest.

"The Scroll incorporates proprietary quantum-hybrid processing technology that delivers computational performance exceeding the world's fastest supercomputers." He let that statement settle over the crowd before continuing. "To put this in perspective - our device processes everyday tasks instantaneously while handling the most demanding commercial applications with unprecedented speed and efficiency."

A holographic display materialized above his hand, displaying sleek user interfaces and real-time performance demonstrations.

"However, the Scroll's true innovation lies in its practical applications." Leon's voice took on a note of controlled excitement. "The device functions as a complete desktop replacement system for any business or personal use. Watch."

He set the Scroll on the podium's surface. Instantly, a full-sized holographic monitor appeared in the air, accompanied by a projected keyboard on the podium surface and a responsive holographic mouse interface.

"Complete office functionality anywhere. Full productivity suite. Professional business applications. All projected from a device smaller than most smartphones." Leon demonstrated by opening spreadsheets, presentations, and video conferencing applications. "Business professionals can conduct meetings, manage finances, create presentations, and run entire companies from anywhere in the world. Students can access educational content, write papers, and attend virtual classes with university-grade resources."

The audience watched in fascination as he seamlessly switched between email, document editing, video calls, and complex data analysis tools.

"For daily consumers, the Scroll revolutionizes entertainment and communication. Stream movies in perfect holographic quality, play console-level games, video chat with family across the globe, manage your smart home, plan vacations, shop online with immersive 3D product previews, and capture professional-quality photos of life's precious moments."

The display demonstrated gaming, streaming services, social media, and photography applications, all running smoothly simultaneously.

"Our global connectivity solution ensures you're always connected. Through Mishima Corporation's proprietary satellite network, the Scroll maintains high-speed internet access anywhere on Earth. Work from a beach in Thailand, stream movies from a cabin in Alaska, video chat from the top of a mountain."

He gestured, and the hologram showed connectivity examples from various remote locations.

"Battery technology provides three weeks of continuous operation under normal usage patterns, including full desktop functionality. Whether you're a busy executive, a traveling salesperson, a remote worker, or someone who simply wants the best technology for daily life, charging becomes a monthly task rather than a daily concern."

Leon's expression grew more confident as he continued.

"The camera system captures professional-quality photos and videos for social media, business presentations, family memories, and content creation. Every shot is automatically enhanced through intelligent processing, making everyone a professional photographer."

The demonstration showed sample photos and videos with exceptional quality, perfect for business use and personal sharing.

"Additional features designed for real-world use include: bank-level security for financial transactions and personal data, instant translation for international business and travel, unlimited cloud storage for all your files and memories, voice commands for hands-free operation, and seamless integration with existing business systems and personal devices."

Leon looked directly at the assembled crowd, his voice carrying conviction.

"The Scroll represents the convergence of business productivity and personal technology. Replace your laptop, desktop, tablet, and smartphone with one device. Transform any location into your office. Enjoy entertainment experiences that were previously impossible. This isn't just an upgrade - this is the complete redefinition of what technology can do for your business and your life."

He paused for maximum impact.

"The Scroll will be available for purchase beginning tomorrow morning at nine AM, exclusively through Mishima Corporation retail channels and our authorized partners."

The auditorium erupted in thunderous applause as business executives and consumers alike contemplated the implications of having supercomputer power for their everyday needs.

Leon raised his hand, and the thunderous applause gradually subsided. His amber eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he surveyed the captivated audience.

"Now, what I've just shown you is merely the first thing we're announcing today."

The crowd, still buzzing with excitement over the Scroll, suddenly fell silent. You could feel the anticipation crackling through the air.

"Well, let's just say you haven't seen anything yet."

Murmurs rippled through the audience. Business executives leaned forward in their seats. Tech journalists frantically scribbled notes. The supernatural beings watching from various locations around the world found themselves genuinely intrigued.

"But before we move to the second announcement, let me ask you something." Leon's voice took on a more contemplative tone. "How many of you have dreamed of stepping into another world? Of experiencing places that exist only in imagination? Of training for situations without real-world consequences?"

The crowd exchanged glances, unsure where this was leading.

A member of his staff appeared at the side of the stage, carrying an elegant black box with the Mishima Corporation logo gleaming on its surface. The staff member approached Leon and handed him the box before retreating discreetly.

"The second innovation addresses humanity's oldest desire - to transcend the boundaries of physical reality." 

Leon's expression grew more thoughtful. "For years, science fiction has promised us one thing above all else - the ability to dive completely into virtual worlds. To experience adventures as real as life itself. To learn, to train, to explore without the limitations of our physical bodies."

He gestured toward the crowd. "We've been told this was decades away. That the technology was too complex, too dangerous, too far beyond our reach."

"What if I told you that the future is here?" Leon opened the box revealing what appeared to be a minimalistic, lightweight headset.

"What if I told you we've achieved true FullDive technology?"

The audience collectively held its breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Nexus - the first full dive Virtual Reality system in the world.”

Leon lifted the device from its box

"The Nexus doesn't just show you virtual worlds - it puts your consciousness directly into them. Complete sensory replacement. When you're in a virtual environment, your brain believes it's real because, to every sense you possess, it is real."

He held up the headset. "Touch, taste, smell, temperature - everything perfectly replicated. But unlike dangerous experimental systems, the Nexus has complete safety protocols. Your physical body remains protected while your mind experiences unlimited possibilities."

The crowd was mesmerized, several people leaning forward with intense interest.

"Imagine mastering complex skills in accelerated time. Learning languages through total immersion. Training for dangerous situations in completely safe environments. Experiencing historical events firsthand, or exploring worlds that exist only in imagination."

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, like a dam bursting, the auditorium exploded.

Reporters shot to their feet, cameras flashing frantically. Business leaders turned to each other with expressions of shock and disbelief. Someone in the back row actually gasped out loud.

"Full sensory immersion?" a journalist shouted over the chaos. "Are you saying this is actual brain-computer interface?"

"How is that even possible?" another voice called out.

"When will it be available?"

"What are the safety protocols?"

"How much will it cost?"

Questions flew from every direction as the crowd descended into controlled pandemonium. Security guards stepped forward, trying to maintain order, but even they looked stunned by what they'd just witnessed.

In the VIP section, tech CEOs were frantically making phone calls. Stock analysts were typing furiously on their devices. 

Leon stood calmly at the podium, letting the chaos wash over him with that same confident smile. The man who had just claimed to have achieved humanity's greatest technological dream looked completely unruffled by the reaction he'd caused.

Finally, he raised his hand again, and slowly, reluctantly, the crowd began to settle.

"I can see you have questions," he said with understated amusement, his voice carrying easily over the lingering murmurs. "And believe me, you're going to have many more before this presentation is over."

The crowd quieted, hanging on his every word.

Leon's expression grew more serious, his amber eyes sweeping across the audience with renewed intensity.

"The Scroll revolutionized communication. The Nexus revolutionized experience. But the third innovation..." He paused, letting the anticipation build to a fever pitch. "The third innovation revolutionizes humanity itself."

The auditorium was so quiet you could hear people breathing.

"For millennia, humans have been limited by the bodies we're born with. Genetic diseases, birth defects, injuries that never heal, organs that fail with age. We've accepted these limitations as the price of being human."

Leon's voice grew stronger, more commanding.

"What if I told you that era is ending? What if I told you we've developed technology that can rewrite your genetic code, heal any injury, cure any disease, correct any defect?"

The crowd was completely silent, mesmerized.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final innovation I present to you today..." Leon smiled, and it was the smile of someone about to change the world forever. "The Eden Pods."

The auditorium erupted in gasps and shocked exclamations. Several people stood up from their seats, unable to contain themselves.

"Genetic reconstruction at the cellular level. Complete biological restoration. The end of human suffering as we know it."

Leon looked directly into the cameras, his eyes blazing with conviction.

"The question isn't what the Eden Pods can fix. The question is..." He paused for maximum impact. "What can't they fix?"

The crowd was in complete chaos now, but Leon simply smiled and walked off the stage, leaving them with that impossible promise hanging in the air.

=====

Author’s Note: I’m honestly still torn about this chapter and might end up reworking it. I’m not fully satisfied with how it turned out, so don’t be surprised if I decide to change things later on.

Chapter 82

Asia stood in the doorway long after Issei disappeared into the darkness, her hand still half-raised from their goodbye. The warmth in her chest felt foreign—pleasant, but scary too but.. She liked it.

"It's been so long since I've had a friend," she whispered to the empty night.

The sound of heels clicking against stone made her spine go rigid.

"My, my. What do we have here?"

Asia spun around, her breath catching. Raynare stood in the shadows of the church, violet eyes gleaming with something Asia couldn't quite read. The fallen angel's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"L-Lady Raynare," Asia stammered, instinctively stepping back. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously." Raynare moved closer, each step deliberate and slow. Her voice dropped to a purr. "You had a visitor, didn't you? I saw him leaving just now."

Asia's hands found each other, fingers twisting nervously. "Yes. A boy helped me with my groceries when I dropped them. He was very kind."

"Kind?" Raynare laughed, the sound sharp and cold. "A teenage boy, alone with you in this church? And you think he was just being 'kind'?"

"He was!" Asia's voice came out stronger than she intended. "Issei-san listened to me. He didn't judge me for—"

"Issei?"

Raynare stopped mid-step, her entire body going rigid. The confident smirk vanished from her face, replaced by something Asia had never seen before—fear.

"Did you say... Issei?" Raynare's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Brown hair? Goes to Kuoh Academy?"

"Y-yes," Asia replied, confused by the sudden change. "Do you know him?"

Raynare's hands clenched into fists, her wings trembling slightly as they manifested for just a moment before disappearing again. 

The memory hit her–Leon Mishima's amber eyes burning with cold fury, the crushing weight of his power, his warning echoing in her mind: "If you or anyone else from your faction so much as looks at Issei wrong again, I won't be this merciful."

"Lady Raynare?" Asia asked tentatively, alarmed by the fallen angel's sudden pallor.

"Listen very carefully, Asia." Raynare gripped Asia's shoulders, her fingers digging in just hard enough to hurt. "You need to stay away from that boy."

"But why? He seemed so—"

"No buts!" Raynare spun around, her expression desperate. 

"I cannot afford to have Leon Mishima's attention on this church. Not when we're so close to completing the ritual. One wrong move with that boy, and we're all dead." She thought.

Asia rubbed her shoulders where Raynare had gripped them, tears pricking at her eyes. "I understand, Lady Raynare."

"Good." Raynare's voice softened slightly, though the fear never left her eyes. "I'm trying to protect you, Asia. To protect all of us. That boy... he's a walking disaster waiting to happen."

Asia nodded silently, following Raynare deeper into the church. But even as she walked, she couldn't stop thinking about Issei's warm smile and genuine kindness.

He hadn't felt dangerous at all.

"If Raynare-sama says so," she murmured obediently. "There's nothing else I can do."

But even as she said the words, her heart ached. 

=====

The Next Day - Kuoh Academy

Issei couldn't focus on anything. Not his classes, not his friends' perverted schemes, not even the girls' kendo practice that he usually watched through the fence.

All he could think about was Asia.

"Dude, you okay?" Motohama asked, adjusting his glasses. "You've been spacing out all day."

"Yeah," Matsuda added, elbowing him. "We found a new spot to watch the girls change, and you didn't even react!"

"I'm great," Issei said, still smiling. He couldn't help it. 

Motohama squinted at him like he was studying a rare bug. "Great? Since when do you use words like 'great'? You usually just grunt and drool."

"There's definitely something wrong with him," Matsuda agreed, poking Issei's shoulder. "Look at that dopey grin. It's creeping me out."

"I'm fine!" Issei protested, but his smile got even bigger.

"Oh no," Motohama said, his eyes widening behind his glasses. "Oh no, no, no. I know that look."

"What look?" Matsuda asked.

"The look of a man who's been corrupted," Motohama said dramatically. "Issei's been talking to a girl, hasn't he?"

Matsuda gasped. "A real one? Not a poster or a video game character?"

"Hey!" Issei's face turned red. "She's real! And she's amazing!"

His friends stared at him in horror.

"We've lost him," Matsuda whispered. "Our perverted brother has fallen to the dark side."

"Next thing you know, he'll be buying flowers and writing love letters," Motohama added, shaking his head sadly.

"I might!" Issei declared proudly.

Both of them groaned.

That's when Issei noticed Leon staring at him from across the classroom.

Issei quickly looked away. Things had been awkward between them ever since that whole conversation about choices and consequences. Leon kept giving him these looks, like he was waiting for something.

But Issei didn't want to think about that right now. Not when he was this happy.

The final bell rang, and Issei practically jumped out of his seat.

"Later, guys!" he called to Motohama and Matsuda, grabbing his bag and rushing toward the door.

He had somewhere to be.

======

“What do you mean we can’t meet in the church anymore?” Issei asked.

"The people I'm staying with... they don't like me going out. And if they found out I was meeting with someone..." She shook her head. "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

"Trouble?" Issei stepped closer, his protective instincts kicking in. "Asia, who are these people? Are they hurting you?"

"No, no!" she said quickly, but her voice shook a little. "They're just... strict. Very strict about the rules."

Issei studied her face, noticing how she kept looking over her shoulder. Something was definitely wrong.

"Then let's meet somewhere else," he said firmly. "There's a park near my house. It's quiet, and no one would bother us there."

Asia's eyes widened with surprise, then filled with relief. "You... you still want to see me?"

"Of course I do," Issei said without hesitation. "Why wouldn't I?"

Asia smiled as she felt her heart flutter.

They fell in silence after that.

Then Asia spoke.

"Issei-kun... can I ask you something?" she said hesitantly. "Are you... are you aware of the supernatural world?"

"What?"

"Devils, angels, fallen angels... gods," she continued.

Issei was quiet for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. I know about it."

Asia's shoulders sagged with relief. "I thought so. When did you find out?"

"Not that long ago, actually." Issei sat down on the church steps, gesturing for her to join him. "I almost died because of it."

"What happened?"

"There was this girl. Yuuma. She asked me out on a date, and I thought... you know, I thought I finally had a girlfriend." Issei's voice got bitter. "Turns out she was a fallen angel. She tried to kill me at the end of our date."

Asia gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

"I would've died," Issei continued, staring at the ground. "But my friend Leon saved me. He showed up right when she was about to finish me off and... well, let's just say she won't be bothering anyone anymore."

"Your friend Leon?" Asia asked quietly.

"Yeah. He is very strong.”

Issei looked at her, surprised by her understanding. "After that, Leon told me I have something called a Sacred Gear.”

He stared at his hands. "But I haven't figured out what it is yet. Or how to use it."

"You also have a Sacred Gear?" Asia's voice was filled with wonder. "That's amazing, Issei-kun."

"Is it?" Issei asked, looking uncertain. "I don't feel amazing. I just feel... confused. About everything."

"You don't have to figure everything out right away," Asia said softly. 

“Yeah.. You’re right.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the stars appear one by one in the darkening sky. 

"Issei-kun?" Asia said eventually, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For still wanting to see me. For not being afraid of what I am."

"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me," Issei replied.

Asia leaned against his shoulder, and Issei felt his heart skip a beat. She was warm and soft, and she smelled like flowers.

"Is this okay?" she asked quietly.

"More than okay," Issei said, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.

They stayed like that as the evening stretched on, two people with Sacred Gears and complicated lives, finding comfort in each other's presence under the starlit sky.

They stayed like that as the evening stretched on, two people with Sacred Gears and complicated lives, finding comfort in each other's presence under the starlit sky.

Neither of them noticed the figure watching from the shadows across the street.

Diodora Astaroth stood perfectly still behind a lamp post, his handsome features twisted into an expression of cold calculation. He'd been tracking Asia's movements for weeks now, waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute his plan.

The boy she was with was... unexpected.

Diodora had assumed Asia was still isolated, still vulnerable. The reports from his informants hadn't mentioned a human companion. This Issei boy could complicate things.

He knew of the boy’s relationship with Leon Mishima.

For a moment, Diodora hesitated. Targeting anyone close to Leon Mishima was... inadvisable. Even for a devil of his standing. The smart thing would be to walk away. Find another target. Wait for a better opportunity.

But as he watched Asia lean against Issei's shoulder, that innocent smile lighting up her face, something darker stirred within him. His devil nature whispered seductive thoughts of possession, of corruption, of taking what he desired regardless of consequences.

He shook his head, pushing down his brief moment of caution. "No," he said quietly, his smile turning predatory. "I've waited too long for this."

His eyes never left Asia as she and Issei finally stood up from the church steps, saying their goodbyes with obvious reluctance. He watched Issei walk Asia to the nearest street to the church.

"Leon Mishima may be powerful," Diodora whispered, his smile turning predatory as Asia waved goodbye to Issei. "But even he can't protect everyone all the time."

The connection to Leon Mishima would require a more delicate approach. Direct confrontation was out of the question. But there were other ways. Subtler methods. Ways to separate the girl from her protectors without drawing unwanted attention.

"You'll be mine, my dear Asia," he breathed, watching her disappear into the old church. "No matter who stands in the way."

He turned and melted back into the darkness, his mind already working through new plans. Issei’s connection with Leon Mishima might complicate things, but his devil side had already made the choice for him. The desire, the obsession, the need to possess Asia overrode any sense of self-preservation.

If anything, the added difficulty made the prize more enticing.

The game was just beginning.

Chapter 81

Issei shook his head violently, his face still burning red. "No, no, no! Not the time for that!" he muttered to himself, forcing his perverted thoughts aside. "She needs help, you idiot!"

He quickly crouched down and started gathering the scattered groceries—apples, bread, what looked like ingredients for dinner. "Here, let me help you with these," he said, carefully keeping his eyes focused on the task at hand and definitely not on... other things.

"Oh, thank you so much!" the girl said, her voice warm with genuine gratitude. "You're very kind."

Issei felt a little proud of himself for doing the right thing. Maybe he was growing as a person after all. Leon would probably be impressed that he'd managed to act like a gentleman instead of a perverted mess for once.

"It's no problem," he replied, standing up with an armload of groceries. "Are you hurt at all? That looked like a pretty hard—"

The words died in his throat as the girl stood up and turned to face him fully.

Holy crap.

She was... she was absolutely gorgeous. Blonde hair that seemed to catch what little light remained in the evening, bright green eyes that sparkled with warmth and innocence, and a face that belonged in a painting or something. The nun's habit should have made her look plain or severe, but somehow it just made her seem more angelic.

Issei's brain, which had just barely managed to get back online, promptly crashed again.

"Um... are you alright?" the girl asked, tilting her head slightly with a concerned expression that was somehow even cuter than her smile.

Issei realized he was staring. And probably drooling. And definitely not responding to her question like a normal human being.

"I... uh... you're..." he stammered, his usual social awkwardness multiplied by about a thousand. "You're really pretty."

The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to disappear into the ground. Way to go, Issei. Real smooth.

But instead of getting offended or running away, the girl's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and she looked down shyly.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "That's very sweet of you to say."

Issei felt his heart do something weird in his chest. When was the last time a girl had called him sweet? When was the last time a girl this beautiful had even talked to him without immediately walking away in disgust?

"I'm Asia," she said, looking up at him again with those incredible green eyes. "Asia Argento."

"Issei," he managed to reply, still feeling like he was in some kind of dream. "Issei Hyoudou."

=====

They walked side by side through the quiet streets, Issei carrying most of Asia's groceries while she held onto the lighter items. He still couldn't quite believe this was actually happening—a girl this beautiful was not only talking to him, but seemed genuinely happy for his company.

"So you're a nun?" Issei asked, glancing at her habit. It was an obvious question, but he was struggling to think of anything intelligent to say.

"Yes," Asia nodded with a gentle smile. "I came to Japan recently to serve at the church here. It's... quite different from Italy, but everyone has been very kind."

"Italy, huh? That's pretty cool." Issei shifted the grocery bags to get a better grip. “Your Japanese is really nice."

Asia's cheeks turned pink again. "Thank you. I'm still working on my Japanese. Sometimes I worry I sound strange."

"Are you kidding? You sound amazing," Issei said earnestly, then immediately felt his face heat up. There he went again, just blurting out whatever came to mind.

But Asia just smiled wider. "You're very kind, Issei-san."

They paused at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. Issei found himself stealing glances at her profile, still not quite believing someone this pretty was walking with someone like him.

"Are you sure you don't mind carrying those?" Asia asked, noticing him adjusting the bags again. "I feel terrible making you do all the work."

"It's no problem at all," Issei said quickly. "Besides, you already tripped once. I don't want you falling again with all this stuff."

Asia laughed softly, a sound that made Issei's chest feel warm. "You're probably right. I'm not very graceful, I'm afraid."

The light changed and they started walking again, heading up a gradual hill. That's when they heard it—a sharp cry of pain from behind them.

"Oh no!" Asia gasped, spinning around.

An elderly woman had stumbled on the uneven pavement, her walking cane scattered a few feet away. She was clutching her knee, her face twisted in pain as she tried to push herself up.

"Obaasan!" Asia immediately dropped her light groceries and rushed over, with Issei close behind.

"Are you hurt?" Asia asked gently, kneeling beside the woman.

"My knee," the old woman groaned. "I think I twisted it badly. Oh, this is terrible..."

"Here, let me help," Asia said softly, reaching out toward the woman's injured knee.

Issei watched in amazement as Asia's hands began to glow with a soft, warm light. The elderly woman's eyes widened in surprise, but the pained expression on her face immediately began to fade.

"What... what is this?" the woman whispered, staring at Asia's glowing hands.

"Just rest for a moment," Asia said with a peaceful smile, her hands continuing to emit that gentle radiance.

Within seconds, the woman was sitting up straighter, the pain completely gone from her features. She flexed her knee experimentally, then looked up at Asia with wonder.

"I... it doesn't hurt anymore," she said in amazement. "How did you...?"

"You must have just needed a moment to recover," Asia said diplomatically, helping the woman to her feet. "Sometimes rest is the best medicine."

The elderly woman thanked them profusely before continuing on her way, walking normally as if nothing had happened. Issei stood there, staring at Asia with recognition dawning in his eyes.

"Asia," he said slowly. "That was... that was incredible. Your hands were glowing."

Asia looked around nervously, then nodded. "I have a special ability. It's called a Sacred Gear - something I was born with that allows me to heal any injury, no matter how severe."

Issei's mind raced. Sacred Gear. Just like what he supposedly had. Leon had explained that some humans possessed these divine artifacts with incredible powers.

"That's amazing," he said honestly. "You can actually heal people just by touching them?"

"Yes," Asia replied quietly. 

“You're like a real-life angel."

Asia's cheeks turned pink at the compliment.

The light changed and they started walking again, heading up a gradual hill lined with trees. In the distance, Issei could see the silhouette of a church against the darkening sky.

"Is that where you live?" he asked, pointing toward the building.

"Yes, that's right." Asia looked up at the structure with a peaceful expression. "It's very quiet and beautiful. Perfect for prayer and reflection."

Issei nodded, though he had to admit he knew absolutely nothing about church life. The closest he'd ever come to religion was probably the shrine visits during New Year's.

"It must be nice," he said. "Living somewhere so peaceful, I mean."

"It is," Asia agreed. "Though sometimes it can get a little lonely. It's nice to have someone to talk to."

The comment made Issei feel oddly happy. He was used to being the annoying classmate people tolerated at best. Having someone actually seem to enjoy his conversation was a new and welcome experience.

They reached the church as the last traces of daylight faded from the sky. 

"Well, here we are," Asia said, turning to face him with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much for helping me, Issei-san. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along."

"It was nothing, really," Issei replied, though he felt a weird sense of disappointment that their walk was over. He handed her the grocery bags, their fingers brushing briefly as she took them. "Just glad I could help."

Asia hesitated for a moment, then looked up at him hopefully. "Would you... would you like to come in? I could make some tea, as a thank you."

Issei's heart jumped at the invitation. Part of him wanted to politely decline—he didn't want to impose, and he definitely didn't know anything about church etiquette. But the hopeful look in Asia's green eyes made the decision for him.

"If you're sure it's okay," he said, trying not to sound too eager. "I'd like that."

Asia's face lit up with genuine happiness. "Wonderful! Please, come in."

She led him up the stone path toward the heavy wooden doors. As they approached, Issei felt a slight nervousness. He'd never been inside a real church before, and he had no idea what to expect. What if he accidentally did something disrespectful? What if there were other nuns around who'd wonder why Asia was bringing some random guy inside?

But when Asia pushed open the doors and gestured for him to follow, his worries faded. The interior was warm and inviting, with soft lighting and the faint scent of candles in the air.

"Welcome," Asia said softly, her voice carrying a note of pride. "This is my home now."

Issei looked around in wonder, taking in the peaceful atmosphere. "It's really beautiful," he said honestly.

"I'm so glad you think so," Asia beamed. "Now, let me put these groceries away and make us some tea. Please, make yourself comfortable."

As she bustled off toward what he assumed was the kitchen area, Issei couldn't help but smile.

After Asia returned with two steaming cups of tea, they settled into comfortable chairs in what appeared to be a small sitting area near the altar. 

"This tea is really good," Issei said, taking a careful sip. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," Asia replied, cradling her own cup with both hands. "It's a blend I brought from Italy. It reminds me of home."

There was something in her voice—a hint of loneliness, maybe sadness—that made Issei look at her more closely. "Are you... are you okay? I mean, it must be hard being so far from home."

Asia's smile faltered slightly, and she looked down at her tea cup. "I... yes, it has been difficult. I came here from Italy, and everything is so different."

"What brought you all the way here?" Issei asked softly, sensing there was more to the story.

Asia was quiet for a long moment, as if weighing how much to tell him. When she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I was... asked to leave my previous position," she said carefully. "There was a misunderstanding about my abilities. Some people thought I was doing something wrong when I was only trying to help."

Issei frowned. A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding could get a nun kicked out of her church? 

"That's stupid," Issei said immediately, his protective instincts flaring up again. "Helping people is never wrong. Anyone who says otherwise is an idiot."

Asia looked up at him with those green eyes that seemed to hold so much pain despite her gentle smile and nodded. 

"Not everyone saw it that way."

"What do you mean?" Issei asked, though he was starting to get a sinking feeling.

Asia looked down at her hands. "My healing works on... everyone. Even people that the church considered enemies. When they found out, they called me a witch and cast me out."

Issei felt a flash of anger on her behalf. "That's horrible! You were just trying to help people!"

Asia's eyes widened slightly at his vehement response, then tears began to well up in them. "You... you really think so?"

"Of course I do!" Issei said, leaning forward earnestly. "If you can heal people, then you should heal people. It doesn't matter who they are or what other people think. Helping someone who's hurt is always the right thing to do."

A single tear rolled down Asia's cheek, but she was smiling, brighter than she had all evening.

"Thank you, Issei-san," she whispered. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that."

Issei slumped back in his chair, still buzzing from the intensity of what Asia had just told him. He couldn't believe it—someone like her, gentle and kind to a fault, had been treated like that? It felt wrong on every possible level.

He glanced at her again. Asia was dabbing at her eyes with a small handkerchief, smiling despite the tears still clinging to her lashes. Something about that smile tugged at him hard, like a hook in his chest.

For once, Issei didn't even think about boobs or anything remotely perverted. He just thought about how much he wanted to protect that smile.

The tea between them had long gone cold by the time Issei finally set his cup down with a sigh. "I should probably get going," he said, his voice heavy with reluctance. "It's getting late, and my parents will freak if I'm not home for dinner."

Asia blinked, her smile faltering for just a second. "Ah... of course," she said quietly. "I understand." She quickly stood. "Thank you again, Issei-san, for walking with me and... for listening."

Issei scratched the back of his head as he stood, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment that hit him. "No problem. I mean—" He fumbled for words. "It was nice. Talking to you, I mean. You're... easy to talk to."

That earned him another one of her soft, glowing smiles. "You're very kind," she murmured.

They walked together toward the heavy wooden doors, the quiet creak echoing through the empty church as Asia pushed them open. The night air outside was cooler now, stars just beginning to peek out above the rooftops.

Issei stepped onto the stone path, then turned back toward her. He wanted to say something clever or smooth, but all that came out was a mumbled, "Um... I'll see you around?"

Asia hesitated in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her, and for a heartbeat Issei worried she'd just give him a polite nod and let him walk away.

Instead, she met his eyes, her voice soft but hopeful. "I would like that. Please... come visit me again, Issei-san."

Issei's heart did that weird flip-flop thing again, and he felt a grin spread across his face before he could stop it. "Yeah," he said, more firmly this time. "Definitely."

He gave her a small wave as he started down the hill, groceries completely forgotten, his mind buzzing with the memory of her smile and her words.

Behind him, Asia lingered in the doorway of the church, watching him go with an expression caught between sadness and happiness. When he glanced back one last time, she raised her hand in a tiny wave, her eyes shining even in the dim light.

Issei shoved his hands in his pockets, cheeks burning, but he couldn't shake the thought that played over and over in his head as he walked home.

He was definitely going to see her again.

======

Author's Note:

Quick heads up. The next few chapters might feel a bit borings or not entirely your cup of tea as this arc will focus more on the world-building and Leon’s impact on the canon rather than action. Still, I hope you’ll enjoy seeing how things unfold!

Chapter 80

The training room erupted in a shower of sparks as Vali's silver aura clashed against my golden energy shield. His fist connected with the barrier, sending shockwaves through the reinforced space.

"Not bad," I said, sliding back a few feet from the impact.  "But it's becoming predictable."

Vali smirked.  "Says the guy who's been blocking instead of attacking for the past ten minutes."

"I'm studying your patterns," I replied, launching myself forward with a burst of speed that caught him off guard. My fist connected with his ribs, sending him skidding across the training mat.

"Ow." He rolled to his feet, grinning despite the hit. "Okay, point taken."

From the sidelines, Bikou groaned dramatically. "Come on, you two! Some of us want a turn before we die of old age!"

"Speak for yourself, monkey boy," Arthur called out, adjusting his grip on Caliburn. "I've been waiting patiently for my chance to test my sword against Leon."

"Patiently?" Lefay laughed from her position cross-legged on the floor, various magical circles floating around her as she practiced spell formations. "You've been complaining for the past hour."

"That's not complaining, that's strategic commentary,"

Kuroka, who had been lounging on a cushion near the wall, stretched languidly. "Boys and their toys, nya. Always so eager to beat each other up."

"Says the cat who was taking bets on how long before Vali landed a hit," I pointed out, dodging another of Vali's lightning-fast strikes.

"A girl has to entertain herself somehow, nya," she purred, examining her nails with exaggerated innocence.

The Vali Team training sessions had become a regular thing over the past week.

"Alright, alright," I said, raising my hands in surrender as Bikou started making increasingly dramatic gestures for attention. "Your turn, monkey king."

"Finally!" Bikou leaped to his feet, extending his staff with a flourish. "Prepare to face the might of—"

"Wait a minute!" Arthur interjected, stepping forward with Caliburn gleaming in his hand. "I called dibs ages ago! You can't just jump the queue because you're being dramatic!"

"Dibs?" Bikou turned to stare at him incredulously. "What are we, five years old? Besides, I was here first!"

"I was here first," Arthur corrected with the kind of precision that only came from noble breeding. "You were doing that weird monkey meditation thing in the corner when I arrived."

"That's called 'stretching,' you pompous pretty boy!"

"I am not pompous!" Arthur's voice cracked slightly. "And my hair is naturally this perfect!"

From her cushion, Kuroka snickered. "Oh, this is much better than watching them fight Leon, nya."

"You two are ridiculous," Lefay said, though she was clearly trying not to laugh. "Just rock-paper-scissors for it like normal people."

"Normal people don't carry legendary swords," Arthur pointed out, hefting Caliburn.

"And normal people aren't descended from the Monkey King!" Bikou countered, his staff spinning in complex patterns.

I leaned against the wall next to Kuroka, thoroughly entertained. "Should we stop them?"

"Are you kidding, nya? This is the best entertainment I've had all week," she purred, conjuring a bowl of popcorn from thin air. "Want some?"

Arthur and Bikou had moved into fighting stances, circling each other like predators.

"I challenge you to honorable combat for the right to spar with Leon!" Arthur declared with way too much ceremony.

"Honorable?" Bikou laughed. "You're the guy who used a smokescreen last week to get out of washing dishes!"

"That was tactical thinking!"

"That was cheating!"

They launched at each other simultaneously. Arthur's precise sword work clashed against Bikou's chaotic staff techniques in a shower of sparks and increasingly creative insults.

"Your footwork is sloppy!" Arthur called out, parrying a particularly wild swing.

"Your face is sloppy!" Bikou shot back, which made absolutely no sense but somehow felt devastating in the moment.

Vali sat up, looking between them and me. "How long do you think they'll keep this up?"

"Knowing them? At least another ten minutes," I replied, stealing some of Kuroka's popcorn. "Arthur's too proud to back down, and Bikou's having too much fun."

"I TRAINED WITH THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE!" Arthur shouted, executing a perfect thrust that Bikou barely dodged.

"WELL I TRAINED WITH ACTUAL MONKEYS!" Bikou replied, somehow making that sound like a legitimate credential.

Lefay sighed and returned to her spell practice. "Boys are weird."

"Tell me about it, nya," Kuroka agreed, offering the popcorn bowl to Vali. "Though I have to admit, the monkey's got better comedic timing."

"I heard that!" both Arthur and Bikou yelled simultaneously, before immediately returning to their increasingly acrobatic fight.

I couldn't help but grin. 

