Flesh is Weak

Dark secrets, flames rise and a reunion.

No sooner had we entered the room and helped lay Raynare onto the bed she fell straight to sleep. Her snores were cute, yet she must have been exhausted from last night. As I was leaving the room, I heard Raynare sleepily mumbling about how I had seduced her. That made me smile slightly as I shut the door behind me.

I tiptoed down the hall away from our room and towards the stairs. On the way down them, once in the front hall, I heard the sound of footsteps and giggling behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Akeno grinning wide, with Issari next to her, coming up from the basement.

The two were talking about something eagerly when Akeno caught sight of me. Her grin grew even wider, making Issari call out.

"Gregor-kun, did the mission go well?"

 I shrug.

"It went as well as it could. We managed to get a prisoner I will interrogate later. We also learned some of the OSF's battle doctrines, and I will warn you they aren't pretty. You have your set now, Keno?"

Issari took the answer, frowning, while Akeno grinned wider.

"I do. Would you like to see it?"

I gave a nod, and Akeno pulled her set out of her pocket spell and levitated it in front of Issari and me. I raised an eyebrow when I saw four mutation pieces. The queen, both knights and a bishop, were cracked, showing black underneath the white cover. Akeno grinned wide, and I was happy for my cousin.

"Not bad, Keno. Are you really ok with trading one of the knights away?"

Akeno shrugged while wearing a grin.

"I am Kiba's face while Isa and Asia-chan dragon growl together is wonderful~"

I chuckle at that, along with Issari, who had a nosebleed. When our chuckling ended, I asked Akeno.

"I'm guessing that your peerage will be a decorative one?"

Akeno huffed in slight annoyance.

"I'm not planning to get decorative pieces other than Kiba. I want my people to help the Legio, and eventually, we will be joining the rating games lower leagues to start winning games to piss off the GKF. I want them to gape and throw insults at me while I get the pleasure of knowing I beat their rigged system."

 Akeno licked her lips as her sadism appeared, thinking of her victory. I ignored that, as her winning games would be awesome.

"We might have to arrange a sparring competition between our peerages, Keno when you have more pieces. Maybe even do a friendly ratings game to prepare your people for one."

Akeno grew eager for that and was about to say something when the stairs creaked.

We turned to see Kiba, Rias, Ravel, and Shirone together. The four were talking about something though Rias had a strange face on her. She seemed worried about something, but the look quickly faded after Shirone asked about a dress.

I turned my head back to Akeno and sighed. That brought Akeno's face back to mine, and she got ready to push the issue, only for Rias to catch sight of Akeno's mutation pieces getting gasping.

"You got four mutations!"

Akeno gave me a look that said this wasn't over before her happiness returned.

"Yep, and you are getting one of them, Rias. Before you ask, yes I am okay with that after everything you have done for me these past seven years. I could have had a horrible king who never cared about what I wanted, but I had you, who always supported me. You're my sister now by choice, and eventually

marriage to my idiot cousin."

Rias blushed red momentarily at the praise before Kiba, and Shirone echoed that feeling, with Kiba in particular saying.

"You are a wonderful king, Rias, and I am thankful for you, too, despite how we met."

Rias blushed even more yet that was marred as the troubled look returned for a second before it disappeared just as fast and only, I caught it. Rias then asked Akeno and Kiba.

"Are you both ready?"

Akeno nodded along with Kiba before Rias started leading them towards the front room. I was about to follow when Shirone stopped me, pouting cutely with her full kitty face on.

"No dog in our room or bed nya."

She was dead serious, and while this was extremely cute, I could tell there was a story about why she hated dogs. I didn't press her there, but Barkspawn heard her through our connection, and I felt her deflating on Ingvild's bed as I sighed.

"I can agree no dog on the bed. However, she should be allowed into the room."

Shirone's eyes narrowed and hissed at that idea, ready to protest, before Ravel rolled her eyes.

"I agree with her not being on the bed and her being allowed into our room so the familiar bond with him develops properly. I had to do that with my familiar and you would too if and when you get one."

Shirone narrowed her eyes at Ravel as her tail wagged back and forth angrily. I take the support from Ravel before I try something.

"How about we keep Bark in the bathroom for a few days before we let her into the room? I can have Maéva or Neri get us a dog bed for Bark, and I'll put it in the corner. She really is a good girl and will stay in her bed."

Shirone wasn't happy about this as her tail wagged faster in irritation.

"All dogs are bad nya."

I played my next card as I got closer to Shirone and whispered in her ear.

"When we have our first night together, we can do that thing you want."

That made Shirone's white tail freeze in mid-air, and both her ears twitched at the same time. I caught her yellow ones go wide in shock out of the corner of my eyes. Then they narrowed in pure lust, and her tail wagged again as she whispered.

