10 Azazel.

------------(General-POV)------------

Ichigo had heard of that name. Elder Gen and Yasaka had both told him about the leader of Grigori and the lord of the fallen angels, Azazel. Though both of them said quite different things about the man. According to Yasaka, he was a lecher, a pervert of the highest degree and the worst playboy to ever exist. He had also tried to get into her pants, but wasn't persistent, which stopped Ichigo's image of the man from deteriorating. The only thing Elder Gen and Yasaka had agreed on was that he was very cunning and powerful... and surprisingly honest. His power was comparable to the top ten of this world, just that the the man himself was not interested in such a title.

According to Elder Gen though, Azazel, while honest and trustworthy than most, was someone to be wary of. Less so because of his strength and more so because of his connections that he had formed over the years. Any faction you could think of, the man had friends in it. Any species you could think of, the man had a few working for him. Any secret you knew of, he probably knew it as well. He was so well connected that he had a branch of his organisation in nearly every country of the world. He had asked the old man how it was possible and the answer was surprisingly straightforward. Everything else aside, Azazel was a man of his word. If he promised you something or you made a contract with him, he would do everything in his power to fulfill it.

He was charismatic enough to bring outsiders in the war between the biblical faction, the first one to do so, before it escalated. He was also a very good judge of character and would befriend those that would later on become influential in the world early on because of his charisma. Most important in Elder Gen's opinion though was that he was a pacifist. He tried to end conflicts without resorting to violence, if at all possible. Elder Gen had also said that he personally trusted Azazel to be fair, a lot of people did. Many smaller factions called Azazel to be a fair judge in their conflicts, and he had proven himself every time. All in all, Azazel was trustworthy and better as a friend or an ally than an enemy.

------------(Ichigo's-POV)------------

He remembered what old Gen and Yasaka had told him about the man. This shifty looking, Urahara reminding, middle aged man was The most well connected person in this world... and an honest pervert, also one of the best inventors and a lot of other things. He also remembered that he was supposed to meet the man because his organisation was the best at collecting information on where to find who, especially criminals. Remembering all that, he tried to be somewhat courteous and introduced himself.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. An... inspiring bounty hunter from Japan." He said pushing his right hand forward.

"Well met Ichigo. Can I call you Ichigo? You can call me Azazel, by the way." Azazel said laughingly, shaking his hand. The man didn't give anymore introduction besides his name, knowing full well that he was recognizable. The laid back attitude and trying to set his own pace was also somewhat similar to Urahara. The man motioned to sit with him and started talking again.

"Now, where have I heard that name before? Ichigo, orange hair, from Japan, a new bounty hunter? Hmm. Ah, right! You are the one who caused that slight disturbance outside the west Youkai territory. You were quiet for a while before suddenly being very active around a month or so ago. What are you doing so far from home?" Azazel asked him with a smile. Ichigo was a bit surprised. Yasaka had told the others that he was a guest and not related to the phenomenon that occured, but clearly not everyone believed it. He decided against addressing that for now.

"I was told that I should meet some of the other factions to broaden my horizons." He said with a shrug.

"Indeed, the broadening of horizons should be done early lest one becomes arrogant." Azazel said nodding like an old man, fiddling with his goatee. They talked a bit more about this and that before Azazel leaned in closer to him and asked in an exaggerated manner, like they were school boys talking about some gossip.

"So, I heard you and Yasaka were..." He didn't complete his sentence and started winking at him. It took him a moment to understand what the man was trying to say and he immediately face palmed.

"Yasaka told me you were an extreme pervert but I thought she was exaggerating. Clearly not." Ichigo replied with a sigh.

"Hey! That's not true! I'm not a pervert! I'm just a foremost connoisseur of female bodies. Please don't compare me with such lowlifes!" Azazel said with indignation as if he was completely offended.

"What's the difference?" Ichigo asked back. While it was slightly disconcerting how familiar Azazel was to Urahara, he was different enough that it didn't take long for them to get along with each other. Especially him. It was like talking to an old friend. Maybe that's why so many people came to trust Azazel.

"So, an aspiring hunter you said?" Azazel asked, changing the the topic completely. Shameless as well. He could only nod at that.

"Would you like some commissions from Grigori?" Azazel asked him, looking quite serious.

"Would you trust me enough to give me some?" He asked back.

"Of course not. The first few would be seen as a test. We will talk about a proper contract after that." Azazel said with a 'it is what it is' expression.