"You know what?" I said to Vali. "I think we should just let them tire each other out. We can discuss that other matter afterward."

Vali nodded, settling back to enjoy the show. "Agreed. Besides, this is way more entertaining than our sparring session."

As Arthur and Bikou continued their increasingly ridiculous duel—with Arthur now shouting something about "the honor of Camelot" while Bikou responded by making monkey noises—I turned to Vali with a casual expression.

"You know," I said casually, tossing a piece of popcorn into my mouth, "There's something I think you'd be very interested to hear."

Vali's silver eyes immediately sharpened, his attention shifting from the ongoing comedy show to me. "Oh? And what might that be?"

“The Red Dragon Emperor is about to awaken."

Vali's entire body went rigid, his relaxed posture vanishing as he sat up straight. I could practically feel the intensity radiating from him.

"The Red Dragon Emperor?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you certain?"

“Of course.”

"When?" 

"Soon," I said, keeping it casual.

I leaned back against the wall, thinking about what I knew. Truth was, I hadn't heard anything concrete about Issei since our conversation at my place. Koneko said he was still mulling over his options - whether to stay human, join the supernatural world, or become a devil.

Though she'd also mentioned that Issei wanted to talk to me about his decision. Which was... weird. It'd been a few days now, and radio silence. Even in class, the guy had been unusually quiet - no perverted comments, no dramatic outbursts about the unfairness of life, just sitting there staring out the window like he was wrestling with something heavy.

That wasn't like Issei at all. Usually the guy couldn't shut up about whatever was bouncing around in his head, perverted or otherwise. The fact that he was taking this long to reach out, combined with his silence? Either he was really struggling with the choice, or he'd already made up his mind and was avoiding me because he knew I wouldn't like his answer.

Maybe he was scared of what choosing the supernatural world would mean for our friendship. Hard to say - when it came to serious stuff, Issei could be surprisingly hard to read beneath all that perverted energy.

Vali shot to his feet. "Where is he?”

"Easy there," I said, waving him down. "He hasn't even figured out how to properly use his Sacred Gear yet. You go charging in now, and you'll just be disappointed."

"I've been waiting my whole life for this fight!" 

"And you'll get it," I said firmly. "But let him grow into his power first. Trust me, when you two finally clash, it'll be worth the wait. Rushing it now? You'll just end up fighting a confused teenager instead of the Red Dragon Emperor."

My thoughts drifted back to Issei. Whatever was going through his head right now, I hoped he'd make his decision soon. The longer he waited, the harder it would get.

Either way - human, devil, or something in between - he was still my friend. And friends looked out for each other, no matter what path they chose. Whether he wanted to stay in the normal world or dive headfirst into the supernatural chaos, I'd be there to guide him through it.

That's what friends do.

=====

Issei pushed himself lazily on the swing, his feet dragging against the ground with each half-hearted motion. The metal chains creaked softly in the evening air as he stared down at the worn dirt beneath his shoes.

Another sigh escaped his lips.

This was the third time he'd come to this park since... well, since everything had gone completely insane. The same park where that fallen angel—Raynare, not Yuuma—had tried to kill him. Where Leon had shown up like some kind of supernatural superhero and saved his life.

Where his entire world had been flipped upside down.

He pushed off the ground again, swinging forward slightly before gravity pulled him back. The repetitive motion was oddly comforting, even if it wasn't helping him think any clearer.

"Devils, angels, Sacred Gears..." he muttered to himself, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "And I'm supposed to just... pick?"

The worst part? Leon had made it sound so simple. Stay human and live a normal life, or dive headfirst into the supernatural world. Maybe even become a devil if he wanted.

But it wasn't simple at all.

Issei had always been straightforward about what he wanted—a harem full of beautiful girls who'd love him and think he was amazing. It was a stupid, perverted dream, but it was his dream. And becoming a devil? That could actually make it possible. Power, immortality, hanging around gorgeous devil women like Rias-senpai...

So why couldn't he just say yes?

He kicked at a pebble, sending it skittering across the ground. "Because you're an idiot, that's why," he told himself.

The thing was, after everything that had happened with Yuuma—Raynare—the idea of trusting someone who offered him everything he wanted made his stomach twist. She'd been perfect, too good to be true, and look how that had turned out. A light spear through the chest and bleeding out next to this very fountain.

What if the devils were just using him too? What if they only wanted his Sacred Gear and didn't actually care about him as a person?

Issei groaned and let his head fall back, staring up at the darkening sky. "Leon said I could talk to him about it," he mumbled. "But what am I supposed to say? 'Hey buddy, I'm scared of making the wrong choice and ending up dead again'?"

That sounded pathetic even in his own head.

The truth was, Leon probably wouldn't judge him for being scared. The guy had always been weird like that—actually listening when Issei rambled about stupid stuff, never making him feel like a complete loser for his perverted dreams. Even after finding out about all the supernatural craziness, Leon had just... been there for him.

But talking about his fears out loud? That was different. That was admitting he wasn't the confident, determined guy he pretended to be.

Another sigh, deeper this time.

"Maybe I should just flip a coin," Issei said to the empty park. "Heads I become a devil, tails I stay human and pretend none of this ever happened."

Except he couldn't pretend. Not anymore. He'd seen too much, knew too much. The supernatural world wasn't going away just because he closed his eyes and wished really hard.

He needed to make a choice. 

And maybe... maybe he needed to stop being such a coward about asking for help.

Issei was just starting to seriously consider heading home when he heard it—a sharp yelp followed by the sound of someone hitting the ground hard.

His head snapped up, scanning the darkening park. There, near the edge of the playground area, he spotted a figure sprawled on the ground next to what looked like a small pile of groceries that had scattered everywhere.

"Oh crap," he muttered, jumping off the swing. His legs were a bit stiff from sitting for so long, but he jogged over anyway. "Hey, are you okay?"

As he got closer, he could see it was a girl around his age with blonde hair, wearing what looked like a nun's habit. She was pushing herself up on her hands, looking dazed and a bit embarrassed.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said quickly, her voice carrying a slight accent he couldn't quite place. "I just tripped over my own feet. How clumsy of me..."

Issei slowed his approach, suddenly feeling awkward. He wasn't exactly known for his smooth social skills with girls, especially ones he didn't know. But she looked like she could use some help gathering up her scattered belongings.

"Here, let me help you with—"

That's when he noticed it. The girl was still sitting on the ground, and her position had caused her skirt to ride up slightly, revealing a glimpse of white underneath.

Issei's brain immediately short-circuited.

His face turned bright red as every perverted instinct screamed at him to look away like a gentleman, while another part of his mind—the part that had earned him his reputation as one of Kuoh Academy's biggest perverts—was definitely not looking away.

"Oh no," he whispered to himself, frozen in place as his internal moral compass spun wildly between doing the right thing and being true to his perverted nature.

The girl was still trying to collect her scattered groceries, completely oblivious to her wardrobe situation and Issei's growing panic.

This was exactly the kind of situation that usually ended with him getting slapped or worse.

Chapter 79

The silence that followed Issei's departure hung heavy in the air. Rias remained perched on the edge of her desk, her expression thoughtful as she stared at the door he'd just walked through.

Akeno was the first to break the quiet, her usual playful demeanor replaced by genuine curiosity. "Ara ara, President," she said, moving to refill the empty teacup. "I have to ask about why are you so interested in recruiting Issei-kun?"

Kiba looked up from his position by the window, equally curious. "It is unusual for you to pursue someone so... enthusiastically."

"Especially someone whose Sacred Gear we haven't even identified," Akeno continued, her eyes studying Rias carefully. "We know he has one, but beyond that..."

Koneko, who was still in her chair reading her book, spoke without looking up. "Leon could have told us what it was. But he didn't."

Rias shook her head slowly, sliding off the desk to pace behind her chair. "That's exactly what makes me certain this isn't simple."

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked, his polite tone masking his growing interest.

"Think about it," Rias said, turning to face her peerage. ""The fallen angels targeted Issei specifically. Not randomly—they sent Raynare to seduce him, to get close to him over time."

Akeno tilted her head. "Fallen angels do kill Sacred Gear users..."

"But not like this," Rias interrupted. "Usually they just attack outright. Quick, efficient elimination. But Raynare spent weeks building a relationship with him. That level of investment suggests they knew something."

Koneko finally looked up from her book, her golden eyes thoughtful. "They were being careful."

"Exactly," Rias said.

Akeno's eyes widened slightly. "You think it's something significant."

"The fallen angels wouldn't go to such lengths for an ordinary Sacred Gear," Rias said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "They were treating this like a high-priority elimination. Possibly even..."

She trailed off, but the implication hung in the air.

"A Longinus?" Kiba finished, his usual calm cracking slightly.

The room fell silent again. The idea of one of the thirteen Longinus-class Sacred Gears—artifacts capable of killing gods—being in the hands of a perverted high school student was almost absurd. Almost.

"It would explain the fallen angels' behavior," Akeno said quietly. "And why they were so determined to eliminate him before his power could awaken."

Koneko closed her book with a soft thud. "If Issei has a Longinus, other factions will come for him."

"Which is why I want him in our peerage," Rias said firmly. "If I'm right, he'll need protection. And training. Lots of training."

"And if you're wrong?" Kiba asked.

Rias smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Then we gain a loyal ally with potential for growth. Either way, it's worth the investment."

"Assuming he chooses to become a devil at all," Akeno pointed out. "He seemed quite torn about giving up his humanity."

"Leon's influence," Koneko said simply. "He values choice."

"Yes," Rias said, her tone becoming more frustrated. “It’s being more complicated than it needs to be."

"Is it?" Kiba asked quietly, surprising everyone. "I mean, if Issei does have a powerful Sacred Gear, wouldn't we want him to choose us willingly? Someone with that kind of power who feels coerced might become... problematic."

Akeno nodded thoughtfully. "Kiba-kun has a point. Forced loyalty rarely lasts."

Rias sighed, sinking into her chair. "You're right, of course. But the waiting is difficult when I can sense the opportunity slipping away."

Koneko said with quiet confidence. “Leon taught me that you can't force people to want what you want for them.”

Rias bit her lips. 

I know that. She thought, remembering the last time she tried that. It failed and backfired on her spectacularly.

The room fell quiet as everyone absorbed that. Finally, Akeno spoke up with a slight smile returning to her voice.

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what our perverted friend decides fu-fu."

"Indeed," Rias said, standing and moving to the window.

=====

The abandoned church on the outskirts of Kuoh stood silent in the evening light, its weathered stone walls and broken windows telling the story of a faith long since abandoned by its congregation. Within its dusty halls, a young woman knelt before a cracked wooden cross, her blonde hair catching what little light filtered through the damaged stained glass.

Asia Argento pressed her hands together in prayer, her green eyes closed in peaceful concentration. At seventeen, she possessed a serene beauty that seemed to glow with inner light—the kind of purity that had once earned her the title of Holy Maiden among the faithful.

"Heavenly Father," she whispered in Japanese, her voice barely audible in the sacred space, "please grant me the strength to serve faithfully. Let my hands bring healing to those who need it."

The irony wasn't lost on her that she now prayed in a church abandoned by the very organization that had cast her out. Excommunicated. Branded a heretic for the sin of healing a devil. Even now, the memory of that day brought tears to her eyes.

She had only wanted to help. The injured devil had been suffering, dying, and her Sacred Gear had responded to that pain without her conscious thought. Twilight Healing didn't distinguish between good and evil—it simply mended what was broken.

But the Church saw it differently. Healing the enemy of God was unforgivable, they said. Her sacred gift had been tainted, corrupted by contact with evil.

A soft smile crossed her lips as she thought of Raynare. If not for the fallen angel's intervention, Asia didn't know where she would be now. Cast out from the only home she had ever known, abandoned by the very people she had served so faithfully, she had been wandering the streets of Rome like a lost soul.

Raynare had found her there, crying in an alley behind a church that had refused her sanctuary. Where others saw a heretic, Raynare had seen someone worth saving.

"You don't deserve this treatment," Raynare had said, her violet eyes filled with genuine compassion. "Come with me. I'll give you a place where you can use your gift without judgment."

And she had kept that promise. Here in Japan, in this forgotten church, Asia could heal without fear of persecution. Raynare had given her purpose again, a chance to serve even if it wasn't in the way she had originally intended.

The soft sound of footsteps on broken stone made her open her eyes. Raynare approached with her usual stride, though Asia detected something different in her demeanor today—an excitement barely contained beneath her composed exterior.

"Asia," Raynare said, her voice carrying that mix of authority and false kindness that Asia had learned to recognize. "How are your prayers this afternoon?"

Asia rose from her knees, smoothing her nun's habit. "They bring me peace, Raynare-sama. As always."

"Good, good." Raynare moved closer, her violet eyes studying Asia with an intensity that made the former nun uncomfortable. 

"I have news. In a few days, we'll be hosting some very important guests."

"Guests?" Asia asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Other fallen angels, like myself. They're coming to witness something truly special." Raynare's expression grew more serious. 

Asia felt a flutter of nervousness. "What kind of ceremony?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, dear Asia." Raynare reached out to touch her cheek with what seemed like genuine tenderness. "You trust me, don't you? After everything I've done for you?"

"Of course I do," Asia replied without hesitation.

Something flickered across Raynare's face—so quickly that Asia almost missed it. 

Was that... guilt? But it was gone before she could be sure.

"Such a sweet child," Raynare murmured, her hand still resting against Asia's cheek. "So pure, so trusting”

"Nothing, dear. Nothing at all." Raynare stepped back, her expression returning to its usual composed mask.

As Raynare departed something about the fallen angel's demeanor today felt different.

Asia shook her head, dismissing the troubling thoughts. Raynare had saved her from despair, given her shelter and purpose when the whole world had turned against her. Whatever this ceremony was, it had to be for the greater good.

Asia returned to her knees before the cracked cross, pressing her hands together once more.

"Lord," she whispered, "please help me serve faithfully in the days to come. And please... continue to bless Raynare-san for her kindness to one the Church cast aside."

The Holy Maiden continued her prayers, faithful and trusting, her heart full of gratitude for the fallen angel who had shown her mercy when no one else would. She had no way of knowing that her greatest act of faith would soon become her final one.

Chapter 78

Issei stared out the classroom window, his chin resting on his palm. The math teacher droned on about quadratic equations, but his voice seemed to come from somewhere far away. Issei's thoughts kept drifting back to last night, the supernatural world revelation, and the choice he still had to make.

Become a devil. Stay human. Get involved or walk away.

The weight of it all pressed down on his shoulders like a heavy blanket.

"Hyoudou!"

The sharp call snapped him back to reality. His head jerked up, and he found the teacher glaring at him.

"Yes, sir?" Issei said, trying to look alert.

"Care to solve this problem on the board?"

Issei's eyes darted to the blackboard. Numbers and letters swam together in a confusing mess. After everything that had happened regular math seemed almost silly.

"Uh... x equals... seven?"

A few students snickered. The teacher sighed heavily.

"Pay attention, Hyoudou. This will be on the exam."

"Yes, sir," Issei mumbled, his face burning red.

The bell rang, saving him from further embarrassment. Students began packing their bags, chattering about lunch plans and after-school activities. Issei slumped in his chair, his mind still spinning with everything Leon had told him about the supernatural world.

"Dude, you looked like you were in another dimension," Matsuda said, walking over with Motohama close behind.

"Yeah, what's got you so spaced out?" Motohama adjusted his glasses.

"I was just... thinking about stuff."

"About what? Oppai?" Matsuda grinned.

Before Issei could answer, the classroom door slid open. A figure stepped inside, drawing immediate attention from several girls who suddenly straightened in their seats.

Kiba Yuuto entered the room with his usual graceful stride. His blonde hair caught the afternoon light streaming through the windows, and his gentle smile made a few girls sigh dreamily.

"Excuse me," Kiba said politely to the nearest student. "Is Hyoudou Issei here?"

Every head in the classroom turned toward Issei's desk. The perverted duo's jaws dropped simultaneously.

"Th-that's..." Matsuda stammered, pointing a shaking finger at Kiba.

"Kiba Yuuto!" Motohama finished, his voice cracking. "The school prince!"

Issei blinked in confusion. “Kiba?”

Kiba's smile remained warm and friendly as he approached. "The president would like to speak with you in the Occult Research Club room. Are you free now?"

The silence in the classroom was deafening. You could practically hear the collective thoughts of every student: Why would the most popular guy in school want to talk to Issei?

"WHAT?!" Matsuda and Motohama screamed in unison, their voices echoing off the walls.

Their outburst shattered the silence like glass. Students began whispering frantically among themselves.

"Did Kiba just ask for Issei?"

"What could the Occult Research Club want with him?"

"Maybe he's in trouble?"

Matsuda grabbed Issei's shoulders, shaking him. "Dude! DUDE! The prince of Kuoh Academy knows your name!"

"And he wants to talk to you!" Motohama added, his glasses nearly sliding off his nose from excitement. "This is impossible!"

Issei looked between his two friends, then at Kiba, who waited patiently with that same gentle expression. After last night, nothing really seemed impossible anymore.

"I... uh..." Issei's brain struggled to process what was happening, still overwhelmed by bigger supernatural concerns. "Sure, I guess?"

"Excellent," Kiba said with a slight bow. "Shall we go?"

As Issei stood up, still looking dazed, Matsuda and Motohama continued their shocked commentary.

"This has to be a dream," Matsuda whispered.

"Or we've entered some parallel universe," Motohama added, adjusting his glasses nervously.

Issei followed Kiba through the school hallways, his stomach churning with nerves. Students they passed stared openly—the perverted loser walking alongside the school prince was definitely gossip-worthy material.

They reached the old school building, climbing the stairs to the third floor. Kiba stopped in front of a door marked with an ornate sign: Occult Research Club.

"After you," Kiba said, opening the door with a polite gesture.

Issei stepped inside and immediately felt his jaw drop.

The room was nothing like what he'd expected from a school club. Rich mahogany furniture, elegant curtains, and bookshelves lined the walls. It looked more like some fancy Victorian study than a classroom.

And sitting behind an enormous desk was Rias Gremory herself.

"Welcome back, Issei-kun," Rias said warmly, rising from her chair with graceful elegance. Her crimson hair fell like silk over her shoulders, and when she smiled, Issei felt his heart skip several beats.

"Holy oppai..." Issei whispered under his breath, his eyes automatically drawn to her figure before he caught himself. "I mean! Uh, hello, Rias-senpai!"

She gestured to the plush chair across from her desk with movements that seemed almost choreographed in their elegance. "Please, have a seat."

Akeno appeared beside him with a tea service, her approach silent and graceful. "Would you like some tea, Issei-kun?" she asked, her voice carrying that characteristic gentle warmth with just a hint of something playful underneath.

"Y-yes! Please!" Issei stammered, trying not to stare as she leaned forward to pour. His eyes wandered before he forced himself to look at the ceiling. "This is like a dream... beautiful onee-sans serving me tea..."

Koneko sat quietly in the corner, reading a book and occasionally glancing his way with those sharp golden eyes.

"I hope you slept well after last night's... excitement," Rias said, settling into her chair with fluid grace. She crossed her legs slowly, the motion deliberate and attention-grabbing.

"Not really," Issei admitted, accepting the teacup from Akeno with shaking hands. "Kind of hard to sleep after finding out, you know, devils and angels and stuff are real."

Akeno giggled softly, the sound like silver bells. "I imagine it would be quite overwhelming for someone new to our world."

"It's a lot to process," Kiba agreed from his position near the window. "But you handled it remarkably well."

Issei nearly choked on his tea. "Admirably? I was screaming and panicking most of the time! And I kept thinking about how Leon was so cool and you guys are all so..." He gestured vaguely at Rias and Akeno. "...gorgeous! Like, seriously, are all devils this attractive?"

Rias smiled at his directness, finding his honesty refreshing compared to the usual fear most humans showed.

“I'm curious about something."

"Y-yeah?"

She tilted her head, studying him. 

"How are you feeling about everything? It's not every day someone discovers that devils and angels walk among us."

Issei set down his teacup, his hands trembling slightly. "Honestly? It's terrifying. But also... kind of exciting? Like, my whole life I've been dreaming about supernatural stuff and harems and adventures, and it turns out it's all real!"

His eyes lit up with typical perverted enthusiasm. "I mean, there's actual devil girls! Beautiful devil girls! This is like every anime I've ever watched!"

"The supernatural world is certainly full of... interesting experiences," Akeno agreed with a knowing smile.

"Speaking of which," Issei said, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Wait. How were you guys there last night?"

"You summoned us, Issei-kun," Rias said gently, her voice taking on a more patient tone.

"I summoned you? How?" Issei blinked in confusion.

"Do you remember the leaflet you picked up earlier that day?" Rias asked, her smile becoming more knowing. "The one advertising devil services?"

Issei's eyes widened as the memory came flooding back. "That weird flyer? I thought it was some kind of prank!”

"When you called for help after the fallen angel attacked, the summoning circle activated," Rias explained. "We responded immediately."

"Though we didn't expect to find Leon-kun already there," Kiba added. "Or that you possessed a Sacred Gear."

"Sacred Gear wielders are incredibly rare," Rias continued, rising and walking around her desk. "And incredibly valuable to our kind."

She perched on the edge of her desk, close enough that Issei could smell her perfume—something that made his head spin. "Which brings us to why we wanted to speak with you today."

"Leon-kun explained your options last night," she said, her voice taking on a warmer, more intimate tone. "But I'd like to tell you more about what becoming a devil would truly mean."

Akeno moved closer, her hand resting lightly on the back of his chair. "Devils gain incredible power," she said softly. "Your Sacred Gear would become stronger than you could ever imagine."

"Supernatural strength, speed, magical abilities," Rias continued, her eyes locked on his. "You'd be capable of feats that would make ordinary humans seem like children."

"That sounds amazing!" Issei said, his perverted mind already racing. "But what about the other stuff? Like... devil society?"

Rias's smile became more predatory, though still warm. "Devils have very different customs than humans, Issei-kun. We're far more... open about our desires."

Akeno giggled. "We don't restrict ourselves to human concepts of monogamy. Devils embrace their passions freely."

"You mean..." Issei's voice was barely a whisper, his ultimate fantasy dancing before his eyes.

"Harems are not only accepted among devils," Rias said simply, watching his reaction carefully, "they're often expected for those with power."

Issei's face turned bright red, steam practically coming from his ears. "H-HAREM?! Multiple beautiful devil girls?! This is... this is..."

"Everything you've ever dreamed of?" Akeno suggested with a knowing smile.

"And as part of my peerage," Rias continued, reaching out to gently touch his face, "you'd be surrounded by companions who understand this world. Who would fight alongside you, grow stronger with you..."

"Who would be very close to you," Akeno added, her breath warm against his ear.

Issei was practically vibrating with excitement and nervousness. "This is... this is like every perverted fantasy I've ever had come true!"

"The bonds between peerage members are incredibly intimate," Rias said, her hand still touching his cheek. "We share everything together."

The room fell silent except for Issei's rapid breathing as his perverted imagination ran wild with possibilities. Beautiful devils, power beyond measure, and the harem he'd always dreamed of—all laid out before him like the ultimate temptation.

Issei's mind was spinning with images of harem with beautiful devil girls, his heart racing as he imagined all his perverted dreams coming true. But then, like a splash of cold water, Leon's words from the night before echoed in his head.

"Whatever you decide, it needs to be your decision. No pressure, no coercion."

The excitement faded slightly as reality began to creep back in. This wasn't some anime or manga—this was his actual life. His actual humanity they were talking about giving up.

"I..." Issei started, then stopped, his voice catching.

"Take your time," Rias said gently, though her eyes held a hopeful gleam. "I know it's a lot to consider."

But Issei's thoughts were already drifting elsewhere. To his parents. To his normal, boring, human life that suddenly didn't seem so bad. To Leon, who had protected him without asking for anything in return.

"Everything you're offering... it's like every dream I've ever had."

"And I can't decide right now," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "This is too big. Too important. I need time to think."

From the corner, Koneko spoke up quietly. "Leon said no pressure. You're pressuring him."

Rias had the grace to look slightly ashamed. "I... perhaps I was a bit enthusiastic in my presentation."

"I want to talk to Leon first," Issei said firmly. "He's the only one who's been straight with me about everything. No offense, but you guys are obviously trying to recruit me. Leon just wants me to make the right choice for me."

Koneko nodded approvingly. "Good choice."

Akeno's expression flickered with something that might have been annoyance, but she quickly covered it with a smile. "Leon-kun does care about you."

"Very well," Rias said, her tone carefully neutral. "Take the time you need. But remember—the supernatural world has a way of forcing choices upon people. Sometimes waiting too long means the choice gets made for you."

Issei felt a chill at her words, but he stood his ground. "I understand. But this has to be my decision."

As he headed toward the door, Kiba spoke up. "For what it's worth, Issei, I think you're being wise. Rushing into something this important rarely ends well."

"Thanks, Kiba," Issei said with genuine gratitude.

As he reached the door, he turned back one more time. "And thank you all for being honest with me. Even if you were trying to convince me."

"And Koneko-chan," he added with a grin, "tell Leon I said he's got good taste in girlfriends!"

Koneko's face turned red. "Pervert."

Rias smiled, and this time it seemed more genuine. "We'll be here when you're ready to decide."

Issei nodded and left.

Chapter 77

After they left, I found myself with nothing particularly urgent to do. The evening's events had been draining in their own way, and with Issei's situation temporarily resolved, I had a rare moment of quiet.

I decided to check my Celestial Workshop.

Closing my eyes, I reached inward and felt the familiar sensation of the starry void opening around me. The Workshop materialized in all its cosmic glory—workbenches floating in space, tools drifting in organized chaos, and the soft glow of distant stars providing an otherworldly ambiance.

E.V.E. and the Sacred Gear Extractor were gone, their manifestation slots now available for new projects. But I'd already started something else during a moment of inspiration earlier in the week.

[Modified Asauchi: 38 days remaining]

Asauchi—a nameless Zanpakutō from the Bleach universe, but this one had been heavily modified by the Workshop's capabilities. Unlike the original, it wouldn't require Reiatsu to function and could run on any energy source and that includes my own mana.

The concept fascinated me. A weapon that would literally connect to my soul, transforming to match my nature and powers. It could become anything—a katana, a different weapon entirely, or even something unexpected. The Asauchi would adopt aspects of my soul and abilities, potentially even manifesting its own consciousness.

And once it fully transformed into a proper Zanpakutō.

I found myself wondering what kind of Zanpakutō I would end up with. Would it reflect my Celestial Workshop? My draconic nature? The magical powers I'd been developing from my grimoire? Or perhaps something entirely unexpected that represented the core of who I really was?

The uncertainty was both thrilling and slightly nerve-wracking. A weapon born from one's soul could reveal truths about yourself that you might not be ready to face.

I turned my attention to the other project.

[Dimensional Cube: 46 days remaining]

I opted for this cube design instead of the portal gun as it was more efficient and sleek-looking for my taste.

The portal gun would have been more iconic—there was something undeniably cool about Rick Sanchez's interdimensional travel device. But practically speaking, the cube was superior in almost every way. Compact, discrete, and far less likely to draw unwanted attention when I needed to use it.

A gun-shaped device would immediately scream "weapon" to anyone who saw it, which could complicate diplomatic situations in other dimensions. The cube, on the other hand, could easily be mistaken for some kind of puzzle box or technological device—mysterious but not inherently threatening.

And as its name suggested, it would allow me to travel to various different worlds. The manifestation time was only 50 days—surprisingly short for something so powerful. Why so short? Of course, I'd reduced its capabilities significantly from the original design.

This version had a recharge time of three months between each use, which was a considerable limitation. The original Dimensional Cube I'd first conceptualized had a manifestation time of 150 days but could be used much more frequently and I simply couldn't wait that long.

The reasoning was simple: I wanted to travel to other dimensions to gain more power and abilities. There were countless worlds out there with unique power systems, advanced technologies, and training methods that could enhance my capabilities far beyond what this world offered.

Imagine learning magic from the Harry Potter universe, training with Saiyans in Dragon Ball, or studying under the greatest masters in various martial arts dimensions. Each world would offer new perspectives, new abilities to acquire, and new ways to grow stronger.

The three-month cooldown was annoying, but it was a worthwhile trade-off for getting the device earlier. Besides, three months would give me plenty of time to fully explore and learn from each world I visited before moving on to the next.

I was already making mental lists of which dimensions to visit first as the possibilities were endless.

At the same time, there was a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. Would I even be able to use their power systems? Haki from One Piece, chakra from Naruto, ki from Dragon Ball—these were often tied to the specific biology or metaphysical laws of their respective universes.

What if I traveled to the One Piece world only to discover that Haki required some specific genetic trait or spiritual foundation that I simply didn't possess? Or worse, what if attempting to use foreign power systems actively interfered with my existing abilities?

But I pushed that concern to the back of my mind. After all, if there were compatibility issues, I could simply design something in the Workshop to allow me to use those power systems.

The workshop is broken like that.

I also checked my last project—the Virgo Hektos. There were still almost three weeks before it was finished. After Virgo would come Aquarius, specifically designed for Sona.

Having confirmed the status of all my current projects, I exited the Celestial Workshop. The familiar sensation of returning to normal reality washed over me as the starry void faded away, leaving me back in my mansion's living room.

I settled back into my chair and reached for my wine glass, taking another sip of the wine as I considered what else needed my attention tonight. 

"E.V.E., give me updates on the reverse engineering progress for the phone," I said, addressing the AI.

Her orb of light pulsed gently as she responded in her characteristic neutral tone. "Reverse engineering is 78% complete. I estimate full technological breakdown and production-ready specifications will be available within 6 days. The manufacturing process can then be scaled for mass production and integration into other Mishima Corporation projects."

I'd manifested a phone a few days ago. The phone had taken only a day to create—a sleek piece of technology decades ahead of anything currently available. Holographic displays, quantum processors, energy storage that could last months, and communication capabilities that could reach across dimensions.

That was the beauty of having E.V.E. handle the technological side of things. Rather than having to manifest each individual device through the Workshop I could create one perfect prototype and have her reverse engineer it for conventional production.

"What about the other projects?"

"Virtual reality development is proceeding ahead of schedule. The new VR system will offer full sensory immersion with haptic feedback indistinguishable from reality. Additionally, the renewable energy source project has achieved a breakthrough—the energy conversion efficiency is now at 97.3%, far exceeding current global standards."

I nodded approvingly. With E.V.E.'s capabilities handling the technological development, she was saving me countless hours that would have been spent manifesting individual items. She was in charge of all the technological side of things while Mishima Corporation served as the legitimate front for introducing these revolutionary advances to the world.

With Mishima's vast resources and global connections, implementing these technologies became significantly easier. The corporation's established manufacturing facilities, distribution networks, and political influence meant I could introduce world-changing innovations without raising too many suspicions about their origin.

"Keep me updated on the timelines," I said. 

"Understood, Leon."

I finished the last of my wine and set the glass aside, feeling the day's events finally settling into perspective. Canon had officially begun, but with significant deviations already in play.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges but I was as prepared as I could be.

I stood and stretched, making my way toward the stairs. The next few days were going to be very interesting indeed.

Chapter 76

"I don't know..." Issei finally replied after a moment of silence.

I smiled, understanding completely. Of course it wasn't an easy decision to make.

"That's perfectly reasonable," I said, leaning back in my chair. "This isn't something you need to decide right now. Take your time to think it through."

Rias looked like she wanted to say something, but I caught her eye and shook my head slightly. Pressuring him wouldn't help anyone.

"How long do I have?" Issei asked, his voice small.

"As long as you need," I replied. "Like I said, the fallen angels won't be coming after you anytime soon. You're safe."

I stood up, causing Koneko to reluctantly detach herself from my side. "Why don't we call it a night? You've had enough revelations for one evening."

I raised my hand, and a swirling portal opened in the middle of the living room, showing a view of Issei's neighborhood.

Issei's jaw dropped again. "You can make portals too?! Of course you can.”

I couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction.

After Issei left through the portal, Rias and her peerage began to move toward their own portal. But before they could leave, I spoke up.

"Actually, could we talk for a moment?" I asked, my tone casual but firm enough to make it clear this wasn't really a request.

Rias shifted nervously, her confident demeanor from earlier completely gone. The rest of her peerage stopped as well, clearly sensing the tension in the air.

To be honest, I didn't blame Rias for not helping Issei earlier—it was the same thing she'd done in the anime. She was a devil, after all. Her own interests came first, and watching to see if Issei would awaken his Sacred Gear before making her move was a calculated decision. I could understand that logic.

The same could be said for me, really. The only difference was that Issei happened to be my friend.

"Of course," Rias replied, though her voice was carefully controlled. "What did you want to discuss?"

I gestured for them to sit back down. Koneko immediately returned to my side, while the others took their seats with varying degrees of wariness.

"I want to establish some ground rules," I said, settling back into my chair. "Now that Issei knows about the supernatural world, things are going to change. And I want to make sure we're all on the same page about how this is going to work."

Rias's blue-green eyes studied my face carefully, clearly trying to gauge my intentions. "What kind of ground rules?"

"The kind that ensure my friend stays safe and gets to make his own choices," I replied, my amber eyes meeting hers steadily. "Without any... external pressure."

The meaning behind my words was clear, and I could see Rias swallow slightly as the implications sank in.

"That's not fair," Rias interjected, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice. "You're essentially asking me to give up any chance of recruiting him."

"I'm not asking for anything unreasonable," I replied calmly. "All I want is to give Issei the freedom to make his own choice. What I don't want is you doing what you tried to do to me last time."