"A week in the bathroom nya."

I counter that.

"Three days, and I'll throw in something special as extra."

 That made Shirone whine slightly before considering the offer while Ravel watched us amused.

"Three days then nya."

I smiled and gave her a gentle kiss, which she eagerly returned. I felt Barkspawn yipping in glee softly in Ingvild's room.

"Thank you, Shiro. From me and her. She won't be joining us in the room right away as Ingvild needs her to be her support animal for a bit."

My princess sighed in relief and then kissed my cheek, now no longer stressed, before she grew excited.

"I heard there is a training room in the new house from Xenovia-chan, is there nya?"

I give her a nod.

"First floor on the back right it's big and has several heavy-duty punching bags."

That made Shirone smile wider as she skipped to the basement with her tail wagging in glee. Ravel and I watched that amused before we moved to the front room. I caught the same worried look on Ravel's face as Rias's and was about to ask her what it was when we turned into the living room. There, we see Akeno with Issari next to her, watching as Rias draws a circle around a curious Kiba on the floor with chalk. Ravel started explaining to me and Issari.

"She is drawing the magic circle that is the heart of the ritual using a special kind of chalk. The participants then pour demonic energy into the circle, which helps keep it stable before the transfer is made."

Rias continued drawing the circle after telling Kiba to stand in place on her side. When the circle was completed, and Akeno's board was out, Rias pulled out her board. She then spoke a word while looking uncomfortable.

"Zoltuph."

Kiba froze suddenly and then seemed to go lifeless as his head slumped and his arms fell to his sides. The light in his eyes dimmed to almost nothing like a deactivated necron warrior. He was still breathing, but that was the only thing alive in Kiba. My face and Akeno's morphed to shock, then utter disgust, while Issari looked sick, ready to try and save Kiba. She was stopped by Ravel, saying in a depressed tone.

"Don't interrupt the ritual."

Rias looked ashamed now and said in a soft voice.

"I understand how you all feel now. I despise this part of the ritual, too."

Her sincerity makes this a bit better, but not by much for Akeno, Issari, and me. I imagined what the reincarnated must feel when they saw this reaction by their fellows as the horror in me grew. For them to realize then and there that they are slaves truly as they are traded around like meat in such a state. No wonder so many ran good and bad. That idea made wrath build in me, and Rias, seeing my rage growing, quickly told Akeno to pick up the knight she was trading. Akeno picks up her first mutation knight before floating it over to Rias. Rias takes it, and then she says three more words for the ritual, channeling more demonic energy into the circle.

"Othpas nuarnta vakevbia."

Kiba moved robotically from Rias's side to Akeno's side of the circle. When he was close enough to Akeno, Rias told her the final word, and she said it while feeling completely sick.

"Pthatis.

Ravel tells me, with a downcast face, its meaning, and it, like the other words, made me sick. It was the claiming of complete dominance

over Kiba in everything. Demonic energy flared through the room for a moment before I felt Rias lose the connection to Kiba. Then, a moment later, it attached to Akeno. Kiba then replied robotically with no emotion.

"Anything for my king."

Rias set the knight on her board before Ravel quickly erased the circle with a wind spell. The chalk was swept into a small pile by the wind, and as soon as it was gone, Kiba blinked twice as if waking from a dream and returned to his normal self. His grin returned when he felt the new demonic connection between him and Akeno before sighing happily. Then he was shocked when Issari immediately jumped him for a kiss. He was confused for a moment before he returned it. The two continued that as I was internally vomiting. I made a vow never to trade anyone in my peerage regardless of the offer, and I now understand a bit why Rias was reluctant to trade Shirone besides the death sentence. Finally, Issari stopped kissing Kiba, who had a goofy grin, now looking at the other with new eyes, before he looked at Akeno, who was now wearing her canonical smile.

"We will talk later, Kiba. I have some questions for Rias about how I should start looking for people. Isa, can you.."

Issari nodded quickly before dragging Kiba out of the room while whispering something about tea in his ear that made the Brit blush tomato red while still keeping his grin. Only when the two were gone did Akeno's face break

from the fake smile and into a wrathful one.

"Why the fuck did the ritual do that to him!"

I show wrath too because she is right these are people! They should never become robots because of something like the evil piece system. Rias looked deeply ashamed now, and I saw her experiencing a flashback with Riser. That made me lose the wrath as I went over to her and hugged her before I asked in a calmer voice while telling Akeno not to yell with my eyes.

"Who made the ritual? My father would never make anything like that."

Rias looked at me, thankful there, and snuggled into my hug. Ravel saw how much this pissed me off, as well as Akeno before she answered reluctantly

for Rias.

"The ritual for this was developed by the Naberius soon after the evil piece system was made. They took a ritual that was made for when devils wanted to trade familiars and modified it for reincarnated. That's why the wording for it is so specific. Before you ask, no pureblood pieces are not traded like that. They are traded a different way that doesn't cause that effect."

