68 Cadres

After everything was said and done, Ray approached the cause of everything. He found Yasaka kneeling and weeping on the soil of the mountain after melting all the snow around her.

"Yasaka..."

"*sob* Ray-sama!"

'Don't cry like that after nearly destroying the world...' He sighed, a bit of scolding was necessary but he couldn't find it within himself to do so. Despite the mild jealousy of her tears belonging to another man, he was reassured that she managed to close this chapter of her life. 

The kitsune jumped on her master, weeping as if finally giving herself the right to mourn... a dead mate, relentless harassment and sleepless nights were over. Cao Cao was gone and not only him, but his whole bunch. 

Georg's corpse lay on the ground, the whereabouts of his head unknown. Heracles' body still burned in golden flames, Jeanne D'arc had been impaled by Disruption... they were all gone. The explosion had been so devastating that Disruption hadn't been able to completely protect him from it, the same way it also couldn't protect Hasshaku-sama.

Ray watched how the first ones to stand up albeit staggering were Arthur who was carrying an unconscious Le Fay and Bikou. They wanted to run away, the latter watched Kuroka who was still in Hasshaku-sama's grasp, unconscious, and realised they wouldn't be able to save her. 

"Vali, we can't stay here any longer!" Arthur yelled to the boy who seemed to still be in shock and absentminded, the balance breaker was gone and only a pair of white draconic wings remained... his eyes focused on the weeping Yasaka as if his horizons had been broadened.

'That's... true power... like Ophis'.

He realised this was their chance to run, but alas... while his companions would get a chance, that was impossible for him. 

"Vali"

!!!

Five individuals descended from the skies with black wings, landing on the soil between Ray, Yasaka and Vali. The two remaining slimes got into action although their cores were cracked due to the shockwave, Disruption stood protectively in front of Ray.

"Who are you?" Ray asked, although his question was answered by Vali.

"Azazel... w-why are you here?!" While Vali mumbled the name of the man in front, Arthur and Bikou took the chance, the former used his holy sword, Caliburn, and split the space itself, creating a portal to the dimensional gap and although he was reluctant to step in their after the explosion, he knew that the dimensional gap was a massive area and it was almost impossible for two spots to coincide. 

Hence, he carried Le Fay and jumped in with Bikou... wishing Vali and Kuroka the best. 

The man called Azazel just stood there, seemingly analysing the situation as yet another individual landed from the skies, this time it was a woman that resembled a witch and she landed next to Vali. 

"L-Lavinia- ouch!"

The young blonde woman pulled Vali by the ear, "So this is what have you been doing by yourself, almost getting killed?!"

Silence was his answer while getting a vicious earful, the boy had no words to say whenever this woman was involved. 

...

"You must be Osiris. My name is Azazel"

The man walked up to Ray and stretched his hand forward to shake the Demigod's. He was holding Yasaka and Azazel regarded her for one second; Ray noticed the fear in his gaze. 

'He knows I go by Osiris?' Ray didn't shake the man's hand, "Who do you side with, Azazel? And what do you want?"

"It may be hard to believe but I side with you, Osiris. This is Vali, my foster son. He has been naughty behind my back... I apologise for his misbehaviour, I don't intend to antagonise you... our only intention today is to take him back, that's all".

Seeing that the demigod was adamant in not shaking his hand, Azazel retreated awkwardly. Ray couldn't care less about that boy, he had fancied the armour but right now Yasaka was more important. 

"I don't care what you do with him, but I must say that you came well accompanied for such a simple task" Ray glanced at the other men standing next to Azazel, they all had many dark wings, he could count ten in each one of them. 

"They're Fallen Angel Cadres..." Yasaka spoke, her glare fixed on Azazel.

"It is a pity we meet under these circumstances, Lady Yasaka. I would have preferred-"

"Take your son or whatever and leave, Azazel. I have no intentions to kill him... I have already killed who I wanted dead" Yasaka interrupted him, tightening her hug on Ray.

Azazel nodded, he wanted to talk more but clearly right now wasn't the best time. His gaze shifted to the side where he found Hasshaku-sama who had gone back to her humanoid form, releasing Kuroka on the soil.

"You know our proposal is still valid, Kuu-sama... if you wish to join Grigori-"

"No".

"A pity~ Osiris, this is my business card, if you ever need something don't hesitate~" Azazel handed Ray his card before picking up Vali like a sack of potatoes, "Then let's go... Vali, a good scolding awaits you".

"Wait, Kuroka!" Vali was picked up like a sack of potatoes by Azazel before he and the rest of the Cadres jumped into the skies and flew away. It was then that the blonde beauty that looked like a witch approached Ray, she was jiggling all over the place.

"You and your group were amazing~"

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Lavinia Reni. I'm a witch from Grauzauberer but I'm with Grigori provisionally, nice to meet you!" She stretched her hand forward to shake his, just like Azazel did but once again Ray didn't respond. Not because he didn't want to, but because he had no idea about those names that she just mentioned. 

"I'm... Osiris" he was about to say his real name. 

