4

I opened my eyes, looking upon the entirety of my Reality Marble for the first time. I was on a raised stone road, leading up to a great city built into a mountain. Its' towers were white marble, and they gleamed in the light of the rising twin suns. One sun was red, the other the normal yellow. I turned, looking about myself. Many people walked the path, bustling around busily. Young, old, thick, thin, they all seemed… content. Like they were doing something that they love. Like they were at home.

The road stretched off into the distance, leading from the gleaming city, to a dark metropolis. Light flashed in the distance, catching my attention. Upon inspection, I could see a figure holding a spear that reflected the sun's light, fighting a ferocious sea monster. A boat sailed alongside the fight, seemingly uncaring of the spectacle.

I glanced down at my reflection in the clear water. I seemed to be about fifteen years old, wearing an odd array of clothes, some from each life. One of my eyes was so black that no light escaped, while the other was so green it glowed. A long, red braid ran down my back.

"Greetings, Child. You must be new." A calm, deep voice spoke up.

I whirled, only to see a young man with brown hair and a coarse tunic. He looked maybe twenty or so. He had lightly tanned skin, plain clothes, and a white cloak. When he moved, I could see the hilt of an ornate sword showing.

"Yes," I replied, deciding that the best option would be to play along.

The man sighed, reaching up to rub the back of his head. He glanced over my shoulder, muttering something I didn't quite catch. Turning back to me, he began to speak once more. "Very well, Child, I shall endeavor to explain. Here's the short version. You're dead. We're currently in a Soul Construct known as a Reality Marble."

He adjusted his cloak before continuing. "This particular Marble gathers the souls of those who died unfulfilled, and allows them to live their lives in pursuit of their dreams. Usually those who died protecting something, or without fulfilling their Dream."

He checked over my shoulder again, then returned to the explanation. "There are no real requirements to living here, only that you do what you love. You may pass on at any time you like. And, most importantly, you must respect your fellow man."

I frowned. That sounded too good to be true. "And the price?"

The man laughed. "A Devil through and through, I see. Worry not, Child. The price is simple. Protect all who come here from outsiders, and love one another like family.

The people here may bicker occasionally, but they would all die for each other in a heartbeat, because they know the others would do the same for them. We are all a force of protection from the outside."

"Why?"

He gave me a confused look. "Can you not feel it? This is Home. We Lost Ones have spent our entire lives searching for somewhere to call home, somewhere we can belong, and so this land of Dreams is our paradise. No one is lonely, or scared, or in any real danger.

And best of all, there are fellow fighters, heroes, and people who share your Dream. For many, merely the chance to endlessly fight others of their caliber is worth a thousand deaths. For others, such as Herakles or Medea, the ability to live without fear of the gods is enough."

I spoke up. "And what about you? Why do you stay?"

He gave me a sad smile. "I am the father of this wonderful family, and I know the names of each and every one of my children. This beautiful, wonderful feeling of family is something I have wished for my whole life. I failed while alive, and I hope to succeed in death."

I paused for a while, digesting that. "Is there anything else required?"

"Nothing that you have to do… but there is one other thing you should know. 'In this place, the experiences of the many are catalogued and remembered.'" He said clearly, seemingly quoting from something. "In simple terms, the owner of this Marble has a copy of all your experiences. But even if you've done something you aren't proud of, I somehow doubt that the owner of a Living Marble would be the type to judge."

I snickered mentally. 'You have no idea, buddy.'

Out loud, I asked, "What about the cities?"

"The one of light is where you go to live peacefully. People work honestly, relax, and live the easy life. Nothing much changes, there." He gestured to the metropolis. "That one is where people go to live dangerously. The politics are cutthroat, the pace is quick, and change is constant." He glanced over my shoulder again. "Need anything else?"

I shook my head. "That's all for now."

He nodded and walked around me to watch the monster fight.

Not seeing much else to do, I followed. "You seem to be waiting for someone."

He nodded. "Sétanta is late for fishing. It looks like he decided to pick a fight with Curruid again, so it'll be a while."

I nodded, trying to think of a good conversation topic. "So…is it rude to ask how you died?"

He laughed. "No, child, it's not. Death is no longer something to fear or dread, here. We are already dead, we can't die unless we pass on."

The sea monster roared in the background, and the man next to me winced. "Ooh, that does not bode well. Now he's angry." He paused. "Pardon me. I was distracted. If you must know, I died in the Great War."