The black rage I felt there made me realize that I needed to start stepping up plans for the Naberius. Reincarnated are not animals, and animals deserve more respect than this. Akeno was angry, too but seemed to understand that Rias had hidden this from her because of how shitty it was.

Tiny shadows grew in the corners of the room as I imagined the complete destruction of the Naberius. The shadows continued to grow before Ravel

saw a hint of the black rage appearing on my face. She came over to squeeze my

right hand, trying to calm me down.She, too, now had an apologetic look in her eyes. I squeezed Ravel, and she took my squeeze before I asked her with a soft voice.

"How long have you known about this?"

Ravel squeezed my hand harder and put her on my other shoulder.

"Since I was six. That was when my Dad traded his long loyal rook. The rook was my nanny, and he traded her away because I was old enough to not need her anymore. Seeing her, who had read bedtime stories to me like that, made me have nightmares for four years, thinking it could happen to me. I didn't learn about the pureblood way till then."

My hand gripped Ravel, and I felt her shake slightly.

"I will never trade any of us away, and I will spend eternity trying to destroy this from memory."

Akeno nodded, and Rias hugged me harder. Ravel squeezed my hand as she put her head on my other shoulder.

"I will help you destroy it. For Illia."

Rias nodded on my shoulder, and I felt tears hit my shirt.

"I didn't tell you about it because it's so wrong. Please don't hate me, Gregor-kun."

I squeezed Rias harder and kissed her neck.

"I don't hate you. I hate the shits in the Naberius formthis."

 That brought up Rias's mood, and Akeno now looked ashamed of how she yelled at Rias. She came over and joined our hug before she said softly.

"I'm sorry, Rias."

Rias took the apology.

"Please don't tell the others about this."

Akeno and I didn't want to do that, but I understand why this needed to be kept in.

"I won't tell anyone, Rias."

Rias nodded into my shirt, and Akeno looked uncomfortable by this before she sighed, too.

"I won't say anything about it, and I'll make sure Isa doesn't either."

The four of us were silent for a moment before Rias said.

"Thank you both."

 I rubbed Rias's back, and my redhead smiled wider. The sight made Akeno start fufuing before she told us with a massive smile in her voice.

I'm going to go check on Kiba and Isa. Just to make sure they haven't gotten into trouble."

We heard Akeno's shoes squeak as she left the room. Before Rias and I broke apart, Ravel's voice came from beside us.

"Meredith told me this morning that she would like to speak to you again about something you mentioned to her last week. I do want to know why she has a robot

watcher."

Her voice told me I couldn't wiggle out of this, and I let go of Rias and looked over at Ravel. Ravel gave me that serious look before I said with a soft voice.

"She has dangerous gear like our guest, but despite that, she has never used it. The collar she has and the robot are there just in case she ever does. I vouch for her."

 Ravel looked at me as her eyes widened momentarily before she asked.

"Which one?"

Rias looked at me, too, and I sighed.

"The Abyss Crown."

Ravel and Rias froze hearing that. They looked scared, but the two relaxed after remembering what I said. I reassured them again.

 "She turned down the chance to become an absolute queen with it. She fought against the fallen when she was in their care to make her use it. Unlike the last user, she is actually a person of steel."

That seemed to soften Ravel's face before she grew contemplative. Rias believed me fully, and then a sly smile crossed her face.

"I have a small gift for your Guild. I made a few copies of some of my warding books here."

Ravel smiled wide upon hearing that and gave Rias a genuine thank you and nod before she asked to see them. Rias gave me another kiss, this time on the cheek before she left to get the books. Ravel and I were left in a comfortable silence before I asked her.

"Have you or Lavinia come up with a name for your magician's guild?"

Ravel sadly shook her head as she sighed.

"We have tried bouncing several different names off eachmother, and none seem to fit. I might actually try a new category for the name."

It seems that this was frustrating her, and she really wanted a fire-based name. I came over to Ravel and took her hand, rubbing it. She took the comfort, and the two of us began walking out of the front room and stopping at the entrance to the basement stairs to wait for Rias. While we wait, I say absentmindedly, thinking of a certain volcano planet.

"I mean, you could call it the Promethean Order."

That name made her blink owlish before a deep, thoughtful

look as she looked at me.

"Promethean Order?"

I shrugged.

"Promethium was a type of fuel source as well as something used for flamer weapons. But what I was referencing was more connected to the Salamander's

space marines and their personal faith. And I guess it could apply to the fact that you want your guild to push magic forward as a field, so you could compare it to Prometheus and his drive to give fire to humanity. Your guild will return the fire of innovation to the other guilds."