Rias's face flushed red, clearly remembering her attempt at subtle mind manipulation during our previous encounter. "I... that was..." she stammered, looking genuinely embarrassed and apologetic.

"I understand your intentions," she said after a moment, composing herself. "And you're right. Issei deserves to make his choice freely, without any... influence from me or anyone else."

"Good," I nodded. "Then we understand each other."

As her peerage began to file out through another portal I opened for them, Koneko lingered behind. She approached me and wrapped her arms around my waist in a gentle hug, then stood on her tiptoes to give me a soft kiss.

"Be careful," she whispered against my lips before following the others through the portal.

Once they were gone, I settled back into my couch with a sigh. The evening had been more eventful than I'd planned. I held up my hand and concentrated briefly, feeling the familiar tingle of the Workshop's power.

A bottle materialized in my palm—elegant crystal glass with deep amber wine inside. I'd called it "Elysian Reserve" when I'd designed it in the Workshop.. It was perhaps the finest wine possible to create without any supernatural effects, just pure, perfect taste crafted through impossible techniques.

I poured myself a glass and took a sip, letting the complex flavors wash over my palate as I contemplated the night's events. Canon had officially begun, but already things were diverging from the original timeline.

Though I had no complaints about that—things would be boring if everything played out exactly as I remembered. But I believed things wouldn't be much different in the end.

Issei would still likely choose to become a devil because of his perverted dream of becoming a harem king and for someone whose life goal was building a harem, becoming a devil was basically winning the lottery.

I took another sip of the Elysian Reserve, savoring the way it seemed to capture the essence of a perfect autumn evening. The Workshop really could create some impressive things, even something as simple as wine.

My phone buzzed with a text from Sona: Heard there was some excitement tonight. Everything alright?

I smiled slightly. News traveled fast in the supernatural community, especially when it involved fallen angels operating in devil territory.

Everything's handled. We should talk tomorrow though.

Of course. My office after school?

Perfect.

I set the phone aside and leaned back into the cushions.

Canon had begun.

The real question was: how much would my presence change the outcome?

Meanwhile, somewhere in the fallen angel headquarters...

Raynare knelt before Azazel's desk, her usual confidence completely shattered. Her hands trembled slightly as she recounted the evening's events, the memory of Leon's crushing force still fresh in her mind and body.

"The mission failed," she reported, her voice barely above a whisper. "Leon Mishima intervened before I could complete the elimination."

Azazel leaned back in his chair, golden eyes studying his subordinate with a mixture of annoyance and resignation. The order to kill Issei Hyoudou if he proved to be a threat had been his—a calculated decision to eliminate a potential problem before it could grow into something unmanageable.

What he hadn't factored into his calculations was Issei's relationship with Leon Mishima.

"I didn't realize they were that close," Azazel muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. "Close enough for Leon to personally protect the boy."

"He... he was terrifying," Raynare continued, her voice shaking slightly. "The power he displayed, the way he looked at me... I thought he was going to kill me."

Azazel sighed deeply.  

Leon Mishima wasn't someone you crossed lightly—the fallen angel leader had learned that lesson personally. The boy's threat had been clear: touch Issei, and face the consequences.

"Leave Hyoudou alone," Azazel ordered finally. "Indefinitely."

Raynare looked up, relief flooding her features despite her hesitation. "But sir, his Sacred Gear—"

"Is no longer our concern," Azazel cut her off firmly. "Leon's protection extends beyond just tonight. As long as that boy is under Mishima's wing, we don't touch him. Understood?"

Raynare nodded quickly, though there was clear frustration in her eyes. She'd failed her mission, and there was nothing she could do about it. The power dynamics of the supernatural world had shifted, and Leon Mishima's influence was now protecting a human who should have been eliminated.

"Yes, sir," she agreed reluctantly. 

Then Azazel waved his hand dismissively. "You're dismissed. Return to your regular duties."

Raynare bowed stiffly and left the office, her shoulders tense with barely contained frustration and humiliation.

As she walked through the corridors of the fallen angel headquarters, she could hear the whispered conversations of her fellow fallen angels. Their words cut deeper than any blade.

"Couldn't even handle a simple elimination mission."

"Pathetic. She used to be so arrogant, and now look at her."

"Maybe she's lost her edge. Getting soft."

Their mocking laughter and contemptuous glances followed her down the hallway. Raynare gripped her knuckles tight, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to maintain what little composure she had left.

Without a word to anyone, she spread her black wings and launched herself into the night sky, flying away from the headquarters and the crushing weight of their judgment.

She needed to get away. Needed space to think, to plan, to figure out how to salvage what was left of her reputation.

The abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city came into view—a place she and her allies had used before for private meetings. As she landed, she could sense the familiar presences already inside.

Mittelt and Kalawarner were waiting for her, their expressions curious as they watched her enter.

"Raynare-sama!" Mittelt called out, her young face bright with respect. "We heard about your mission. Are you alright?"

Kalawarner stepped forward, her mature features showing worry. "The others at headquarters have been talking, but we know you're stronger than they give you credit for."

Raynare's jaw clenched as she struggled to find the words to explain what had happened, grateful at least that these two still believed in her.

“Leon Mishima appeared."

Both Mittelt and Kalawarner tensed at the name, their expressions immediately shifting to ones of fear and concern.

"Leon Mishima?" Kalawarner whispered, her voice barely audible. "The one who fought Azazel-sama to a standstill?"

"The same one who defeated the White Dragon Emperor," Mittelt added, her usual cheerful demeanor completely gone. 

The warehouse fell into an uncomfortable silence as the three fallen angels processed the implications. Their fear of Leon Mishima was palpable—everyone in the supernatural world had heard the stories of his power.

"So... what now?" Mittelt asked quietly, her voice smaller than usual. "If we can't complete missions like this, what good are we?"

Raynare was quiet for a long moment, then slowly raised her head with renewed determination.

"There might be a way," Raynare said finally, her voice low but determined. "A way for me to prove myself useful to Azazel-sama again."

Mittelt's eyes lit up with curiosity. "What do you mean, Raynare-sama?"

"There's a nun," Raynare continued, her expression hardening with resolve. "Asia Argento. She possesses the Sacred Gear known as Twilight Healing—one of the most powerful healing abilities in existence."

Kalawarner raised an eyebrow. "And you plan to...?"

"Extract it," Raynare said bluntly. "If I can obtain that power for myself, I'll be invaluable to our cause. No more failed missions. No more humiliation."

The warehouse fell silent as the implications sank in. Stealing a Sacred Gear was no simple task, but if successful, it would indeed make Raynare significantly more powerful.

"That's... ambitious," came a voice from the shadows.

All three women turned as Dohnaseek stepped into the light, his tall frame and serious expression making him seem even more imposing in the dim warehouse. His dark eyes were fixed on Raynare with an intensity that spoke of more than just professional interest.

"Dohnaseek," Raynare acknowledged, surprised by his presence.

"I was in the area when I sensed your arrival," he said, though his tone suggested he'd been deliberately seeking her out. "This plan of yours... it has merit."

Mittelt looked between them curiously. "You think it could work?"

"With the right approach," Dohnaseek replied, never taking his eyes off Raynare. "And the right support. Count me in."

"Then it's settled," Raynare said, a dark smile spreading across her face. 

=====

Author’s Note

I just realized I completely skipped Chapter 73....oops! It’s all fixed now, so no worries. Sorry about that!

As an apology, here’s another draft chapter for you to enjoy.

Also… what do you think about lemon scenes? Would you like some?

Chapter 75

"So let me get this straight," Issei said slowly, his voice rising with each word as he processed Leon's explanation. "Angels exist. Fallen angels exist. Devils exist. Gods exist—plural, GODS—and vampires are real too? Like, ALL of mythology is actually real?"

"Essentially, yes," Leon replied calmly, sitting across from him with Koneko curled up against his side like a protective cat.

Now they sat in Leon's opulent living room—a space that screamed wealth and refinement with its leather furniture, expensive artwork, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Issei looked completely out of place on the pristine white sofa, still wearing his torn and bloodied uniform.

"All of it?" Issei's voice cracked. "Like, Zeus? Thor? Buddha? The Christian God?"

"Most pantheons, yes. Though some are more active than others," Rias added from her position on the opposite couch, still maintaining what she hoped was a respectful distance from Leon. Her usual confidence was replaced by careful wariness.

"And you're all..." Issei gestured wildly at the group, "...supernatural beings? Just casually going to high school?"

"We are devils," Rias confirmed, her tone more subdued than usual. "My entire peerage consists of devils or reincarnated devils."

"Reincarnated?!" Issei shrieked. "You can DO that?!"

"It's a standard practice," Akeno said with her usual gentle smile, though there was less of her characteristic playfulness. "When a devil finds a promising human, they can reincarnate them using Evil Pieces."

"Evil Pieces? Like chess?"

"Exactly like chess," Kiba nodded, his polite demeanor unchanged despite the tension in the room.

Issei turned to Leon, his expression desperate. "Please tell me you're at least human. Please. I need ONE normal thing in my life right now."

Leon exchanged a glance with Koneko, who tightened her arms around him slightly, her usual stoic expression showing just a hint of protectiveness.

"I'm human," Leon said. 

“Oh thank god!” Issei buried his face in his hands. "My brain hurts. Yesterday my biggest worry was whether Matsuda would steal my lunch money. Now I find out my classmate can crush fallen angels with magic and my school is run by actual devils!"

"To be fair," Leon said with a slight smile, "you were already attending a school run by devils. You just didn't know it."

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"

Leon laughed.

"It still doesn't explain why Yuuma—no, Raynare—wanted to kill me!" Issei continued, his voice cracking with lingering hurt. "What did I ever do to her? Why did she have to make me fall in love with her first?"

Leon was about to speak, but Rias cleared her throat, drawing their attention. 

"It's because of what you have inside you, Issei-kun," she said carefully. "You possess what's called a Sacred Gear."

"Sacred what now?"

"Sacred Gears are divine artifacts created by G—" Rias flinched visibly, her face contorting in pain. Akeno and Kiba also grimaced at the unspoken word. "—by the Biblical deity. They're housed within certain humans and can grant incredible powers."

Issei looked around at their pained expressions. "Why do you all look like you're having stomach cramps?"

"Devils... have difficulty with anything related to the divine," Kiba explained diplomatically, still looking uncomfortable. "Even mentioning that particular deity causes us physical pain."

"Oh." Issei blinked. "Sorry?"

"It's not your fault," Rias continued, regaining her composure. "The point is, your Sacred Gear is likely a very powerful one. Powerful enough that the fallen angels saw you as a potential threat."

"But I've never done anything supernatural!" Issei protested. "I can't shoot lasers or fly or anything cool like that!"

"Most Sacred Gear wielders don't manifest their abilities until they're in mortal danger," Akeno added gently. "The trauma of near-death often awakens them."

"So... I could have superpowers?" Issei's eyes lit up with sudden excitement, momentarily forgetting his confusion.

"Potentially very significant ones," Rias nodded, though her tone remained cautious as she glanced at Leon.

Koneko spoke up quietly from her position against Leon's side. "Fallen angels kill Sacred Gear users they can't control."

"That's horrible!" Issei exclaimed. "So they were just going to murder me because I MIGHT be dangerous someday?"

"Welcome to the supernatural world, Issei" Leon said dryly. "It's all about eliminating potential threats before they become actual ones."

"Wait a minute," Issei said suddenly, his brain finally catching up to something he'd been noticing all evening. "Leon, why is Koneko-chan sitting close to you? And why did she hug you earlier?"

And before Leon could reply, Koneko looked up at Issei with her usual stoic expression, completely unbothered by the question and spoke. "Leon is my boyfriend."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Issei's jaw dropped so far it practically hit the floor. His eyes went wide, then wider, until they looked like they might pop out of his skull entirely.

"BOYFRIEND?!" he screeched, pointing frantically between them. "Since WHEN?! HOW?! LEON! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

"You didn't ask," Leon  replied matter-of-factly, as Koneko snuggled closer to Leon's side.

“ASK?!” 

Rias deadpanned from her seat, her expression completely flat.

"Ara ara~" Akeno giggled behind her hand, clearly amused by the entire situation. "How observant of you to finally notice, Issei-kun."

Kiba remained silent but slowly shook his head.

Issei wailed, clutching his chest dramatically. "My heart! My poor, innocent heart! How could you do this to me, Leon?!"

"Do what to you?" Leon asked, genuinely confused.

"You already have everything! You're rich, you're mysterious, you're powerful enough to scare fallen angels, AND you got the cute cat girl?!" Issei collapsed backward on the couch like he'd been shot. "This is so unfair! What's next, are you secretly dating Sona-senpai too?!"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as everyone suddenly found the floor very interesting. Rias's deadpan expression didn't change. Akeno's giggling intensified. Kiba just continued shaking his head more vigorously.

"...Oh god, you ARE, aren't you?" Issei whispered in horror.

"I do," Leon said carefully.

"Dammit!"

"Fufu~," Akeno added with obvious amusement.

Rias's deadpan expression finally cracked slightly. "Perhaps we should focus on more pressing matters—"

"NO!" Issei sat up abruptly. "I need to process this! My classmate is apparently some kind of supernatural harem protagonist! How is this my life?!"

Leon patted Koneko’s arm comfortingly. "Ignore him. He's always dramatic."

"I AM NOT DRAMATIC!" Issei shouted dramatically, throwing his arms in the air.

Kiba finally spoke up, still shaking his head. "Issei-kun, I think you might be missing the bigger picture here."

"The bigger picture?" Issei turned to Kiba with wild eyes. "What bigger picture?! My entire worldview has been shattered! First I find out supernatural beings exist, then I discover my classmate is basically living in an anime!"

"Perhaps," Rias said, trying to regain control of the conversation, "we should discuss what happens next. Issei-kun, you're in danger now that the fallen angels know about your Sacred Gear."

"Right!" Issei suddenly straightened up, his expression shifting from heartbreak to panic. "They're going to try to kill me again, aren't they?"

"They won't," Leon said confidently. "I made it very clear what would happen if they tried."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Issei looked confused. "Are you some kind of bigshot or something?"

It was Rias who answered, her voice carrying a mixture of respect and wariness. "Yes, Issei-kun. Leon is one of the strongest beings in the world."

Issei's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

"He's defeated Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels," Kiba added quietly.

"And Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor," Akeno said with her usual smile, though there was genuine admiration in her voice.

"The White Dragon Emperor?!" Issei's voice cracked. "That sounds really important!"

"One of the Heavenly Dragons," Koneko explained simply, nuzzling closer to Leon. "Very strong."

"Dude... you're really a protagonist!" Issei stared at Leon with his mouth hanging open. "No wonder you always seemed so confident at school! You're actually some kind of supernatural powerhouse!"

Rias's expression remained serious. "Which is why the fallen angels won't dare touch you anymore, Issei-kun. Leon's protection carries significant weight in our world."

"So I'm basically under the protection of a powerhouse?" Issei asked, still in awe.

"Something like that," Leon said with a small smile.

"This is the best day ever!" Issei declared, then immediately deflated. "Except for the whole 'getting murdered by my fake girlfriend' part."

Leon's expression suddenly turned serious, the casual atmosphere in the room shifting instantly. Issei, recognizing the change, fell quiet and sat up straighter.

"Now this is the important part," Leon said, his voice taking on a gravity that made everyone listen. "Issei, I need you to make a choice about what you want to do moving forward."

"A choice?" Issei asked quietly.

"Do you want to get involved in the supernatural world, or do you want to return to being a normal human?"

Issei blinked in surprise. "Is... is that still possible? After everything that's happened?"

Leon nodded slowly. "I can remove your Sacred Gear completely. You'd go back to being an ordinary human with no supernatural abilities. The fallen angels would lose interest in you, and you could live a normal life."

"But," Leon continued, his tone becoming more serious, "if you choose to stay involved in the supernatural world, you need to understand the risks. Constant danger. Political schemes. Enemies who won't hesitate to kill you or use you as leverage against others. Life-and-death battles. Your normal life would be over forever as I won’t be able to protect you all the time."

Issei swallowed hard, the weight of the decision clearly hitting him.

Before he could respond, Rias leaned forward. "There is a third option, Issei-kun," she said, her voice gentle but carrying an undertone of hope. "You could become a devil. Join my peerage. We could reincarnate you, and you'd gain the protection and power of being part of the Gremory family."

"Become... a devil?" Issei repeated slowly.

"You'd keep your Sacred Gear, gain demonic powers, and have the backing of one of the most powerful devil families," Rias explained. "You'd be safe, and you'd have companions who understand this world."

Leon's eyes flicked to Rias, then back to Issei. "The choice is yours, Issei. But whatever you decide, it needs to be your decision. No pressure, no coercion. Just what you truly want for your life."

The room fell silent as everyone waited for Issei's response, the weight of his future hanging in the balance.

Chapter 74

Days passed peacefully, but I knew better. Canon was starting.

Two days ago, Issei had been telling everyone in the classroom—including me—about his new girlfriend. The idiot had been practically glowing with excitement, bragging about how this beautiful girl named Yuuma had asked him out on a date. He'd shown us her picture on his phone, and I'd immediately recognized her.

Raynare. One of the fallen angels.

The moment I saw that image, I knew the timeline had begun. Issei's "date" would be his death sentence, followed by his resurrection as Rias's pawn. The supernatural world was about to crash into his normal life whether he was ready or not should I let canon do as it please. 

Anyways, I was in my office reviewing some paperwork when a floating orb of light appeared beside me. 

It was E.V.E., my personal AI.

The orb pulsed with a soft blue light, completely silent as it hovered at shoulder height. No flashy holographic displays, no dramatic entrance—just simple, efficient functionality exactly as I'd designed it.

"E.V.E., status report," I said without looking up from the documents.

"All systems operational, Leon," came the reply in a calm, neutral voice. "Mishima Corporation stock is up 2.3% from yesterday's close. Seventeen new meeting requests have been submitted for your review. No security alerts."

I nodded, appreciating the straightforward delivery. I'd specifically programmed E.V.E. without the quirky personality traits that other fictional AIs possessed. No sass, no humor, no attempts at human-like behavior—just pure functionality. It was an assistant, not a companion.

At the same time I appreciated how much easier my life had become. E.V.E. was handling all the day-to-day business affairs of Mishima Corporation—contract negotiations, financial reports, scheduling, even responding to routine emails. My workload had been reduced to only the most critical decisions that needed my personal approval.

"Any urgent matters requiring immediate attention?"

"Three items flagged as priority: The Sitri Clan business proposal needs your signature, Rossweisse has scheduled your training session for this afternoon, and there's been unusual activity detected near Kuoh Academy."

That last part got my attention. "Define 'unusual activity.'"

"Fallen angel energy signatures. Location: approximately four blocks from the school."

I set down my pen. So it was beginning.

=====

Issei Hyoudou was having the best day of his life.

The date had gone perfectly—better than he'd ever dared to imagine. Yuuma-chan had been everything he'd hoped for and more. Sweet, cheerful, and somehow genuinely interested in spending time with him.

They'd walked through the shopping district, shared crepes at a small café, and even held hands during the movie. Her fingers had been soft and warm, and when she'd squeezed his hand during the scary parts, Issei had felt like he was floating.

"This is really happening," he'd whispered to himself more than once. "I actually have a girlfriend."

The perverted trio had been wrong about everything. Love wasn't just about physical attraction—it was about connection, about finding someone who laughed at your jokes and didn't mind when you got overly excited about anime figures in the shop windows.

Yuuma had even seemed genuinely interested when he'd rambled about his favorite series, nodding and asking questions instead of rolling her eyes like most girls did.

Now, as the sun began to set, they'd found themselves at the fountain in the park. The same park where she'd first approached him, where this incredible day had begun.

"I had such a wonderful time today, Issei-kun," Yuuma said, her voice soft and sweet as she stood close beside him.

"Me too," Issei replied, his cheeks flushing. "This has been like... like a dream come true."

She smiled at him, and for a moment, everything felt perfect. The golden light of the setting sun, the gentle sound of the fountain, the girl of his dreams standing right there with him.

"Issei-kun," she said, stepping even closer. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Yes?" Issei replied, hope and nervousness warring in his voice.

Yuuma's expression shifted, her sweet smile fading into something else entirely. Something cold and sharp that made Issei's stomach lurch with sudden unease.

"Can you... die for me?"

The words hit Issei like a physical blow. "W-what?"

Her appearance began to change. Her hair darkened from light brown to jet black, her school uniform melting away to reveal a revealing black outfit that clung to her suddenly more mature figure. Black wings burst from her back—massive, feathered appendages that cast shadows across the fountain.

"I said," Raynare repeated, her voice now sultry and dangerous, "can you die for me?"

Issei stumbled backward, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. "Yuuma-chan? What's... what's happening?"

"My name isn't Yuuma," she said, flexing her wings as her true nature revealed itself completely. "It's Raynare. And I'm what's known as a fallen angel."

"Fallen... angel?" Issei's voice came out as barely a whisper.

"That's right." Raynare raised her hand, and a spear of golden light began to form in her palm, crackling with deadly energy. "And you, Issei Hyoudou, possess something that my superiors find... problematic."

The light spear grew brighter, more solid, its point aimed directly at Issei's chest.

"I had fun today," Raynare continued conversationally, as if she wasn't about to commit murder. "You're rather sweet for a perverted human. But business is business."

"Wait!" Issei raised his hands defensively, terror flooding through him. "I don't understand! What did I do? Why are you—"

"It's not what you did," Raynare interrupted, her expression almost pitying. "It's what you have inside you. A Sacred Gear that could potentially threaten us. We can't allow that risk to exist."

"Sacred... what?"

"Goodbye, Issei."

The light spear flew forward with deadly precision, piercing straight through Issei's chest. He looked down in shock at the glowing weapon protruding from his body, then back up at Raynare's cold, beautiful face.

"Yu... ma..." he whispered, blood trickling from his lips.

Then he collapsed beside the fountain, his life ebbing away as the light spear dissolved, leaving only a fatal wound behind.

Raynare stood over his body for a moment, her expression unreadable.

"It's better this way," she murmured. "You would have suffered more if we'd let you live."

Just as Raynare spread her black wings to take flight, a familiar voice cut through the evening air.

"Going somewhere?"

Both Raynare and the dying Issei's eyes widened as Leon Mishima stepped out from behind the trees.

His amber eyes were fixed on Raynare with an expression that was far from the composed mask Issei knew from school.

Leon? Issei's fading thoughts struggled to focus. How... why is he here?

Raynare's confident expression crumbled the moment she saw Leon. Terror flooded her features as recognition hit her.

She knew exactly who Leon Mishima was. The human who had fought Azazel—her superior—to a standstill. The one who had defeated Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor.

"L-Leon Mishima," she stammered, her earlier composure completely shattered. "I... I didn't know you were..."

"You tried to kill my friend," Leon said, his voice deadly calm as he stepped closer. His amber eyes held a cold fury that made Raynare's wings tremble.

"Wait! Please, let me explain!" Raynare dropped to the ground, her wings folding as she raised her hands defensively. "I was following orders! My superiors said the boy possessed a dangerous Sacred Gear that—"

"A bad excuse," Leon interrupted, his glare intensifying.

Suddenly, the very air around Raynare seemed to thicken. An invisible weight pressed down on her from all sides, forcing her to her knees beside Issei's dying body. She gasped, struggling against the crushing gravitational force that Leon was directing at her.

"Please!" she wheezed, her hands pressed against the ground as she fought to stay upright. "I'm sorry! I was just following—"

"Following orders to murder an innocent human," Leon finished coldly. "That makes you complicit, not excused."

The pressure increased, and Raynare collapsed completely, her face pressed against the cold stone. She could barely breathe, let alone speak.

From his position by the fountain, Issei watched through dimming eyes as his friend displayed power that defied comprehension.

Leon... is he...? Issei's thoughts grew fainter. What is he...?

Issei's vision blurred further as his consciousness began to slip away. Through the haze of approaching death, he saw Leon walking toward him, leaving the fallen angel crushed beneath an invisible weight.

Leon crouched down beside Issei's broken body, his lips moving as if speaking, but the words sounded distant and muffled. Issei couldn't make out what he was saying—everything felt like he was underwater, drowning in darkness.

Then Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out something small. A bean? It looked like an ordinary green bean, but Leon's expression was urgent as he placed it against Issei's lips.

What...? Issei's fading thoughts struggled to understand. Why is he giving me food...?

Somehow, the bean slipped past his lips, dissolving on his tongue with an odd, earthy taste.

The effect was instantaneous.

A surge of energy flooded through Issei's body. The fatal wound in his chest began to close, flesh knitting together as if it had never been torn. The crushing weight in his lungs lifted, allowing him to draw his first full breath in what felt like an eternity. Strength returned to his limbs, clarity to his mind.

Issei's eyes snapped wide open as he sat up abruptly, his hands instinctively going to his chest where the light spear had pierced him. There was no wound—not even a scar. His uniform was still torn and bloody, but underneath, his skin was perfectly healed.

"What the hell?" he gasped, staring at Leon in shock. "How did you—what was that thing?"

Leon's amber eyes met his, and for the first time, Issei saw something other than politeness in his classmate's gaze. There was relief there, and something deeper—concern.

"I’ll explain later," Leon said simply, as if that explained everything. "You were dying."

Issei looked around wildly, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. The fallen angel was still on her knees nearby, pinned down by some invisible force. The fountain. The fake date. The light spear through his chest.

"That was real," he whispered, staring at Raynare. "She really tried to kill me. And you... you saved me."

Leon nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Of course. You're my friend."

Those simple words hit Issei harder than he expected. Despite Leon's distant demeanor at school, despite the walls he kept up, he'd still come here. He'd still saved him. The realization that Leon actually cared enough to risk himself made Issei's chest tighten with emotion.

"Leon... I..." Issei started, but couldn't find the words.

Leon turned his attention back to Raynare, who was still struggling against the gravitational force pinning her down. "What do you want to do with her?" he asked Issei, his voice cold as he regarded the fallen angel. "Do you want her dead?"

Issei stared at Raynare's trembling form, his mind churning with conflicting emotions. She had tried to kill him. She had lied to him, manipulated him, made him believe in something beautiful just to destroy it. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical wound.

But at the same time...

She made him  happy," he said quietly, his voice barely audible. "Even for a short time, I actually felt like someone could love me. Even if it was fake." He clenched his fists. "If she wanted to kill me, she could have done it from the start. She didn't have to make me fall in love with her first. That just made it... crueler."

Leon raised an eyebrow, studying Issei's face.

There was silence for some time.

"Let her go," Issei said finally, the words feeling heavy in his mouth.

"You're sure?" Leon asked.

Issei nodded, even as his heart ached. "Yeah. I'm sure."

Leon's expression remained neutral, but he nodded. The invisible pressure around Raynare suddenly lifted, allowing her to gasp and push herself up on shaking arms.

"Scram," Leon commanded coldly. "And if you or anyone else from your faction so much as looks at Issei wrong again, I won't be this merciful. Understood?"

Raynare struggled to her feet, her wings trembling as she looked between Leon and Issei. For a moment, something like regret flickered in her eyes as she met Issei's gaze.

"I... I'm sorry," she whispered.

Then she spread her wings and launched herself into the night sky, disappearing into the darkness.

After Raynare disappeared into the night sky, silence settled over the park once again. The only sounds were the gentle splashing of the fountain and Issei's still-heavy breathing as he processed everything that had just happened.

"What... what is happening?" Issei finally asked, breaking the quiet. His voice was shaky, overwhelmed by the supernatural events he'd just witnessed. "Leon, what was that thing? How did you do all that? And what was that bean you gave me?"

Leon's expression softened slightly, and for the few times in their friendship, Issei saw him smile—a genuine, reassuring smile rather than the polite mask he usually wore.

"I'll explain everything," Leon said, extending a hand to help Issei to his feet. "But this isn't the right place for that conversation. Come with me at my home. We can talk properly there."

Issei nodded eagerly, clearly desperate for answers. "Yeah, okay. I need to understand what just—"

Before he could finish, the air in front of them began to shimmer and distort. A circular portal of crimson energy tore open in the space between them and the fountain, crackling with supernatural power.

From the portal stepped Rias Gremory, her long red hair flowing behind her as she emerged with her usual confident grace. Behind her came the rest of her peerage—Akeno with her gentle smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, Kiba with his hand resting casually on his sword, and Koneko, whose golden eyes immediately found Leon's.

But the moment Rias saw Leon, her confident expression faltered. Her eyes widened in recognition and something that looked suspiciously like fear flickered across her features.

"Leon Mishima," she breathed, taking an unconscious step backward.

Issei's jaw dropped. "R-Rias-senpai?! How did you—what's with the portal?! How are you just appearing out of thin air?!"

His confusion only deepened when Koneko suddenly broke away from the group and walked straight to Leon's side, wrapping her small arms around him in a protective hug.

"Leon." she said simply, pressing her face against his chest.

Issei stared at them, his brain completely short-circuiting. "WAIT, WHAT?! KONEKO-CHAN?! Why are you hugging Leon?! How do you know each other?! What is happening to my life?!"

He pointed frantically between Leon and Koneko, then at Rias who was still maintaining her distance, then back at the spot where the portal had been.

"And why is Rias-senpai here?! And how did she just walk out of a MAGIC PORTAL! What is happening?!"

Chapter 73

Three days had passed since the fight.

I sat in my usual seat in Kuoh Academy's classroom, trying to focus on the teacher's lecture about classical literature while my mind wandered to more pressing matters.

My wounds from the fight had completely healed that same day, thanks to the Senzu beans—they'd worked wonders.

I'd also given Vali a Senzu bean, not caring about the number of people who'd witnessed its effects as he ate it. Everyone had been astounded—their faces a mix of disbelief and wonder as they watched his injuries vanish completely.

Azazel had been among those watching, and somehow, he was speaking to me now. Though we kept a certain distance due to our past, his scientist side couldn't help but be curious about the Senzu beans.

"Those are quite remarkable," he'd said, his eyes gleaming with interest. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to part with a few? For research purposes, of course."

I'd shaken my head firmly. "Not happening."

"Come now," Azazel had pressed, his tone almost pleading. "Name your price. I have resources you couldn't imagine."

"The answer's still no," I'd replied, crossing my arms.

His shoulders had sagged slightly at my refusal, but I could see the gears still turning in his head. That calculating look in his eyes told me he wasn't giving up—just changing tactics.

"You can't blame a guy for trying," he'd muttered, though his disappointed expression said otherwise.

Even now, sitting in this mundane classroom, I couldn't shake the feeling that our conversation was far from over.

Another thing was after the battle, Michael had approached me, saying he hoped to speak with me again in the near future. Pretty chill guy, to be honest. Even in the anime and novels, he was one of the characters I liked most in the series. I felt pity for him, really. With God's death, the responsibility of maintaining Heaven had fallen to him—no easy task. I'd had experience managing the Mishima Corporation, but Heaven itself? That was on another level entirely.

Gabriel had been with Michael too. And God, she was stunning. Divine, even. No wonder they called her the most beautiful woman in Heaven.

"Such radiance,"  Rossweise muttered under her breath when he saw her.

Michael had chuckled at that. "She has that effect on people."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with them, they'd left as well.

There had also been members of the supernatural community from various pantheons and factions in attendance—mostly minor ones. They'd swarmed around me afterward, flattering and sweet-talking me with honey-coated words.

A minor Greek deity had gushed about my incredible power, bowing deeply while claiming I was destined for greatness. Another had mentioned how the Mishima heir's reputation preceded me, hinting at potential future collaborations with that oily smile plastered on his face.

A representative from Chinese mythology had also stepped forward next, practically oozing false charm as he praised my display and expressed how honored his faction would be to establish stronger ties with someone of my caliber.

As the heir of the Mishima Corporation, it was my job to respond to them courteously, even when their intentions were as transparent as glass. I'd plastered on my most diplomatic smile and given measured responses, appreciating their kind words while emphasizing that the Mishima Corporation valued peaceful relations with all supernatural communities.

When they'd suggested formal meetings, I'd given them the corporate equivalent of 'don't call us, we'll call you'—promising that my people would contact theirs.

They'd all left satisfied with their brief audience, though I doubted any of them realized how little they'd actually accomplished.

Back in the classroom, I let my mind drone on while the teacher kept delivering his lesson—something I already knew. Still, I maintained the appearance of listening, nodding occasionally and keeping my eyes focused on the blackboard.

The bell's shrill ring snapped me back to singular focus as students began shuffling papers and preparing for the next period.

I watched Issei and his perverted trio talking in the classroom as usual, their conversation inevitably turning to lewd topics. Kiryuu Aika had joined in too, her own perverted nature fitting right in with the boys' antics. She was probably sharing some scandalous gossip or making her own inappropriate comments with that mischievous grin of hers.

Canon might start anytime soon. Or would it? The timeline felt uncertain now, especially with all the changes my presence had already caused.

I found myself thinking about Issei—whether I should let canon play out and allow Rias to find him, make him her servant. He was still the same hopeless pervert, completely oblivious to the supernatural world around him. He'd get excited over the smallest glimpse of skin, dream about having a harem, and remain blissfully unaware that devils, angels, and fallen angels walked among humans.

Part of me wondered if it would be kinder to let him stay ignorant a little longer. Once Rias claimed him, his normal life would be over forever. No more simple perverted fantasies—just life-and-death battles and political schemes he could barely comprehend.

But then again, wasn't that his destiny?

Still as his friend, I realized that I should give him the chance to make that decision for himself.

