[Chapter:9][A secret unknown to even the Keeper of Secrets.]

"You remember that manhwa called 'The Gamer' right?"

"Er, yeah?"

The three women nodded.

Rhianna loved anime and manga, an interesting that Leah shared even if not as much as her little sister.

And Aya liked watching them too, as the ever curious Fallen Angel once again reaffirmed her decision of falling just for the sake of roaming the human world. The anime, manga, light novels, and all were simply too tempting to her!

She especially liked novels of the mystery genre, though she didn't mind reading along with her daughters.

Echo nodded before saying out loud,

"Display Status."

Then, in the amazed eyes of the three women plus two dragon spirits, Ddraig having just woken up without getting the chance to introduce herself, a blue hologram like screen appeared before them.

. . . . . .

[Status]

Echo Howers

Human | 19 years | Male

Level : 100 (00.00%)

Job : [Scholar(Lv-100/100)]

HP : 110/110 (11 per min)

MP : 5,720/5,720 (4,260 per min) (10,260-6,000 per min)

[Stats]

Strength : 13

Endurance : 14

Vitality : 11

Agility : 13

Intelligence : 286

Wisdom : 1,283

Senses : 11

Charm : 19

Stat Points : 0

[Skills]

[Gamers' Body(Lv-Max)]

[Gamers' Mind(Lv-Max)]

[Observe(Lv-Max)] (Unavailable due to skill [Research])

[Void Fade(Lv-Max)]

[Focus(Lv-Max)]

[Scholar's Knowledge(Lv-68)]

[Analysis(Lv-13)]

[Research(Lv-11)]

[Writing(Lv-3)]

[Premonition(Lv-4)]

[(Killing Intent(Lv-1)]

[(Bloodlust(Lv-1)]

[(Murderous Aura(Lv-1)]

[(Assassination(Lv-1)]

[(Dismantling(Lv-1)]

[(Mad Enhancement(Lv-1)]

[Cleaning(Lv-3)]

[Perks]

[Eidetic Memory(50 INT)]

[Budding Mage(100 INT)]

[Genius(50 WIS)]

[Mana Generator(100 WIS)]

[Wiseman(500 WIS)]

[Mana Reactor(1,000 WIS)]

[First Blood]

[Scholar]

. . . . . .

Echo also displayed all the descriptions of his skills and perks since he knew they'd ask him anyway.

Minutes of silence pass by, before Rhianna mutters,

"So…like…you're…a Gamer?"

"Pretty much."

Echo nodded, his tone as monotonous as ever, but Rhianna wasn't able to handle the excitement.

"A Gamer! My Onii-chan is a Gamer!"

She was practically jumping in joy, making Leah pout.

"You're big sister is the inheritor of Lucifer himself, the world's second Nephilim. What's so great about a Gamer anyway?"

Despite saying so, however, she knew very well just how absurd the existence of a Gamer truly is.

After all, it took her over four years while having the blood of Lucifer himself flowing through her veins and with the full support and training from all of Heaven as it's newest and, in turn, weakest member, for a full three years, before she achieved her current strength.

But for a Gamer? She wouldn't be surprised if her little brother reached or even surpassed her in a week!

As for Aya, she sighed in relief. What went through her thoughts was unknown, but it was clear that whatever worries she had were somehow solved.

"Wait, is [Gamers' Mind] the reason why…?"

Rhianna's question made them all, except Ddraig who had no idea what was going on, poor dragon, look at Echo questioningly.

He, however, just shook his head.

"No. I only got the System the morning of the day after moved in."

"I see…"

All three felt disappointed, thought, on second thought, so what if his condition was the result of the skill?

It wasn't like they could do anything…

"Wait, now that you mention it, as supernatural beings, can't you, like, heal Onii-chan or something?"

Leah shook her head.

"It's not an illness. For whatever reason, E-kun was born with such an emotionless, 'detached' personality. To change it would be no different from changing his personality, but…"

"There were many times I was tempted.", Aya shook her head, "But you are all my children. What kind of mother would I be if I messed with your heads?"

"Besides, one's personality is what makes the person. Changing it would be no different from killing the original. Can you imagine E-kun that smiles and laughs and jokes and cries and…"

Leah's voice got softer at the end, and all three women felt saddened. It was something they all wished would happen, after all, but they also knew they couldn't force it.