Ravel got a deep, thoughtful look on her face before a small smile appeared. Then it grew bigger and bigger before she was beaming like crazy. I was happy to see her smile before, all of a sudden, she pulled me in

for a hot, steamy kiss that I soon returned. That was the scene that Rias came

back with a large stack of books. She made an amused cough, and the noise made

us break apart. Ravel looked at me with a red face that had an eager, lustful smile on it as she fed her sin.

"That's a wonderful name idea, Greg~ Can you please tell me more about these Salamanders and space marines in general?"

Her face promised me something good if I did, and Rias held the same look of eagerness and curiosity. I gave them a half smile as we began descending the stairs.

"I would love to. The Salamanders or the Dragon Warriors as they were originally called…"

As I explained the history of the Salamanders, Rias, and Ravel listened with growing awe. By the time we reached the teleporter room, the two were hanging onto the conversation. We stepped on the pad and landed in our base a moment later before walking towards the library. When we reached the library doors, Ravel and Rias were eager to hear more about space marines, and Rias got a cute look on her face.

"What about my sword style? What were they like?"

I get a slight smile.

"They were speed kings who, like their Primarch, who was their father and leader, didn't boast loudly to the rooftops of their

achievements. That made their friends and foes underestimate them often."

Rias and Ravel were fascinated by this, and my blonde told me before opening the doors to the library.

"You're making me increasingly curious about that place, Greg. I can't wait for the first episode."

I smirk, thinking of it too.

"It will be a very interesting one and coming soon this week. Not to long but it will be very important and set the tone of what to expect."

The two grew even more eager, but before they could ask me more about it, the door was fully open to show Lavinia and Meredith sitting at one of the salvaged wood tables with a surprise person. There was Reya, not

being her aloof self for once. She was talking with the two magicians eagerly while Meredith's robot was nearby, listening. I raised an eyebrow at that, and Ravel grinned.

"She was especially eager to help us here when she learned about my guild. She even brought us a dozen magic books that are Japanese in origin with spells I have never seen before. Eventually, I want to include

magic from all systems in our teaching roster."

That put a smile on my face, and Rias rolled her eyes before asking Ravel where the ward section of the library would be. Ravel pointed to a book row with a symbol above it of a carved wardstone, and Rias went that way.

Ravel then grew eager and almost dragged me to the table where Lavinia,

Meredith, and Reya were. Lavinia saw us out of the corner of her eye and turned

towards us, smiling.

"Ravel, Gregor."

That got the others to turn our way, and Reya lost her excited face, returning to her aloofness as she watched me closely. Ravel

stopped us at the front of the table before she beamed wide.

"It's good to see you too, Lavinia. I have some possible good news."

Lavinia was amused by the smile on Ravel's face.

"What's the news?"

Ravel was now feeding her sin of lust hard again as she replied.

"I believe I might have found a good name for the guild. It's flame-based and can send a clear message to anyone interested in joining."

Lavinia tilted her head, saying to continue, and Ravel finally said it.

"The Promethean Order."

Lavinia got a thoughtful look, as did Reya and Meredith. The trio thought more about this before a broad smile appeared on Lavinia's face.

"The Promethean Order. That is a wonderful name. It would indeed send a clear message to people. I approve it."

Ravel was beaming hearing this, which grew even further when Meredith chimed in.

"I agree with Ms Reni."

Reya started nodding her head, and then Lavinia asked a serious question.

"What would our guild robe colors be? I was considering a purple color, possibly magenta."

Ravel shook her head as her grin grew wider, and she looked my way.

"The colors will be scarlet red with a silver trim on the edges of the robe and hoods."

My eyes widened for a moment, and before I could say anything about that, Lavinia hummed in approval.

"That would work well. I do have some good news of my own. Several apprentices I used to help in Grauzahaberer were recently banished from the guild because of a disagreement with one of the worst teachers there. They were considering joining Nilrem, but one reached out to me to see where I had

gone after I resigned. I told him about your guild, and he asked if he and his group could join."

Ravel was stumped before she grinned.

"I'd be happy to have them here. How many?"

Lavinia smiled wide now.

"Three. I'll message them later and tell them they are more than welcome here."

That got Ravel and Lavinia talking rapidly about how they would get these new people here, and that drew in Reya. Meredith caught my attention with her blue eyes. I gave her a slight nod, and she got up from the

table and told Lavinia.

"I'll be right back, Ms Reni."

Lavinia gave her a nod before she returned to her conversation with Ravel, leaving Meredith and me free to walk towards a nearby book row. Meredith's robot followed us, and once inside the row, the magician

faced me. She and I looked at one another briefly before the young woman grew

curious.

"You mentioned a project last week when we last spoke. I have been curious about what it would be."

My face didn't betray the worry I felt thinking of how we would possibly contain the Void Dragon's user or other dangerous things in the future, Noctus Labyrinth.