"Would I know who you are?"

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "I suppose you might. I was called Adonai in the ancient days."

I froze. "And… how am I not burning alive right now?"

He laughed. "Child, it is the System that punishes Devils for their actions, not me. Here, the System has no power. I'm actually quite proud of my children for forging their own path, even if I do miss them. But the price of rebellion was banishment, and I must uphold the laws."

"Besides, here we do not judge on species, for the Dreams of sparrows equal the weight of kings'. Curruid over there proves that."

I raised an eyebrow, still in shock. "Curruid…the sea monster… who is currently trying to kill that guy."

The man(?) beside me winced. "In the words of Sétanta, 'I don't fight Curruid because he's a monster, I fight him because he's an asshole.' While I would word it differently, I agree with the sentiment. We are all family, and every family has its' black sheep. But keep in mind, even if he is a black sheep, he would still die to protect this land. He gets to live and eat seaweed in peace, without worry of ships firing upon him in blind fear."

I smirked. "I've never seen anything about God cussing in the Bible."

He looked embarrassed. "I don't do it very well. Lucy-chan is constantly teasing me about it. And please, don't call me by that title. I am not God here, just another man. Call me Adonai, or Father if you must." He paused, turning to narrow his eyes at me. "Just don't call me Pops, Pappy, Old Man, or Sugar Daddy."

I started laughing. "I definitely didn't see those in the Bible."

He grumbled something about a drunk Sétanta. Once I had calmed down, he asked, "You've read the Bible? So, you're a reincarnated Devil?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Well, yes." '…but not the way you think.'

He nodded. "Well, as long as you're fine with being a Devil."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "And if I weren't?"

He shrugged. "Here, we make our own forms out of our experiences. For instance, my cloak is my experience as God, while the rest of me is tinted by my experiences as Christ. If I were in my true form, you wouldn't be able to look at me."

"So… we can shapeshift?"

"As long as all of your experiences remain accounted for, yes."

I glanced down at myself, trying to figure out how that would work for me.

"It comes with experience, Child. You must know yourself well." My companion advised me, noticing my scrutiny.

'I somehow doubt that my Distortion will allow me to look as impeccable as you seem to be. But still, this could be useful.'

I looked back up at him. "Could you at least show me how to become an Angel?"

He nodded. "Spread your wings."

I spread all…four… of my wings, two being smaller than the others. 'One pair from each life, I suppose.'

He didn't mention the discrepancy. "Now, I need you to give me your hand. I will help you the first time, show you how to 'find the light', so to speak."

I did so. He concentrated, seemingly trying to summon something from within. The skin on his hands cracked, shedding streams of brilliant light. The light brushed against my skin, invoking my best memories of either life.

…"Hey, wait up," I yelled, chasing after my older brother…

…My first father teaching me how to fix an engine…

…Grayfia's smile at seeing my 'first' steps…

…Sirzechs trying to teach me how to use a map…

…Figuring out how to throw my first Kamehameha…

I smiled slightly, watching as my wings turned soft and white. A small amount of Holy Light flowed into me, scorching my core and giving me a small amount of mana. 'Shit, I have to get rid of this! How the hell am I going to…' I paused. I had The Almighty in front of me, making contact with my hand, his eyes closed. I grinned. '))Structural Grasp(('

̨̟͕͈̯͖̽̚ͅI̭͔͍̲͐̆ͫ͋̍ͨͨ͜͜ ̷̩͙͕̘ͤ̓͟Ảͬ̋̈́͗҉̟͙̙̟͘ͅM̞͔͕̠̹̳̥̅ͮ̈́̑̃͊̈͢͠

̨̛͎̼̂̀

The world around me groaned, shuddering. In the sky, a beautiful new structure formed. It seemed to be formed of pure Light, its' towers glowing a brilliant white.

All action stopped as every person in the Marble turned to look at the newest structure. Sétanta leaped over to where Adonai and I stood. "What the hell?" he grumbled in a thick Irish accent. "We just got used to tha' red monstrosity, and now 'is?"

He turned to Adonai. "Do ye' got any clue…" He paused, seeing me. "Oi, Pops, what's with the lad?" He grinned. "Lemme guess, ye' got drunk, din't ye'? Was it— "

Adonai quickly cut him off. "That never happened. And even if it did, it didn't."