Speaking of which, E.V.E. was about to finish manifesting tomorrow. The same could be said for the sacred gear extractor which will finish a day after, both would help me advance my plans significantly.

Another thought crossed my mind—extracting the Boosted Gear from Issei. I could make him a normal human while claiming the Longinus for myself. After all, it was one of the strongest sacred gears on the planet, capable of incredible power.

But thinking about it more deeply, I shook my head.

Issei was my friend. I didn't want to become like those devils and fallen angels who saw people as nothing more than tools or pawns to be used. If I did that—if I stole his sacred gear just for my own benefit—what would be the difference between me and them?

The power would be useful, sure. But at what cost? My humanity? My principles?

No. I refused to go down that path, no matter how tempting the power might be.

Besides, I could recreate something similar to the Boosted Gear and more. Imagine a sacred gear with the capabilities of both the Divine Dividing and Boosted Gear combined—and then more. There were so many ideas and items I couldn't wait to create.

Unfortunately, I needed time. Badly.

Waiting for the manifested items was such a drag. My mind was buzzing with possibilities—enhanced versions of existing sacred gears, completely original creations that could revolutionize the supernatural world, technologies that could bridge the gap between human innovation and divine power.

But everything required patience, as each day felt like an eternity.

The anticipation was killing me.

My thoughts were interrupted as Issei started talking to me. I didn't realize he was already standing in front of my desk, his usual goofy grin plastered on his face.

"Yo, Leon!" Issei said, leaning against my desk. "How was your school break, man? Did you do anything fun?"

"Mostly busy with company stuff," I replied, keeping it simple.

"Company stuff?" Motohama pushed up his glasses with a perverted gleam. "Don't tell me you were too busy to appreciate the finer things in life!"

"Yeah!" Matsuda chimed in, pumping his fist. "Please tell me you at least went to the beach or something! Think of all the beautiful women in swimsuits!"

Aika appeared behind them with that trademark smirk of hers. "Oh my, are we talking about Leon's love life? How scandalous~"

Issei's eyes lit up like Christmas morning. "Wait, wait! Did you meet any hot girls? Any romantic encounters? Summer romances are the best!"

"Come on, spill the details!" Matsuda practically bounced with excitement. "We need to live vicariously through you!"

Motohama nodded sagely. "As your fellow men of culture, it's our duty to hear about your adventures!"

I stared at them, completely deadpan. "I spent most of my time in boardroom meetings with middle-aged executives."

The perverted trio's faces fell dramatically, like their hopes and dreams had just been crushed.

"That's... that's so tragic," Issei whispered, actual tears forming in his eyes.

Of course, I hadn't told them about my relationship with Sona or Koneko. The two relationships I was navigating were hardly something I could explain to Issei and his perverted trio.

"So tragic indeed," Aika said with mock sympathy, placing a hand over her heart. "A young man in his prime, wasting away in corporate meetings instead of chasing romance!"

"This is worse than we thought," Motohama muttered, adjusting his glasses with a serious expression. "Leon's becoming a corporate slave before he's even graduated!"

Matsuda nodded gravely. "We can't let this happen! Youth is meant for passion, for adventure, for—"

"For appreciating the beauty of the opposite sex!" Issei declared dramatically, pointing at me like he was making some grand proclamation.

I kept my expression neutral, even as I thought about how wrong they were. If only they knew that the student council president and one of the most mysterious first-years were both... well, that was information they definitely couldn't handle.

"Maybe you should join us sometime," Issei suggested hopefully. "We could teach you the art of... appreciation!"

"I think I'll pass," I replied dryly, which only made their expressions grow more pitiful.

"He's too far gone," Aika sighed theatrically. "Corporate life has already claimed another victim."

"We need to stage an intervention," Motohama declared solemnly. "Before it's too late!"

"A rehabilitation program for Leon's social life!" Matsuda added with renewed enthusiasm.

Issei nodded with the determination of someone who'd just found his life's mission. "Operation: Save Leon from Corporate Boredom begins now!"

"You boys are so dramatic," Aika giggled, clearly amused by their antics.

Before I could respond to their ridiculous 'intervention' plans, the classroom door slid open with a sharp click. The teacher walked in, carrying a stack of papers and wearing his usual stern expression.

"Alright, everyone, back to your seats," he announced in a no-nonsense tone.

The perverted trio scrambled like startled cats, practically diving back to their desks. Issei shot me one last look that seemed to say 'this conversation isn't over' before hurrying to his seat.

Aika gave me a playful wink before sauntering back to her own desk, clearly enjoying the chaos she'd helped stir up.

"Today we'll be continuing our discussion on classical Japanese literature," the teacher began, turning to write on the blackboard.

I settled back into my chair, grateful for the interruption. The last thing I needed was Issei and his friends trying to 'fix' my love life when they had no idea how complicated it actually was.

Lunch arrived, and I made my way to the rooftop. It had been months since I'd had lunch on the rooftop with Koneko, but to my surprise, she wasn't alone.

Sona was also there.

Both of them sat on the usual bench, with an extra space clearly left for me between them. Koneko had her typical stoic expression, quietly unwrapping her bento, while Sona adjusted her glasses with that calm, composed demeanor she always maintained.

"You're late," Koneko said simply, not looking up from her lunch.

"I got held up by Issei and the others," I replied, settling down between them. "They're concerned about my 'tragic' love life."

Sona raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes. "Is that so? How ironic."

"They want to stage an intervention," I continued, opening my own lunch. "Apparently, I'm too focused on corporate work and not enough on 'appreciating the opposite sex.'"

Koneko's lips twitched slightly—the closest thing to a smile I'd see from her in public. "Foolish."

"Indeed," Sona agreed, taking a delicate bite of her food. "If only they knew how... occupied your personal life actually is."

The irony wasn't lost on any of us. Here I was, sitting between two of the most sought-after girls in the school, and my classmates thought I was hopeless with romance.

We ate our lunch together, though we kept our interactions respectful. None of the flirting that might have happened in private—I felt it was too awkward since I was still treading new ground with this whole relationship dynamic.

Still, I couldn't help but feel glad about how lucky and happy I was now. Sitting here between two incredible girls who somehow both cared about me felt almost surreal.

"Leon," Sona said, setting down her chopsticks with her usual precise movements. "I have a request."

Koneko also paused her eating, looking at me with those golden eyes. "Same."

I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"We want you to help us train," Sona said directly. "To get stronger."

Koneko nodded in agreement.

I wasn't really surprised by their request. Rossweisse had asked me the same thing recently. The supernatural world was becoming more dangerous, and I also wanted them to be prepared for what was coming.

"Alright," I agreed. "We can work out a training schedule that works for all of us."

Both girls seemed satisfied with my answer. We finished the rest of our lunch in comfortable silence, the three of us looking out over the school grounds.

As the warning bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break, I realized that despite all the complexity and uncertainty ahead, moments like this made everything worth it.

Chapter 72

Vali moved.

I barely had time to raise my spear before he was on me, draconic claws slashing through the air where my head had been a microsecond before. His speed was way faster than before,

This was the power of a Heavenly Dragon unleashed.

I spun away, fire trailing from my spear as I carved a defensive arc through the air. The flames that had been burning white-hot suddenly felt inadequate against the sheer presence radiating from the transformed White Dragon Emperor.

"Divide."

The drain hit me like a physical blow, stealing not just my power but something more. I could feel my enhanced strength bleeding away, my mana reserves suddenly feeling finite.

This was different from before. 

The Juggernaut Drive wasn't just removing Vali's limitations—it was amplifying everything. His speed, his strength, his Sacred Gear's ability. The ten-second cooldown was gone. The half-power limitation was gone. Now every contact with him, every clash of our weapons, every moment we spent in proximity triggered another devastating drain.

I thrust my spear forward, sacred fire exploding outward in a cone of purifying flame. The attack that had damaged his Balance Breaker armor now barely scorched the draconic plates covering his transformed body.

He walked through my flames like they were warm air.

His clawed hand closed around my spear shaft, and I felt the weapon's power drain away instantly. Not gradually. The sacred fire guttered out like a candle in a hurricane.

"Impossible," I breathed.

Golden eyes fixed on me.

"Nothing is impossible for the White Dragon of Supremacy."

His other hand came up in a backhanded strike that should have taken my head off. I got my arms up just in time, the Kavacha and Kundala absorbing most of the impact. But 'most' wasn't 'all,' and the force still sent me skidding backward across the shattered arena floor.

This was bad. Really bad.

I'd known Juggernaut Drive was powerful—the anime had made that clear enough. But knowing something and experiencing it firsthand were completely different.

This wasn't just a power boost. This was a transformation into something that operated on an entirely different realm.

"Divide. Divide. Divide."

The chant had become constant now, overlapping with itself as multiple aspects of my power were drained simultaneously. Physical strength, mana reserves, enhancement effects—everything was being stripped away.

I tried to create distance, launching myself backward with a burst of mana. But even that felt sluggish now, my reserves operating at maybe sixty percent of their normal capacity.

Valid didn't give me the space I needed. He moved, flowing across the arena faster than before. His wings, now fully organic and lined with razor-sharp scales, carved through the air with each movement.

I barely managed to resummon my fire spear, pouring what felt like twice the normal amount of mana into the manifestation. The sacred flames sputtered to life, but they looked pale compared to their earlier brilliance.

"The gap between us is wider than you thought." He said as he lunged forward.

I met his charge with my spear, resulting in an explosion that lit up the entire arena.

When the light faded, we were locked together—my spear pressed against its crossed forearms, neither of us able to gain ground. But I could feel my strength bleeding away with every second of contact.

"Divide."

Another chunk of my power vanished. The sacred fire dimmed further.

"Divide."

Vali's golden eyes gleamed with intensity as he felt my strength failing. He pressed forward, slowly but inexorably pushing me backward despite my best efforts to hold ground.

"This is the true power of the Heavenly Dragons," he said. “And if you keep holding back, you are gonna lose.”

"Divide."

The mana core that had been effortlessly regenerating my reserves stuttered, its output dropping to a fraction of normal capacity.

I was in trouble and I needed a new strategy. Fast.

The Arcanum Grimoire pulsed at the edge of my consciousness, pages flipping frantically as I searched for appropriate spells. But even my enhanced cognition felt sluggish now, the NZT enhancement apparently counting as a 'power' that could be divided away.

Think. Think!

Laevateinn and the Senzu Beans sat in my inventory ready with the former ready to burn the enemy into ashes instantly and the latter to restore me to full strength in an instant.

Either one would turn this fight around immediately.

But my pride refused to let me use them. This was not a life or death battle.

This was a test of my determination, of my will, of my hard work.

Then—

Was I going to lose because of this pride?

Because I was too stubborn to use every tool at my disposal?

I felt something stir deep within me. Not just frustration, but anger. At myself. At my own stupid self imposed limitations.

Here was Vali, fighting with everything he had, pushing himself to the absolute limit with a transformation that was burning his life force. And I was holding back because of some misguided sense of fairness?

That wasn't pride. That was arrogance.

True pride meant refusing to accept defeat. It meant using every advantage, every weapon, every trick in the book to achieve victory. It meant never backing down, never giving up, never accepting that someone else was simply better.

I felt like an idiot.

This whole time, I'd been thinking like a human but that wasn't what I was anymore.

I am a dragon.

And dragons do not lose to other dragons.

They fight to win.

They choose who gets to keep flying.

“I’m sorry Vali.” I said. “I was being stupid.”

Vali paused for a moment . “Yes you are.”

I smiled.

Vali wanted to see the true extent of my strength?

Fine.

He was about to get exactly what he asked for.

I reached deep into my inventory, past any pretense of holding back. The familiar weight of Laevateinn materialized in my hand.

The temperature in the arena spiked. Not just heat—this was the essence of destruction given form. The air around the blade shimmered and warped as reality itself struggled to contain its power.

But I wasn't done yet.

"O Sun," I whispered, feeling power beyond measure coursing through my body, carried by an anger that would burn away anything that dared stand in its path. "Become armor."

The golden plates blazed with the radiance of the sun itself.  The nigh-indestructible armor transformed me into something that could endure attacks from gods themselves. Golden light erupted from every plate, every inscription, turning me into a miniature star.

The arena fell completely silent.

Even Vali, in his Juggernaut Drive form, took an involuntary step backward as he felt the shift in power. The constant drain of "Divide" that had been weakening me suddenly felt... irrelevant.

"Now that," Vali said, "is more like it."

He raised both hands, and power began gathering around them.. The air itself began to distort from the amount of energy.

His armor opened from the abdomen, revealing a cannon muzzle that began gathering energy. Silvery-white and jet-black aura swirled together, compressed into a single point that made reality itself seem to bend around it. 

"Satan Lucifer Smasher!" Vali roared.

I knew about this move. I didn’t realize that Vali was already capable of using this move by now.

But I was ready for it.

I raised Laevateinn above my head, and sacred fire erupted along its length like a solar flare. The blade grew, extending from eight feet to twenty, then fifty, becoming a sword of pure burning light.

"Let's end this," I said.

He grinned, his golden dragon eyes gleaming with pure joy. "Finally!”

We launched our attacks simultaneously.

The Satan Lucifer Smasher fired—a massive bombardment of silvery-white and jet-black energy that carried the combined power of the White Dragon Emperor and the original Lucifer's bloodline. It was destruction incarnate, capable of erasing anything in its path.

I brought Laevateinn down in a vertical slash, sacred fire extending from the blade in an arc of purification that could burn through concepts themselves.

The two attacks met in the center of the arena.

The explosion was visible from space.

When the light finally faded and the dust settled, we stood facing each other in the crater that had once been an arena. Vali's Juggernaut Drive armor was cracked and smoking, his transformation finally beginning to fail. My own armor was unmarked, still radiating solar power.

But we were both smiling.

"Good fight," Vali said, just before he collapsed to one knee as the transformation ended completely.

"Good fight," I agreed, letting Laevateinn fade and releasing the true power of my armor.

In the stunned silence of the watching crowd, I walked over and offered him a hand up.

"Same time next week?" I asked.

Despite his exhaustion, Vali laughed. "Absolutely."

Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Juggernaut Drive.

The forbidden technique that temporarily removed the seal on the Twin Dragon Longinus, granting power that rivaled gods at the cost of sanity and life force.

Sona has read about this once in the archives of the Sitri family library, but witnessing it was an entirely different experience.

She couldn't help but grasp the railings where she stood as waves of draconic power—mixed with raw demonic energy—washed over the stadium like a crushing tide.

Beside her, Tsubaki had gone rigid.

"This is..." she whispered, her voice barely audible above the roar of unleashed power.

Beside her, Tsubaki had gone completely rigid, her knuckles white as she gripped her own section of the barrier.

"Kaichou," Tsubaki breathed, her usual composure cracking. "The pressure... it's overwhelming, should we prepare barriers?"

Sona adjusted her glasses—a habit that helped her focus when analyzing complex situations. "Our barriers wouldn't last seconds against that level of power. This fight is beyond our intervention."

She watched Leon standing calmly in his golden armor, sacred fire spear gleaming like captured sunlight, seeing him face down a Juggernaut Drive transformation without flinching...

"Leon," she murmured, her facade cracking slightly to reveal genuine concern.

Still, deep inside, there was anticipation and excitement.

This was the White Dragon Emperor—a notorious being throughout history that many gods feared. And this wasn't just any normal White Dragon Emperor. This was the strongest White Dragon Emperor in existence.

Vali Lucifer's birthright was well known. He was the grandson of the original Lucifer, possessing both human and demonic heritage. Being the grandson of the original Lucifer, Vali's demonic power surpassed even hers by far.

And now her beloved had managed to drive the White Dragon Emperor to this point.

"How incredible," she thought, a surge of pride swelling in her chest. Leon was everything she had ever wished for in a man—strong, handsome, elegant, and caring.

True, there might be other girls vying for his attention, but that couldn't be helped. A man of Leon's caliber would naturally attract admirers. But she was the first, and she was the main wife. She would make sure the others understood that.

Her eyes gleamed with both affection and quiet determination. No matter how many others might come, her position at his side was unshakeable.

"My Leon," Sona whispered, her grip tightening on the railing as she watched the battle unfold.

She turned back her attention to the fight.

Vali vanished from her sight, only to reappear directly in front of Leon, who easily blocked Vali's attack.

The pace of the battle was so intense that she was having trouble following their movements. It really showed how much stronger she still needed to become.

And it was not just her, even various spectators are also having trouble keeping track of their movements. 

She glanced at her queen, and Tsubaki was also struggling to follow the battle, her eyes darting frantically as she tried to keep up with their lightning-fast movements.

"Lady Sona," Tsubaki said breathlessly, "I can barely see them. They're moving too fast."

"I know," Sona replied quietly, a mix of awe and frustration in her voice. "This is the level we need to reach."

She gripped her knuckles.

The realization hit her like a cold wave—she truly understood how weak she still was.

A heavy feeling settled in her chest as doubt crept into her thoughts. "Am I... not enough for Leon?" she wondered, her confidence wavering for the first time in years.

The gap between their power levels seemed impossibly vast. How could she ever stand as his equal when she couldn't even follow his movements in battle?

But then she shook her head firmly, dispelling those dark thoughts.

She straightened her shoulders, watching Leon's combat with renewed resolve. "I'll become stronger. I'll train harder than ever before." Her voice grew steadier with each word. "I will stand beside him as his equal—not behind him, but beside him."

Tsubaki noticed the shift in her lady's demeanor and smiled quietly. This was the Sona Sitri she knew—never one to accept defeat, even against her own limitations.

=====

On another part of the stadium stood the Archangel Michael, his golden wings folded gracefully behind him. He couldn't help but marvel at Leon's incredible strength, his usually composed expression showing genuine amazement.

"Such power from one so young," Michael murmured, his deep voice carrying centuries of wisdom. "This Leon truly is extraordinary."

Beside him stood his sister, Gabriel, her pristine white wings shimmering with divine light. Where Michael was known for his role as Heaven's greatest warrior and strategist, Gabriel had always been the messenger—the one who brought hope and guidance to those in need. Yet both siblings shared the same unwavering dedication to protecting the balance between the three factions.

"Brother," Gabriel said softly, her melodic voice filled with wonder, "do you think he could be the key to lasting peace we've been seeking?"

Michael's sharp blue eyes never left the battle below. "Perhaps, sister. His strength alone could rival the original Satan-class beings.”

He paused, watching Leon effortlessly counter another of Vali's devastating attacks.

"No wonder Azazel recommended him and the Mishima Corporation to serve as the neutral third party for our upcoming peace negotiations," Michael said thoughtfully. "He really is perfect for it."

Gabriel nodded, her expression growing more serious. "The peace talks will be delicate, brother. After centuries of mistrust between Heaven, the Underworld, and the Fallen Angels, finding common ground won't be easy."

"Indeed," Michael replied, his strategic mind already analyzing the challenges ahead. "The Devils are still recovering from the civil war. The Old Satan faction may be defeated, but their supporters still harbor resentment. Many young devils question whether peace with Heaven is even possible after so much bloodshed."

"And our own people aren't entirely convinced either," Gabriel added with a sigh. "Some angels still view all devils as inherently evil, regardless of the new leadership under the Four Great Satan."

Michael's jaw tightened slightly. "The political landscape has shifted dramatically. Sirzechs Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub represent a new generation of devil leadership—one focused on progress rather than destruction. But convincing the older factions on all sides will require careful diplomacy."

"Which is precisely why someone like him is so valuable.” Gabriel said

"But can we trust him completely?" Michael asked.  "He's human, after all. Humans have their own interests, their own limitations."

"Perhaps that's what makes him ideal.”

Michael kept silent at that.

=====

????

Far from the stadium, in a place that existed between dimensions, a figure sat quietly.

The space around her was void—not darkness, not emptiness, but simple nothingness. A realm where normal rules didn't apply, where time moved at its own pace, where reality adjusted to her presence.

She looked young: a girl with long black hair and a simple dark dress that flowed around her small frame. Her eyes, though, were different. Old. Much older than her appearance suggested.

She watched.

Using methods beyond normal understanding, she observed the battle at the distant stadium. The White Dragon Emperor in his powered-up state. The human who was keeping up with him.

"Leon Mishima…," she said quietly.

=====

???

Another location entirely, hidden away from the public eye, a different figure watched.

“How interesting.”

The figure swirled the wine cup lazily in his hands, his eyes gleamed with amusement as a smile spread across his face. It was the kind that promised nothing good for whoever had caught his attention.

It had been such a long time since he'd found someone worth watching. After all these centuries of mind-numbing boredom, something had finally sparked his curiosity.

"Hmm~" he hummed softly, taking a slow sip of his wine. 

Mishima.

It stirred something from his memory. Decades ago, a certain Longinus user had somehow managed to stir up quite the storm back then.

Astrid Mishima…or Astrid Larsen, as she was known then.

"Now that brings back memories." He thought as his smile widened.

He leaned back in his chair, eyes distant as he recalled events from decades past. The memory was crystal clear despite the passage of time.

His foolish son Razevan was once smitten with that woman.

It had been quite the spectacle, really. Watching his son reduced to a bumbling fool by a human woman. No matter how powerful that human happened to be.

The humiliation had been exquisite as his son spent time trying to win her attention only to be rejected. 

Only to lose to a mere human mortal.

Looking back it was perhaps where the disappointment in his son started.

It had been a slow descent. Razevan had thrown himself into pursuits of power and status, constantly comparing himself to others, constantly finding himself lacking. When he'd finally found a human woman willing to bear his child, the old insecurities had festered into something truly ugly.

And when his Grandson Vali was born with his Sacred Gear, his son saw Astrid's rejection all over again. A human bloodline producing something you couldn't. Something that made your 'pure devil heritage' seem... inadequate."

The fear had consumed Razevan completely. Fear that his own son would surpass him. Fear that he would be seen as the weak link in the Lucifer lineage. Fear that everyone would whisper about how even his half-human son was more powerful than he was.

And so Razevan had come to him, begging for advice on how to handle his problem child.

The advice given had been casual, almost offhand. If Razevan was so terrified of his own son, then perhaps he should ensure the boy would never be brave enough to challenge him. Make him afraid. Broken things don't bite back.

He had never expected Razevan to take the suggestion so literally. Or so brutally.

But his son had done exactly that. He had broken that boy so thoroughly Vali had run away rather than fight back. And then, when the child didn't come crawling back for forgiveness, Razevan had broken himself with terror that he might return for revenge.

The final conversation with his son remained clear in memory. Razevan, shaking with fear, begging for protection from a grandson who had never even threatened him directly.

He had killed Razevan for his cowardice. Not for what he did to Vali—he couldn't care less about that. But because his son had become so utterly pathetic that keeping him alive was embarrassing to the family name.

The watcher raised his wine glass in a silent mock toast. To Razevan Lucifer, who had learned too late that some rejections leave scars that never heal.

The wine sparkled as he drank, and his attention returned to the viewing screen showing Leon's battle.

But now, the bloodline that had humbled his son had produced something truly fascinating. The question remained whether Leon Mishima would prove as troublesome to his plans as his grandmother had been to his son's heart.

And for the first time in years, Rizevim Livan Lucifer had something to look forward to.

His smile widened into something that would have made angels and devils alike weep.

It had been far too long since he'd had proper entertainment.

=====

Author's Note:

Might add more relevant POV's later for future arcs and I am still unsatisfied with this.

Chapter 70 

Vali's helmeted head tilted slightly. When he spoke, his voice carried the echo of dragon roar. "That’s new. Let’s test it out."

He moved faster than before, one moment he was across the arena, the next his armored fist was inches from my face.

I brought my spear up to block. Sacred fire met divine metal in an explosion of light and sound that shook the entire colosseum.

"Divide," came the mechanical voice from his armor.

I felt the drain again, but this time something was different. The Kavacha and Kundala absorbed part of the effect, the divine armor's protective properties interfering with his Sacred Gear's ability. Instead of losing half my power, I only lost about a third.

The Kavacha and Kundala had interfered with his Sacred Gear's ability, the divine armor's conceptual protections treating the power drain as just another form of attack to be negated.

Vali's eyes widened behind his helmet visor. "Interesting."

I spun my spear in a wide arc, forcing him back. "You're not the only one with tricks."

Vali came at me with everything he had—wings carving through the air like giant swords, armored fists striking with the force of meteors, speed that left afterimages burning on my retinas. The Scale Mail armor had removed the ten-second limit on his Divide ability. Now it activated with every contact, a constant drain that would have crippled most opponents within minutes.

But I had advantages too.

The Kavacha and Kundala wasn't just armor—it was a conceptual defense, protection on a divine level. Every strike that connected was weakened, every technique partially negated. And my fire spear cut through his defenses like they were made of paper.

"Divide. Divide. Divide."

The mechanical countdown became a constant chant as we exchanged blows too fast for the crowd to follow. But each drain was weaker than it should have been, blocked or reduced by my divine protection.

Vali's wing swept toward my head in a strike that would have decapitated a lesser opponent. I ducked under it and drove my spear toward his ribs.

He twisted away, but not fast enough. Sacred fire seared through his armor's side plates, burning through metal and into the flesh beneath.

Instead of flinching, he grabbed my spear shaft with both hands.

"Divide."

Power drained from the weapon directly, sacred fire dimming as its energy was siphoned away. But Vali had made a mistake—getting this close meant I could hit him with more than just the spear.

My armored fist caught him in the solar plexus. The punch carried all the force of my enhanced physiology plus divine reinforcement. The impact drove him backward, his grip on my spear breaking as he flew across the arena.

He hit the far wall hard enough to crack the reinforced stone, then dropped to one knee. Steam rose from the dent I'd put in his chest armor.

"You're slowing down," I called, striding toward him with my spear held ready. "Getting tired already?"

Vali pushed himself upright, movements sharp with pain. Several plates of his Scale Mail were cracked now, silver light bleeding through the gaps. "Just getting started."

He launched himself skyward with explosive force, wings beating so hard they created downdrafts that stirred up dust devils. At the peak of his arc, he folded his wings and dove.

Not at me—at the arena floor directly in front of me.

I realized his plan a heartbeat too late.

The impact when he hit the ground was apocalyptic. Stone exploded outward in a shower of debris, the arena floor cratering like it had been struck by a meteor. The shockwave knocked me backward, golden armor ringing like a bell as chunks of reinforced stone bounced off it.

Through the dust cloud, I saw him rise. His armor was more damaged now, several plates hanging loose or missing entirely. But his eyes burned brighter than before, and seemed to bore straight through my soul.

He came at me through the settling debris like a white comet, moving too fast to track properly. I managed to get my spear up just as he reached me.

The collision was tremendous.

We went down in a tangle of limbs, rolling across the broken arena floor in a desperate struggle for dominance. His armored hands grabbed for my throat while I tried to drive my spear into his ribs. Sacred fire met draconic power in miniature explosions that left smoking craters in the stone around us.

I managed to plant a boot in his chest and kick him away. He flew backward, wings spreading to arrest his momentum, but I was already moving.

My fire spear traced a blazing arc through the air, aimed directly at his heart.

He caught it.

Not with his hands—with his wings. The draconic appendages folded around my weapon like a cocoon, trying to smother the flames with sheer draconic power.

"Divide. Divide. Divide."

The mechanical chant became frantic now, his Sacred Gear working overtime to drain my weapon's power. Sacred fire dimmed as energy was siphoned away, but I just poured more mana into it.

The weapon exploded with light.

Sacred fire erupted outward in a sphere of purifying flame that turned the entire arena into a miniature sun. Vali's scream echoed through the blast as divine fire washed over his armor, burning away draconic power like morning mist.

When the light faded, he was on his knees twenty feet away. His Scale Mail was ruined—plates cracked and blackened, jewels dark and lifeless. Silver blood dripped from dozens of gaps in the armor, pooling on the shattered stone beneath him.

I walked toward him, my own armor unmarked despite the devastation around us. The fire spear in my hand blazed with renewed fury, hungry for more destruction.

Vali looked up at me through his cracked visor. For the first time since I'd known him, I saw something in his eyes I'd never seen before.

Fear.

"No," he said quietly. "Not yet."

He struggled to his feet, armor sparking and smoking. Around us, the arena had gone completely silent. Even the gods were holding their breath.

White light began gathering around him again.

His armor began to shift and change, white plates taking on a more draconic appearance. His helmet elongated into a dragon's skull, and his wings became more organic, more alive.

When he spoke again, his voice was barely human.

"I, who am about to awaken, am the Heavenly Dragon who has taken the principles of supremacy from God. I envy the infinite, and I pursue the dream. I shall become the White Dragon of Supremacy, and I shall take you down to the depths of the radiant white darkness."

The crowd erupted into panicked murmurs. Several of the weaker devils in the audience actually fled their seats.

Vali's transformation completed with a roar that shook the very foundations of the arena.

Juggernaut Drive.

The forbidden technique that temporarily removed the seal on the Heavenly Dragons, granting immense power at the cost of the wielder's sanity and life force.

The thing standing across from me was no longer entirely Vali. It was a fusion of human ambition and draconic fury, a creature of pure destructive potential wrapped in armor.

Golden eyes blazed behind the dragon skull helmet as it fixed its gaze on me.

"Now," it said. "let's finish this."

Chapter 69 (Nice)

The moment Michael's hand dropped, time seemed to slow.

I felt my mana surge through my body like lightning, every nerve ending crackling with energy. The familiar warmth of the Body of the Everflame cultivation flowing through my enhanced physique with my muscles responding with precision.

The NZT formula had sharpened my awareness to a razor's edge, letting me process the massive arena, the thousands of spectators, and most importantly, every micro-expression and movements on Vali's in the space of a heartbeat.

The arena around us faded into background noise—the crowd, the politics, the gods—all of it disappeared until there was just me and Vali.

My inventory flickered through my consciousness as I summoned a simple blade from my inventory. Nothing too fancy, as unfortunately I still haven’t made the asauchi I had been planning to create a few months ago as I was sidetracked by other projects.

I launched myself forward, my boots cracking the reinforced stone beneath me as blue-white mana wreathed around my blade like living flame as I closed the distance between us in a heartbeat.

Vali met my charge head-on, those distinctive white wings spreading wide behind him. The collision when his fist and my sword met sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, rattling the magical barriers that contained us.

"You’ve grown strong."

Vali said, genuine approval flickering in his tone.

I didn't waste breath on a response. Instead, I pressed my advantage, chaining together a series of sword strikes that would have bisected a devil easily.

But Vali wasn’t a normal devil.

He twisted away from my strikes with fluid grace, blue energy scattering as his wings helped him pivot mid-air. Those weren't just for show—the Divine Dividing wings could reach light-speed flight, and in combat they functioned as additional limbs, each wing-strike carrying enough force to level buildings. His counter-attack came faster than most people could blink—a devastating punch aimed at my ribs.

"Divide."

I managed to get my sword up in time, angling the flat of the blade to deflect rather than block. The impact still sent me sliding backward across the arena floor, my boots leaving trenches in the stone.

At the same time I felt a drain in my reserves.

Divine Dividing.

One of the Longinus.

Every ten seconds, he'd halve whatever strength I was showing. It was the core ability that made Vali so dangerous to fight, a power that could drain even gods dry given enough time.

"Not bad," I admitted, rolling my shoulders. "But I'm just getting started."

Vali's lips curved into that arrogant smirk I remembered from our training sessions. "Show me."

This time, I didn't hold back on the mana. Blue-white energy exploded around me in a violent aura, crackling across my skin as I reinforced my whole body with mana.  The mana core went into overdrive as I channeled massive amounts of Mana through my whole body.

The ground beneath my feet spider-webbed from the pressure alone. The Body of the Everflame cultivation had turned my body into a perfect conduit for mana, letting me channel amounts that would have burned out a normal person's nervous system.

While the Divine Diving might have reduced my Mana in half. The presence of the mana core in my body has rendered that moot as it generates back what was lost in a matter of moments. Still it doesn’t account that my physical strength has also got cut in half.

But this was still only a fraction of what I could do. I didn’t just sit idly while I waited for my items to manifest. All of my manifestations were all made to plan to increase my strength to account for the time while waiting for the rest of my plans to finish. 

But even this much was enough to make several gods in the audience sit up and take notice.

Good.

Then I moved.

One moment I was across the arena, the next I was right in front of Vali, sword already mid-swing. He barely managed to bring his arms up to block, white light flaring around him as he reinforced his defense.

The impact of my mana-charged blade against his guard created a sound like thunder. The shockwave that followed blew dust and debris in every direction, forcing several of the weaker spectators to shield their eyes.

"Finally," Vali said, and I caught the excitement bleeding into his voice. 

He pushed back against my blade, white energy spiraling around him like a hurricane. His wings spread wider, and suddenly he was airborne, gaining altitude with powerful beats that stirred up dust devils below.

I grinned and followed him up, mana propelling me skyward like a rocket. We clashed again in mid-air, the collision creating another massive shockwave that echoed off the arena walls.

What followed was a dance of destruction that pushed both of us to our limits—or at least, the limits we were willing to show.

Vali's speed was incredible—faster than anyone I'd ever fought.

But I'd gotten much stronger since our last sparring session. The Body of the Everflame had rebuilt me from the ground up, every cell optimized for combat. My reflexes, enhanced by both cultivation and chemistry, let me track movements that would have been blurs to normal vision.

My sword work had evolved too. The enhanced cognition let me calculate trajectories in real-time, predict openings before they appeared. Each strike was part of a larger pattern, designed to control the flow of combat rather than just deal damage. I wasn't just fighting Vali—I was conducting an orchestra of violence, and he was dancing to my tune whether he realized it or not.