"This project I mentioned to you would be a very long-term one. As for what it is, we would be setting up a special place. This place's purpose will be to Secure, Contain, and Protect objects of unparalleled danger

to our planet and its people. You said your lock enchantments are good. Are they really, and who, if anyone, broke them the fastest?"

Meredith grew thoughtful as she thought about my question. Then, a small smile appeared on her face.

"They are very good. As for who broke them the fastest, that would be a young woman your age with blonde hair named Le Fay Pendragon."

My eyes wanted to bug out hearing that, but Meredith continued reminiscing about this apparent good memory.

"She and several other magicians from the Golden Dawn visited Rosenkrutz's main guild hall in Colone a year before discovering it. She saw one of my enchantments and came over to my alcove. She studied it for a few moments before she asked humbly if she could try to break it. I accepted the request so I could show my fellows my new enchantment. She predicted that she could

break it in five minutes. Five minutes turned into four hours and forty minutes, and it was only then that she finally broke the enchantment. She was ready to ask me how I made it, but unfortunately, she had to return to her fellows as that was their last day in Germany. The other magicians who watched that began asking my question most of the night."

That had me ultra impressed as Le Fay was a prodigy magician. Still, the enchantments need to be better for this future prison.

"These enchantments for this project that you would need to make would have to last for a very long time and keep out powerful people. Can you make enchantments like that?"

Meredith considered that carefully.

"I can if given enough time and allowed to experiment."

I shrug.

"You can have plenty of both. This theoretical place won't be built for a while and will only be a prototype until we get somewhere."

Meredith took that in stride despite the vagueness and fell into deep thought. She got ready to say something when my phone beeped. I pulled it out and saw that it was from a sensor in the cell of our prisoner saying he was waking up before I turned to Meredith.

"I'm sorry, but I have to cut this short because something came up. I will make something for you really quickly so we can discuss this project more easily."

Meredith took the apology before I pulled out the anvil and quickly made a cogitator. I handed the device over and got ready to leave. Meredith took the device before she placed it under her arm and let me go. She and I began moving back to the table, where we found that Rias had returned, but she was the least involved in the conversation. Her eyes gave me a questioning look as we

approached.

I give her a reassuring smile, and when I get close enough, Iwhisper that I'll see her later. Rias kissed me on the cheek before I left

the library.

At the cell that once held Mirana, I glared through the one-way window at the black-haired devil who was thrashing around in the cell, trying desperately to break his arm and leg restraints. I opened the door to the cell,

and the devil looked at me and immediately grew pissed. He screamed at me while

preparing to throw a spell. Just as the magic gathered in his hand, an electrical shock from the restraints hit him, and he shrieked, falling to the ground. I looked down at him, bored, and the face made the devil snarl.

"You filthy halfbreed scum! How dare you attack your natural superiors! When I get free, I will..."

I rolled my eyes before I slammed a power fist into the steel table to my right and dented it badly. The clang and crunch of steel made

the devil wince. He backed up on the floor to a chair, his beady brown eyes widened to saucer plates. I brought the gauntlet up, eyeing the devil, and shrugged.

"Get up and sit down. Try to throw a spell at me again and get shocked. Try charging me, and with just one punch from this, I will break some of the bones in your skull."

The devil's face pales slightly, backing up before his bluster returns.

"You don't scare me halfbreed filth! I will do what your pathetic failure of a father should have done and strangled you moments after

you were born in your crib while your worthless human whore of a mother was

beheaded and pinned to a wall! The True Lord Beelzebub will reward me well

for..."

I activate the power fist and punch the table again, this time cracking it in half. The halves fall to the floor with a loud clang echoing

in the cell. The devil begins sweating profusely as electricity flows up the

gauntlet, and I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm not scared of your boss or his bitch trash friends. Try insulting my mother, who was worth more than fifty of your worthless, bigoted comrades, again, and the punch will now be a guaranteed kill. Sit."

The devil pissed himself in fear looking at the power fist and shaking like a tree in a windstorm. He got up and sat on the chair near the cell's cot. I let him gaze at the weapon fully before I say over the hum.

"Good. Now listen closely to me, bacterium. You have two choices. Answer all of my questions truthfully, and you will, after that, live a comfortable life in one of the New Satans' prisons. Don't talk, and I will do

something far, far worse than a quick death via this. Understand?"

The devil gulped and had only a fracture of his bluster return as he shook.

"The True Satans are more powerful than the usurpers they will rescue me. Then we will kill…"

I shake my head and make the fist crack.

"They won't rescue you. None of your comrades survived the assault on your base. As far as the rats you serve know, you're dead. Disappearing into thin air like the many defenseless commoners your faction kidnapped during the Civil War. The New Satans must do constant raids on your degenerate faction, and thus, you will be easily written off as another of those losses."