"Why?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Ichigo, what little I could find about you points to the fact that you don't exist. You first appeared after that disturbance and I have tried to pry information from the people you first met, but they have been sworn to secrecy. I'm just interested." At this point, Azazel eyes had started to shine like a boy who just seen a new toy, the smile on his face was disturbing to say the least. It reminded him Kurotsuchi, that crazy scientist and his want to dissect people. He didn't seem to be done yet.

"I want to know, Ichigo. Who are you? What are you? How did you end up here? What can you do? I'm curious and this is the best method I could come up with at the moment, besides kidnapping you that is. But the latter doesn't seem all that possible now that you are right in front of me." Azazel said, holding nothing back.

He was conflicted. He wanted to be friends with Azazel but what he just said was unsettling. He frowned in thought, before saying.

"So you will help me because you want to keep a closer eye on me?" Ichigo asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Basically." Azazel said with a nod.

"I don't know, but to me that sounds a little-" He couldn't even finish before Azazel interrupted him with a shout.

"Don't you dare say it! I like women and only women ok!!" This time he said it with such vehemence that it felt like he had just been accused of a heinous crime. Ichigo only raised his eyebrows at that.

"I was going to say creepy." He said with a deadpan. He could guess where Azazel's thoughts had gone. Azazel looked at him for a while and coughed before opening his mouth again.

"Now that we have gotten rid of the misunderstanding, let's move on." He said like he wasn't the who misunderstood.

Ichigo could only marvel at the shamelessness and shake his head. It was strange, they had only met less than an hour ago and he was already starting to like this man, his unique quirks aside.

"As I was saying before your misunderstanding..." He looked at Azazel pointedly before continuing.

"While it would be creepy, I am willing to work with you. On that note, I'm also willing to answer some of your questions as a sign of goodwill." This was something he rarely, if ever, did. He was extending his hand for a friendship. Most of the people back in his world were the ones who did it. He just accepted them and it formed into a small circle around him. This was also something old Gen had made him understand. He shouldn't just expect others to be friendly, he had to start it. So, he decided to test that in his own way. Azazel looked surprised at that before he adopted a thinking posture. It took Azazel a few minutes to ask the first question.

"Are you from this world?" Azazel asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Right to the gist of it, eh." He said shaking his head. Azazel's intuition and deduction were clearly strong.

"No, I'm not." Ichigo said bluntly. Azazel nodded before asking again.

"Why are you here?" Azazel asked even more seriously. Ichigo thought for a while. Should he answer that? He decided to trust his guts and did.

"Mine was destroyed." So he once again answered concisely. Azazel seemed even more surprised before he controlled his expression and asked again.

"How?"

He told Azazel a short version. Three dimensions in his world. A man gained enough power and decided he didn't like any of them. The man then decided to crash the three dimensions together and rule the newly created one. He managed to kill the man, but the dimensions were already in the process of crashing and breaking down. One of his friend managed to send him away before dying and then he appeared here.

"How sure are you that you are the only survivor?" Azazel asked after he was finished.

"Quite." He answered with an angry scowl. Azazel seemed to think for a while before saying.

"You know about the Great War, right?" Seeing him nod, Azazel continued.

"There are signs that the escalation happened due to the influence of entities from other worlds." Azazel dropped a bomb just like that.

"How sure are you of that?" Ichigo asked.

"Quite." Was the answer he got.

"Why tell me?"

"Since you were open with me, I decided to tell you why I was wary." Azazel answered with a shrug.

"Let's leave all of that for later and go back to my first question. Your blatant use of your powers and your stroll. I'm not saying I know you well, but you are clearly not stupid Ichigo, so what gives." Azazel asked him with one brow raised.

"That leads back to what I am." He answered.

"And what are you?" Azazel asked with interest.

"Mainly a spirit." He said.

"A spirit? Like a ghost?" Azazel asked back with a frown.

"Yes, you can say that. My body was destroyed with my world." He replied with a resigned expression.

"So, you are not made of flesh and blood?" Azazel asked back, his expression getting a little weird.

"Yes. While I do bleed, it's not exactly blood in a sense." Ichigo answered. He himself wasn't sure how the bodies of the Shinigami back in his world worked. They were not made of flesh and blood, yet they could still bleed, sweat and even have children. It was a confusing matter that went completely over his head.

"So, how do you..." Azazel asked back, making a circle with the index finger and thumb of his left hand and inserting the index finger of his right hand into the circle. It once again took him a few moments to understand what he was trying to say and he could only sigh and facepalm again.