The Arcanum Grimoire floated at the edge of my consciousness, ready to provide spell formulas if needed.

"You've improved," Vali admitted as we separated, both of us floating about twenty feet apart. Sweat beaded his forehead, but his eyes burned with the joy of a true challenge.

"So have you," I replied, adjusting my grip on my sword. "But we're both still holding back, aren't we?"

His grin widened. "Of course. Where's the fun in ending this too quickly?"

We came together again in a clash that made the previous exchanges look like warm-ups. Vali's fists moved so fast they seemed to multiply, each strike carrying enough force to level a building. I met him blow for blow, my mana-enhanced reflexes letting me keep pace with his assault.

Still I knew, Vali was holding back a lot. He was still playing games, keeping his true power locked away. No Balance Breaker. No Scale Mail armor. Just enhanced base form.

Fair enough. I was doing the same thing. The Kavacha and Kundala sat silent in my inventory.

Laevateinn waited there too, the world-ending blade that could burn through anything. But using that would be overkill. This wasn't a death match.

The mechanical countdown echoed again. "Divide."

But I knew as time passed I would only be at a disadvantage. That is how a cheat the Divine Dividing was. The guy was housing the soul of Albion—one of the Heavenly Dragons, twin to Ddraig, second only to Great Red and Ophis themselves. Divine Dividing wasn't just some Sacred Gear. It was a Longinus forged from a being that could crack planets.

I had to give ground, falling back as his relentless assault pushed me toward the arena wall. Each blocked strike sent shockwaves through my arms, and I could feel the strain starting to build. 

My enhanced mind ran rapid calculations. Dozens of alternative strategies flickered through my consciousness, each one analyzed and discarded in microseconds.

But giving ground didn't mean losing control. I was already seventeen moves ahead, seeing exactly how this exchange would play out. Vali thought he was pressing an advantage, but he was actually walking into a trap.

As my back approached the wall, I suddenly reversed direction, using a burst of mana to launch myself not backward but forward and up, vaulting over his guard. My sword came down in a blazing arc that would have split him in half if it connected.

Vali twisted away at the last second, white light flaring as he activated some kind of defensive technique. My blade scraped along his wing, drawing a thin line of silver blood.

First blood to me.

"Now we're getting somewhere," he said, touching the cut with his fingers. When he looked at the blood, his expression shifted to something predatory. "My turn."

White light erupted around Vali like a second sun. His wings are now blazing with accumulated energy. The air itself seemed to bend around him, heat waves rising from the stolen power coursing through his body.

When he moved, he left afterimages.

His fist punched through the space where my head had been a heartbeat before. I twisted away, but his wing caught me across the chest, launching me backward.

I found myself truly on the defensive for the first time in the fight, my sword work becoming a desperate dance to keep his fists from connecting. Every blocked strike sent jarring impacts up my arms, and I could feel my mana reserves starting to dip from the constant enhancement.

Well, that was a lie. My mana reserves were still at roughly ninety-five percent. The Body of the Everflame had made my energy efficiency ridiculous, and the enhanced mana core could sustain this level of output for hours. But Vali didn't need to know that.

“Divide.” That damn sound again.

But I wasn't panicking. If anything, I was excited. The enhanced cognition was cataloging every aspect of his fighting style, storing the data for future reference. The hyperintelligence that had been my first real upgrade was working overtime, analyzing patterns, predicting escalations.

I let him press his advantage for another few seconds, learning the rhythm of his enhanced assault. Then, when he committed to a particularly powerful strike, I made my move.

Instead of blocking or dodging, I stepped into his attack, accepting a glancing blow to my shoulder in exchange for a clean shot at his center mass. The Body of the Everflame absorbed the impact like it was nothing, redistributing the force harmlessly through my enhanced musculature. My mana-charged fist connected with his stomach, and the explosion of energy that followed lit up the entire arena.

Vali went flying backward, his wings spreading wide to arrest his momentum. He managed to stop himself just short of the arena wall, silver blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Risky," he said, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. 

"But it worked, didn't it?" I replied, ignoring the throbbing in my shoulder.

He laughed.

"It did. You've definitely gotten stronger, Leon."

"Strong enough to keep up with you?"

"We'll see." His wings folded against his back as he settled into a combat stance I'd never seen before. "Because I'm done playing games."

The crowd had gone completely silent. Even the gods in their fancy boxes were leaning forward, sensing the shift in our battle's tempo.

The white light around him intensified, and I felt my danger sense screaming warnings.

“Balance Breaker.”

White light exploded around Vali as his transformation completed. The Scale Mail armor of the White Dragon Emperor covered him from head to toe—pristine white plates edged with silver, blue jewels pulsing along strategic points. His wings had evolved beyond mere energy constructs into something magnificent and terrible, each feather now a blade of concentrated draconic power.

But I wasn't impressed by the light show.

I responded by pulling deeper into my inventory as golden light erupted around me like a second sun.

The Kavacha and Kundala manifested in blazing radiance—divine armor that had been gifted to heroes, forged by gods themselves. Plates of pure gold wrapped around my torso, arms, and legs, each piece inscribed with Sanskrit mantras that pulsed with inner fire.

But I wasn't done yet.

The Arcanum Grimoire pulsed at the edge of my consciousness, pages fluttering as it sensed the shift in my magical output.

I felt the spell taking shape, drawing on knowledge I'd gained, power I'd accumulated, understanding I'd earned through countless hours of training.

"Agni's Wrath," I whispered, extending my hand.

Fire erupted from my palm as sacred fire that burned with the essence of the sun itself coiled and twisted, shaping itself according to my will, forming into a spear of pure burning energy. The weapon stretched eight feet from tip to butt, its point sharp enough to pierce reality itself.

The spear didn't radiate heat. It was heat—concentrated solar fury given physical form. Where normal fire consumed oxygen, this flame drew its power from deeper sources, from the very concept of purification and divine wrath.

"Bring it on, Vali."

Chapter 68

I stared at the various spectators around me.

Kuroka teleported me to the venue this morning, well after another steamy morning sex.

My first thoughts as I arrived was.

Seriously. What the hell?

I realize how much I underestimated Sona’s warning about how a lot of important people are gonna watch.

We were on some isolated island somewhere between Japan and Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And it wasn't just any island—there is a massive arena here. Like, a full-on colosseum that looked like it belonged in ancient Rome, complete with tiered seating, fancy columns, and magical barriers shimmering around the fighting area.

Devils in expensive suits over there, looking like they were at some fancy business meeting. And not just any devils either—I spotted Serafall Leviathan in the VIP section, her usual magical girl outfit traded for something more formal but still bright enough to hurt your eyes. Next to her sat the other Maous, Sirzechs Gremory himself, Ajuka Beelzebub and Falbium Asmodeus.

Church people in their formal robes, acting all serious and holy. But these weren't your average priests—I could see actual archangels among them. Michael himself was there, along with Gabriel, both radiating that subtle divine energy that made my senses tingle.

Hell, there were even gods from different pantheons here, each group having their own special seating areas. Some I recognized from the anime, others from business photos since, you know, CEO life meant knowing who was involved with my company.

This was the first time I met many of them - the big shots of the supernatural world.

Oh, and there were the people I actually knew. Rias and her crew. Sona sitting all proper next to Tsubaki. Koneko caught my eye and gave me this tiny nod that was really cute.

This definitely wasn't what we'd planned. This was supposed to be me and Vali beating the crap out of each other in private.

Though I expected some spectators, besides the Vali team. Probably Azazel, while my relationship with that guy became sour, courtesy of kokabiel. He was still close to Vali, and being how nosy and annoying that guy is, will definitely watch our fight.

Instead, it looked like half the supernatural world had shown up expecting a show.

Then I turned my gaze to Vali, who avoided my eyes, probably with shame.

"So," I said. "Want to explain how our 'private sparring session' turned into this?"

Vali's jaw tightened, but he still wouldn't look at me.

"Azazel."

Ah. Now that sounds about right.

I sighed.

Vali continued, finally looking at me properly. "He thought it would be 'educational' for the supernatural world to see what you and I can do. Apparently, he's been planning this whole thing for months ever since he introduced you to me."

But then I thought about it more and it hit me.

The peace treaty.

This wasn't coincidence. This was a setup..

You don't get the Four Maous, archangels, and probably half the supernatural world's leadership to show up somewhere without massive coordination in a short matter of time.

Hell, thinking about it now, even Vali's invitation to fight was probably their manipulation. Had he come up with the idea himself, or had Azazel or someone else planted it? The timing was awfully convenient.

They probably wanted to show the entire supernatural world my true strength.

They wanted to make a statement, not just to those in the biblical factions but to the others also.

The Biblical factions had coordinated this whole thing. They'd turned my private sparring match into political theater without even asking.

And honestly? Part of me was impressed by the sheer audacity of it all. They'd turned me into the centerpiece of supernatural diplomacy without even asking. But they weren't wrong about the strategy.

Think about it from their perspective. You're trying to negotiate a peace treaty between factions that have been at war for millennia. Each side has members who'd rather keep fighting than make peace. You need a mediator that everyone can respect, but you also need to prove that mediator isn't just someone who'll get pushed around.

So what do you do? You arrange for that mediator to publicly fight one of the strongest beings of his generation in front of every major supernatural leader. If he can hold his own against the White Dragon Emperor, then nobody can question his qualifications anymore.

It was manipulative as hell, but it was also smart as hell.

I had to respect it, even if I didn't appreciate being kept in the dark about it.

Vali glanced at me. "You figured it out too, didn't you?"

"The peace treaty," I said.

"Yeah." Vali looked almost apologetic.

“You didn’t know?” 

He shook his head. “I didn't know about the bigger picture until this morning.”

“And you are okay with it?”

He smirked. “As long as the fight happens.”

Then continued. "A strong opponent is a strong opponent, regardless of the audience."

That was so typically Vali. Politics, manipulation, grand schemes—none of that mattered to him as much as the chance to test his strength against someone worthy.

And he was right, everything else can come later. For now the fight is what matters.

Anyways, before I could say anything else, I saw three familiar figures making their way toward us. Koneko and Sona were walking together, with Rossweisse following close behind looking like she was ready to drag me away from this whole mess if necessary.

Seeing them Vali steps back giving us some space. I nodded gratefully towards him.

Come to think of it, this was the first time my... Well, most of the women I was involved with were all going to be in the same place at the same time. Except for Koneko and Sona, of course, since Koneko was part of Rias's peerage and they'd met before.

This could get awkward fast.

Speaking of awkward situations, Kuroka was still keeping her distance from Koneko, even though we'd talked about this whole sister thing already. I could feel her magical signature somewhere on the edge of the colosseum, probably trying to stay out of sight. Along with some other energy patterns—probably Bikou and the rest of Vali's team.

"Leon," Sona said. “This situation has become far more complex than anticipated."

Of course, Sona easily understood the hidden agenda about the match. 

"Tell me about it," I said, gesturing at the massive colosseum around us. "Apparently our 'private sparring match' got upgraded to a full supernatural summit."

Koneko stepped closer. Her eyes never stopped moving, tracking movement in the crowd. She didn't speak, just shifted until she stood slightly in front of me, shoulders tense.

I patted her head, like what I do every time with her.

Rossweisse just stood behind me as she reached us. Sweat beaded her forehead despite the cool breeze. She didn’t say anything but just gave me a small smile. 

After a few small talks with them. I expected their first encounter to be a bit messy, but hey everything went well.

Anyways, after a while someone decided to come near.

"Leon” 

Azazel.

 “Azazel.”

I greeted him, not bothering to hide the bite in my tone.

He smirked at my hostility. "Heard I was getting popular again."

"Popular's one word for it. Manipulative jackass is another."

Azazel just waved a hand dismissively. "It's not personal, Leon. Besides, I had permission from Serafall."

He said this as our gaze went toward a certain magical girl in the VIP boxes above.

I could see Serafall grinning and waving at us.

"Permission?" My voice dropped dangerously low. "You turned my private fight into a political circus without telling me."

"Think of it as an opportunity," Azazel said, his casual tone making my teeth clench. "You wanted to establish yourself as a mediator for the peace treaty, right? Well, now you have every major faction leader watching. Impress them here, and your credibility goes through the roof."

He wasn't wrong, but that didn't make me any less pissed about the manipulation.

"And if I lose?" I asked.

Azazel's grin widened. "Then you lose. But somehow, I don't think that's going to happen."

Before I could respond, a new voice cut through our conversation.

"Well, well. If it isn't the famous Leon Mishima."

Before I could respond, the temperature around us dropped noticeably. Several conversations died as an oppressive presence made itself known.

I turned to see a figure approaching that made every instinct I had scream danger. What stood before me was a walking skeleton wreathed in shadows and dark robes. Empty eye sockets glowed with an eerie blue light, and bone fingers peeked out from ornate sleeves. 

Hades. The Greek God of the Dead.

One of the most powerful beings in the Highschoold DxD Verse.

“I've heard quite a lot about you.”

"Have you now?" I kept my voice neutral, but I could hear Azazel had gone unusually quiet.

"Oh yes. The human who thinks he can acts as intermediary between factions that have existed since before your species learned to make fire."

The skull's jaw moved in what might have been a smile. "Tell me, what makes a mortal think he can stand among gods and command respect?"

I felt my mana respond to my irritation, blue-white energy starting to leak from my skin. Several conversations around us stopped as people noticed the shift in atmosphere—and probably the sudden drop in temperature.

"Maybe after I'm done beating Vali into the ground, you can find out firsthand," I said pleasantly.

Hades chuckled, a sound like tombstones grinding together. "How refreshing. A mortal with spine. I do hope you put on a good show, boy."

He turned and walked away, shadows seeming to follow in his wake, but I caught his parting words.

"It would be such a shame if humanity's great hope turned out to be as fragile as all mortals inevitably prove to be."

Azazel let out a breath I didn't realize he'd been holding. "Well, that was terrifying. You sure know how to attract the scary ones, Leon."

"Shut up," I muttered, watching Hades take his position in what looked like a specially prepared section for the Greek pantheon.

A loud chime echoed across the colosseum, and all conversations gradually died down. I looked up to see a figure floating above the center of the arena—Michael, his six pair of golden wings spread wide.

"Welcome, representatives of all factions," his voice carried clearly across the entire colosseum without seeming to strain. "Today, we gather to witness a demonstration of strength between two of the most promising warriors of the younger generation."

He gestured toward Vali and me. "Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor, descendant of the original Lucifer and wielder of Divine Dividing."

Polite applause from the devil sections, along with some enthusiastic cheering from what I assumed was Vali's fanclub.

"And Leon Mishima, CEO of Mishima Corporation.”

Michael continued, "This match will serve not only as a test of individual strength but as a demonstration of the cooperation and mutual respect that we hope to achieve through our peace negotiations."

Translation: Don't kill each other and make this look good for the cameras.

"The rules are simple," Michael announced. "The match ends when one participant yields, is rendered unconscious, or I determine they are unable to continue. No interference from outside parties will be tolerated."

His gaze swept across the audience, lingering on certain sections. The message was clear—anyone who tried to turn this into a free-for-all would answer to him personally.

"Combatants, please take your positions."

I looked at the three women who'd come to see me off. Sona gave me a slight nod, her expression serious but confident. Rossweisse squeezed my shoulder briefly, her touch warm and reassuring. Koneko just stared at me with those golden eyes, but I caught the tiny upturn at the corner of her mouth.

Don't lose.

I smiled back.

I wasn't planning on it.

I walked toward the center of the arena, Vali approaching from the opposite side. The crowd fell silent as we faced each other across the floor.

Up close, away from all the political bullshit and manipulation, it was just the two of us.

"Ready?" Vali asked, and for the first time today, he looked genuinely excited.

I felt my mana responding to my anticipation, power thrumming through my veins like electricity. In the distance, I could sense Kuroka's magical signature spike with worry and pride in equal measure.

"I've been ready since the day we met," I said, summoning a sword from my inventory.

Vali grinned, his white wings manifesting behind him in a burst of silver light.

"Then let's give them a show they'll never forget."

Michael raised his hand high above his head, divine energy gathering around his palm.

"Begin!"

His hand fell, and the arena erupted into chaos.

Chapter 67

Unknown to Leon, his upcoming battle with Vali the White Dragon Emperor, has spread throughout the entire supernatural world. Thanks indirectly to a certain black cat.

It had begun innocently enough. Like she said, Kuroka had mentioned the fight to Arthur and the other two Bikou and Le Fay. The blonde knight had raised an eyebrow at the news, but said nothing more than a simple "interesting." Bikou just grinned and muttered something about finally getting to see what all the fuss was about. Le Fay clasped her hands together and wondered aloud if there would be any new magic to study.

That should have been the end of it.

But none of them were particularly good at keeping secrets.

Bikou, being Bikou, couldn't resist bragging to some monkey youkai friends about how his team's White Dragon Emperor was going to fight some crazy strong human tomorrow.

Le Fay, in her innocent enthusiasm, had mentioned it during a magical research exchange that same day with some Church scholars. "Oh, there's going to be such an interesting battle tomorrow,"

And Arthur, despite his usual discretion, had let it slip during a conversation with a fellow knight who had connections throughout the supernatural world. Just a casual mention, really. "Vali's found himself a worthy opponent," he'd said over drinks.

From there, the information spread like wildfire through the supernatural grapevine.

By evening, the entire supernatural world knew. The White Dragon Emperor was planning to fight Leon Mishima—heir to the Mishima Corporation, wielder of the legendary Laevateinn.

Leon Mishima was an enigma. His very existence challenged the established order, proving that humans could stand among gods and devils as equals.

Some whispered that he might even be stronger than Cao Cao, the wielder of the True Longinus, though such claims were hotly debated.

In the Gremory estate, Rias Gremory sat in her study, eyes gleaming with anticipation as she processed the news. Leon Mishima versus Vali Lucifer. Two of the most powerful beings of their generation going head to head.

"Now this should be interesting," she murmured, already making plans to observe from a safe distance. Their personal history aside, she and her peerage couldn't miss a battle of this magnitude.

Across Kuoh, Sona Sitri looked up from her homework as her familiar delivered an urgent message from her sister. The content made her stomach twist with a mixture of excitement and worry. Leon was going to fight Vali. Tomorrow.

"That reckless idiot," she whispered, torn between pride in his strength and genuine concern for his safety. She was already reaching for her phone to call him.

In the Occult Research Club, Koneko Toujou froze as she overheard Rias discussing the news with Akeno. Leon. Her Leon. Fighting that monster Vali.

Her small hands clenched into fists, a rare display of visible emotion crossing her usually stoic features. Leon was strong but the thought of him in danger made something fierce and protective stir in her chest.

"Leon," she murmured quietly, golden eyes filled with worry and determination. She needed to be there. She needed to make sure he was safe.

In a hidden base somewhere in Europe, Cao Cao paused in his training as Georg brought him the news. The wielder of the True Longinus listened with growing interest as his subordinate explained the situation.

"Leon Mishima," Cao Cao mused, a small smile playing at his lips.

As someone who believed in human supremacy and the potential of their kind, Leon represented everything Cao Cao admired. A human who had achieved what many thought impossible—standing as an equal among gods and devils without surrendering his humanity.

"I would very much like to meet this man," Cao Cao continued, his eyes gleaming with interest. "To see if the rumors about him are true. A human strong enough to make the supernatural world take notice... now that is worthy of respect."

Georg nodded. "Shall we observe the battle, Leader?"

"Yes," Cao Cao decided. "I want to see what he is truly capable of."

In the Fallen Angel headquarters, Azazel received word from one of his spies. His grin was pure anticipation. Two of his former proteges, both ridiculously powerful, finally going at it for real.

"This is going to be absolutely spectacular," he chuckled.  "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

High in the heavens, Michael paused in his administrative duties as Gabriel brought him the news. The archangel's expression remained serene, but there was definitely something in his eyes. The Mishima heir versus the White Dragon Emperor—a battle that could reshape power dynamics across all factions.

Even the Khaos Brigade had taken notice. Ophis herself stirred from her usual indifference, golden eyes opening with genuine curiosity. 

And in his mansion, completely unaware that his fight had become the supernatural world's most anticipated sporting event, Leon continued his training as the supernatural world buzzed with excitement, eager to see which powerhouse would emerge victorious in this clash of titans.

=====

Training was intense. 

By the time I finally called it quits, the sun was setting outside. 

Every muscle in my body ached in that good way that came from pushing yourself to the absolute limit. I'd spent hours working through combat scenarios with my clones, perfecting my techniques, and pushing my mana control to new heights.

Speaking of which, clones are really a cheat when it comes to training. What should have taken months of training, I could accomplish in hours. 

The learning curve was amazing.

But damn if it wasn't exhausting. Fighting multiple versions of yourself who knew all your moves and were actively trying to counter them? That was a special kind of hell.

I headed upstairs, grabbed a quick shower, and flopped onto my bed. 

Sure, I didn't technically need sleep anymore, but I still enjoyed it. There was something peaceful about just shutting everything off for a few hours. Letting my mind rest instead of constantly analyzing every possible outcome.

My enhanced physiology could keep me going indefinitely if necessary. 

I was just starting to drift off when my phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Then it buzzed again. And again.

"What the hell?" I muttered, reaching for it with one hand while keeping my eyes closed.

The screen lit up with notification after notification.

Fifteen missed calls. Eight voicemails. Twenty-three text messages.

"What the hell?" I sat up, suddenly wide awake.

Most of the calls were from Sona. Her name dominated my call log—five missed calls in the span of two hours. The others were from Koneko, Kuroka, and even Rossweisse.

My hands moved faster than my brain, dialing Sona's number first.

She picked up on the first ring.

"Leon!" Her voice was sharp, worried. "Where have you been? I've been calling for hours!"

"Training," I said, already dreading where this was going. "My phone was upstairs. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She sounded almost incredulous. "Why didn't you tell me about your fight with Vali?"

"What?" I blinked. “How do you know about that?"

"How do I—" She paused, clearly trying to calm herself. "Leon, the entire supernatural world knows!

How did everyone find out?

The only people who knew were—

Kuroka.  The pieces clicking together.

She mentioned it to Arthur, Bikou, and Le Fay. Then they probably told someone else, and it just... spread from there.

I could picture it perfectly. Kuroka casually mentioning it to the Khaos Brigade team, probably while bragging about how strong I was. 

“Anyways.” Sona's voice had a mix of exasperation and curiosity. "What matters is that now everyone in the supernatural world is treating this like the biggest sporting event of the year."

She continued. “I've had people calling me all day asking if they can observe. My sister plans to bring a whole delegation from the underworld. 

"Seriously?"

"Seriously.”

I rubbed my forehead. This was not what I expected when I agreed to fight Vali.

What if someone decided to interfere? What if some faction saw this as an opportunity to take out both me and Vali while we were focused on each other? What if—

No. Stop. I was overthinking again.

But thinking about it more, maybe this level of attention made sense. Vali wasn't just any supernatural being—he was the White Dragon Emperor, wielder of Divine Dividing, descendant of the original Lucifer. When someone like that decides to fight seriously, people pay attention.

And I wasn't just some random human either. I was Leon Mishima. 

This was a clash between two very different kinds of power. Of course everyone wanted to watch.

"Just... be prepared. There are going to be a lot of very important people watching.".

“Noted.”

After we hung up, I stared at my phone for a long moment.

I thought about calling Vali to ask if he knew about all this, but honestly? He probably did know and just didn't care. Guy lived for strong opponents and good fights—having an audience would probably just get him more excited.

My phone buzzed with a text from Koneko: "Be safe tomorrow. I'll be watching."

Then another from Kuroka: "Sorry about the leak, honey!"

And finally, one from Rossweisse: “Please don't do anything unnecessarily reckless."

I looked at all these messages from people who cared about me, who were worried about me, and felt something warm settle in my chest despite the pressure.

"Alright," I said to my empty room. "Guess it's showtime."

I set my phone aside and closed my eyes. Tomorrow, the entire supernatural world would be watching.

Time to give them a show they'd never forget.

Quick Update

Hey everyone! These past few days have been pretty hectic at work and I haven’t had the time to sit down and write a chapter.

I wasn’t also able to post a chapter last night or even tonight due to how busy things are.

Really sorry for the delay. I appreciate your patience, and I’ll have a new chapter up tomorrow. Thanks as always for the support!

Chapter 66

Loki sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the dark stone walls of his chambers. Three weeks since Leon Mishima had killed his children. Three weeks since that damn sword had turned everything to ash. It’s been weeks stuck in his own realm, hiding like some wounded animal.

Three weeks of replaying that fight over and over. Watching his sons charge in like they were invincible. 

And they'd burned. All of them. While he ran away.

Loki laughed, but it came out wrong. Bitter. 

All of them dead. All because he had underestimated a mortal child.

His sons. His beautiful, perfect sons. Centuries of careful planning, of nurturing their power, of preparing them for the day they would help him claim his rightful place among the gods. All of it undone in minutes by a mortal child wielding power that should have been his.

Reduced to nothing but screams and ash while their killer stood unmoved above their remains.

Just like her.

Exactly like that witch.

Astrid Mishima. Even decades after her death, that woman's shadow still haunted him. The way she had smiled when she outmaneuvered him in front of the entire Norse pantheon. How she had made him look like a bumbling fool while she danced through his traps like they were children's games.

And now her grandson carried that same maddening confidence. That same ability to see through his carefully laid plans and turn them against him. History repeating itself in the cruelest possible way.

The humiliation was worse than the rage.

Then–

A slow clap echoed through the warehouse.

Loki spun around, divine power crackling around his fingers as he searched for the source. The shadows seemed deeper than they should be, stretching in directions that defied the laws of geometry.

"Bravo," a voice said from the darkness. Rich and cultured, with an accent that spoke of ancient power. "Truly magnificent. I haven't seen a tantrum quite that spectacular since my nephew threw Zeus off Mount Olympus."

The shadows parted like curtains, revealing a figure . Tall and skeletal, draped in ceremonial robes of deepest black trimmed with silver thread that seemed to absorb what little light remained. The garments of a high priest, but twisted, wrong somehow.

Where a face should have been, there was only bone. A skull that gleamed white as fresh snow, perfectly preserved despite its obvious age. Empty sockets stared at him with intelligence, twin voids that suddenly flared with cold fire, creating the illusion of eyes that weren't there.

"Hades." The name tasted like grave dirt in Loki's mouth.

The Lord of the Underworld inclined his skull in a mockery of a bow, and the temperature in the warehouse dropped by several degrees. When he spoke, his jaw moved but the voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Hello, Loki. You look terrible."

"What do you want?" Loki snarled.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I want." Hades stepped closer as his robes rustled with each movement. "The same thing you want. The same thing you've always wanted."

"And what would that be?"

The skull tilted, and those burning eye sockets flared brighter. "Revenge, of course. Sweet, terrible revenge against those who have wronged us."

Loki laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Revenge? Against a boy who just easily killed my children? I'm not suicidal, Hades."

"No," Hades agreed.  "You're not. But you are desperate.”

"Get to the point." He said.

"Very well." Hades stopped directly in front of him, those terrible eye sockets boring into Loki's. "Your little revenge plot failed spectacularly. Leon Mishima remains not only alive but stronger than ever. His victory over you and your children will only cement his reputation as someone not to be trifled with."

Each word was a knife twist in an already festering wound. "Your point?"

"My point is that you cannot touch him alone. Not anymore.”

Hades began pacing “But what if you weren't alone? What if you had allies with power to match his?”

"You're proposing an alliance."

"I'm proposing something far grander than that. I'm proposing that we reshape the supernatural world itself." 

Loki stared at him, trying to parse the implications. 

"The current order is failing, Loki. The biblical factions are negotiating peace treaties. The various pantheons are forming trade agreements and mutual defense pacts." Hades gestured dismissively with one bone-white hand.

"I want change. I want the natural order restored. I want gods to rule and mortals to serve, not this ridiculous pretense of equality that's been spreading like a plague."

Hades stopped pacing and fixed Loki with those burning sockets. "Leon Mishima represents everything wrong with the current system. A mortal who thinks he can stand as an equal to gods. Who refuses to show proper deference. Who disrupts the natural hierarchy with his arrogance."

"He's become a symbol. A rallying point for every mortal who thinks they can challenge divine authority. Every human with a Sacred Gear who dreams of fighting gods. Every supernatural being who believes the old ways should be forgotten."

The pieces were falling into place in Loki's mind. "You want to make an example of him."

"I want his defeat to herald a new age where gods rule with proper authority and mortals remember their place."

"And in exchange?"

"In exchange, you get your revenge. Against everyone who has ever wronged you. Against the Norse pantheon that cast you out. Against Odin who bound your children. Against every slight, every humiliation, every moment of disrespect you've ever endured."

Loki felt his pulse quicken. The offer was tempting. More than tempting. It was everything he had ever wanted

"What exactly are you proposing?"

The skull's jaw opened in what might have been a smile, if bones could smile. "Annihilation, my dear trickster. Complete and thorough elimination of every corrupted element that poisons our world. No more Devils and Fallen Angels. No more Longinus wielders. No more weak chief gods who've forgotten their place.”

"The other mythologies won't stand for it."

"The other mythologies are irrelevant. Devils and Fallen Angels are parasites that don't belong in our world anyway. The Biblical factions are weak pretenders who think they can negotiate with true gods." Hades waved a dismissive hand, the bone gleaming white in the dim light. "As for the other pantheons, their chiefs have grown soft from cooperating with these lesser beings. When they see what happens to those who protect corruption, they'll remember their place quickly enough."

Loki considered this. The death god was right about one thing: the supernatural world had grown comfortable. Peaceful. Predictable. All things that went against his very nature as a trickster deity.

And Leon Mishima... that arrogant brat needed to pay for what he had done. Not just to him, but to his children. To his legacy. To everything he had worked toward for centuries.

"What would you need from me?" Loki asked finally.

"Your knowledge. Your cunning. Your ability to sow discord and turn allies against each other."

Hades extended one bone-white hand, the ceremonial sleeves falling back to reveal arm bones wrapped in shadow.

Loki looked at the offered hand. Thought of his dead children. Thought of Leon Mishima's smug face as Laevateinn had answered his call. Thought of Astrid Mishima's mocking laughter echoing across the decades.

He reached out and clasped Hades's hand. The contact sent ice through his veins, but he didn't flinch. The bones felt like winter itself, cold beyond description.

"Let's burn it all down," he said.

The death god's laughter filled the warehouse, echoing from his empty skull. 

Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled across a clear sky.

Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Seeing I made no real progress in the Body of the Everflame cultivation. I decided to tackle something productive. The anticipation was eating at me, and I needed a distraction that would actually advance my goals.

With nothing else to do until tomorrow's fight, I decided to check on my other projects. 

The failed cultivation session had left me restless, and examining my work in the Celestial Workshop always helped clear my head.

I closed my eyes and reached into the Celestial Workshop, letting the familiar starry void surround me. 

My active projects floated in the darkness like glowing constellations, their progress bars slowly ticking down toward completion.

[Sacred Gear Extractor: 6 days remaining]
[E.V.E.: 5 days remaining]
[Zodiac Pieces - Virgo Hektos / Rainbow Flames of the Dark Princess:  29 days]

The Zodiac Pieces.

I moved closer to examine the project in detail. Twelve unique artifacts floated in a circle, each one slowly taking shape as the Workshop's power worked to bring them into reality. 

I'd based the abilities on something from my knowledge in my past life - the familiars of Akatsuki Kojou from Strike the Blood. But instead of summoning external familiars, the Zodiac Pieces would manifest those abilities directly through the bonded individual.

It had been three weeks since I'd started their manifestation, and the progress was visible. Each piece was roughly forty percent complete, their forms becoming more defined as the days passed. They looked like crystalline fragments, similar to devil pieces in basic concept but far more intricate in design.

[Zodiac Pieces - Virgo Hektos / Rainbow Flames of the Dark Princess:  29 days]

Fifty days total creation time. It seemed like a long time, but considering what it was designed to do, it was actually reasonable. This wasn't just a simple enhancement item - while it starts as weak it was meant to grant limitless potential to whoever bonded with it.

Especially if you thought about the familiar abilities as each of their abilities were insanely overpowered.

Anyways.

I'd started with Virgo for a specific reason. This piece would grant the power of Hektos - a familiar with abilities that went far beyond simple elemental manipulation. The Virgo piece would allow its user to manipulate the very laws of nature itself, bending reality to their will in ways that most supernatural beings could only dream of.

But that wasn't even its most terrifying ability.

The key power of Virgo Hektos was causality manipulation - the ability to cut through anything. It could cut through space, time, magical bonds, even abstract concepts like luck or fate. Combined with an already formidable defense system that could adapt to any threat, it made for a nearly unbeatable guardian ability.

And according to my knowledge, that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to this familiar's true potential. The deeper abilities would have to be discovered through experience and growth.

It was perfect for Rossweisse.

As a Valkyrie, she already had an affinity for magic and combat, but more importantly, she had the discipline and wisdom to handle such overwhelming power responsibly. The ability to manipulate natural laws would complement her existing magical knowledge beautifully, while the causality cutting would give her an edge that could defeat even the most powerful opponents.

Most importantly, it would give her the strength to stand beside me.

After Virgo was complete, I'd start on the next piece. Maybe Aries for Hayama, or Leo for Koneko. Eventually, I'd have a complete set of twelve, each one representing a different aspect of power and potential.

It was about time I started increasing the strength of those I cared about. The supernatural world was becoming more dangerous by the day, and I couldn't protect everyone myself. They needed to be able to stand on their own.