The devil blanched and looked around nervously, trying to think of anything to restore his bluster. I shrugged and made the fist crack. The noise made the devil jump as he gulped, and fear grew in him as he watched the humming power fist and something else.

 The wrath in me for those long-gone commoners grows as I stare down the devil. I glared at him in hate and silence, and his brown eyes grew wider. He started shaking. I was completely focused on him, and his shaking grew worse as I continued.

"Your bosses claim to represent order and stability, yet all they and their cursed ancestors do is cause Chaos. I hate Chaos."

The faces of the Dark Gods smiling in glee over a burning and forever screaming galaxy. Their endless cruelty and how they would have loved the Brigade if they had existed here made me clench my fist. That image of a galaxy in flames hit something, making me clench my fists hard. I continued to glare at the devil, and he was shaking even worse like he was in a blizzard at sub-zero

temperatures. I looked at his face and glared at him before asking in a deadly voice.

"What was the mirror in your office called, and what is its purpose?"

My voice made him gulp loudly as his shaking worsened before he sputtered.

"The mirror is called a speculum. It is how we communicate within our organization."

I continued to glare at him.

"How do you get close to a speculum without it breaking?"

 The devil gulped again.

"You need to utter a word and perform a ritual that will key you into them."

I turned on a recording device on the wall under the one-way glass.

"What word and ritual and how many bases are you aware of."

The devil man started talking as he babbled in an extremely scared voice.

As I closed the door to the cell six hours later, the last of my wrath left my body and was replaced with glee. The interrogation revealed several things that were both good and bad for us. The good news was that the

devil knew the location where the speculums were made for the OSF. This 'factory' was in Northern Italy and was technically a sub-company that was part of Saint-Gobain, specializing in custom projects. He only knew about the location because he had been there last Tuesday to pick up his speculum. The bad news was that he was ignorant of other actual OSF bases in the underworld or topside, having only recently been promoted to captain.

As I walked away from the prison block, my footsteps echoing in the mostly empty school halls. As the evening sun was setting, I didn't come across anyone until two sets of footsteps were heard as I came close to the

front of the school. Turning the corner, I found Paula talking with Serafall, who

was in a business suit, closing the door to the center courtyard. My captain saw me turn the corner and greeted me.

"Sir."

 I smiled slightly as Serafall looked my way.

"Good Evening, Paula, Lady Leviathan. What were you two doing?"

Seeing me, Serafall got a happy look on her face as she came over to me.

"Just the man I was hoping to find. Your captain was giving me a tour of the building and telling me of some of the defenses here. I have some good news for you."

I raised an eyebrow, and Serafall continued.

"That news is that We, Heaven and Grigori, have all agreed that here would be the best place for the peace conference instead of in Kuoh."

I barely held back a sigh of relief for that.

"I see. We will start getting ready for that then. Did you all also agree on a date for this?"

Serafall nods.

"We all did, and the conference will be held this Wednesday starting at eleven in the morning."

I held in a groan at that date by asking.

"Have you decided how many people will there be per faction?"

Serafall nodded.

"Yes, we have. Each faction has agreed to only bring fifteen guards to protect four representatives from each group. Your captain reassured me before you saw us that your people can provide the bulk of the security for the conference."

My eyes turn to Paula.

"We most definitely can do that. Paula, please start selecting our best people for this."

Paula gave a brisk nod before a slight smile crossed her face.

"I will, sir. Before I leave, though, you had two visitors arrive not even thirty minutes ago who are eager to see you. They are in the

courtyard. Now, Lady Leviathan, you were telling me about something related to a TV show?"

I blinked in surprise while Serafall grinned wider, falling into step with Paula to yack about her TV show. They were halfway down the hallway before Serafall stopped to look at me temporarily.

"I will be at your home tomorrow morning around ten with Princess Hana, so be ready by then. I'll leave her on your porch as I have a big meeting with Grigori after."

With that said, Serafall turned back to Paula, and the two turned around the corner, leaving me alone. My eyes then looked at the courtyard doors before I reached for the door.

As I opened the door to the inner courtyard, the evening sun was beginning to set over it. I raised an eyebrow to see Mirana and a mystery person looking at the Wall of Martyrs. That person was a man in a black ninja uniform with long red hair that was only two shades lighter than Rias's. On his

back were two pure white angel wings whose feathers twitched occasionally in the

slight evening breeze.

The two continued staring at the wall and didn't notice my approach until the angel turned towards me. His face was handsome like you would expect from an angel, and his green eyes looked at me before they took on a look of confusion. His movement made Mirana look my way, and the exorcist smiled wide.

"Good evening, Heir Astaroth. It's a pleasure to see you again."

The angel kept looking at me long and hard, not saying anything as I grin slightly to Mirana.