"What does a witch from Grauzauberer want with us?" Yasaka finaly stood up on her own accord but she didn't push Ray away, instead, entwined her fingers with his. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Yasaka. There are a few matters but for now, I'd like to thank Osiris for letting Vali go, he's like a little brother to me" Lavinia bowed down towards Ray but he dismissed her. 

"There is nothing to thank me for, I didn't come here to kill him, I came to protect my friend... but I hope you know if he and I cross paths and he antagonises me, I won't let him off again" Ray threatened. 

"I understand. The other matter..." Lavinia's eyes drifted towards one corpse that was resting on the ground, headless. 

"My magical organisation, Grauzauberer, was founded centuries ago by a powerful and renowned magician named Johann Georg Faust. This Sir that you murdered happens to be his descendant, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to allow me to retrieve his body back to our tower?~"

"Sorry but that's not possible" Ray remarked resolutely much to Lavinia's depression. 

'I want Disruption to eat him to see if I get something good!'

*cough*

"Sorry but in any case, that's impossible".

Lavinia sighed but there wasn't much she could say since the rights over Georgs' body didn't belong to her, she checked up her cleavage and took something out of there, earning Yasaka's frown. She thought the witch was trying to seduce her master and she didn't have the right mindset to be dealing with jealousy. 

Lavinia gave Ray her card just like Azazel had done. 

"If you're ever interested in forming a contract with a magician, please call me. I'd be more than delighted to form a contract with you and become your private magician~" She proposed giddily.

"I have to confess, we have watched the whole incident that took place here, Mr Ray. We weren't able to enter due to the barrier cast by a deity but we were able to see, and I was marvelled by you. I'm sure this alliance can benefit each other somehow".

The witch awaited his response patiently but Ray had no idea what she was talking about. 

"Contract, what is it, Yasaka?" He asked the one he thought would know.

"Witches and Wizards from Grauzauberer tend to form contracts with supernatural beings, Ray-sama. They usually do so with devils, and it is a mutual exchange relationship between them that lasts for nearly a lifetime. In a way, it is like my relationship with you, except we don't have a formal contract".

The shocked Lavinia regarded Yasaka when she said it was like 'their relationship' She didn't know what sort of relationship it was, but she looked fairly close to Ray. It looked more intimate than just a contract. 

"As your contracted magician, in exchange for protection and resources, I'd look for ways to make you stronger, Mr Ray. If you so wished I could even teach you about the supernatural world and be your informant. I'd assist you in any possible way, all I wish is that you allow me to use your brand publicly" Lavinia spiced things up if she noticed something by their conversation was that Osiris didn't look well-informed... it wasn't a surprise since Grauzauberer also didn't have records of someone like him.

For someone this powerful, there was no way her organisation wouldn't know who he was. He was as clueless about the supernatural world as the world was about him. 

"When you say use my brand publicly... you mean that you wish others to know that you are contracted by me?"

"Yes~"

"I will think about it, Lavinia... but thanks for your proposal".

"Thanks to you, Mr Ray. I shall be awaiting your call".

Lavinia began floating in what looked like snow dust and disappeared on the horizon shortly after, following the same path those fallen angels had. 

"You seem to be highly sought after" Ray turned to look towards Hasshaku-sama, the voluptuous woman, unnaturally sexy and to top it off, with torn rags that left her a little more exposed than necessary. 

"You and I have a long conversation ahead of us... about Anna-chan" Ray stated and the woman in question giggled. 

"You're welcome to have a cup of tea at my place" She picked up Kuroka and started heading out on her own. 

"Kuu, I want to ask that girl some questions. You can' eat her" Yasaka ordered. 

"We haven't seen each other in nearly a century and you're as bossy as back then, Yasaka-dono. It shall be as you wish, I don't intend to eat this girl anyway~".

The pair watched Hasshaku-sama walk away, it was finaly over. 

"How are you feeling?" Ray asked her, kissing the back of her palm. 

"Empty..." Yasaka's answer was dry but still, she leaned down to kiss her master on the lips, a subtle assortment of pecks and licking, "Or that is what I would feel... if you weren't here".

"I'm always here for you".

"Hai~"

"But don't be releasing world-ending attacks like that again" sooner rather than later he had to scold her. 

"Ray-sama, I'm sorry... I didn't think I was that strong!"

[This is what happens when lifeforms evolve prematurely, Ray... Yasaka still hasn't gotten used to her own strength] Elysir added. 

"It seems it is not only me who needs training but anyway... let's go. Why do you think that witch is interested in me anyway, Yasaka? I don't think I have many resources. If it is a give-and-take relationship, I don't have much to offer"

"Well, it is not every day a teenage boy kills legends as if they were chicken, Ray-sama... Jeanne D'Arc, Heracles, Perseus, Georg... Cao Cao. They're all very strong individuals... before you made me evolve I wasn't able to defeat Cao Cao, but look at me now. I'd be more surprised if she wasn't interested in you".

"Hmmmmn..."

Yasaka walked to a certain spot on her own and she found the accursed spear lying there on the soil, it had managed to sustain her attack.

"No wonder this is considered the strongest Longinus" After a slight giggle she stored the the spear in her personal space. She clutched her chest, right where her heart was and turned around to look at Ray who was in the process of using Predator in Jeanne.

'I got the sacrifice, Ray-sama...'