Especially Hayama.

He was the only family I had left from my old life, the only connection to the parents I'd lost. He'd served the Mishima family faithfully for decades, and now he was serving me with the same unwavering loyalty despite everything that had changed.

He deserved it too. 

It would still be some time before I could attempt to revive my parents.

But until then, Hayama was all I had left of my original family. I wouldn't let anything happen to him.

=====

3rd POV

The sound of footsteps echoed through the marble hallway as she adjusted the navy blazer of her formal business suit, the fabric crisp and professional. The outfit was a stark contrast to her usual magical girl attire- tailored jacket, knee-length skirt, white blouse with a silver pin bearing the Leviathan crest. Her twin tails were pulled back into a more conservative style, though they still bounced slightly with each step.

The headquarters security protocols were absolute - no teleportation circles, no spatial magic, no shortcuts. Everyone, regardless of rank, had to walk through the main entrance and navigate the corridors. Even the Four Great Satans weren't exempt.

Her fingers drummed against the leather portfolio tucked under her arm. Inside were the preliminary proposals for the peace treaty negotiations, including the detailed framework for using Mishima Corporation as the neutral mediator. The paperwork was extensive, but that wasn't what occupied her thoughts.

Instead, she found herself thinking about So-tan - about the guilt that had weighed on her conscience for years. When she'd accepted the position of Leviathan, she'd known it would mean leaving behind many of her responsibilities to the Sitri clan. What she hadn't anticipated was how much of that burden would fall on her younger sister's shoulders.

So-tan had taken on the role of clan heir with characteristic determination, but at a cost. Work had become her entire world - managing clan affairs, attending endless meetings, handling political negotiations with the precision of a master strategist. She'd buried herself so deeply in responsibility that she'd forgotten how to simply live.

The guilt of that realization had been eating at her for months. Her precious little sister had sacrificed her youth, her happiness, her chance at a normal relationship, all because her older sister had chosen duty to the Underworld over duty to family.

But then Leon Mishima had appeared.

The boy had proven useful, and more importantly, he'd made So-tan happy. For the first time in years, she'd seen genuine joy in her sister's eyes - not the satisfaction of a job well done or the pleasure of solving a complex problem, but real, honest happiness. The memory of So-tan's flushed cheeks and carefully hidden smiles brought warmth to her chest.

Maybe she could finally forgive herself for the burden she'd placed on those young shoulders.

Heavy double doors marked the entrance to the meeting chamber. The guards nodded respectfully as she approached, their expressions neutral. Being one of the Four Great Satans meant that even casual movements were monitored and recorded.

She paused at the threshold, checking her reflection in the polished metal of the door handle. Professional. Composed. Ready to discuss the most important political development in centuries.

Time to see what the others thought about their newest potential ally.

She pushed open the doors and stepped into the circular chamber. The other three Maous were already seated at the polished obsidian table, their expressions serious as they reviewed documents spread before them.

"Serafall," Sirzechs looked up from a report, his crimson hair catching the light from the magical crystals overhead. "Right on time."

Ajuka didn't look up from the papers he was examining, his green hair falling across his face. "We were just reviewing the latest intelligence reports on our potential mediator."

"Leon Mishima continues to exceed expectations," Falbium added, his usual lazy demeanor replaced by focused attention. "The boy's track record is quite remarkable."

"The intelligence networks are buzzing," Ajuka continued. "Every faction has spies watching him now. The power he displayed in both incidents has made him a person of extreme interest across the supernatural world."

"Which makes him perfect for our needs," she said, setting her portfolio on the table. "A mediator who commands respect from all factions through demonstrated strength. Someone too powerful to intimidate, too useful to alienate."

Falbium straightened slightly. "There are risks. His rapid rise in power, the divine artifacts, the corporate influence - he's accumulating resources at an unprecedented rate."

"Is that a problem?" Sirzechs asked.

"Not necessarily. But we should be aware that we're dealing with someone who could potentially become a threat if relations sour."

"He won't," she said with confidence that surprised even herself. 

Ajuka raised an eyebrow. "You seem remarkably certain of his character."

"I am." She thought of So-tan. "And besides, he has too much to lose now to risk making enemies of us."

"Explain," Sirzechs requested.

A small smile crossed her lips. "Let's just say he's developed some very strong personal connections to our faction recently."

"Interesting," Ajuka mused. "Personal stakes often make the most reliable allies."

"Then we're in agreement?" Sirzechs asked, looking around the table. "We proceed with the proposal to use Mishima Corporation as our neutral mediator?"

"Agreed," Falbium nodded.

"Seconded," Ajuka added.

"Motion carried," she said formally, though her mind was already elsewhere.

As the meeting concluded and the others began gathering their documents, she found herself genuinely curious about Leon's true capabilities. The reports painted a picture of devastating power, but there were gaps. Questions about how he'd acquired divine artifacts, how he'd grown so strong so quickly, what other abilities he might be hiding.

Not that it mattered, as long as he continued to make So-tan happy.

But if he ever hurt her precious little sister...

She stood and smoothed her blazer, the professional facade hiding the fierce protectiveness beneath. Leon Mishima might be powerful enough to kill gods and command respect from all three factions, but if he broke So-tan's heart, he'd discover exactly what the Leviathan's wrath felt like.

Ice cold and absolutely merciless.

"Serafall?" Sirzechs called. "Are you coming?"

"Yes," she replied, tucking her portfolio under her arm. 

Just thinking about the future. 

But she kept that thought to herself.

A future where her sister was happy, the supernatural world was stable, and Leon Mishima continued to prove himself worthy of the trust they were placing in him.

For everyone's sake.

Chapter 64

I quickly threw on some clothes, my mind racing as I thought about Vali's unexpected visit.

Vali Lucifer. The White Dragon Emperor.

Our relationship was... complicated.

Back when things were still good between Azazel and me, Vali had been a semi-regular visitor to the mansion.

We'd developed a routine of sorts. Every few weeks, Vali would show up, we'd beat the hell out of each other in the training facility, and then he'd disappear again. He wasn't much for conversation - stoic, arrogant, and completely focused on growing stronger. But there was mutual respect there. He appreciated that I could take his hits and keep getting back up, and I respected his absolute dedication to power.

But after the Shinjuku incident, after my relationship with Azazel went to hell, Vali had stopped coming.

I couldn't blame him.

I'd made it clear that I wanted nothing more to do with the Governor-General, it had put Vali in an awkward position. Choosing sides between his mentor and his sparring partner wasn't really a choice at all.

Though knowing Vali, I didn't expect him to care much about awkward situations or choosing sides. But he'd respected it, I suppose. Kept his distance rather than forcing the issue.

And despite his reputation as a cold, arrogant battle maniac, I knew the real Vali. The one who'd been abused as a child, who'd found a father figure in Azazel, who secretly wanted nothing more than a happy family but would never say it out loud. The one who showed fierce loyalty to his teammates and would do anything to protect the people he cared about.

"Kuroka," I said, turning to where she was hurriedly getting dressed. "Should I be worried about Vali knowing you're here?"

She paused in adjusting her outfit and gave me an amused look. "He probably already knows I'm here anyway. I told him I was coming to check on you."

“Oh. Okay then.”

I made my way downstairs with Kuroka beside me.

I straightened my shoulders and opened the door.

Vali Lucifer stood by the window, his back to us, looking out at the garden.

"Vali," I said, closing the door behind us.

He turned to face us, those sharp silver eyes immediately finding Kuroka before settling on me. A slight smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

"Leon. Kuroka." His gaze moved between us, taking in our slightly disheveled appearance and the obvious intimacy in how we stood near each other. "I see you two have been... getting to know each other better."

Kuroka didn't even blush. "Hello to you too, Vali, nya."

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked, moving to take a seat in one of the armchairs. "It's been a while."

"It has." He didn't sit, instead moving to lean against the mantelpiece. "I heard about Kokabiel. About damn time someone put that bird down. Never could stand that filthy crow."

"He had it coming," I said simply.

"That he did." Vali's eyes gleamed with something that might have been approval. "Though I have to admit, I'm impressed. I didn’t expect you to grow that strong in a short time. Which brings me to why I'm here."

"I'm listening."

Vali stopped pacing and fixed me with that intense stare.

“I want to fight you for real." His voice carried an edge of excitement that was pure Vali - the battle maniac who lived for strong opponents.

I felt something stir in my chest - that same primal excitement I'd felt during our old sparring matches, but magnified. The dragon's blood in my veins responded to the challenge, and I could feel my heart rate picking up.

“I want to see it all. And I want you to see what I've learned since our last fight. I've gotten stronger too, you know."

I looked at Kuroka, who was watching both of us with a mixture of exasperation and fondness.

"Boys and their need to beat each other up, nya," she muttered, but I could see she wasn't really opposed to the idea.

I turned back to Vali. "When?"

"Now, if you're up for it." His eyes practically glowed with anticipation. "Unless you need time to prepare?"

The challenge in his voice was unmistakable. Classic Vali - pushing buttons to get a reaction.

“Where?”

Well we can’t exactly do it in the training facility as past experience told us that we won’t be able to unleash our abilities fully.

"I know a place.” He grinned.

I stood up, feeling the familiar thrill of an incoming fight. "Let's go."

"Excellent." Vali's grin was predatory now. "This is going to be fun."

But before either of us could move toward the door, Kuroka stepped between us, her eyes flashing with exasperation.

"Oh no, you don't, nya." She crossed her arms, fixing both of us with a stern look. "You two are not running off to beat each other senseless right now."

Vali raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"Because Leon and I aren't finished yet, nya." Her cheeks turned pink, but her voice remained firm and possessive.

She continued, ignoring my embarrassment, "if you two are going to have a proper fight, the whole team should be there to watch, nya."

"Besides," she continued, her golden eyes sparkling with mischief, "we have important things to discuss. Like making babies, nya."

The room went dead silent.

I choked on air. "What?"

Vali's expression shifted from surprise to knowing amusement

"Leon's strong, I'm strong. Our kittens would be amazing, nya."

"Just what, nya? Started dating? Had amazing sex? Decided we care about each other?" She moved closer to me, her hand trailing down my chest. "All excellent reasons to start planning for the future, nya."

"She's not wrong," Vali said with obvious amusement. "Though I have to say, your timing is impeccable as always, Kuroka."

"But more importantly," Kuroka continued, completely ignoring my shocked expression, "if you two are going to have a proper fight, the whole team should be there to watch, nya."

"You're changing the subject," I pointed out weakly.

"Am I, nya? " Her grin widened. "Arthur would love to see Leon in action, and Bikou's been curious about you. Plus, it'll give me a chance to properly introduce my new mate to the team."

Vali chuckled. "Tomorrow then.”

"Just don't expect me to cheer for you, nya," Kuroka replied with a grin.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Vali opened the window and stepped out onto the ledge, his wings manifesting. "Tomorrow, Leon. Put on a good show."

“Of course.” I smiled. “About damn time for a payback.”

He smirked and then he was gone.

The moment Vali disappeared from view, Kuroka turned to me with that gleam in her eyes that I was easily becoming familiar with.

"Well, nya," she purred, moving closer until she was pressed against my chest. "Now that he's gone..."

"Kuroka," I started, but she silenced me by placing a finger against my lips.

"You didn't think I was joking about not being finished with you, did you, nya?" Her voice dropped to that sultry whisper that sent shivers down my spine. "We have the whole morning ahead of us."

Before I could respond, she grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the door.

By the time we finally emerged from my bedroom, the sun was high in the sky, she also now left saying she needed to leave to inform her teammates and ensure they'd all be available to watch tomorrow's fight. She was clearly proud of claiming me as her mate and wanted to show me off properly to the Vali Team.

Before departing through the window, she kissed me goodbye and made it clear she expected me to win against Vali. The possessiveness in her voice made my territorial instincts purr with satisfaction.

=====

With the rest of the day ahead of me, I decided to make good use of the time. I made my way down to the underground training facility.

I stripped down to my training pants and sat cross-legged in the center of the room, closing my eyes and reaching for the Body of the Everflame manual from my inventory. The familiar weight of the book appeared in my hands, its pages glowing with that soft golden light.

For weeks, I'd been stuck at the same barrier, unable to push through to the next level of the manual. My progress had been steady, but something was still missing.

But now, as I settled into the meditation pose and began circulating the energy through my meridians, something felt different.

Like I was on the verge of a breakthrough.

I pushed deeper into the cultivation technique, feeling the energy respond to my will. The golden warmth spread through my body, and for a moment, I thought I had it. The barrier that had been blocking my progress seemed to waver...

And then it snapped back into place.

Damn it.

I tried again. And again. Each time, I got tantalizingly close to that next level before hitting the same wall. It was like trying to grab smoke - the harder I reached for it, the more it slipped away.

After an hour of failed attempts, I finally gave up and leaned back against the wall, considering the problem. Maybe I was approaching this wrong. Maybe brute force wasn't the answer.

And that was the problem. 

When I'd designed the Body of the Everflame manual through the Workshop, I'd focused on creating a cultivation technique that would enhance my physical abilities and integrate with the dragon's blood. But in my eagerness to gain power quickly, I'd overlooked something crucial - bottlenecks.

Every proper cultivation manual had natural barriers, points where practitioners had to overcome specific challenges or insights before advancing. I'd been so focused on the end result that I'd forgotten to account for the journey. Now I was paying the price for that oversight.

I could always try creating something in the Workshop to help with the breakthrough - a pill or vial that could push me past this barrier. I could probably design something specifically for cultivation advancement.

But when I checked my Workshop slots, they were all occupied. My projects were still days away from completion, and I couldn't afford to cancel. The Workshop was powerful, but its limitations were frustrating at times like this.

As I sat there, thinking about what else might be missing.

When was the last time I'd had a real fight? A proper challenge that pushed me to my limits?

Kokabiel had been disappointingly weak. For all his reputation as a Fallen Angel Cadre, he'd folded pretty quickly once I'd gotten serious and that was with the clone. The fight had been more about revenge than testing my abilities.

And Loki? That hadn't even been a real confrontation. His children, they'd all been instantly incinerated by Laevateinn before they could mount any kind of resistance. Loki himself had fled rather than face me directly.

I suppose I could have fought them without the sword, tested myself against the legendary monsters with just my physical abilities. But that would have been recklessly stupid. Fenrir alone was supposed to be capable of killing gods. Taking that kind of risk just to satisfy my desire for a challenge would have been pure arrogance.

But maybe that was the problem. Perhaps the Body of the Everflame required more than just meditation and energy circulation. Maybe it needed to be forged in actual combat, tested against a worthy opponent who could push me beyond my current limits.

Perhaps what I needed was a real fight.

Well, I wouldn't have to wait much longer for that.

Chapter 63

Later that night, I was hunched over my desk when a familiar voice purred from the shadows. "Working late again, nya?" The sense of déjà vu

Later that night, I was hunched over my desk when a familiar voice purred from the shadows.

"Working late again, nya?"

The sense of déjà vu was immediate. This was exactly how we'd met last time.

"Kuroka," I said, finally looking up from my work.

Kuroka stepped out of the darkness near my bookshelf, and despite everything that had happened between us, I felt my pulse quicken. She looked exactly the same as always - long black hair with golden highlights catching the lamplight, cat-like golden eyes that seemed to glow in the dim room, and that traditional Japanese outfit that somehow managed to be both elegant and provocative.

"Surprised to see me, nya?" She moved closer, her hips swaying with that seductive feline grace.

"After last time? More than a bit." I set down my pen and leaned back in my chair, studying her face. "I wasn't expecting you to come back."

A faint blush colored her cheeks at the reminder of our last encounter, but she covered it by examining one of her claws with exaggerated interest. "Neither was I, nya."

She moved to the window, but I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her tail had appeared and was swishing restlessly behind her. "Things have been... complicated since then."

"Complicated?"

Instead of answering immediately, she turned back to face me, her golden eyes studying my face with that same intensity from before. 

"You know exactly how, nya," she said softly. "Don't pretend you don't remember what happened between us."

I stood up from my chair, feeling the weight of the day settling on my shoulders, it had left me feeling restless, charged with an energy I couldn't quite name.

"How could I forget? Especially when you tried to kill me over a misunderstanding?" I asked.

"I wasn't actually going to kill you, nya," she protested, though there wasn't much conviction in her voice. "Maybe maim you a little. Scar you up enough that you'd think twice about hurting Shirone."

"Very considerate of you."

She moved to the window, but I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her tail had appeared and was swishing restlessly behind her. "Things have been... different since then."

I perked up.

"You've been good to her. To Shirone," she said, her voice softer than usual.

It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. "I told you I would be."

"You did, nya." Her voice was softer now.

As she spoke, she moved closer to my desk. I could smell that intoxicating scent of flowers and moonlight that seemed to cling to her skin.

"She's important to me," She said simply.

"I know."

"That night," she continued, moving around the desk until she was standing right in front of me. "That wasn't supposed to happen.”

“Does it?”

I could feel the dragon's blood responding to her proximity, that primal part of me that recognized her as something equally dangerous and alluring. The enhanced senses that came with my transformation picked up on her own elevated heart rate, the subtle shift in her breathing.

She reached out, her fingers barely brushing against my hand, and I felt that same electric jolt from before. “I don't understand what you do to me, nya,"

“I could say the same.”

There was silence after that but the tension between us is clear. 

After a while Kuroka spoke again. “You seem different.”

"It's been a long day," I said, moving closer to her. 

The day had left me feeling restless. Everything was building up inside me like pressure in a pot.

"What about you? You seem a little flustered."

"I'm not flustered, nya!" she protested, but the way she avoided my eyes said otherwise.

I stepped closer again, and this time she didn't back away. "Your tail's twitching."

She glanced down at her tail, which was indeed moving restlessly behind her. "That doesn't mean anything, nya."

"Doesn't it?" I reached out slowly, giving her time to pull away, and gently touched her hand. "Your heart's racing too."

The contact sent a small shock through both of us. Her breath caught, and I saw her shiver.

"Leon..." she whispered, but didn't pull her hand away.

“I kept thinking about you. About what happened between us."

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You did?”

“Of course. About how sexy and beautiful you looked.”

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red. "You can't just say things like that, nya."

"Why not? It's true."

She looked up at me, and I could see the conflict in her eyes.

"This is crazy, nya," she whispered. "I shouldn't be here."

"But you are here," I pointed out, bringing our joined hands up to press against my chest. "Why do you think that is?"

She bit her lower lip, a gesture that was far more innocent than anything else about her.

“You missed me.” I continued for her. 

She didn’t disagree with me, but she blushed harder. 

She is really beautiful.

"You're beautiful when you blush," I told her, and watched as the blush spread down her neck.

"Stop it, nya," she said, but there was no real protest in her voice.

"Stop what? Telling you the truth?" I brought my other hand up to cup her cheek. "You like it when I say these things, don't you?"

She leaned into my touch without seeming to realize it. "Maybe a little, nya."

"Just a little?" I teased gently.

"Okay, maybe more than a little," she admitted quietly.

I smiled at her honesty. "There's my honest cat."

"Your cat?"

“Of course you are mine now.”

"I..." she started, then stopped, looking lost.

"It's okay," I said softly. "We don't have to figure everything out tonight."

She looked up at me with those eyes full of confusion and want. "Then what do we do, nya?"

“This..”

Instead of answering with words, I leaned down and pressed my lips gently to hers.

What followed was gentle and unhurried - a stark contrast to the desperate hunger that had consumed us before. We took our time, learning each other with soft touches and whispered words, until the rest of the world faded away and there was nothing but us.

=====

When dawn crept through the windows hours later, I woke to find Kuroka curled against my side, her dark hair spilled across my chest. 

I lay there in the quiet morning light, careful not to wake her, and found myself thinking about how much I'd changed.

In my previous life, I'd been... a normal person. Cautious about relationships, careful about getting too attached, content with casual connections that didn't demand too much. I'd been the kind of person who kept his options open, who avoided complicated situations.

But now? Now I found myself drawn to people in ways I'd never experienced before.

It wasn't love, exactly, it was more than that, something deeper than it. Something possessive and territorial that whispered 'mine' every time I looked at any of them.

Dragons hoarded. That was their nature. Gold, jewels, magical artifacts - anything they considered valuable. But apparently, my dragon blood had decided that people were the most valuable treasure of all.

The realization should have disturbed me. In my old life, I would have been horrified at the idea of thinking of people as possessions, as things to be kept. But the change felt... right. Natural.

I wasn't treating them like objects. I genuinely cared about their happiness, their safety, their individual wants and needs. The possessiveness came with an overwhelming urge to protect, to provide, to make sure they had everything they needed to thrive.

Last night had been proof of that growth. Where our first encounter had been driven by pure instinct - raw, overwhelming need that left us both shaken - last night I'd been able to think, to be gentle, to consider what Kuroka needed rather than just taking what I wanted.

I was learning to integrate the draconic instincts with human empathy. The territorial nature, the hoarding impulse, the fierce protectiveness - they were all still there, but tempered by genuine care and respect.

It was an improvement, I realized. The old me would have run from anything this complicated. But the new me? The new me was building something. A circle of precious people who belonged to me just as much as I belonged to them.

And I was perfectly fine with that.

I looked back at Kuroka again.

It struck me how quickly things had progressed between us. This was only the second time we'd met, yet here we were, lying naked together after a night of unexpected intimacy. By all logic, it should feel rushed, wrong somehow.

But it didn't.

There was something about Kuroka that just... fit. I found myself genuinely caring about her. She was mine now, and I was hers. We'd given each other something precious, that created a bond that went beyond simple attraction.

Kuroka stirred beside me, her golden eyes fluttering open. For a moment, she looked confused, as if trying to remember where she was. Then her gaze focused on my face, and a soft blush colored her cheeks.

"Morning, nya," she whispered, her voice husky with sleep.

"Good morning," I replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Sleep well?"

She nodded, then seemed to realize the position we were in - her naked body pressed against mine under the sheets. The blush deepened. "Last night was..."

“Great?”

“Hmm...” She looked up at me with those golden eyes.

"I'm glad it was."

We lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the peaceful morning. But I could see something weighing on her mind.

"What is it?" I asked gently.

"Shirone," she said quietly. "What do we tell her about... this? About us, nya?"

I'd been thinking about that too. The relationship between Kuroka and me was complicated enough without adding the dynamic with Koneko into the mix.

"Let's tell her the truth," I said simply.

Kuroka's eyes widened. "The truth? All of it, nya?"

"Yes. She deserves to know." I shifted so I could look at her directly. "Not just about us, but about what really happened in the past. About your master. About why you really killed him."

The color drained from Kuroka's face completely. She sat up abruptly, pulling the sheet around herself, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

"How do you know about that, nya?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "How could you possibly know about it?!”

I realized my mistake immediately. In my concern for bringing the sisters back together, I'd revealed knowledge I shouldn't have. Knowledge that no one should have except Kuroka herself.

"I..." I paused, thinking quickly. "As the heir to Mishima Corporation, I have access to multiple intelligence networks, when you're in my position, you learn things.”

"You'd be surprised what kinds of information surface when you have the resources to look deep enough. Devil politics are messy, Kuroka. Sometimes the truth gets buried, but it doesn't disappear completely."

I leaned forward, meeting her gaze directly.

She was quiet for a long moment then Kuroka shook her head, panic flickering in her eyes. 

"I can't. She's better off not knowing, nya."

"Is she? She's been carrying the pain of thinking her sister is a murderer for years. Don't you think she deserves to know that her sister is actually trying to protect her?"

Tears gathered in Kuroka's eyes. "But if I tell her, she'll have to live with knowing what kind of monster our master really was, nya."

"She's stronger than you think," I said softly. "And she's not a child anymore. She can handle the truth."

Kuroka was quiet for a long time, conflict clear in her expression. Finally, she nodded slowly.

"If... if you think it's best, nya," she said quietly. "I trust your judgment."

The simple submission in her voice stirred something in me. The fact that she was willing to trust me with something this important, this painful...

"Thank you," I said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "It won't be easy, but it's the right thing to do."

She looked up at me with those vulnerable golden eyes. "Will you be there? When I tell her, nya?"

"If you want me there, yes."

"I do, nya." Her hand came up to rest on my chest. "I want you there for everything."

The simple honesty in her admission made my chest tight. Without thinking, I leaned down and kissed her, soft and gentle at first, then deeper as she responded.

When we broke apart, her breathing had quickened, and I could see the want returning to her eyes.

"Leon," she whispered, and the way she said my name was like a prayer.

The rest of the morning passed in gentle touches and whispered words, taking our time to explore this new dynamic between us. Unlike the desperate hunger of our previous encounters, this was sweet and unhurried, filled with the kind of intimacy that came from trust and growing affection.

By the time we finally got up, the sun was high in the sky, and I knew that everything had changed between us once again.

We lay tangled together afterwards, both breathing hard and content. Kuroka was curled against my side again, tracing lazy patterns on my chest with her fingertip.

We might have stayed like that longer, but a soft knock at my bedroom door interrupted us.

"Young master?" Hayama's voice came through the wood, carefully neutral as always. "I apologize for the interruption, but you have a visitor."

"Who is it, Hayama?" I called back.

"Vali-sama has arrived, sir."

Kuroka and I exchanged glances. 

"Tell him I'll be down in five minutes," I said.

"Of course, young master."

Chapter 63

I straightened up, keeping my hands visible and my voice calm. "Hello again, Serafall-sama." "Leon-kun!" She clapped her hands together, bou

I straightened up, keeping my hands visible and my voice calm. "Hello again, Serafall-sama."

"Leon-kun!" She clapped her hands together, bouncing on her toes. "How wonderful to see you again!”

Sona had gone completely rigid beside me, her face cycling through about fifteen different shades of red. "Onee-sama”

She paused, looking suddenly bashful. "Oh dear. I suppose I interrupted you guys."

For the first time since she'd appeared, Serafall actually looked a bit embarrassed. Her usual confident demeanor faltered slightly as she fidgeted with her wand.

"Anyway," she continued, brightening. "I'm glad you're here, Leon-kun! I was about to ask So-tan to arrange a meeting with you."

That caught my attention. My mind immediately shifted gears, fading as business instincts kicked in. "Oh? What kind of meeting?"

Serafall cleared her throat and straightened up, her playful demeanor shifting to something more formal and serious.

"We - the Maous - would like Mishima Corporation to arrange and stand as a third, neutral party in upcoming negotiations."

“What kind of negotiations?"

"We're currently in preliminary talks with Heaven and the Grigori,"  she said. "A potential peace treaty.”

I knew from the original timeline that these would eventually happen, but they were supposed to be much later, after Issei had grown stronger, after more conflicts had played out. But here was Serafall, asking me to facilitate them months ahead of schedule.

My appearance in this world was accelerating events. The butterfly effect was in full swing.

In the original timeline, these talks had been delicate, fraught with tension and the constant threat of extremists from all sides trying to sabotage them. And now they wanted my company - me - right in the center of it all.

"Why us?" I asked, but I already have an idea why.

The three biblical factions have been at each other's throats for millennia. Devils, fallen angels, and angels. Each side has grievances going back to the Great War. Each side has reasons not to trust the others.

The Mishima Corporation has something none of the supernatural factions can claim. Proven neutrality. Decades of successfully mediating supernatural disputes without taking sides.

They want Mishima Corporation to be the official mediator. The neutral party that enforces compliance, handles violations, and manages the day-to-day reality of the peace.

"Because," Serafall said, her eyes meeting mine with surprising intensity, "you're the only neutral party that all three factions respect. Heaven and The Grigori  knows and have seen your power firsthand. And we devils..." She glanced meaningfully at Sona. "Well, we have our reasons to trust you."

Of course. My recent displays of power had made me a player they couldn't ignore.

"What exactly would this neutrality entail?" I leaned back slightly, my tone becoming more business-like even as my mind raced through possibilities and dangers. "Mishima Corporation doesn't get involved in supernatural politics without clear parameters and protections."

This was dangerous territory. In the canon timeline, these peace talks had been targeted by extremist factions. If I agreed to this, I'd be painting a target on my company, my employees, everyone I cared about.

"There would be comprehensive protections," Serafall assured me, her tone becoming more formal. "Not just political guarantees, but structural safeguards built into the economic framework itself. Your company's neutrality becomes a cornerstone of the entire system."

“And of course this arrangement will only be valid towards the three biblical factions.” She continued.

"What about enforcement?" I asked, my mind already working through potential problems. "What happens when someone violates treaty terms? How do we ensure compliance without compromising our neutral status?"

"That's where your unique position becomes invaluable," she explained. "Mishima Corporation can impose economic sanctions that hurt violators while benefiting those who comply. Restrict technology access, limit investment opportunities, redirect profitable contracts. Financial consequences that transcend political authority."

I was beginning to see the full picture now. This wasn't just about hosting peace talks - they wanted to create an entirely new model for supernatural governance. One based on economic incentives rather than military threats.

"And the extremist factions?" I pressed. "They won't just accept this peacefully."

Serafall's expression grew more serious. "That's where your personal capabilities become relevant. You've already proven you can handle supernatural threats. Combined with your economic influence and the protection of all invested factions..." She paused meaningfully. "Anyone attacking these negotiations would face unprecedented opposition."

“Besides you'd have the authority, and the backing of all three factions, to stop them." Her smile turned predatory. "Imagine having the combined military might of Heaven, Hell, and the fallen angels at your disposal when dealing with troublemakers."

That was... actually pretty appealing, attacking Mishima Corporation wouldn't just mean facing my personal power or corporate security - it would mean facing the combined wrath of every faction that had financial stakes in our success. Even extremists would have to think twice about that level of unified retaliation.

"You're talking about fundamentally restructuring supernatural society," I said slowly. "Moving from a military balance of power to an economic one."

"Exactly," Serafall confirmed. "And the Mishima Corporation already has the foundation for it. What we're proposing is formalizing and expanding what you've created into a comprehensive peace framework."

"I'll need comprehensive details," I said finally, my decision crystallizing as I weighed the unprecedented opportunity against the risks. "Timeline, specific roles and responsibilities, security protocols, compensation structures, and most importantly - detailed frameworks for how this economic integration would actually work."

This was bigger than just peace talks. They were proposing to make Mishima Corporation the central nervous system of a new supernatural world order. My knowledge of the future knows even without me some form of peace would eventually emerge, but this approach could make it far more stable and lasting than anything from the original timeline.

"Of course," Serafall said, her relief evident. "I can have a full proposal covering all aspects - venue logistics, financial mediation protocols, compliance monitoring systems, joint venture frameworks, everything - to you within forty-eight hours."

I nodded then said. "I'll need time to review it with my legal team, security advisors, and financial strategists. This isn't just about hosting negotiations - you're proposing to restructure how supernatural society operates. That requires comprehensive analysis."

"Deal," she said, extending her hand. "Though I should mention - this proposal has already been preliminarily approved by all three faction leaders. Michael, Azazel, and all four Maous are on board with using Mishima Corporation as the institutional foundation for peace for the biblical factions."

Then Serafall's expression softened back to something more familiar, the Leviathan mask sliding away to reveal the doting big sister underneath.

"Well then," she said, her cheerful demeanor returning as if the serious discussion about reshaping supernatural civilization had never happened, "now that we've potentially just made you the most important person in the supernatural world... back to the really important matter of my sister's love life!"

Sona, who had been quietly observing our negotiation with increasingly wide eyes, immediately turned red again. "Onee-sama, please..."

I couldn't help but smile at that.

But even as I tried to return to the lighter mood, part of my mind was still spinning through possibilities and consequences. I'd just potentially agreed to transform Mishima Corporation from a successful business into the institutional backbone of a new world order. The butterfly effect wasn't just accelerating anymore - I was about to become the engine driving it.

But there was something deeper driving my interest in this proposal.

Humans. Regular, ordinary humans who had no idea what was happening around them every day.

I know how helpless humanity really was. 

When supernatural conflicts spilled into the human world, who spoke for the hundreds if not billions of people caught in the crossfire? When a stray devil went on a rampage, when extremists targeted civilian populations, when gods decided to play their games on Earth - humans just suffered. And died. And they never even knew why.

Sure, the Hero Faction existed, but they were a joke. A handful of humans with Sacred Gears who thought they could fight gods with righteous anger and ignorance. They had no real plan, no sustainable strategy, no understanding of the bigger picture. They were more likely to make things worse than better.

And Heaven? Heaven was still licking its wounds from the Great War, still reeling from God's death, still struggling just to maintain basic functionality. Michael was doing his best, but they were too busy trying not to collapse to worry about protecting humanity.

This peace framework Serafall was proposing... it could be the perfect opportunity. If Mishima Corporation became the central mediating authority, I could build in protections for humans. Create transparency measures. Ensure that humanity wasn't completely blind to supernatural activities that affected them.

I could become humanity's advocate in supernatural affairs, and none of the factions would see it coming until it was too late to stop. Unlike the Hero Faction's misguided crusade or Heaven's weakened state, I actually had the resources and position to make real change happen.

While I was thinking about the implications, Sona was looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite read, while Serafall bugged her.

Midway I saw her mouth "help me" with pure desperation.

I chuckled.

"Good!" Her cheerful demeanor returned instantly. "Now, I should let you two have some privacy to be properly romantic. Young couples need time to bond!"

She winked at us both.

"Just remember - no funny business!" With that cheerful warning, she spun around once more and vanished in her signature shower of sparkles and blue light.

The silence that followed was tense.