"As it is you, Princess Romanov. Who is this with you?"

Mirana took on a fond face, looking at the angel.

"This is Castiel, who is my link to Metatron. Castiel this is Gregor Astaroth."

The angel didn't respond to that while I bow his way.

"Sir."

Castiel remained silent and moved closer to me, his eyes looking intently at me up and down. Mirana watched the angel with curiosity before her eyes left him and looked at me again.

"Castiel is also joining the Legio. This way, we have an easy line of communication with the Archangel and Heaven for the coming peace talks and afterward. I also have a message for you."

I tilted my head.

"What's the message?"

Mirana got a small smile.

"The message is that the Archangel would like to meet you sometime on Wednesday

morning before the peace conference."

My eyes widened, hearing that Michel wanted to meet me. My face must be showing that idea as Mirana chuckled.

"It is an honor that very few people have had. The last time he was down here on Earth was in the 1500s."

How out of touch was Michel? That question lingered before I absently replied.

"I see. I will set aside time for this meeting."

Mirana smiled wider.

"According to Castiel, he is very eager to meet you."

Hearing his name made me look back at the angel who was still continuing to look at me intensely. My eyes return to Mirana who was also watching Castiel in confusion for a moment.

"The Archangel has also instructed me to give you this as it has become a little troublemaker."

Mirana reached behind her back and pulled a scabbard forward. My eyes widened seeing it and feeling a familiar feeling coming from it as Mirana handed me the leather scabbard.

Once in my hands, the sword inside sang extremely loudly, recognizing me. Excalibur Mimic began producing a loud and joyful song and a stream of begging me never to let it go again. That begging only stops when Tsuda entered the sword making Mimic started purring like a cat loudly in my hands. I looked up from the blade back at the exorcist and saw Mirana smiling wide.

"Mimic has been troublesome since you returned it to us. Its previous wielder was killed by Kokabiel's people when they stole the sword. When I brought it back to St Peter's Basilica the Patriarch picked a new person to be its user. Mimic didn't like them and left small burns on their hands which is normal for Excalibur blades to do when choosing a user. What was not normal was that Mimic rejected three others including its former user's daughter who it had intensely

liked previously. The Patriarch was stunned by that as were the rest of the bishops. Mimic started leaving harsher burns when they tried the four candidates again. By the third round of denying them, I realized why. Mimic

only wants you to be its user."

I looked at Mimic in shock hearing that and the blade kept singing for me with its song growing louder and louder in my head. I shakily drew the sword, and it immediately changed into a power axe. It then changed into a power sword and then into a chainsword. Actually, being in my hand was apparently what Mimic wanted so badly that once there it started to change shapes on its own. I was now struck with wonder that Excalibur Mimic a legendary sword wanted to only be mine. While that happens Castiel kept being silent studying me. My face seeing the different types of melee weapons that Mimic was turning into morphed into a

wide happy grin and Mirana coughed gently getting my attention.

"I'm glad I can make the blade and you happy. The Archangel has also agreed to your request. You will start getting wounded exorcists brought to you for bionics after the peace conference regardless of the outcome. This has so far only been approved of by the Orthodox Church, but the others should agree to it soon."

 That put a smile on my face and that was when Castiel finally made a sound. It was a very loud and deep gasp as he drops his mouth to the floor. Mirana and I look at him and the angel's face which was morphing from shock to amazement. His green eyes looked at me with them growing wider and wider. The Angel finally said his first words since this meeting started.

"He was right it's there. So well hidden yet it's there. I didn't believe it when the Archangel told me. This.. This is.. This…"

Castiel kept staring at me while Mirana and I were confused. Mirana put a hand on the angel's shoulder.

"What is it Castiel?"

The angel was now shaking violently as he looked at me before he took on a wide manic smile. He let out a low whine instead of answering and started twitching violently.

Castiel's shaking grew worse as he said that before it became trembling. Mirana now rushed to Castiel's side with a very worried face. Castiel was so lost in the jitters as his eyes grew even more manic. Then he collapsed with a very loud thud on the ground making Mirana and I rushing tomhelp the angel. I cast a levitation spell bringing Castiel up as we started moving him to the medical ward. I heard Castiel mumble something over and over that I can't make out. He mumbled whatever that word was dozens more times as we moved.

Inside the ward Saiyo was watching the now unconscious angel as he was snoozing away on a bed. Mirana was sitting in a chair close to the bed and had her hand in Castiel's. Saiyo eyed them before she pulled the curtain back around them giving them privacy.

"He should be ok after a day or two of rest. Do you know why he reacted like this?"

The kitsune had her eyes on me and I looked again at the curtains.

"I have no idea. I do know that pure angels can see deep into people with gear. Maybe something like that is the cause?"

Saiyo hummed in contemplation.