"Now you're making me feel bad."

Echo sighed as he shook his head, his voice as cold as ever as he shifted the conversation.

"Anyway, my family tree sure is messed up huh? Mine and yours too, Rhi."

"Eh? Mine?"

She blinked in confusion, making him nod.

"Think about it, mom's an Angel, making God our grandpa."

She nodded.

"But sis is technically the granddaughter of Lucifer, meaning the great granddaughter of God, making him our Great grandfather."

She nodded again, albeit slower.

"And Gabriel-sama told me to think of her as an older sister.", Leah added, "Making you her little siblings or cousins too. Making God your Uncle?"

She tilted her head in confusion.

"Well, even though I was born after her, I always considered Gabriel like a little sister, making her your Aunt and God your Grand Uncle in a sense. Or wait, would he still be your grandpa?" (Aya)

Rhianna thought about it for a moment, before holding her head and shaking it fiercely.

"Ugh! It's too complicated!"

She pouted as though her head hurt just from thinking about it, making the rest excluding Echo smile.

*cough*

Just then, a sixth voice not belonging to either of the four or to Albion coughed lightly.

A bright light emerged from Rhianna's left hand, and the Boosted Gear, in all its unlocked glory, appeared around it.

[Can anyone tell me what is going on here?]

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

[So…]

Ddraig, who had just gotten the explanations she needed from her host, began,

[The mother is Raziel, the Secret Keeper, who even GodKings like Zeus and Odin felt shivers at the mention of…]

[The eldest daughter is the inheritor of Lucifer, as well as the generation's White Dragon Empress…]

[The youngest daughter, who also happens to be my host, is a normal human. As normal as one with mid class magic reserves anyway…]

[And the son is someone with access to something that could potentially let him surpass my own peak in a month if he puts his mind to it, and who is also the one that somehow managed to get his hands on me and fused me with my current host…]

"Yup~!"

Ddraig remained silent after her host's cheerful exclamation, before,

[…is this some kind of scam?]

(You feel the same way then, sister.)

"Eh? Sister!?"

Aya suddenly exclaimed as if she had just heard something incredible.

(Ahh, you all don't know huh?)

[Well, we never truly revealed it, nee-chan.]

(I and Ddraig, we are sisters.)

[And the legendary 'fight to the death' you people labelled our sisterly quarrel is just us arguing about something stupid.]

The Angel of Mysteries' jaw dropped as she just heard the two Heavenly Dragons so nonchalantly mention a secret that could shake the whole supernatural world.

The two famous Heavenly Dragons, beings who were said to surpass the God of Bible himself at their peak, the two on whom was based a story of the greatest life-and-death battle and nigh-eternal rivalry…

Actually considered said fight a 'sisterly quarrel'…

"Seriously? Wait, then why the rivalry between your hosts?"

That was what Leah had been worried about. Fighting her little sister? Please, she'd rather never use Albion again.

(Oh, that, it's because the stronger our hosts grow…)

[The more strain the gears develop, and once the strain becomes enough…]

"You'd be able to break free."

Aya finished their words for them.

(That's right. And what better means of growing than fighting to death?)

[Both of us knew each other far better than ourselves, and we also knew the other one's hosts would perhaps be the only ones capable of growing strong enough to rival our own hosts.]

(At some point, the 'deadly fights meant to enrich growth' turned into 'eternal rivalry' or whatever, but eh, it worked better for us that way so we didn't bother correcting it.)

"…"

Neither Aya nor Leah could say anything. One personally saw the terrifying battles of the two Heavenly Dragons first hand, and the other had heard much of the different users of both Sacred Gears killing each other like maniacs.

"So you two were like me and Onee-chan huh? How does it feel to be hosted by sisters?"

[It feels quite good, little one.]

Ddraig's voice, which suddenly turned less majestic and more feminine, resounded as the green jewels on the Boosted Gear glowed.

(It does indeed.)

Even Albion's voice changed, turning to that of a mature lady, as the energy wings of Divine Dividing pulsed with a blue glow.

The unexpected changes made the two unable to react for a moment, while Echo suddenly chimed in.

"The food's getting cold."