I blinked, withdrawing my hand. 'Well, at least now I know what happens when I push something I Structurally Grasped into my Reality Marble. Huh. I wonder what happened when I Grasped Dad? Sétanta said something about a red monstrosity. I glanced at the red sun. 'Is that it?'

I shelved the topic for a later date. "Sorry," I said instead, "I'm new here. What's that?"

Sétanta's grin stretched. "Ye' see, yer mum—"

Adonai wisely cut him off. "Near as we can tell, that is our landlord's way of showing us he cares."

"He? How are you sure it's a he?"

Adonai grimaced. "We occasionally find some… questionable material lying around."

'Oh fuck.'

"You found porn?"

'You found my porn?'

"Aye, lad. Some interestin' 'visual novels' in Japanese. Are ye' interested? Lots o' nice women, with some interestin' fetishes. We got some women with sub kinks,—"

'Well, there goes any plan to tell them who I really am. Shot straight to hell.'

"—cat ears,—"

'Or letting Shirone into my Marble. If the series is any indication, she'd probably beat me up for that.'

"—some tsunderes,—"

'This could not get any worse.'

"—angel girls—"

'I was wrong. It got worse. So…much…worse. Just kill me now.'

Fortunately, Adonai seemed to have had enough. "Sétanta, if you're quite finished with your antics, please leave the boy alone. He looks like he's about to pass out."

'God knows what kind of porn I like. Everyone here knows what kind of porn I like.'

'I'm just going to file this under 'The Red Man'. As long as I ignore it, it doesn't exist.'

I turned to Adonai. "Why didn't you stop him sooner!"

He shrugged. "You turned such a lovely shade of red, Child. I wanted to see if it could match your hair."

'And apparently, God's loves trolling people as much as I do.'

A sea monster roared in the background. Sétanta sighed. "Sorry, lads. Duty calls, an' all that." And with that, he lept back into the fight.

I turned to the Almighty, nonliving God, and asked the only question on my mind, one that only He could answer.

"If you love trolling people as much as I do, then why do you let others do the work for you? It's much more satisfying to set everything up yourself."

He grinned. "Did you know that dolphins are so smart, that within weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand at the edge of the pool and throw them fish?"

We both began to laugh, and didn't stop for a long time.

I opened my eyes in the real world. I had stayed there for only a little while longer, and had exchanged ideas with a fellow troll. I also found out some very important information. Something that every person in the Marble knew. Something vitally important to your continued mental well-being.

If Adonai wants to show you something, walk the fuck away.

'Heracles in a tutu is definitely being filed under The Red Man. I really did not need to know about that.'

I shuddered slightly. There is so much nope there. So. Much. Nope.

I promptly shut down that train of thought before it gave me nightmares.

I checked the clock. It was about three minutes until nine. Breakfast would start soon. I looked down at the Nekoshou sleeping adorably on my chest, and sighed. Sacrifices had to be made, in order to avoid angering Mother.

I stroked her head, sitting up slowly. She sleepily blinked awake. "Nya?"

"Breakfast is soon."

She yawned. "Okay."

I waited for her to move. She didn't. "Shirone? Can you get off?"

She blinked, apparently noticing her location, now on my lap, for the first time. Unfortunately, she still didn't seem particularly inclined to move. "Any reason you're not moving?"

"Because you left."

"Then why aren't you mad?"

She smiled, then. It was a slight thing, tinged with sadness, yet still happy. "Because you came back."

'Ouch. That one hit hard.'

I sighed. "I understand, but we have to get to breakfast soon."

She nodded slowly, before stumbling to her feet. She brushed some of the wrinkles out of her clothes, then went to stand by the door. As I began to do the same, she spoke up. "Why do you have a map on the back of your door?"

I looked up, having removed the worst of the wrinkles for the moment. "Hmm? Oh, that's so I don't get lost on the way to breakfast. It doesn't actually help, but it made my parents feel better for trying."

She frowned. "And the magic circle on the ground, over there?"

I smiled sheepishly. "That's what they did when the map failed."

I walked over to the dresser and switched out my jacket. Not for vanity's sake, but to give me some measure of protection if I was attacked whilst I was still powerless. To the same effect, I grabbed some of my spare gems from my sock drawer. I had prepared these gems years before, with my current magical situation in mind. Shirone still had the SEP gem, so she was safe, too.

Now a bit more relaxed, I walked over to the circle and took out a Charge gem. After Shirone joined me, I used the gem to power the circle.