"Perhaps. This is my first time treating a pure angel, so your guess is as good as mine."

The kitsune was considering that before she eyes me again.

"I will keep a close observation on him tonight.

I looked back at curtains.

"Thank you Saiyo."

 I saw through a crack in the curtains that Mirana was looking down on the angel with a sad longing face. She put a hand on his face, and I break my sight from this as this wasn't something I should see. A glance at the clock shows it is close to nine before I made my way toward the door and left for the night.

What did Castiel see in me that prompted that? That question made my mind wander as I walk towards the teleporter. Was it the fact I was not originally from this universe or was it Koriel? Given Castiel was the first pure angel I have met I wonder what he saw. That question pondering continued as I stepped

through the teleporter to the house.

The moon was starting to shine through the windows of the manor and it was dead silent inside. That silence continued as I reached the second floor and I glance at Mimic putting a hand on the hilt. The blade feeling my hand on it again sang happily glad to be back with me. I stopped at the top of the stairs holding the hilt for a few minutes to hear that song. When the song began to recede, I tell it in a very soft voice.

"I didn't want to give you up. Please don't hold me returning you against me."

Mimic seemed to understand that as it sang again for a second before it settled into silence. I still can't believe that I am worthy enough to carry an Excalibur shard. That thought was humbling and I finally let go of the hilt before heading to my bedroom. Once at the door, I put Mimic in a pocket spell before I slowly entered the room.

Inside the room Kuroka was sleeping peacefully on our bed with a still-out cold Raynare. They were snoring snot bubbles together but I was quickly drawn from that sight by the sound of keys being hit. I turn to see Rias, Ravel, Shirone, Xenovia and Murayama were clustered around my cogitator on the couch trying to get past my password for the device. I raised my eyebrow at the four.

"What are you doing?"

The four had been so busy trying to get past the password they hadn't noticed me enter the room. It was Ravel who answered.

"You just got an Alpha Prioris message."

That got a massive frown on my face as I approached the couch and take the cogitator before typing in the password. I open the message to see this was from Jeanne and what I read made my hackles raise.

"I found something you will want to see here in Normandy. I also need a check in with the big guy since I have been busy."

Seeing this message made me ask my patron if the Void Dragon was still in Europe. The answer I get makes me worried.

"I have bad news my champion I don't know where the Dragon is, and I won't be able to enter Big G's system again for a while to look for it. The Archangel is currently inside it right now doing his bi weekly maintenance on it."

My single word surprised the others in the room as I typed back to Jeanne.

"Fuck."

 A portal opens next to a broken fountain and a person steps out of it. Their head was hung low as they had been trained over the last three months to do. Their head continued to look at the ground as they moved towards this place until a faint smell made them look up. The smell was soon forgotten as their eyes widen in shock seeing the outer walls of the castle. The were covered in black scorch marks and there were multiple big holes in the parapets. As they approached the castle gatehouse, they saw that the gate was lying on the ground with a clean line cut through it. The figure stepped into the courtyard and gapes at the damage left here. As they looked around the courtyard taking in the destruction, they again stopped upon seeing something.

On one of the wood support columns of a blacksmithy building was a roughly made cog with a skull inside it split in half. It looked over the courtyard in defiance of the destruction and seeing that symbol made the small candle spark of flame in their heart ignite into becoming a large spark. The woman approached the symbol looking at it in awe and amazement until she was before it. As she stared at the symbol the spark grew into a blazing inferno. Hope filled them and then it helped them decided that moment to do what they had toyed with since last Tuesday.

 Then without the usual fear that had defined their new life this person turned then froze hearing something before they got ready to run. As they moved towards the gatehouse they didn't notice another pair of eyes on them watching them from the shadows of the entrance of the castle. They stepped out of the shadows and approached to look at this strange symbol. It was only for a moment before they followed after the other as a tide of questions began to rise.

As he lay in a fetal position in a corner of the cell the devil prisoner of the halfbreed was gripped with complete and utter fear. He shudders again remembering that face the halfbreed had worn. It had been normal at first just an angry person. Then as the conversation continued after his second threat it started to change slowly.

His face had also started changing as more and more hints of something eldritch and inhuman began to leak out of him as he had glared at him. Shadows had begun to fill the room and darken it though the halfbreed hadn't seemed to notice that. Soon the room had been pitch black in them and was filled with a pressure that was like being suffocated. The only light in the room had been coming from the halfbreed's glowing menacing red eyes.

The devil shuddered as sweat ran down his body in a waterfall as he broke from the memory. He curled deeper into a ball and remembered two words he had heard suddenly screamed from a new human slave that the OSF had captured a week ago.

Those two words now echoed along with the image a dark and jagged crown above that inhuman face. He would see that image even as he drifted to sleep and the cold.