"Ahh! My ramen! It's all soggy!"

"Sigh…I guess we'll talk again after dinner."

"No fair! Onii-chan is already done!"

"It's not my fault you ignored your food till now."

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

"So, your [Game] doesn't have a party function?"

In response to Rhianna's disappointed voice, Echo could only nod expressionlessly.

"Unfortunately. I might get it as a reward to another quest, but that's random."

"Right, speaking of Quests, what all did you do? And do I have to make you run errands like in the original?"

Instead of responding, Echo opened the Quest Log and showed it to them.

"Hee…you already did a few huh?"

"Escaped Convict? Wait, our excuse always actually real?"

Aya was surprised, while Leah frowned.

"A Fallen Angel? Did you…"

Echo looked at Rhianna, who fell silent at the 'kill' part of the quest.

"His body is too bloody."

He sighed as he watched the slight fear the crept up to her face at the term he used.

Aya was used to death, and Leah had killed her fair share of stray devils and rogue fallen and even fanatical exorcists that had strayed from Heaven's teachings.

And the two Dragon Sisters needn't even be mentioned, just the sheer number of casualties they caused from the after effects of their 'sister quarrel' as they called it amounted to millions.

But Rhianna was nothing more than your everyday teenager. Even her higher than normal magic reserves, which were further boosted with the fusion and awakening of 'Boosted Gear', was only because of living with two Ultimate Class Beings and being frequently exposed to their powers.

Killing someone, to her, even if a being of another race, was no different from murder. Not to mention, the killer was her own big brother and the victim, the same race as her mother.

Right then, however, Rhianna shook her head wildly, before smiling at him.

"I want to see it."

"…"

Leah wanted to say something, but Aya stopped her as she watched at her youngest child with a tinge of worry.

Echo, despite being as impassive as ever, was worried himself. Especially considering he condition the Fallen's body was in.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

His blank eyes bored into her own, and for the first time in her life, Rhianna didn't show discomfort or fear or any other reaction, meeting his emotionless stare with a determined one of her own.

"…"

"Alright then."

Opening the Inventory, he let the body fall out.

"!!!"

Even the two experienced women were alarmed at the state of the Fallen.

All four of his limbs cut off, his eyes gouged out with his sockets clearly empty, the cut on his neck so deep it made it look like a bloody mouth…

"Ugh!"

Rhianna shivered, her first dead-body experience going as expected, and she began to hurl her recently eaten dinner onto the floor.

Even Leah looked a bit uncomfortable, used to death, but not one as bloody as the one her own little brother had apparently committed, while Aya looked at her son worriedly.

"Are you…alright?"

Echo merely nodded.

"I've seen worse. Done worse."

His words surprised both the older women, but seeing him giving no other explanation, they decided not to pry.

"…"

Rhianna took a deep, long breath as she finished vomiting, Leah handing her a glass of water she used to rinse her mouth, before looking at her big brother straight in his eyes, not a speck of fear visible in her own.

"Why did you make it so messy?"

There was no fear, no anger, not even the slightest trace of blame. Both women, and even the Dragon sisters, who had remained silent knowing what the young girl was going through was needed for her to survive in the supernatural side, were surprised to find her question laced with pure curiosity.

Echo, himself, answered,

"Do you know how he escaped from prison?"

She nodded. The assault as well as following death of a female police officer made the whole country shake, and even her, who usually doesn't follow such news, knew of it.

"When I found him, he was licking his lips while looking at the three of you."

Echo brought up his Status again.

"That's when I got this skill.", he pointed at 'Mad Enhancement'.

"Of course he was…"

Aya sighed as she and Leah looked at each other with wry smiles. The two had known for a long time a day would come when Echo would kill for them. He loved the three of them, his family, too much, and cared for the rest of the world, himself included, too little.

Now that he mentioned it, they felt like idiots. Just one look at the dismembered body should have told them why the usually calm and indifferent Echo killed the man slowly instead of doing so quickly and efficiently, especially considering that 'Void Fade' skill he had.

What everyone except Echo missed, was a glint passing through Rhianna's eyes.

'He…Onii-chan did it for me…for us…'

'He was angry because the man looked at us lustfully…'

'Onii-chan got mad for the first time for us…for me…'

'…hehehe…'