We arrived in a lavish dining room with many chairs. My father sat at the head of the table, talking with my mother quite animatedly. I noticed with some amusement that he was in pajamas and had his hair in a towel.

I quietly walked over to my chair, Shirone following behind. "Hey, Dad." I greeted, "How did last night go?"

He stopped talking to Mom, turning to me instead. He sighed, seeming to age years in a few seconds. He didn't seem to notice Shirone. "It was a disaster. It would seem that The Red Man had a foot in this, and left something behind this time. You can see it if you look out the window."

I twitched. 'The Red Man? Who knows who that is? Not me, that's who! AHAHAHA-*ahem*. That never happened.'

He took a sip of his tea. "Unfortunately, the Devils in the Noble's area orchestrated a hunt for all the Nekoshou. Since we don't know the location of the one who started this whole mess, we believe that the Nekoshou are now completely extinct." He sighed tiredly. "Sometimes I hate my job. If I weren't forced to remain impartial in all disputes, I could've done something."

Shirone finally moved, breaking the fragile SEP field that I only now realized she had been using. 'Sneaky kitty.'

My father stared for a moment at the revealed Nekoshou. "Millicas," he asked with forced calm, "Who is this?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. You sent me to my room alone, and I got lost. She seemed tired and alone, so I assumed she was a stray and decided to take her in."

My father deadpanned at me as Shirone shot me a panicked look. "You know, if it were anyone else, I wouldn't believe you." He blinked. "Wait, so that's what was bugging me! I knew I forgot something…"

My mother shot me an exasperated glance as Father degenerated into pointless mutterings. Shirone moved again, once more breaking the spell. I blinked. 'Holy shit, that thing's dangerous. If an assassin had that, they could've easily killed Dad by now. I've gotta find a way to nerf it, somehow.'

As it was, I noticed the gem in her hand and motioned for her to put it away. Fortunately, she did. I returned my attention to my father as he seemingly finished his muttered monologue.

I took a deep breath, gathering as much six-year-old charm as I could muster, and moved behind Shirone. Wrapping my arms around her, I gave my father the best puppy-dog eyes in my arsenal. "Can I keep her? Please?"

He crumpled like wet paper under the assault. "Of course! Anything for my adorable son! Just be sure to keep her fed and watered—Ow! Gwayfia! That huwts! Leggo!"

My mother sighed in exasperation, holding her childish husband by the cheek. "Rias got her Evil Pieces when she was your age, so I see no problem with you receiving yours, as well. The girl seems to trust you, but it's still her decision in the end."

I nodded happily, doing a small mental victory dance. "Sure, but breakfast first!"

The maids brought in the food at my mother's signal, a full English Breakfast. I released Shirone from my hold, gesturing to the chair next to mine.

Throughout the meal, I quietly observed the girl next to me. She was eating fine, yes, but nothing close to what she had in the series. She was also taking plenty of meat. Getting an idea, I called over a maid, asking for something in a quiet voice.

She agreed happily, glancing with some amusement at the little cat by my side. Some moments later, she returned with a bottle of sweetened milk. I watched in amusement as Shirone took the bottle, took a cautious sip, and then drained the whole thing in one go. The entire room found the scene adorable, especially Mom.

'There, done.' I thought happily. 'That takes care of her future insecurities about her height.'

In my first life, I had always hated drinking milk, so I had created a variety of different sweetened milks. The one Shirone just drank had been sweetened with sugar and agave syrup. I also had several fruit flavors, chocolate, vanilla, and chai.

The maid, giggling slightly, brought out several different flavors for the Nekoshou to try. She seemed to like all of them but the chai. 'More for me, I guess.'

I would have to work on some sort of pocket dimension for her to store her new addiction. I somehow doubted that it would be used for anything but that.

Once breakfast was over, and the maids had removed the dishes and themselves from the room, my mother decided to permit herself to hug the adorable girl. I laughed at Father's pout.

Becoming serious, Father stood and spoke. "I will go and get dressed. Millicas, take Miss…"

"Shirone, Shirone—well, just Shirone." The girl stumbled uncertainly, as her slight smile slipped from her face.

To his credit, my father didn't bat an eye. "Miss Shirone, and go to the sitting room." He paused, remembering last night's 'mistake'. "And have a maid take you."

He strode out of the room with all the grace one can have while clad in only pajamas and a bath towel.