"That's what you ask?! Not how I became this, but I how I fuck?! Really? She was right when she said you were an extreme pervert." He replied with some agitation.

"Hey! That's a very important matter! How can you enjoy life if you can't even have sex!" Azazel said back with equal fervour. They sat quietly for a moment before Azazel opened his mouth again.

"So, you can't?" Azazel asked with a smirk.

"Leave it." He said narrowing his eyes.

"Hey, no need to be so touchy now. I understand if you can't-" He stopped Azazel before he could finish his words.

"I said, drop it." He said with a growl.

"Alright, alright. So, you are a spirit. Do you do possessions and all that weird shit?" Azazel asked once again changing the subject. He had clearly mastered the art of diversion.

"No, none of that. I'm a spiritual being. I can affect the world around me, but if you don't have enough spiritual awareness, you won't even be able see me. Most normal humans fall into that category." Ichigo said.

"But you did have a fleshy body once?" Azazel asked again. He nodded.

"I lived my life as a somewhat normal human thinking myself weird for being able to see spirits and ghosts. I only got introduced to the supernatural side of my world a few years ago, but I still had my human body. I'll have to give you the full story for all this to be somewhat understandable." He said shaking his head.

"Alright then, we'll leave that for later. Now, do you have any questions?" Azazel asked him.

"I heard that you like to play with whatever strange stuff you get your hands on." Ichigo said.

"Yes, one of my hobbies and passions. Right now I'm focusing on Sacred Gears. I am proud to say that I have made some progress." Azazel said, raising his head proudly.

"You remind me of one of my friend. He also liked to know and keep secrets and also played with and invented strange stuff all the time. He was someone who helped me a lot but he also had his own agendas. You seem very similar to him." He said, rolling his eyes at remembering Urahara.

"Seems like a nice guy overall." Azazel replied with a smile.

"He was. But his habit of keeping secrets and his plans to himself was so damn annoying. I understand the need to keep your plans away from the enemy, but it was so fucking irritating. I can already see you doing that." He said, looking at Azazel like he was already guilty. Azazel looked at him narrowed eyes before laughingly saying.

"You are quite right! I'm surprised you got such a read on me so quickly!"

Azazel put his hand forward and said with a smile.

"This already feels like it will great friendship Ichigo!"

He shook his head and accepted the handshake with a smile.

"Same here." He said. Azazel ordered a few drinks but before they could start drinking, an old voice called him from behind.

"Ichigo, what are you doing here?" He turned around and saw old Gen standing at the door of the bar.

"Waiting for you, old man." He said with a shrug. Azazel also looked behind and said cheerfully.

"Old turtle, you're finally here!"

"I'm a tortoise, dirty little crow." Old Gen replied with slight frown. Ichigo looked at them both and said.

"You two know each other?"

"Yeah, this old fossil taught me a few things back in the day, when I had just fell and was completely lost." Azazel said happily.

"This little brat was just kicked out of his home and attached himself to me when I offered some help, but that's a story for another time." Old Gen said shaking his head.

"This is the kid I was talking about, but it seems like you already figured that out." Old Gen said to Azazel, pointing at him.

"Picked up another lost kid, eh." Azazel said with a chortle.

"Yeah, but this one is even more dangerous than you." Old Gen said, rolling his eyes. They were talking about him like he wasn't sitting right there.

"What's going on old man?" He asked before they could start again.

"The plan was to take you around myself and help you make a name but this one heard of it somehow and said he wanted to help. But it seems like you have already come to some sort of agreement, so you will follow that." Old Gen said, already turning around to leave.

"What about you old man." He asked.

"I have my own business to attend to and I don't have time to personally babysit another brat. You brats help each other out." With that, the old man left them.

"You seem to know the old man well." He asked Azazel.

"Eh, he's a good man. Helped me a lot when I fell, helped a lot of other people as well without asking for anything. I'd say that he is one of the only remaining true Sages, if not the only one." Azazel said back admiringly.

"Who is he?" He asked Azazel. It was obvious that he knew the actual identity of old Gen.

"Just wait for it. He tells that to everyone he picks up. He'll tell you as well." Azazel said. They spent a few minutes just drinking before he said.

"So, what's the plan?"