Sona and I looked at each other across the student council room, the weight of everything that had just happened settling between us. The peace negotiations, the transformation of my company into something that could reshape supernatural society, and underneath it all, the simple fact that we'd been interrupted in the middle of something important.

"So," I said finally, breaking the silence.

"So," she echoed, adjusting her glasses in that way she did when she was trying to regain her composure.

"Where were we?" I asked softly, echoing her words from earlier.

I moved closer to where she was standing by her desk, noting how her breathing quickened as I approached.

"I believe," she said, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper, "we were discussing a very important topic."

"Ah yes," I said, reaching out to trace my fingers along her jawline. "Very important topic."

 I leaned down to kiss her. We lost ourselves in each other for a while, trading soft kisses and whispered words in the quiet room. 

"We should probably stop," she said eventually, though her hands were still tangled in my hair.

"Probably," I agreed, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Onee-sama did say to save the fun stuff for after marriage."

"She did say that."

"And we're in a school."

"Very inappropriate," I murmured against her lips.

Despite our words, neither of us moved to separate. Instead, she tilted her head as I kissed along her jaw, drawing a soft sigh from her lips.

"Leon," she said, her voice breathless.

"Mmm?"

"About what happened earlier. With the peace negotiations."

I pulled back to look at her, noting how her eyes had sharpened even as her cheeks remained flushed. "What about it?"

"You're really going to do it, aren't you? "

“Yes..” I said. “Is there something wrong?”

She was quiet for a moment then her hands tightened in my shirt. "It terrifies me."

I cupped her face gently, thumbs brushing across her cheekbones. "Hey. I can handle whatever comes."

"I know you can," she said softly. "But that doesn't mean I have to like the idea of you being in danger."

"Sona."

“I love you.” she said, the words coming out in a rush.

“Sona…”  

I kissed her again, but as the kiss deepened, her hands tightened in my shirt and she pressed closer against me, I felt my control starting to slip. The rational part of my mind was screaming warnings, but they were getting fainter by the second.

"Leon," she whispered against my lips, and there was something in her voice that made my pulse race.

"Sona," I breathed back, my hands moving to frame her face as I kissed her more deeply.

She responded eagerly, her careful composure completely gone now. When I lifted her to sit on the edge of her desk, she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer, drawing a soft groan from my throat.

Every instinct I had was screaming at me to continue, to give in to what we both obviously wanted. But something held me back. I want that when we took that step, I wanted it to be somewhere special. Somewhere worthy of her. Not in here.

"We should stop," I said reluctantly, pulling back to look at her. Her lips were swollen from kissing, her glasses askew, her cheeks flushed pink. She looked absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing.

"Should we?" she asked breathlessly, her fingers threading through my hair.

"Yes," I said, reaching up to straighten her glasses gently. "Not here. Not like this."

Her eyes widened slightly at my words, and a deeper blush colored her cheeks. "Leon..."

"You deserve better than a student council room," I said softly, my thumbs brushing across her cheekbones.

She stared at me for a long moment, her violet eyes bright with emotion. "You're being impossibly romantic," she said finally.

"Is that a problem?"

 "I'm not used to being swept off my feet."  she admitted with a shaky laugh.

"Get used to it," I said, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

She sighed and leaned into me, resting her head against my chest.

We stayed like that for a few more minutes, just holding each other in the quiet of the student council room.

Chapter 61

I leaned on my chair as I stared at the stack of papers on my desk. It’s been three weeks since I turned Kokabiel into ash in the alpine mou

I leaned on my chair as I stared at the stack of papers on my desk.

It’s been three weeks since I turned Kokabiel into ash in the alpine mountains.

"Leon?" Rossweisse's voice came from the doorway.

"Come in."

She walked in with a stack of files, but instead of the formal distance she used to keep, she came right over to me. I pushed back from my desk and she settled onto my lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"The reports you wanted," she said, setting the files on the desk. Her silver hair caught the light from the window as she leaned against me.

"How is it?" I asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Actually really good. Revenue's up across all divisions. The tech investments are paying off greatly." She relaxed into me, her head finding its usual spot on my shoulder. "The board's thrilled."

I reached over to her to flip through the first report. Mishima Electronics had exceeded projections by fifteen percent. Not bad for a quarter.

The second file was even better. Our pharmaceutical division had landed three major contracts. The medical tech we'd been developing was finally starting to show returns.

"What about the investments I made last month?" I asked.

"Those startup companies you picked? They're all performing way above expectations." Her fingers traced idle patterns on my chest. "And the joint ventures with the Sitri Clan are starting to gain traction too."

I kept reading through the financial reports. Stock prices up, profit margins healthy, expansion plans on track. The numbers were good, but I could see patterns in the data that most people would miss. Market trends, investment opportunities, risk factors.

The NZT formula was working perfectly. The difference was incredible. Not just the enhanced intelligence, but the way I could process complex information and see connections others couldn't. Every business decision became clearer, every investment choice more obvious.

I toggled the enhancement up slightly, letting my mind work through the implications of each report. Within seconds, I could see exactly which sectors to expand into next, which partnerships to pursue, which competitors were vulnerable.

"Business is booming," I muttered.

"What's that mean?" she asked quietly.

"Just thinking about expansion plans." I closed the files and looked at her. "How's your training going, by the way? I know these past three weeks have been busy."

Her eyes brightened. "Really good, actually. The training sessions we started when we got back from are helping a lot."

We'd been having regular combat sessions almost every day since returning to Tokyo. Early mornings in the mansion training facility, just straight sparring. It wasn't like I could teach her much about magic or other things - she probably knew more than I did. But actual fighting experience? That was different.

"I can feel myself getting stronger," she continued. "Having a real opponent to spar against makes all the difference."

Of course, I had to hold back. A lot. 

"And you're not overdoing it?" I asked. "I noticed you've been staying late in the training rooms too."

She bit her lip. "Just solo practice. Doing some extra training..."

Of course she was. What happened in that basement had changed her. She never wanted to feel helpless like that again.

You're improving faster than I expected. No need to push yourself harder." I said, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"I know. But I want to be useful to you. Not just..." She trailed off.

"Not just what?"

"Not just someone you have to protect all the time."

I tilted her chin up so she had to meet my eyes. "Rossweisse, you're important to me. I will always protect you. You don't have to prove anything."

Her cheeks turned pink. "I still want to be stronger."

"Then we'll keep working together." I kissed her forehead. "But stick to our schedule. You need rest too."

"Fine," she said with a small smile. 

After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, she reluctantly got up and went to do her work.

I reached into the Workshop, letting the familiar starry void surround me. My projects floated in the darkness, their progress bars ticking down like countdown timers.

[Sacred Gear Extractor: 10 days remaining]

[E.V.E.: 9 days remaining]

The days passed faster than I expected, which is good.  I checked my phone. April was almost over. In just a few days, I'd be starting my second year at Kuoh Academy.

Canon was getting close.

Speaking of which, I’m going to meet Sona today.

I looked at my clock and it's almost time.

=====

Kuoh Academy during vacation was eerily quiet. The hallways that normally buzzed with student chatter were empty, my footsteps echoing off the polished floors. Most of the classrooms were dark, chairs stacked on desks.

But the student council room had light spilling out from under the door.

I knocked twice before entering. Sona sat behind her usual desk, but she'd traded her school uniform for a crisp navy blazer and skirt. 

"Leon," she said, looking up from a stack of documents. Her expression softened the moment she saw me. "Thank you for coming."

"For you? Always." I closed the door behind me.

I moved to where she was sitting and started massaging her shoulders.

My fingers worked through the tension in her muscles with practiced precision.

"Rough day?" I asked quietly.

"Just the usual devil business. Territory disputes, diplomatic meetings with other factions, managing the student council budget." She relaxed under my touch, her shoulders dropping as I found a particularly tight spot. "Sometimes I think running a normal corporation would be simpler."

"Trust me, it's not," I replied, working along the base of her neck. 

When I pressed into a particularly tight spot between her shoulder blades, a soft "mmm" escaped her lips.

The sound made my pulse quicken.

"How was your morning?" she asked, letting her head fall forward slightly.

"Productive. The quarterly reports were actually encouraging for once. Revenue's up across all divisions, and the tech investments are paying off greatly." My hands moved to her upper back, working out the stiffness there. "The board's thrilled, which means fewer headaches for me."

Sona leaned back into my touch, her usual composed mask slipping. "That feels amazing."

"You work too hard," I said softly, my hands moving to the base of her neck.

"Pot, meet kettle."

“Touche.”

A soft sigh escaped her lips. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like. To just... not have responsibilities for a while."

I moved around to face her, my hands settling on her shoulders. "What would you do? If you had a day with no devil politics, no student council, no family expectations?"

She looked up at me, thoughtful. "I... I'm not sure. I've never really thought about it."

"Think about it now."

Her gaze became distant, considering. "Maybe... maybe I'd read something that wasn't a report or a textbook. Something completely frivolous."

"Like what?"

A faint blush colored her cheeks. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise."

"Romance novels," she admitted quietly. "The really terrible ones with dramatic covers and impossible plots."

I couldn't help but smile. "That's... actually adorable."

"You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing. I'm charmed." I tilted her chin up with one finger. "What else?"

"I'd... I'd want to go somewhere. Somewhere I've never been."

"Where?"

"Kyoto, maybe. The old temples. I've always wanted to see them during cherry blossom season, but there's never time."

Without thinking, I found myself leaning closer. "I could take you there."

"Leon..."

"I'm serious. After the school term ends. We could make a weekend of it."

Her breath caught slightly. "That sounds..."

"Like a date?" I finished, my voice dropping to barely above a whisper.

"Yes," she breathed.

The space between us had somehow disappeared. I could see the flecks of silver in her violet eyes, could feel the warmth of her breath against my skin.

"Sona," I murmured.

"Yes?"

Instead of answering with words, I closed the last inch between us.

Her lips were soft and warm, tasting faintly of the tea she'd been drinking earlier. For a moment, she froze in surprise, then melted into the kiss with a soft sound that made my heart race.

My hands cupped her face as she kissed me back, tentative at first, then with growing confidence. Her fingers twisted in my shirt, pulling me closer.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, her cheeks were flushed pink.

"Leon," she said softly, her eyes searching mine.

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me again."

This kiss was deeper. Her hands moved to my hair, fingers threading through it as I pulled her closer. She tasted like strawberries and something uniquely her.

Then the door suddenly opened without warning.

"Kaichou, I have the budget reports you—" Tsubaki froze in the doorway, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the scene.

Sona and I were still pressed close together, my hands on her face, her fingers twisted in my shirt. For a split second, nobody moved.

Then Sona's face went bright red as we sprang apart like we'd been electrocuted.

"Tsubaki!" Sona squeaked, her voice pitched higher than usual as she frantically smoothed her hair and adjusted her blazer.

"Tsubaki!" Sona squeaked, her voice pitched higher than usual as she frantically smoothed her hair and adjusted her blazer.

I stepped back quickly, running a hand through my hair and trying to look like I hadn't just been caught kissing the student council president.

Tsubaki stood perfectly still in the doorway, a faint blush creeping up her neck as she processed what she'd walked in on. Her usually composed expression cracked slightly, embarrassment flickering across her features.

"The reports," she said quietly, her voice slightly strained as she stepped forward and set the folder on the desk, carefully avoiding eye contact with either of us.

"Thank you," Sona replied, her voice still breathless and shaky.

Tsubaki's cheeks were definitely pink now as she glanced between us, clearly flustered. "I... I should have knocked first. My apologies, Kaichou."

She turned toward the door quickly, obviously wanting to escape the awkward situation. "I'll be in the outer office if you need anything else."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving us in charged silence.

"Do you think she knows?" Sona asked quietly.

"Oh, she definitely knows," I said, moving back toward her. "But I don't think she minds."

Sona's eyes met mine, and I could see the same hunger there that I felt. "Where were we?"

I reached for her again, but before our lips could meet, the air in the room suddenly shifted. Magic crackled through the atmosphere.

A bright blue teleportation circle blazed to life in the center of the room, sparkles and magical energy swirling dramatically.

"So-tan!" a cheerful voice called out as the light faded.

Serafall Leviathan stood in the middle of the student council room, her magical girl outfit practically glowing with energy. Her twin tails bounced as she spun around once, taking in the scene.

Her bright eyes immediately zeroed in on Sona's flushed face and my proximity to her sister, and her expression shifted from cheerful to dangerously protective in the span of a heartbeat.

"Leon-kun," she said, her voice still bright but carrying a tone. "We need to talk."

Chapter 60

I stood by the window, looking out at the city lights while nursing a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold.

The aftermath of Kokabiel's death had rippled through the supernatural world faster than I'd expected. Within hours of our return to the city, my phone had started buzzing with calls from faction representatives, business partners, and entities I'd never even heard of.

The Grigori had issued a formal statement distancing themselves from Kokabiel's actions while expressing "regret" for the fallen angel's demise. Azazel himself had sent a brief message that simply read: "Thank you."

The Vatican had been more complicated. Cardinal Benedetti had called personally to express gratitude for eliminating a "rogue element" while carefully avoiding any acknowledgment of the Church's own involvement in the mess.

Most interesting had been the reaction from the Norse faction. Odin himself had sent congratulations through official channels, praising my "tactical acumen" and expressing hope for continued cooperation. Reading between the lines, I suspected the All-Father was pleased that his bodyguard had survived the ordeal.

But beneath all that, there was something more personal. A sense of closure I hadn't expected to feel.

The fallen angel who'd murdered my parents was nothing more than ash scattered across an Alpine mountainside.

My parents could rest now. For the time being, at least.

Because this wasn't the end. Kokabiel's death was just the first step. Once I became strong enough, once I reached the heights of power that gods and dragons commanded, I would bring them back. My parents would live again, even if I had to tear apart the very concept of death to do it.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. 

“Mishima-sama.” Alessia peek her head at the door.

"Come in, Rossweisse." I gestured.

She entered quietly. I could sense something different in her posture.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, setting down my coffee cup.

"I want to ask you something." She closed the door behind her and moved closer. "I want you to train me."

I raised an eyebrow as I took a seat on the nearby couch. "Train you? Why?"

"I want to be stronger." Her voice was firm, but I could see the frustration beneath it. "What happened in that basement... I was helpless. Completely helpless. I couldn't do anything."

I studied her face. “I see…”

Training Rossweisse would mean sharing some of my secrets. But then again, she'd already seen most of what I could do. And more importantly, she was already mine. 

"It won't be easy," I said finally.

"I understand."

"Come here," I said, patting my thigh.

She hesitated for just a moment then moved to sit sideways on my lap, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Even after these past few days, she still got shy about physical intimacy. It was cute, really.

"Comfortable?" I asked, once she'd finally relaxed against me.

"Very." The tension left her shoulders as she settled more naturally into the embrace. "I'm still getting used to this."

"To what?"

"Being close to someone like this." Her voice was soft.

“Do you like it?”

"Very." She relaxed against me, resting her head on my shoulder. "So you'll train me?"

I nodded.

She shifted to look at me directly. "When do we start?"

"When we get back to Tokyo." I brushed a strand of hair from her face. "But Rossweisse, you need to understand something. You're already stronger than you think. What happened to you... that wasn't your fault.”

"I know. But it won't happen again." She said with steel in her eyes.

"No," I agreed. "It won't. Because next time, you'll be ready."

She smiled.  "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Wait until you've been through one of my training sessions."

"How bad could it be?"

I laughed. "You'll find out."

We sat there in silence for a moment.

"Leon?" Her voice was quieter now.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you..." She paused, her fingers stilling. 

"Do you really like me?" Her cheeks flushed pink. 

I tilted her chin up so she had to meet my eyes. "Yes, Rossweisse. I really like you."

Her shoulders relaxed, tension I hadn't realized she was carrying melting away. "Good." She bit her lip. "Because I really like you too."

"Just like?" I brushed my thumb across her cheek.

Her blush deepened, spreading down her neck. "Well... maybe more than like."

I ran my hand through her hair, watching how she leaned into the touch. There was something I needed to say, something that had been weighing on me.

"Rossweisse, there's something you should know. About my... relationships."

Her head tilted, eyebrows drawing together slightly.

She leaned up and kissed me, cutting off my explanation. 

Her lips were soft. When she pulled back, her expression was calm, understanding.

"I don't care," she said simply.

"Leon, you're powerful. Incredibly powerful." She traced a pattern on my chest with her finger. "You're going to attract attention from all kinds of women. Devils, angels, gods, whatever." She shrugged, the gesture casual despite the pink still coloring her cheeks. "It's inevitable for someone like you."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"As long as you don't neglect me, I'm fine with it." Her voice stayed even, but her hand tightened slightly on my shirt. "I understand how this world works. Powerful men have multiple partners. It's been that way since the beginning of time."

"I'm okay with not being your only woman, as long as I'm important to you.”

"You are important to me," I said, catching her hand and intertwining our fingers. "More important than you know."

More important than she could possibly understand. She'd been sent to spy on me, yes, but somewhere along the way she'd chosen me over her duty.

"Then that's enough." She looked up at me, a small smile playing on her lips. "Besides, I'm Norse, though I reserve the right to be jealous sometimes."

"I think I can live with that."

As she settled more comfortably against me, my mind wandered to my inventory. The NZT-48 Enhanced Formula sat there, completed just yesterday. 

I made a mental note to drink it later.

Anyways, now I have another slot to create.

Rossweisse wanted to get stronger.

Her request had sparked something else in my mind. A new project for the Workshop. Something I'd been considering for weeks but hadn't committed to yet.

Zodiac Pieces

The concept was similar to the devil's Evil Pieces system, but based on the Western zodiac instead of chess. Twelve unique artifacts, each shaped like an ornate key, each tied to one of the zodiac signs. Each piece would grant specific abilities and enhancements to the user, tailored to the characteristics of their corresponding constellation.

I based the abilities similar to Akatsuki Tojou familiars I'd seen in the anime. 

And unlike Evil Pieces, their race would remain fundamentally the same, but enhanced. They will be the . Improved physical strength, immortality, enhanced magical resistance, and accelerated healing. All the benefits of supernatural enhancement without losing their former self.

I could already see the Workshop's interface in my mind, waiting for me to input the specifications.

But that could wait tonight. The Workshop wasn't going anywhere.

Right now, I was perfectly content with Rossweisse's warm weight against me.

======

Two hours later, after Rossweisse had fallen asleep curled against me on the hotel room's couch, I carefully extracted myself from beneath her and covered her with a blanket. She looked beautiful, her silver hair spilled across the cushions like moonlight.

I moved to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. Time for the NZT-48 Enhanced Formula.

A small clear vial filled with translucent blue liquid materialized with a thought. The Enhanced Formula looked deceptively simple for something that would fundamentally alter my cognitive capabilities. Unlike the original NZT-48 from the movie, this version had been perfected by the Workshop. No side effects. No dependency. No degradation over time.

I held the vial up to the light, watching the liquid swirl. The formula would boost my intelligence, memory, and processing speed to superhuman levels. More importantly, it would be permanent. One dose, and my brain would be operating at a level that would make Einstein look like a child playing with blocks.

"Here goes nothing," I murmured, and drank the entire vial in one gulp.

The taste was surprisingly pleasant. Like mint and electricity, if that made any sense. For a moment, nothing happened. I just stood there in the bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

Then it hit me.

It was like someone had suddenly turned on lights in a house I'd been living in with only candles. Everything became sharper, clearer, more defined. Colors seemed more vivid. The sound of Rossweisse's breathing from the other room carried layers of information I'd never noticed before.

But it was my thoughts that changed the most dramatically.

Suddenly, I could see connections everywhere. The political ramifications of Kokabiel's death weren't just obvious, they were mapped out in my mind like a chess board twenty moves deep. I could see exactly how each faction would respond, how their responses would trigger counter-responses, how the entire supernatural political landscape would shift over the next few months.

I could see the Workshop's interface now not as a tool I used, but as an extension of my own mind. Every spell in my grimoire was cross-referenced with dozens of others, showing me combination possibilities I'd never considered. Theoretical magical frameworks appeared and evolved in my thoughts like living things.

More than that, I understood people better. Rossweisse's behavior patterns, her body language, the subtle tells that revealed her emotions.

I could also see something else. The way she'd positioned herself on the couch, unconsciously oriented toward where I'd been sitting. The slight smile on her lips. The complete trust in her relaxed posture.

I focused for a moment and felt the enhancement dial back, like turning down the volume on a radio. The hypercognitive state remained accessible, but I wasn't drowning in it anymore. 

One of the best modifications I'd made to the original formula was making it toggleable. I could access the enhanced state when I needed it for planning or combat, but I could also dial it back to simply enjoy quiet moments like this.

Being that all the time would be exhausting. It would also change how I related to people. I didn't want to lose the ability to simply be present with Rossweisse and the others, to enjoy their company without constantly analyzing every micro-expression and behavioral pattern.

The enhancement was a tool, not a replacement for who I was.

I settled into the chair across from her, keeping the cognitive boost at a comfortable level.

As I looked at her sleeping form, my thoughts turned to the timeline. There were only a few weeks before the canonical events would begin to unfold. Issei Hyoudou would soon awaken as the Red Dragon Emperor. The supernatural conflicts that had driven the original story would start cascading into motion.

I wasn't sure how my presence would change things. My presence had already created ripples.

But regardless of how the future unfolded.

I would protect what was mine. 

I would burn the world if I had to.

End of Volume I

Spin to Win - Starting in One Piece [Draft]

Chapter 1: New Marine, Old World

I stared at the blue cap in my hands. The seagull emblem looked back at me like it was judging my life choices.

"Well, shit."

The memories hit me all at once when I woke up this morning. Two sets of them, actually. My old life - whoever I used to be - felt like a dream now. But Vincent? His memories were crystal clear, and they hurt like hell.

I was born in a small fishing village on Coral Bay Island in the East Blue. Mom used to sing while she cooked. Dad taught me how to tie knots and read the weather. Simple life. Good life.

Until pirates showed up and ruined everything.

That was 7 years ago.

Vincent was ten when they burned everything down. Killed everyone who tried to fight back. His parents... they tried to protect him. Didn't work out so well for them.

It was also the reason why Vincent wanted to be a marine. 

‘To make sure what happened to my family doesn't happen to anyone else.’

The original Vincent really believed that. Still do, I guess. The marines weren't perfect, but they were better than letting pirates run wild. At least, that's what I told myself.

But now I had memories of a different world. A world where I knew the marines could be just as corrupt as the pirates they hunted. Where admirals could burn entire islands and call it justice.

Still, the marines were necessary. Without them, pirates would run completely wild. The real problem wasn't the marines themselves - it was the World Government pulling their strings. The Celestial Dragons and their twisted idea of justice. That's where the rot started.

"Recruit Vincent!"

I snapped to attention. Captain Morrison stood in the doorway of the barracks, his mustache twitching with barely contained irritation.

"Yes, sir!"

"Your first assignment came through. You're being stationed at Shell Town."

Shell Town. I knew that name. Axe-Hand Morgan's future stomping grounds. But right now? Just another quiet base in the East Blue. Maybe I could keep it that way.

"When do I ship out, sir?"

"Tomorrow, 0600 hours. Don't embarrass the marines, boy. Your scores were decent, but decent doesn't cut it out there."

"Understood, sir!"

Morrison left, and I slumped back onto my bunk. 

The other recruits were already asleep, but my mind was racing. I had knowledge of the future - sort of. But everything was different. Earlier. The timeline was all screwed up.

The original Vincent was a decent fighter. Not amazing, but he could hold his own. Problem was, decent wouldn't cut it in this world. Not with monsters like Whitebeard and Kaido already making names for themselves. 

Then in the corner of my vision, something flickered. Like a video game interface.

A translucent blue screen appeared, floating just at the edge of my sight. Only I could see it - I was sure of that. The word "Gacha" glowed softly at the top.

What the hell?

The interface suddenly brightened with a soft blue glow. Text appeared across the translucent screen:

Welcome, User! Daily Gacha Spin Available! First-Time Bonus: Improved Luck Active! Spin now? Y/N

Is this real?

I focused on the 'Y' option, and the screen came alive. Colors flashed across my vision.

Another notification popped up right after:

FIRST-TIME USER BONUS APPLIED! Legendary drop rate significantly increased for inaugural pull! This bonus has been consumed and will not apply to future spins.

Congratulations!
You have received: Character Card - Gildarts Clive
Rarity: Legendary 

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST CHARACTER CARD!

Character Cards can be utilized in two ways:

1. SUMMONING MODE Summon the character as a separate entity. Summoned characters maintain their original personality and abilities, but are bound to serve the summoner. Relationship dynamic similar to Master-Servant contracts (Nasuverse).

2. SYNCHRONIZATION MODE Incorporate the character's abilities and traits directly into yourself. Initial synchronization rate: 10%. Rate increases through time, training, and combat experience.

WARNING: Choice is permanent once selected. Choose wisely!

'Holy shit. This is insane.'

The notification glowed brighter as I focused on it:

Gildarts Clive. The Ace of Fairy Tail. The man who could accidentally destroy entire towns and mountains by accident.

'Are you kidding me? GILDARTS?'

I had to bite my lip to keep from whooping out loud. The other recruits were still sleeping, and explaining why I was celebrating at midnight would be... troublesome.

This was incredible. I landed at one of the absolute powerhouses. The guy was able to survive meeting with Acnologia and live to tell about it. 

'First-time bonus or not, this is still insane luck.'

Ten percent of Gildarts Clive was still probably stronger than ninety percent of the marines in this base. Hell, ten percent might be enough to give some vice admirals a run for their money.

'This changes everything.'

I thought about it for maybe three seconds before making my choice. Summoning him would raise too many questions. A mysterious man with incredible power just appearing out of nowhere? 

Nah..

Besides, personal strength is more important.

I focused on 'Synchronization Mode' and the screen flashed bright blue before dissolving into particles of light that sank into my chest.

The change was immediate.

My muscles didn't bulk up or anything dramatic like that, but I could feel something fundamental shift inside me. Like a door had been cracked open in my soul, and raw power was seeping through the gap. The sensation was warm, almost electric, crawling along my nerves and settling into my bones.

I flexed my fingers experimentally. The wooden bed frame creaked under my grip without me even trying. The sound was sharp in the quiet barracks, and I quickly let go, glancing around to make sure nobody stirred.

'Ten percent of Gildarts and I can already crush wood like paper. What happens when I hit fifty percent? Ninety?'

The thought sent a thrill through me. Gildarts could level mountains by accident. Even a fraction of that power was more than most people in this world would ever dream of possessing.

The gacha interface flickered back to life, showing my new status:

Current Synchronization: Gildarts Clive - 10%
Next Gacha Spin Available: 23 hours, 47 minutes

A faint current of energy flowing through my body, like a second heartbeat. Magic power circulation. That was interesting. I could feel it now that I was looking for it. It wasn't much, but it was there. Growing stronger with each pulse.

Unfortunately I haven’t unlocked Crash Magic yet, of course not.

Then the interface faded back to the corner of my vision, becoming a subtle overlay that I could call up with a thought.

I lay back down, but sleep wasn't happening. Too much adrenaline. Too many possibilities racing through my head. My enhanced hearing picked up every small sound in the barracks. Johnson's snoring three bunks over. The creaking of the building settling. Footsteps in the hallway as the night watch made their rounds.

The original Vincent wanted to protect people. That hadn't changed. But now I had the potential to actually do something about it. In a world full of monsters, I was developing the tools to fight back.

Chapter 2: Cigarettes and Sea 

The marine uniform felt different this morning. Heavier. More real.

I adjusted the collar and checked myself in the small mirror above my bunk. Dark blue eyes stared back at me, framed by long black hair that I'd tied back regulation-style. The white and blue looked official enough, but the face staring back at me still felt foreign. Vincent had my memories now, but sometimes I caught glimpses of the old me underneath. Or is it the other way?

'Stop overthinking it. You're both him now.'

The other recruits were already filing out for morning formation. I grabbed my duffel bag and followed, boots clicking against the wooden floor of Loguetown Base. The same base where Roger was executed. 

Where Luffy would eventually make his dramatic entrance into the Grand Line.But that was still years away.

Right now, it was just another marine installation with too much history and not enough coffee.

"Formation!" Sergeant Mills barked. "Transport to Shell Town leaves in thirty minutes!"

I fell into line with the other fresh marines. Most of them looked nervous. Green. Ready to piss themselves at the first sign of real pirates.

'Can't blame them. A month ago, I would have been the same.'

Now? I could feel that steady current of power flowing through me. Ten percent of Gildarts Clive was like having a engine running at idle in my chest. Quiet, but ready to roar to life if needed.

The transport ship was nothing special. Standard marine vessel, maybe a hundred feet long, with enough room for supplies and a dozen marines. Captain Torres briefed us during the short voyage to Shell Town.

"Shell Town's been quiet lately," he said, reviewing a folder of reports. "No major pirate activity. Your job is to keep it that way. Patrol the docks, help with customs inspections, and try not to embarrass the uniform."

I nodded along with the others.

The voyage took about three hours. Long enough for the seasickness to hit the newer recruits, but not long enough to get comfortable. I spent most of it on deck, watching the horizon and trying to train.

Just the basics , circulating and meditating to increase my ethernano and refine my control, using Gildarts’ memories as a guide

Shell Town came into view around midday. Small port town, fishing boats bobbing in the harbor, a marine base sitting on the hill.

We docked without incident. Captain Torres assigned quarters in the base barracks, handed out patrol schedules, and reminded us about proper marine conduct. Standard stuff.

I got lucky with room assignments. Single occupancy, end of the hallway. Privacy was going to be important for what I had planned in the future.

The room was basic. Bed, desk, small window overlooking the harbor. I unpacked my gear and waited for the evening shift change. Finally, some time alone.

The gacha interface flickered to life in the corner of my vision.

Daily Gacha Spin Available! Spin now? Y/N

'Here goes nothing.'

I focused on 'Y' and watched the colors swirl across the translucent screen. The familiar rush of anticipation hit me as the display spun through possibilities.

Congratulations!
You have received: 6 Packs - Luxury Cigarettes (Davidoff Classic)
Rarity: Common
Description: Premium tobacco products from another world. Each pack contains 20 cigarettes of exceptional quality.

The packs materialized on my desk with a soft pop of displaced air. Six pristine boxes of cigarettes, the kind I remembered from my old life. Expensive ones too.

'Well, that's... practical.'

I picked up one of the packs, feeling the weight of it. Real tobacco. Real paper. The cellophane crinkled under my fingers exactly like I remembered.

'Not exactly Crash Magic, but I'll take it.'

The old me had been a smoker. Pack a day habit that I'd never quite managed to kick. Vincent had never touched tobacco in his life, but the muscle memory was still there. The need was still there.

I tore open the first pack and pulled out a cigarette. The smell hit me immediately, rich and familiar. Like coming home after a long trip.

'Probably shouldn't smoke in the barracks.'

Instead, I tucked the pack into my jacket pocket and stored the rest in my desk drawer. The gacha system had strange priorities, but at least it was consistent with keeping me supplied with small comforts.

The interface updated in the corner of my vision:

Current Synchronization: Gildarts Clive - 11%
Next Gacha Spin Available: 23 hours, 52 minutes 

Huh? It increased? 

Before I could explore further there was a knock at my door that interrupted my thoughts. I quickly closed the desk drawer and called out, "Come in!"

Marine Private Jackson poked his head in. Young kid, maybe the same age as me, with the kind of eager expression that screamed 'fresh recruit.'

"Vincent? Sergeant wants to see all the new transfers in his office. Something about patrol assignments."

"Be right there."

Jackson nodded and disappeared down the hallway. I checked my appearance in the small mirror, made sure nothing looked out of place, and headed out.

The cigarettes stayed hidden in my pocket, a small weight that reminded me of home. Of who I used to be before this…

'One day at a time. Build up power. Figure out this world. Try not to get killed by pirates.'

Simple plan. What could go wrong?

=====

Sergeant Mills looked like he'd been chewing nails for breakfast. Thick mustache, scarred hands, and the kind of thousand-yard stare that came from too many years dealing with pirates and bureaucrats in equal measure.

"Alright, listen up, fresh meat," he growled, spreading a map of Shell Town across his desk. "This isn't Loguetown. We don't have a hundred marines to throw at every problem. You screw up here, people notice."

Five of us new transfers stood at attention. Jackson fidgeted next to me. The others looked like they were trying not to wet themselves.

"Vincent." Mills jabbed a finger at me. "You're with Corporal Hayes. Dock patrol, 0800 to 1600. Keep the smugglers honest and the fishermen sober."

"Yes, sir."

"Hayes has been here three years. Listen to him. Learn from him. Don't get him killed with rookie mistakes."

A man stepped forward from the corner of the room. Mid-thirties, weathered face, missing two fingers on his left hand. He looked me up and down with the expression of someone evaluating a tool he didn't particularly trust.

"Hayes," he said, extending his good hand. "You look green."

"Vincent. And probably."

That got a snort of amusement. "At least you're honest. Come on, rookie. Time to see what you're working with."

The briefing continued for another ten minutes. Standard patrol procedures, emergency protocols, who to contact if things went sideways. Mills dismissed us with his usual charm and grace.

"Try not to embarrass the uniform. Dismissed."

Hayes led me through the base and down toward the harbor. Shell Town spread out below us, looking exactly like what it was. A sleepy fishing port where the most exciting thing that happened was usually a drunk sailor falling off a pier.

'If only they knew what was coming.'

"First assignment?" Hayes asked as we walked.

"Yeah. Loguetown before this."