We made our way to the sitting room, still managing to get lost twice on the way. I laughed nervously at the twin glares of my companions.

As we approached the ornate double doors, I began to smirk.

'Come to think of it, Father's hair was in pajamas and a bath towel for all of breakfast. Nobody ever mentioned him by name, and with how my room looks, Shirone probably thinks that Father is a minor Noble or something… This is gonna be epic.'

I wiped the smirk off of my face so as to not alert my unsuspecting prey. If all went well, I would have another story to tell Adonai later.

The maid opened the door, and we entered. After we were through, the maid shut the door after us and left.

The sitting room was rather cozy, walled with bookshelves and lit by Alchemic flames in the hearth. It was smaller than most rooms, but still as big as a school gymnasium. It had a plush chair, a couch, a stiff-backed chair, and a magical E-Z Boy that I had whipped up with the First Sorcery. Nobody had asked how I had gotten it. Considering some of the weird and frankly disturbing shit I had found over the course of my life in the mansion, nobody was likely to, either.

'I mean seriously, who even makes a secret underground basement just to fill it with stuffed animals? I'm glad dad let me torch the place, even if I had to hold back on the fire spell.'

Shirone and I made for the couch, as it was the only thing large enough to fit both of us. I expected Dad to do something dramatic for an entrance, and I wasn't disappointed.

The magical circle of the Lucifer clan appeared on the floor, the lights dimming, leaving only the light of the fire. My father slowly appeared, my mother in her maid outfit at his shoulder. Dad was decked out in full armor, adding to the intimidating look.

After watching poor Shirone gape for a few moments, I took pity on her. "Hey, Dad?"

He turned imperiously in my direction. "Yes, my son?"

"Your fly is open."

He froze. Mom stifled her giggles. He cleared his throat, quickly zipping the offending fly. "Thank you, my son, for your most gracious aid."

He looked far less intimidating now, seeing as I had shamelessly ruined the effect. But still, he forged on. "I am Sirzechs Lucifer, the Crimson Maou, the Prince of Darkness. Welcome to my humble abode—stop laughing, Millicas!" He whined, scowling. "You ruined it!"

Mom and I stopped holding in our laughter, as we watched the most powerful man in Hell pout.

I turned to Shirone. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Millicas Gremory, the son of the current Lucifer. Please take care of me!"

'Shirone dot exe has crashed. Please wait for system restart.'

When she snapped out of her stupor, she immediately asked, "What do you want from me?"

I grinned. "Would you like to be in my Peerage?"

She frowned at me. "Like Nee-sama? She didn't like her Peerage much."

I playfully frowned back at her. "Your Nee-sama had a bad master. I'll make sure that you never have to go through that again."

She considered this for a moment, before nodding. "Okay. What do I have to do?"

I turned to Father. He took a small drawstring bag out of nowhere, handing it to me. "First pour in your magic to claim the pieces, then take out the one you intend to use and command it to activate."

'Fuck.' I subtly palmed my 'emergency magic pool' (EMP) gem and grabbed the bag handed to me.

'Pleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleasework…'

My luck held out. The bag glowed, before fading. I reached inside, pulling out a clear crystal rook piece that had an odd warping in the center. Holding it in front of Shirone, I intoned in a clear voice, "In the name of Millicas Gremory, rise and serve me. I name you Shirone Gremory, for you are now part of my family."

The piece melted into her chest, and she shivered, ears and tail twitching erratically.

My father nodded, pleased. "Good. Now, have a seat and let her rest for a bit. She still should relax for a bit as the changes fully take effect. Now, we have a Tree to investigate, so you'll be on your own today. You may stay here as long as you wish, but call a maid to lead you should you decide to leave."

I nodded, helping Shirone onto the couch. Once more, the circle glowed to life, spiriting my parents away.

I waited five seconds, then took out a Silence gem. Sitting next to her, I watched with fascination as her Lifelight darkened, turning from unnaturally brilliant silver to a more metallic shade of quicksilver.

As the process finished, seemingly without any issues, I handed my new )Rook( the Silence gem. When she gave me a confused look, I grinned sheepishly. "My magic is shot for a couple of weeks. I used too much at one time, and now my core and Circuits have to repair."

She nodded, still looking slightly confused, but activated the gem anyway. After the telltale flash of the activation sequence, I began to speak again. "How are you feeling?"

She frowned. "Different. Not good, not bad, just… different."