------------(Break)------------

The next month was spent going around with Azazel and meeting a lot of different people. He realised that this world was a lot more expansive than he thought. Many of the fictional species back in his home world were real in this one. Vampires were real, so were Werewolves, Succubus, Elves and so many others. Mindless monsters were also real. The final one they had to meet, before he got his first comission from Grigori, was Odin, the All-father from the Norse mythology, who was according to Azazel, a fellow Connoisseur of the female body. Old Gen had already told him that but to think an old man, who was depicted as a cold and calculating monarch in the legends, was a pervert. They had to travel to Asgard to meet Odin. He didn't know what Azazel's business was with Asgard or Odin, but he didn't care enough to even ask Azazel.

From afar, Odin looked quite respectable. An elderly man with long white hair and white beard so long, it nearly touched the ground. A golden monocle on his right eye, wearing a white robe and walking with a stick, an amicable old man who looked like he would be good with kids. From afar, that is. The moment they got closer, he saw the old man trying to coop a feel from a very beautiful lady, he didn't succeed. The image of an amicable old man was immediately destroyed. He had to sigh at that.

Azazel though, happily went forward and started laughing at the failed attempt.

"Hahaha, you old thing. Have you lost your edge?" Odin looked at Azazel and smirked.

"You little crow, you're finally here." Following behind the old God, who was still trying to coop a feel from passing women, was a beautiful young woman with long straight white hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a skimpy looking armour of black and white with golden highlights. She was looking somewhat frustrated.

"Odin-sama, please behave yourself in front of guests." He could understand what she was saying thanks to something Azazel had given him. Apparently, many of the supernatural species had the ability to understand and talk in any language. Azazel had long since managed to create something that emulated such an effect and tried to explain it to him, but he waved it off, saying he wouldn't understand it anyway. It worked, that was enough for him. He was thinking about such an absurd ability when the old God waved his, bodyguard? off and started talking to Azazel.

"Enough of that. Little crow, did you bring it."

"Of course I brought it! It was a comission directly from you so I handled it personally." Azazel answered.

"Hehehe, give it here quickly." Odin said with a perverted giggle. Azazel handed over a small sealed file that seemed to only contain a few pages.

"So little?" Odin said while frowning.

"Hah? Fuck you old man. You should be happy I even gave you a few! They are from my personal collection damnit! If the return wasn't so- Kuh!" Azazel replied with anger.

"Hehehe, as long as these are good, I will agree with meeting the devil's." Odin replied with a chuckle.

By this point, he had an inkling of what was inside the file. He approached Azazel and held his neck in a tight grip and pulled him back.

"There better not be any of Yasaka's." He said with a growl.

"Kuh. You think I would betray a bro? How low is your evaluation of me!?" Azazel replied with a grimace. He had learned during his trip with Azazel that many still held fantasies of being with Yasaka. She was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her pictures were widely circulated and even though he didn't like it, he couldn't exactly go around and destroy every photo out there now could he. That would be an endless task.

He also learned more about Azazel. Not only was he a master at diverting topics, he was also a master at taunting others. He was also a master Procrastinator. One time his vice leader was berating him for not doing his work and Azazel somehow managed to make the vice leader feel guilty and made the vice leader do his work for him, while he skipped town taking him along.

"Hmm? Who is this, Azazel?" Odin asked Azazel after seeing him being manhandled like a kitten.

"Ah, this is Ichigo Kurosaki. I volunteered to be his teacher and teach him about the different parties in the world." Azazel replied, rubbing his neck. Odin hummed and didn't ask anything else, but Azazel wasn't done.

"Also, Yasaka's boyfriend." He added quickly before running away.

"What?! The foxy lady had a boyfriend?! Since when?!" Odin whirled towards him with wide eyes.

"Odin-sama, control yourself!" The white haired woman said, looking dejected.

He scowled before answering.

"Since a month ago."

"Kuh. Another great beauty lost to a kid." This old God certainly had a few screws loose. He held the file Azazel had given him to his heart and said.

"I must sooth my broken heart with this amazing material. Rossweisse, you stay with him. Take him to the guest quarters and care for his needs. I still have business with Azazel." The crazy god said with his head down. He was suddenly alone with the white haired, still dejected, woman, named Rossweisse apparently. He decided to introduce himself nonetheless.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, I'll be in your care." He said with a nod. That was enough to bring her back to the outside world.

"Ah, yes! My name is Rossweisse, Valkyrie working under Odin-sama, currently single, looking for a boyfriend. Please take care of me!" She said, looking completely flustered. He could only raise his eyebrows at that introduction.

"Likewise, Rossweisse."