"Big city marine, huh? Well, forget everything you learned there. Shell Town's different. Quieter. People here have been dealing with the same families for generations. Everyone knows everyone, and they don't much like outsiders telling them what to do."

I nodded, taking in the layout of the town. Main street running parallel to the harbor. Side streets branching off toward residential areas. The marine base sitting on the hill like a watchtower.

Need to memorize all of this. Know every alley, every rooftop, every escape route.

"Your job," Hayes continued, "is to be visible but not annoying. Walk the docks, check manifests, make sure nobody's bringing in anything that'll explode or grow legs and walk away. Simple stuff."

We reached the harbor proper. Fishing boats bobbed at their moorings, nets hanging out to dry. The smell of salt and fish filled the air, along with something else.

Tobacco smoke.

Hayes pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag. "You smoke?"

The pack in my pocket seemed to burn against my chest. "Sometimes."

"Good. Gives you something to do with your hands when the locals start asking stupid questions." He offered me his pack.

I shook my head. "Got my own, thanks."

"Suit yourself. Come on, let's start the tour."

The next two hours were a crash course in Shell Town politics. Which fishermen could be trusted, which ones probably smuggled liquor on the side but weren't worth the paperwork. Which merchants paid their taxes and which ones needed watching.

Hayes knew everyone. More importantly, everyone knew him. He'd stop to chat with dock workers, ask after someone's sick kid, compliment a fisherman's catch. The kind of community policing that actually worked.

'This is what the marines could be. Should be.'

By lunch, my head was spinning with names and faces.

"Break time," Hayes announced, leading me to a small pier that jutted out into the harbor. "Lunch and a smoke. Best part of the job."

He settled onto a wooden crate and pulled out his cigarettes again. I found my own perch on a pile of old rope and finally, finally, retrieved the pack from my jacket.

The cellophane crackled as I opened it. The first cigarette came out perfect. Premium tobacco, perfect, exactly like I remembered from my old life.

Hayes whistled appreciatively. "Fancy. Those look expensive."

"Gift from family," I lied, lighting up with a match from his box.

The first drag hit like coming home. Rich, smooth, with that familiar burn in my lungs that I'd missed more than I'd realized. 

'This is new.'

"You see that?" Hayes nodded toward the approaching vessel.

I squinted through the smoke. "Which one?"

"The merchant ship. Flying Goa Kingdom colors, but look at the crew."

I looked closer, my enhanced vision picking out details that should have been impossible at this distance. The crew moved wrong. Too coordinated. Too alert. And several of them had weapons poorly concealed under their work clothes.

"Pirates?"

"Maybe. Or smugglers trying to look like pirates. Either way, our afternoon just got interesting." Hayes flicked his cigarette into the water and stood up. "Come on, rookie. Time to earn that paycheck."

I took one last drag and reluctantly stubbed out the cigarette. The luxury tobacco deserved better, but duty called.

'First day on the job and already in action. This world doesn't waste time.'

This was about to become a very interesting afternoon.

Chapter 3: Hidden Depths

The merchant ship looked innocent enough from the outside. Standard cargo vessel, Goa Kingdom flags flying properly, crew going about their business with just the right amount of lazy efficiency.

But my instincts were screaming that something was wrong.

"Standard customs inspection," Hayes called out as we approached in our small patrol boat. "Permission to come aboard!"

A man with a scraggly beard and too many gold teeth appeared at the rail. Captain, probably. His smile was wide and welcoming, but his eyes kept darting toward the marine base on the hill.

"Of course, of course! Always happy to cooperate with the marines!"

'Too eager. Way too eager.'

Hayes made the boat fast to the side ladder and climbed up first. I followed, keeping my expression neutral while something nagged at the back of my mind. The crew's movements. The way they held themselves. Wrong somehow.

"...hide the...until they..."

"...twenty crates in the...don't let them..."

The words were too muffled to make out completely, but the tone was clear enough. Panic. Guilt. The kind of whispered urgency that came with contraband.

"Captain Torres," the gold-toothed man said, extending a hand to Hayes. "Welcome aboard the Golden Pearl. Just a simple trading vessel, bringing goods from the Goa Kingdom to Shell Town."

"Corporal Hayes, Shell Town Marine Base," Hayes replied, shaking the offered hand. "This is Marine Vincent. Routine inspection, nothing to worry about if your paperwork's in order."

Torres's smile twitched slightly. "Naturally, naturally. All proper and legal. Would you like to see the manifest?"

While Hayes reviewed the papers, I let my magic do the work. The faint current of ethernano flowing through my body seemed to respond to my focus, sharpening everything even further.

'What else can I do with this?'

I concentrated on the flow of magical energy, trying to push it outward instead of just enhancing my physical senses. Gildarts had been more than just raw strength. He'd had subtlety when he needed it. Precision.

There are many utility magics Gildarts possesses that were never mentioned or showcased in the manga.

The ethernano responded, spreading out like invisible threads. Not far, maybe ten feet in every direction, but enough to get a sense of what was around me.

Holy shit. It worked.

Through the wooden deck, I could feel hollow spaces. Hidden compartments that weren't on any ship's normal blueprints. And in those spaces...

Metal. Lots of it. The shape was wrong for normal cargo. 

Weapons.

"Everything seems to be in order," Hayes was saying, though I caught the slight edge in his voice that suggested he wasn't entirely convinced. "Mind if we take a look at the cargo hold? Standard procedure."

Torres's smile became more strained. "Of course, of course. Though I'm afraid it's quite cramped down there. Mostly textiles and spices, nothing very interesting."

'Liar.'

I extended my ethernano sense again, this time focusing on the people around me. I couldn't read minds or anything that advanced, but I could feel... tension. The kind of coiled readiness that came from experience with violence. Twelve men visible on deck, and my magical awareness picked up more below. Their postures, the way they breathed, everything screamed training.

Hayes caught my eye and raised an eyebrow slightly. I gave him the slightest nod. He'd been doing this long enough to read the signs too.

"Lead the way, Captain," Hayes said pleasantly.

Torres led us toward a hatch near the mainmast. Two crew members were loitering nearby, trying to look casual while blocking easy access to other parts of the ship.

'Sixteen men minimum. Hayes and me against all of them if this goes bad.'

The cargo hold was exactly what I'd expected. Crates and barrels stacked to the ceiling, with narrow walkways between them. Perfect place for an ambush, but also perfect for hiding things.

"As you can see," Torres said, gesturing broadly, "simple trade goods. Cloth from Goa, some preserved foods, nothing that would interest the marines."

Hayes nodded and started examining some of the manifest tags on the nearest crates. I hung back slightly, letting my ethernano sense spread out again.

There. Behind a wall of legitimate cargo, I could feel those hidden spaces again. My ethernano sense picked up the shapes inside. Organized. Purposeful. Weapons, had to be. And something else. Something dense and heavy that felt different from everything else around it.

Gold.

The distinctive weight and density was unmistakable through my magical sense. A lot of it. More than any legitimate merchant should be carrying.

'This isn't just smuggling. This is arms dealing with serious money behind it.'

I caught Hayes's attention and pointed subtly toward the area where I'd sensed the hidden compartments. He followed my gesture and frowned.

"What's behind that wall of crates, Captain?"

Torres's smile finally cracked. "Oh, that? Just... storage. Empty space. Ships need ballast, you understand."

"Mind if we take a look?"

"I'm afraid those crates are stacked quite securely. It would take hours to move them, and I wouldn't want to delay your important duties..."

Hayes stepped closer to Torres, his hand resting casually on his saber hilt. "Captain, I'm going to ask you one more time. What's behind those crates?"

The tension in the hold ratcheted up several notches. I could hear footsteps on the deck above us. More crew members moving into position. The other men in the hold had shifted subtly, hands drifting toward concealed weapons.

'Sixteen to two. Maybe worse odds if they've got friends in port.'

Torres's hand moved toward what was probably a concealed pistol. "Corporal Hayes, I think there's been a misunderstanding..."

The ethernano flowing through my body pulsed, ready to explode into action. But Hayes held up a hand slightly, a signal I'd learned to read in our brief partnership.

Wait.

"No misunderstanding, Captain," Hayes said calmly. "Just a routine inspection that's about to become very interesting."

The standoff stretched for what felt like hours but was probably only seconds.

Then Torres made his move.

The concealed pistol cleared leather faster than most people could blink. But to me it looked like he was moving through thick honey.

"Hayes, down!"

My body moved before my brain finished processing the threat. The wooden crate beside me exploded into splinters as my fist connected with it. Not a punch. Not even trying to hit hard. Just moving my arm and somehow channeling that destructive power.

Torres's eyes went wide. "What the hell—"

I was already moving. The narrow walkway between cargo stacks became a blur as I closed the distance. Torres tried to swing his pistol toward me, but I was faster. Way faster.

My hand wrapped around his wrist, and I felt the bones grind together under my grip.

"Drop it."

The pistol clattered to the deck.

"Impossible," Torres gasped. "You're just a marine grunt!"

"Yeah, well. Life's full of surprises."

The other crew members in the hold were already reaching for weapons. Curved sabers, boarding axes, a couple more pistols. I counted six of them in the cramped space.

Hayes was back on his feet, his own saber drawn. "Vincent, behind you!"

A burly man with arms like tree trunks swung a boarding axe at my head. I ducked, felt the blade whistle past my ear, and drove my elbow up into his ribs.

The crack was audible even over the shouting.

He flew backward into a stack of barrels, which collapsed with a thunderous crash. Preserved fish and brine went everywhere.

Two more came at me from different angles. Sabers gleaming in the dim hold lighting. I grabbed the nearest crate – had to weigh at least fifty pounds – and hurled it at the first one.

It hit him center mass and launched him into the bulkhead hard enough to dent the metal.

The second guy got close enough to take a swing. His blade scraped across my forearm, drawing blood but barely cutting skin. The ethernano flowing through me had somehow hardened my body without me even trying.

I grabbed his sword arm and twisted. The saber dropped, and he screamed.

"Sorry about this," I muttered, then drove my knee into his stomach.

He folded like a bad poker hand.

Hayes was holding his own against two opponents, his marine training showing as he parried and countered with textbook precision. But more footsteps were thundering down from the deck above.

"More company coming!" I called out.

"Handle it!" Hayes grunted, deflecting a particularly vicious slash. "I've got these two!"

Eight more crew members poured down the ladder into the hold. Weapons drawn, murder in their eyes. The space was getting crowded fast.

The first one managed to get his saber up in a decent guard position. 

I hit him with what I thought was a light jab to the chest. He went backward through the wooden ladder, taking out two guys behind him in a tangle of limbs and splinters.

'Jesus Christ, I barely touched him!'

Another guy tried to brain me with a belaying pin. I caught it one-handed, and the wood crumbled to sawdust in my grip.

His face went pale. "What are you?"

I flicked my finger against his forehead. He went down like someone had hit his off switch.

The remaining four spread out, trying to surround me. Smart tactics, but they didn't know what they were dealing with.

One of them had a pistol. He raised it, and I felt that familiar tingle of ethernano responding to danger.

Time seemed to slow again as I moved. Not quite fast enough to dodge bullets, but fast enough to reach him before he could fire.

My hand closed over the pistol and his hand both. I squeezed gently – or what felt gentle to me.

The gun crumpled like tinfoil. His fingers... well, they'd heal eventually.

"Anyone else want to try their luck?"

The last three looked at each other, then at their groaning crewmates scattered around the hold, then back at me.

"We surrender!" one of them shouted, dropping his cutlass.

The other two followed suit.

Hayes finished off his opponents with a neat combination that left them both on the deck nursing broken ribs. He looked around at the destruction, then at me.

"Vincent... what the hell was that?"

I flexed my hands, feeling the ethernano still humming through my system. Just one percent higher, but it felt like the difference between a firecracker and a stick of dynamite.

"Special training," I said, which wasn't technically a lie. "Picked up some techniques."

Hayes stared at the crumpled remains of the ladder, the dented bulkhead, the unconscious crew members. "Some techniques."

Torres was still conscious, clutching his wrist and glaring at me with a mixture of fear and fury.

Hayes was already moving toward the hidden compartments I'd identified earlier. With most of the legitimate cargo scattered from the fight, the concealed spaces were easier to access.

"Well, well," he said, prying open a false panel. "Look what we have here."

Weapons. Lots of them. Military-grade rifles, ammunition, even a few of those weird bazooka-things I'd seen marines carry. And behind all of that...

Gold. Stacks and stacks of gold coins bearing the mark of various kingdoms.

"This is way bigger than simple smuggling," Hayes muttered. "This is enough firepower to outfit a small army."

"Torres," Hayes said, turning back to the captain. "You're going to tell us who you're working for. Who's buying these weapons. And you're going to tell us right now."

Torres spat blood. "Go to hell, marine."

I stepped closer, letting just a hint of ethernano leak into my voice. The ethernano made it carry differently, deeper and more threatening than my normal tone.

"Listen carefully, Captain. You just saw what I did to your entire crew without even trying. I'd really prefer not to find out what happens if I actually put some effort into it."

His face went pale. Smart man.

"There's... there's a meeting," he stammered. "Tonight. Shell Town docks. Someone's buying everything we can bring them."

"Who?"

"I don't know! I swear! We just get coordinates, drop times, payment schedules. Never see the buyers face to face."

Hayes and I exchanged glances. This was getting more complicated by the minute.

"What time?" Hayes demanded.

"Midnight. Dock seven."

I looked around at the wreckage of the cargo hold then opened my status.

Current Synchronization: Gildarts Clive — 12%.

It had gone up again. I smiled as I found myself getting stronger.

Chapter 4: The Trap

Getting back to the marine base took forever with sixteen prisoners and a ship full of contraband. Hayes had to call for backup just to transport everyone, and by the time we finished the paperwork, the sun was already setting.

"Arms dealing operation, unknown buyers, meeting scheduled for midnight," Captain Torres said, reading over our report. His jaw was doing that twitchy thing it did when he was pissed. "And you're telling me one marine recruit took down sixteen armed smugglers single-handedly?"

Hayes nodded. "Vincent's got some serious potential, sir. Might want to consider advanced training."

Vincent. Yeah, I'd finally told Hayes my actual name during the boat ride back. Felt weird having him call me by my last name when we were working together like this.

"Advanced training indeed," Torres muttered, giving me a look that was equal parts impressed and suspicious. "We'll discuss your future assignments later, Marine Vincent. For now, I want both of you at those docks tonight. If these buyers show up, we take them alive. I want to know who's funding this operation."

"Yes sir," we both said.

Torres dismissed us, and I headed back to my quarters. The day had been intense, but there was one thing I was looking forward to. My daily gacha pull.

I sat on my bunk and focused on that familiar sensation. The spinning wheel appeared in my mind, all those possibilities swirling around. Money, weapons, skills, power-ups... what would it be today?

The wheel slowed, clicked, stopped.

Ding!

A bottle materialized in my hands. I blinked at it, reading the label.

"Premium Herbal Shampoo - Guaranteed to give you the silkiest, most manageable hair you've ever had!"

I stared at the bottle for a long moment.

"Are you kidding me?"

Two days ago, I got a synchronization boost that made me stupidly powerful. Today I got... shampoo. The gacha really was random as hell.

Though to be fair, my hair had been getting pretty gross with all the marine training and sea spray. Maybe this wasn't completely useless.

I tucked the bottle into my gear bag. Who knows, maybe having great hair would boost my confidence or something. Stranger things had happened.

A few hours later, Hayes and I were crouched behind some cargo containers at dock seven. The place was dead quiet, just the sound of waves lapping against the pier and the occasional creak of rope.

"Midnight," Hayes whispered, checking his watch.

We waited. And waited.

"Quarter past," I said softly.

More waiting.

"Maybe they're just late?" Hayes suggested, but he didn't sound convinced.

By half past midnight, it was pretty obvious no one was coming.

"This is wrong," I muttered, scanning the empty dock. "Torres was terrified when he talked. He wasn't lying."

Hayes frowned. "So why didn't they show?"

I thought about it, letting my ethernano sense spread out around us. The dock was definitely empty, but something felt off. Too empty, maybe.

"Because they already know what happened to Torres," I said. "Someone warned them."

"But how? We arrested everyone on that ship, and they've been locked up since this afternoon."

"Maybe Torres wasn't the only contact. Or maybe..." I paused, a nasty thought occurring to me. "Maybe someone at the base tipped them off."

Hayes went very still. "You're suggesting we have a mole."

"I'm suggesting we walked into a trap."

As if on cue, I heard the distinctive sound of multiple weapons being cocked. My ethernano sense picked up movement all around us. Rooftops, alleyways, behind other cargo containers.

A lot of movement.

"Well, well," a voice called out from somewhere in the darkness. "If it isn't the marines who caused us so much trouble today."

Hayes and I pressed closer to our cover. We were surrounded, no question about it.

"Come out, come out," the voice continued. "No point hiding. We know exactly where you are."

I counted at least twenty different positions through my ethernano sense. All armed. All with clear lines of fire on our position.

"How many?" Hayes whispered.

"Too many,"

Hayes gave me a sharp look. "Vincent, don't do anything stupid. We're outnumbered twenty to one."

"Twenty to two," I corrected. 

To be honest, I was getting real tired of people trying to kill me today.

"You have thirty seconds to surrender!" the voice shouted. "Drop your weapons and step out with your hands up, or we start shooting!"

Hayes cursed under his breath. "Ideas?"

I looked around at our cover. Wooden cargo containers. Not gonna stop rifle fire for long.

"Yeah," I said, flexing my hands. "Duck and cover."

"What?"

"Trust me on this one."

"Time's up!" the voice shouted.

Gunfire erupted from all directions. Bullets punched through our wooden cover like it was paper. Hayes dove flat, cursing.

I stood up.

The ethernano surged through my system as I moved. Time didn't slow down this time – I was just faster. Way faster.

I grabbed a chunk of broken concrete from the dock and hurled it at the nearest muzzle flash. The sound it made when it hit was... unpleasant.

"What the hell—"

Another shooter tried to get a bead on me from a rooftop. I picked up a piece of rebar and threw it like a javelin. It went through the building's wall with a sound like thunder.

"He's moving too fast!"

"Shoot him!"

They tried. Problem was, I wasn't where their bullets were going anymore.

I reached the first group behind some barrels. Three guys with rifles, all looking real surprised to see me up close.

"Evening, fellas."

I tapped the first one on the forehead. He went down like someone had unplugged him.

The second guy tried to swing his rifle at me like a club. I caught it one-handed and the metal bent like putty.

"Huh. That's new."

Third guy was backing away, fumbling for a pistol. I flicked the bent rifle at his feet. He tripped and went down hard.

More gunfire from the other positions. I could hear Hayes moving behind better cover, probably trying to flank them while they were all focused on me.

Smart guy.

I jumped – and holy shit, I actually jumped. Like, twenty feet straight up onto a cargo container. The impact cracked the metal beneath my feet.

'Definitely stronger than this morning.'

From up there I could see all their positions. Rooftops, alleyways, behind cover. Maybe eighteen left now.

I grabbed the edge of the cargo container and ripped off a section of metal sheeting. Used it like a shield as I jumped down into the next group.

The improvised shield took about a dozen bullets before I got close enough to start tapping people on the head again.

"Stay down and you won't get hurt worse," I called out as another three guys joined the nap pile.

Someone with a shotgun got brave and rushed me from behind. I spun around and caught both barrels of his gun in one hand. The metal crumpled like an empty beer can.

"Really?"

I pushed gently on his chest with one finger. He slid backward about ten feet and sat down hard.

The remaining shooters were starting to panic. I could hear them shouting at each other, trying to coordinate, but their positions were all wrong now. They'd set up to ambush two marines taking cover, not to deal with one guy bouncing around like a rubber ball.

Hayes had worked his way around to their flank and was picking off the ones I hadn't reached yet. Good marine training showing again.

"Retreat! Fall back!" someone yelled.

Too late for that.

I reached the last group just as they were trying to pack up their gear. Five guys, all looking like they'd rather be anywhere else.

"Sorry about this," I said, and started the gentle head-tapping routine.

Within about three minutes, the dock was quiet except for a lot of groaning.

Hayes emerged from behind a stack of crates, looking around at all the unconscious bodies scattered everywhere.

"Vincent... what the hell are you?"

"Just a simple marine,"

I smirked and said nothing more.

I then decided to check my status again, to confirm something.

The notification appeared in my mind like it had earlier.

Current Synchronization: Gildarts Clive - 13%
Next Gacha Spin Available: 16 hours, 47 minutes

Thirteen percent now. The synchronization was definitely also tied to combat, or at least to using the power. Every real fight pushed it higher.

Chapter 5: Aftermath

The cleanup took until dawn.

Twenty unconscious smugglers, arms dealers, or whoever the hell they were. Captain Torres had to call in half the base just to process them all. And of course, none of them were talking.

"Professional mercenaries," Torres said, reading through the interrogation reports. "No identification, no affiliations they'll admit to. Whoever hired them paid well enough to buy silence."

I was sitting in his office, still trying to process everything that had happened. Hayes was next to me, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"The weapons cache from the ship is worth more than this base sees in a year," Torres continued. "Military-grade equipment, foreign manufacture. Someone's building a private army."

"Any leads on who?" I asked.

Torres shook his head. "That's above my pay grade now. I've sent word to Marine Headquarters. They're sending someone to take over the investigation."

'Great. More attention.'

"In the meantime," Torres said, giving me that look again, "we need to talk about you, Marine Vincent."

Here it comes.

"Sir?"

"Don't 'sir' me, boy. I've been a marine for twenty years. I've seen devil fruit users, swordsmen who can cut steel, fighters who can punch through stone." He leaned forward. "What you did last night was impressive. You're strong, Vincent. Really strong for someone your age."

Hayes shifted uncomfortably. "Captain, Vincent's been performing well since—"

"Above well," Torres cut him off. "Kid took down twenty armed mercenaries like it was nothing. That's not rookie-level strength."

I shrugged. "I've always been pretty strong, sir."

"Pretty strong?" Torres raised an eyebrow. "Son, you threw a piece of rebar through a building. Most marines twice your age couldn't do that."

The room went quiet. I could hear the clock ticking on his desk.

"Look, I'm not complaining," Torres said finally. "Strong marines are good marines. But I need to know if there's more to this. Any surprises I should know about?"

“Didn't think it was that big a deal."

Torres stared at me for a moment, then laughed. "Not a big deal? He says."

"Corporal Hayes, you're dismissed. Vincent, stay."

Hayes shot me a worried look but left without argument.

Torres waited until the door closed, then sat back down.

"Off the record," he said quietly. "I don't care how strong you are as long as you use it right. You saved lives yesterday, probably prevented a lot worse from happening.”

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me yet." He looked up. "You still need to make a report."

"Understood."

"And Vincent? Whatever this strength of yours is... use it wisely. The marines need people like you."

I nodded and left his office.

=====

Two weeks later, everything had settled into a new routine.

The investigation team from Headquarters had come and gone, taking most of the smugglers with them. 

Hayes and I were still partnered up, which was good. He'd stopped asking questions about my abilities after the first few days, probably figuring he was better off not knowing.

My synchronization had been steadily climbing. Started at 13% after the dock fight, increasing by 1% every day. But when it hit 20%, things changed. The daily increase dropped to 0.5%, and after two weeks total, I was sitting at 23.5%.

More importantly, at 20% I'd unlocked something new. Crash Magic. Novice level, but still... actual magic.

Problem was, I had about as much control over it as Gildarts did in the stories. Which is to say, almost none.

I'd tried hiding it at first, but with control this bad? Inevitable that people would notice. Yesterday I'd tried to gently tap a training dummy and accidentally turned it into sawdust. This morning I'd reached for my coffee mug and somehow made it implode. Hayes had been there for both incidents, eyes wide with surprise.

"What the hell was that?" he'd asked after the coffee mug exploded.

"Devil fruit," I'd said quickly. "Just... figured it out recently. Still learning how to control it."

"Ah." His surprised expression immediately shifted to understanding.

He nodded like everything suddenly made perfect sense. In this world, devil fruits were the go-to explanation for weird powers. Captain Torres had the same reaction when Hayes reported it - surprise first, then complete understanding once the words "devil fruit" came up.

The power responded to emotion more than conscious control. Just like how Gildarts accidentally destroyed half of Magnolia whenever he came back from missions. When I was calm, I could sometimes manage small, controlled bursts. When I was surprised or frustrated? Everything around me was at risk.

More of his knowledge kept flowing in too. Combat instincts that weren't mine originally. Ways of moving, thinking, fighting that felt completely natural now. Sometimes I'd catch myself knowing things I'd never learned - like how to read the flow of a fight, or the best angle to strike someone's guard.

But the daily gacha pulls... those kept coming.

In the past two weeks, I'd gotten:

• A compass that always pointed to the nearest tavern

• Fifty berries in loose change

• A book titled "Advanced Knot Tying for Beginners"

• A pair of socks that never got wet

• A small telescope

• Another handful of berries

• A pen that never ran out of ink

• Some kind of energy bar that tasted like cardboard but apparently had "all essential nutrients"

• A pocket knife with way too many attachments

• A bar of soap that smelled like flowers

• Three more berries

• A small notebook

• And this morning... a bottle of really good rum

The randomness was almost funny, at least somewhat they were all useful in their own ways.

I was sitting in the barracks, reading through the knot-tying book (actually pretty interesting), when Hayes walked in.

"Vincent, we got orders."

I looked up. 

"Captain Torres wants to see us. Something about a new assignment."

I closed the book and stood up. "Any idea what it's about?"

Hayes shrugged. "No clue. But he looked serious. More serious than usual."

We headed to Torres's office, and I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever came next was going to change things again.

Quick update

Hey everyone!

I’ve been writing a One Piece fanfic over the past few days!

It kinda started as a fun little side project, but it’s actually been super helpful for coming up with new ideas for Deus Ex Machina.

For now, I’m planning to post the One Piece fic only here on Patreon for the meantime. For now, this’ll be a chill side project — I don’t have a set release schedule or anything. I’ll just write and post whenever the mood hits me.

Would you be down to read the One Piece fic?

Regardless I would love to hear what you think. Hope you enjoy the read!

Thanks again for always supporting me

Chapter 59

The pain in her side felt like fire spreading through her veins.

Rossweisse hung from the shackles, her wrists raw from struggling against the enchanted bonds. Every breath sent fresh agony through her ribs where the fallen angel had cracked them with his light spear. Blood dripped steadily from the cut on her forehead, painting dark stains on the stone floor below.

She'd been so stupid.

The memory played over and over in her mind like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. The moment everything went wrong.

The transformation happened so suddenly Rossweisse barely had time to react.

One moment she was walking beside Leon and Father Dante up the mountain path. The next, reality twisted around her like a kaleidoscope, and she found herself standing in a dimly lit cave surrounded by armed figures.

Teleportation magic. 

She'd woken up chained to the wall with Father Moretti standing in front of her, that sick smile she remembered from Rome plastered across his face.

"The famous Rossweisse," he'd said in heavily accented English. "Former Valkyrie. Odin's beloved bodyguard. Playing secretary to a spoiled rich boy."

She'd spat blood at his feet. "Where is Leon?"

"Your precious employer?" Moretti's smile had widened. "Don't worry. Lord Kokabiel is taking very good care of him."

The torture had started immediately after that.

Moretti hadn't been interested in information. This was purely for pleasure. For revenge against Leon by proxy. Every cut, every burn, every broken rib was a message meant for the boy who'd humiliated Kokabiel.

The worst part wasn't the pain. Rossweisse had endured worse during her centuries of service to Asgard. Vikings didn't exactly negotiate gently when they wanted information about their enemies' plans.

No, the worst part was the helplessness.

The shackles weren't just restraints. They were specifically designed to suppress divine power. Every time she'd tried to channel her strength, the runes had sent feedback through her nervous system that left her gasping and weak.

She couldn't break free. Couldn't fight back. Couldn't do anything but hang there and take whatever they wanted to dish out.

The Senzu beans Leon had given her were somewhere in her equipment bag, confiscated along with everything else when they'd captured her. She could see the bag sitting on a table across the room, close enough to taunt her but impossibly far when her arms were chained above her head.

"He's not coming for you," Moretti had whispered during his visit. "Boys like that, they only care about themselves. The moment things got difficult, he probably ran back to his safe little corporate tower."

But Rossweisse knew better.

Leon would come. Not because he cared about her specifically - she wasn't naive enough to think their relationship meant that much to him. But because he was the kind of person who protected what was his. And whether she liked it or not, she fell into that category.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs interrupted her thoughts. Heavy boots descending into the basement. Rossweisse looked up, expecting to see Moretti returning for another session.

Instead, Loki himself appeared , She'd recognized the trickster god the moment he'd walked into the basement. The silver hair, the pale skin, those eyes that held malice. The man who'd once tried to bring about Ragnarök was standing in front of her like a bad dream made flesh. 

But something was wrong. His usually perfect hair was disheveled. Scratches covered his pale face, and his clothes were singed in several places.

"Well," he said, his voice carrying forced lightness. "That was... unexpected."

Rossweisse tried to lift her head again when she heard him speak, but her vision blurred from the effort. The torture had left her weak, barely conscious. She could taste blood in her mouth and every breath sent spikes of pain through her broken ribs.

"What..." she managed to whisper, the word coming out cracked and barely audible.

Loki didn't answer immediately. He walked across the room to a table covered with various unpleasant-looking implements, his movements sharp and agitated. Whatever had happened up there, it hadn't gone according to his plan.

He picked up the Eitr-coated dagger, examining its edge in the flickering candlelight.

"The mortal exceeded my expectations," he said finally, more to himself than to her.

She wanted to feel proud but her thoughts were too scattered. The blood loss and repeated beatings had left her barely hanging onto consciousness.

"Now we move to the final phase." Loki approached her, dagger glinting. His voice had taken on a manic edge. "He destroyed Kokabiel and his followers. Killed my children. But he'll still come for you."

The dagger bit into her side, just below the ribs. The sudden sharp pain cut through her exhaustion like lightning. The Eitr burned like acid in her veins, and she couldn't suppress the scream that tore from her throat.

"Perfect," Loki murmured. "Let him hear that. Let him know exactly what his noble instincts have cost."

Rossweisse fought to stay conscious as the Eitr spread. The poison was designed to kill gods, to corrupt divine essence itself. A valkyrie wouldn't last long against it.

But she'd endured worse. Had fought in the wars between realms, had stood guard over the All-Father himself during the darkest days of Asgard's history. This bastard god of lies wouldn't break her that easily.

The sound of combat erupted from somewhere above them. Shouts, crashes, the distinctive crack of someone's neck being snapped.

Loki's smile widened. "Right on schedule."

Then heavy footsteps on the stairs.

The Eitr was spreading faster now, black veins crawling up from the wound toward her heart. Her vision blurred as her divine essence fought a losing battle against the corruption. She could barely keep her eyes open, consciousness slipping away like sand through her fingers.

Voices. Loki saying something, but the words felt distant and muffled. Her head lolled forward as the poison burned through her system, each heartbeat spreading the corruption further.

A wet sound. The dagger being pulled free, maybe? Fresh agony exploded through her side and a scream tore from her throat without her permission.

Then darkness. Shadows swirling. The scrape of footsteps.

Suddenly, hands were examining the shackles above her head. The bonds that had held her for hours shattered like they were made of paper.

She collapsed, but someone caught her before she could hit the stone floor.

"Hey, Alessia." His voice was soft, gentle in a way that made her chest tighten despite the poison spreading through her system. "Stay with me."

She forced her eyes open, meeting his concerned gaze. Even through the haze of pain and approaching death, she could see the fear there. Real fear for her wellbeing.

"Leon?" Her voice came out as barely a whisper. "Is it really you?"

"It's me. I need you to eat this." He placed something small in her mouth. Probably the Senzu beans.

The effect was instantaneous and overwhelming. The Eitr that had been burning through her veins simply... disappeared. The wounds on her body closed without leaving so much as a scar. Even her cracked ribs healed with a sensation like warm sunlight flowing through her bones.

"That's... incredible," she breathed, staring at Leon with new wonder. "They really do work as you said."

But more than the healing was the way he was looking at her. Like her wellbeing was the most important thing in the world. Like he'd been terrified of losing her.

The professional distance she'd maintained, the careful barriers between bodyguard and charge, crumbled completely.

Without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder. He was warm and solid and alive, and the relief of that simple contact was overwhelming.

"Thank you," she whispered against his neck.

His arms tightened around her, holding her like something precious. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice heavy with guilt. "I knew they had taken you. I could have come sooner, but I wanted to understand their plan first. I let you suffer…I’m sorry."

The raw self-recrimination in his voice made her chest ache. He was blaming himself for her pain, carrying guilt that wasn't his to bear.

"Leon," she whispered, pulling back just enough to see his face. Those eyes were filled with remorse and something deeper, something that made her heart skip. Before he could say another word, before he could apologize again for choices that had ultimately saved them both, she pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was soft, then deeper as he responded. When they finally broke apart, she rested her forehead against his.

"It doesn't matter," she breathed. "What matters is that you came for me."

"Of course I did." The way he said it, like there had never been any question, made something flutter in her chest. "You're important to me, Alessia."

“Rossweisse…” She smiled. “Please call me Rossweisse.”

He smiled at her, easing the heaviness at her heart. “Rossweisse.”

Hearing him call her name inexplicable feelings arose from her heart.

"Come on," he said, helping her to her feet. "Let's get out of here."

But as they made their way up the stairs, her hand clasped firmly in his, Rossweisse made a decision.