I nodded. "And about this entire situation? You did just lose everything."

She nodded slowly. "At first, I was panicked. There were screams, and blood, and death. My mother burst into the room, rushing me out the door, telling me to run, that she would hold them off. Then I was being chased, running for my life. I knew that everyone I loved was dead, and that nothing would ever be the same. They just kept chasing me, I tripped, and by the time I stood up, they were upon me. As Nee-sama's Peerage closed in… I just gave up. I had nothing left, no family, no friends, no home. So I closed my eyes, and wished that… that… that it would all be over, and I could see my home again."

Silent tears slid down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails. I slid her onto my lap and she sat there, shuddering with sobs. "And then… you appeared out of nowhere, deflected the man's fireball. I thought that you felt familiar, that you reminded me of something I had felt somewhere before, something that I had lost and missed terribly. And then we were running again, but this time I had a reason to keep running. When you told me to lead us to the red mansion, I had a destination. I had hope again, a plan, and a way to survive. As we ran, you asked me if you could try to help. You said those odd words, and I realized why you felt so familiar…"

She trailed off, her tears dripping down my shirt. I waited for a while, stroking her hair and murmuring in a soothing tone. When it became apparent that she would say no more, I began to speak. "Your Nee-sama, she killed her master. The people were afraid, that's why all the others were killed. They thought that if one teenaged Nekoshou could kill a High-Class Devil and live to tell of it, then even a child could kill hundreds of them. Then the Peerage joined in, trying to kill you, just to make your Nee-sama feel the pain they felt."

I considered whether or not to tell her the rest. I decided that a five-year-old wouldn't question where I got the information, so I was safe. "Your Nee-sama's master… was doing research into creating a Super Devil. Your Nee-sama was too old to be of any use, so he turned to you instead. When he ordered her to bring you to him, she made a choice. She decided to kill her master and flee, rather than hand you over to him."

Shirone sniffled. "But… why didn't she take me with her?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I only know what I saw."

'Oh shit, too far. Now she's going to ask—'

"What you saw?"

"—that. Think fast, what can I say? …Thought Acceleration would be real handy right now.'

I decided to roll for bullshit. "I can see little bits of the past, whenever I see someone or something for the first time. That's what I saw when I looked at you."

She nodded, evidently accepting this. She had stopped crying, and looked thoughtful. 'Thank God—ah, damn that smarts.' Then, she opened her mouth. "I'm going to find her one day, and ask her why. Until then, I'm going to stay with you." She looked up at me, a vulnerable look in her eyes. "That's okay, right?"

I nodded. "As long as you want."

That night, I closed my eyes and fell into my Reality Marble as my body slept.

I found myself on the same bridge as before, this time under soft moonlight. The bridge was empty at this time of night, and only one window in the marble castle was lit. The dark metropolis, on the other hand, was just starting to wake up.

I turned to the castle, deciding to explore while everyone was asleep. Thinking for a moment, I spread my wings to fly. I flew over to the castle, discovering that the 'window' was actually a pair of glass doors with an ornate patio. I landed on the patio railing, peering at the glazed glass.

The door clicked open.

I froze, waiting for something else to happen. Nothing did. So, I slowly approached the door. Even if none of the inhabitants could die, I certainly could. I slowly pushed open the door, entering the room.

Inside, there was a circle of thrones fused to the floor. One of iron, one of pure gold, one of silver, one of solid wood and furs, the last of glass. All were occupied, save the one of twisted glass. I closed the door behind me, eyeing the occupants warily. "Come in, King of Dreams!" A blonde woman with red eyes called imperiously, gesturing to the empty throne. "We wish to finally meet our Liege lord."

I approached, noting the similarities of the glass throne to my Evil Pieces. "'Tis the throne of Dreams, my Liege!" An oddly familiar red-haired man boomed from the wooden throne. "It appears only when you are in attendance!"

I frowned. "Why do you call me that?"

The red-haired man grinned. "You are our Liege, are you not? This is your Reality Marble, no?"

I sighed. "Fair enough. Can I get some names, please?"

The blonde on the golden throne smirked arrogantly. "But of course. I am Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.

The blue-haired boy on the ornate silver throne sighed. "Minato Arisato. These people insist that I'm the King of Souls, but I'm just here so I can live in peace."

The blonde with green eyes on the iron throne got up and knelt before me. "I am Arturia Pendragon, King of Knights. For returning my people to me, my blade is at your command for as long as you wish it."

Finally, the red-haired giant rose from his throne and threw his hands into the air. "I am Iskander, the King of Conquerers!"

I blinked. 'What. Just… what.'

"What do you want?" I asked curiously. "I don't actually have that much power, you know. I'm just a guy who fell into a river."

Iskander ignored my second statement, in favor of responding to my first. "I wish to join your side in the realm of the living! Once more I shall walk the land, and once more I shall Conquer! We shall be unstoppable, the Kings that will go down in history! Legends will be told about us for ages to come!"

Gilgamesh sighed. "What the oaf said. I require a kingdom to rule over, and this world devalues the experience. I wish to test myself once more in a mortal form, to overcome my weaknesses and build my strengths, building myself from the ground up. To achieve this, I will submit myself to your rule. Your very soul shows that you care for your people and their Dreams, so I worry not that I might be cast aside or used."

She paused, before speaking again. "You have also returned to me my one true friend, and that is a debt I can never repay."

Arturia, rising once more, spoke next. "My knights and my kingdom are here, so I would like to stay. However, my blade is yours if you have need of it."

I held up a hand. "Actually, do you mind if I hold your sword for a moment? I'd like to check something."

She unstrapped Avalon, handing it and the blade within to me without a moment's hesitation. I took it, and pulled a bit of mana from my EMP gem. '))Structural Grasp.(('

The sky outside flashed, visible even through the translucent glass.

The Kings all rose, making their way to the patio. I made it there first, throwing open the doors and gazing into the sky. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and checked again.

There was a new moon in the sky.

I turned, silently asking what the others thought. Iskander shrugged, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're the God here, young King. Try taking us up there."

I winced at the force of the hand, idly wondering if he really was bisexual, like the Fate franchise depicted him to be. If he was, that hand on my shoulder just got a whole lot creepier.

"What's the matter, my Liege?" Arturia asked.

'Don't say Iskander's bi. Don't say Iskander's bi. Don't say Iskander's bi.'

"I'm straight."

'Fuck! That's even worse!'

Iskander frowned. "I'm pretty sure we all are."

Arturia coughed. "I…may have experimented…"

We all stared as she began turning red. "Well, how do you think Mordred happened? Guinevere and I were sharing Lancelot."

'The Fate franchise isn't real, just slightly accurate. Thank God.

Huh. It feels weird to say that without pain.'

Minato muttered something about how he understood sharing lovers, and seemed to stare off into space for a bit.

I could feel Iskander subtly pushing me some mana through his hand, probably a plea to let him escape the now strained atmosphere. 'I guess even he can feel awkward. Wonders never cease.' I mused to myself as I cast a Gate.

We all stepped onto a small beach, with a large ocean to all sides. The brilliant blue of the water stood in stark contrast to the blackness of space around us. Large globes of water frequently detached from the sea and floated for a time, before gravity gradually reasserted itself and they slowly drifted back down. A small, blue planet was visible in the distance.

Down the beach, a faceless black figure in a suit played beautiful music on a grand piano. Oddly enough, a large tree seemed to be growing over top of the piano.

I turned to the sea, and immediately recognized the shape of the beach. 'Mare tranquillitatis, the sea of tranquility. The largest crater on the moon.' Continuing my observation, I decided to turn on my Lifesight to see if the moon was inhabited. Immediately, one bright light shone from under the waves. I walked over, and the sea parted before me. Left sticking halfway out of the sand, was Excalibur. Avalon was lying next to it, partially covered in sand. I withdrew the blade, examining it with a keen eye.

I frowned. 'Why would this give off life signs? The original didn't.'

Because we are not the original. We are more.

I yelped and dropped the legendary weapon. After several minutes of nothing, I cautiously picked it back up.

Greetings, we are the Ever-Distant Utopia and the Sword of Promised Victory.

'How are you alive?'

We are the sum of our experiences. It is only the original that lacks the ability to adapt.

'So…my Reality Marble gave you that ability?'

Yes. Without the Dreams of the Fallen, we would lose much of our sentience.

'But not all?'

No.

'So… if you're in my Marble, then you must have a Dream. What is it?

We wish to spread Salvation and Glory, just as the one in your memories does. We must find the one that will wield us, for we have never been used in such a way.

'So, Arturia never learned to use you to your fullest?'

She was incapable. She could only use our most basic functions, at an inefficient cost. While she could bring Glory, she could not spread Salvation.

I checked what I had learned from my Structural Grasping.

Excalibur was never a Holy Sword, but instead a sword of humanity. The only Divinity it possessed was from the collective wishes of man. Forged by the Smith of Ages as the crystallization of the wishes (or, since it had been modified by my Marble, Dreams) of mankind that were stored and tempered within the planet. Though it was entrusted to elementals, it was temporarily passed into the hands of King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake and later returned to the lake before her death. Its' sheath, Avalon, provided partial immortality for its wielder. It is said that this sword exerts its true power only when an enemy that threatens the planet emerges.

It cannot be called beautiful because of its appearance, for the description of "beautiful" will only dirty it. It is instead sacred, made from people's conceptions, a legend weaved purely out of hope. It is not a myth or inhuman work, but a "crystal trained by the heart alone", making it reign as the strongest fantasy.

It is the crystallization of the prayer named "glory" and everything etched in the hearts of those who are scattered at the sword's radiance; the nostalgic, sorrowful, and hallowed dream of those who were placed on the bloody hell called a battlefield. Of all warriors past, present, and future fully exposed to the fear of death and despair, and who still cling to a desire: "to be exalted."

Excalibur is a "sword that amplifies", converting its user's magical energy into offensive power and releasing it. It is a weapon of directive energy that converts the magical energy of the wielder into light by accelerating it with her factor of the dragon, intensifying the kinetic energy by convergence and acceleration, allowing for the use of Divine-level magic. It is an "ultimate killing technique" that releases light holding energy equaling to one's total amount of magical energy from the tip of the blade once the sword is swung.

To an observer, it looks like a giant beam of light, but the attack's target point is only at the tip. It is the "ultimate slash" that cuts through everything in the "area" the light goes through. Its enormous power heats space around the tip, and as a result, it is interpreted as a wave of light that mows across the surface of the earth. Even without releasing its' Name, Excalibur is still able to release its slash of light that varies in strength but is still weaker than its Named attack.

'…So… If I found someone noble like Arturia, say… someone fated to help save the world many, many times… would that person work?'

Yes. He would work. But we will not tell him our Names unless he earns them. While we are amused by your intended 'trolling', we cannot take 'pictures' of his face when he finds out our name, as we are incapable of holding a 'camera'.

I nodded in satisfaction. As soon as I could, I would recreate the two parts using my mental blueprints of the two. Though it would definitely be tricky, I seemed to recall something Adonai told me, something about how this Reality Marble makes copies of all the experiences of the dead. All dead, including the smith that forged Excalibur and its' sheath.

'Hey, could you show me who created you?'

Certainly.

I smiled. 'This is gonna be epic.'

Several weeks later, I sat in my desk under a globe of light, a sheet of paper in front of me. A little Nekoshou was sitting on my lap, silently demanding to be pet as she read a picture book and drank sweetened milk. I put the finishing touches on my current project, absently rubbing Shirone's ears.

TO DO:

1. Find suitable forms for the Kings.

2. Use Structural Grasp and Reality Marble to remake Noble Phantasms. (Excalibur, Balmung, etc.) Find new wielders.

3. Complete my Peerage.

4. Rescue Valerie Tepes from the Tepes Faction. Give to Rias as )Rook( to replace Koneko in her Peerage.

5. Check in on the Holy Sword project, help out if necessary.

6. Teach Issei the glories of trolling. Overpower him to hell before series even starts. (Irina leaves April 4th)

7. Explore Rites of Ascendance. (Experiences of Adonai, possibly Balder or Osiris, will have to check if their deaths count)

8. Develop immunity to Samael's blood, Dragon-killing weapons, etc. while still human.

9. Ascend to Dragon God.

10. ?

11. Profit.

'Yep. Looks good.' I grinned. 'This will take a while to complete, and Samael's blood will be hell in a handbasket to obtain, but soooo worth it.'

I glanced at the calendar above my desk. 'Looks like tomorrow I'll be visiting pre-pervert Issei. Here's to hoping this works.'

A/N: I get my information from the official Wikia, and alter it to fit in with the DxD-verse.

Poor Millicas, a victim of his own chunnibyou syndrome. Don't worry, you all will find out why he despises being The Red Man eventually.

Any and all porn jokes are made in jest, and aren't meant to offend anyone. This story is M for a reason.

I welcome any and all questions.