9

I sighed, looking down at the blonde girl sleeping on my lap. A few feet away, Shirone glared jealously at Gil as she slumbered peacefully on my lap.

It was late, and we were staying at Phenex Manor on the night before Gil's thirteenth birthday. Due to my close friendship with both of the youngest Phenex children, I had become a common sight around the Phenex household. Each servant could greet me by name, and would often stop what they were doing to help me figure out where I was.

'Ravel's' parents had welcomed us with open arms, and were overjoyed to see their daughter again. Of course, with me being best friends with Riser, they knew me fairly well at that point, so they didn't freak out too badly when we told them of our Soul-Bond. In fact, they seemed pleased that I was interested in their daughter, going so far as to give me an open invitation to her room.

…Something tells me I'm going to get condoms for my birthday…

But even if their daughter was now practically engaged to me, they still refused to dissolve the marriage contract between Riser and Rias. I had never shown any talent whatsoever in any field of magic, so I was considered a talentless nobody by most of the Underworld.

Riser was still pulling his 'playboy' stunt, and he still wore the illusion I had taught him to mask his appearance. As such, Rias had never bothered getting to know him, instead just judging him on reputation. It bothered him a bit, but he was never really invested in her in the first place, so he quickly stopped caring.

I had asked Ajuka to look into ways I could gain favor with the Tepes Faction, but so far, I had heard nothing. I had a few ideas, but I was pending approval from Ruby on most of them. My girls finally seemed to realize that most of my ideas were almost suicidally risky, and had promptly demanded that I run any future ideas past one of them, first.

As for my Dragon God plan, I had decided on an evolution path to take. If the Great Red was the 'illusions' of Dreams, then I would be the 'Dreams' of illusions. My body had begun using more and more magic to fuel my change, leaving me with less and less to work with. I even had begun to plot a confrontation with several powerful figures at once to trigger Face the Raven, but I had put that on the back burner when my girls found out and pointed out what a terrible idea it was.

'…Though, in hindsight, maaaybe waking Typhon was a bad idea to begin with…'

Ruby quietly reentered the room, closing the door behind her. She had appropriated several pillows, and she began using them to pad the head of the bed. Once she had finished, she picked up the glaring Nekoshou and set her in the bed. She climbed in after, and began snuggling her. The glaring quickly stopped after that.

I picked my blonde lover up in a bridal carry and followed after my girls, setting Gil gently down next to Ruby. I then climbed into the bed, using a quick ))Requip(( to change into my pajamas. I picked up Ruby and the now-purring Shirone and began snuggling.

Life was good.

The next morning, I woke to see Gil's pink room. Gil yawned and stretched next to me, blearily rubbing her eyes. "Morning." She mumbled, stepping out of the large bed and stumbling over to her closet. She took out her normal outfit and began changing. I politely turned my attention to waking up the other two girls.

Fun fact—waking up a Dragon and a Nekoshou before they wished to get up is rather like poking a sleeping bear with a sharp stick. Only a lot less messy, and a lot less fun. "Shirone." I whispered, pulling back the sheets. "Ruby. It's time for breakfast."

"M'not hungry." Shirone grumbled, reaching blindly for the sheets I had so cruelly taken from her. Her tail twitched softly. "Giv'm back."

Ruby just yawned and grabbed Shirone sleepily, happily cuddling the adorable Nekoshou in lieu of the sheets.

I sighed. "Do I need to start kissing Gil?"

Gil squeaked. She knew that I would do it, too. It was actually my first method to waking the two up, and it usually worked as the girls decided that the idea of being kissed was better than the idea of more sleep. Of course, that didn't mean that Gil was any less embarrassed about it.

Shirone blearily looked up. "Kiss?"

I sighed again. "You'll just go back to sleep if I do."

"No I won't." She whined, her hopeful gaze boring into me.

I leaned down and kissed her, brushing her long, white hair out of her face with my hand as I did. She happily returned the kiss, her drug-like euphoria stretching through the bond and waking Ruby as well. Both girls began to fidget uncomfortably, blushing bright red. I remained unaffected by the bliss and embarrassment flowing through the bond, smugly using Memory Partition as a buffer.

I broke the kiss as Shirone began purring, allowing Ruby and Gil to function again. Gil coughed into her hand. "Ahem. We should head to breakfast."

Ruby nodded furiously, her face still red from the kiss. "Yes. Breakfast. Breakfast is good."

She got out of bed and grabbed her cloak, pulling out one of my Requip gems. A second later, she stood in her normal outfit and was placing Crescent Rose beneath her cloak. Shirone just yawned, still purring, and snuggled into me. I sighed. "Shirone…"

She groaned and stood up, still basking in her Gluttony-induced bliss as she grabbed a set of clothes and began changing. As she pulled off her (my) shirt, I eyed her budding breasts beneath her bra. "Pervert." She accused. I just smiled and turned away.

'Well… I guess all that milk had a different effect than intended. I'm certainly not complaining.'

I cast a quick ))Requip(( and combed my fingers through my sunset-black hair in an effort to look more presentable. I waited until the girls were done changing, and then cast a teleportation circle.

We appeared in the Phenex family's dining hall, walking over to take our usual seats. Riser appeared a minute later without his disguise on. He wore his typical blue uniform jacket and slacks, his boots polished and his white hair messily done. He was pulling on his Ignition cloth dress gloves, a gift from me for his recent fifteenth birthday.

He smirked, seeing the lingering blushes of Gil and Ruby. "Did you have to kiss them awake?" He asked, before dodging a dozen assorted weapons. "What? Everyone knows how hard it is to wake them up, and it's not too hard to figure out how you manage it."

I smiled, gesturing to his unconcealed features. "You finally taking off the illusion?"

He scoffed. "Hell no. If they aren't able to see through the illusion or the act, then they aren't worth taking seriously."

Gil huffed. "I see that you still haven't matured very much."

He grinned. "Says the girl who gets pithy whenever I mention the size of your—"

He dodged again, laughing. I sighed. "Don't worry, Gil. Even if Shirone and Ruby are bigger than you are now, doesn't mean they always will be."

She just glowered at me. "And how would you know that for sure?"

I smirked. "Remember my 'vision' of the Red Dragon Emperor?" I sent her an image of Ravel's older form, as well as a few images of her in hot springs. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Gil coughed, her cheeks flushing. "I-I see.

Shirone turned to me, giving me an inquisitive look. I sighed and sent her an image of her 'Koneko' form. She frowned. "But I'm already bigger than that, and I'm still growing."

I coughed, flushing slightly. "I… may have had something to do with that."

Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at me, seemingly shocked at my embarrassment. I sighed. "Look. Your future self was insecure about her height, so I gave you milk to help you grow. It didn't occur to me that it might have a different effect."

"She certainly grew, alright." Ruby muttered, glancing at her own modest-sized breasts. "How big is my adult form, again?"

I sighed. "Image, or three sizes?"

"Both." Riser, Shirone and Ruby replied in unison, all for very different reasons.

The girls promptly glared at Riser, who shrugged. "What? She's hot and cute now, so I know she's gonna be a bombshell when she's older. I'm a healthy teenaged male. Besides, I know she could shred me if I looked at her wrong."

I smirked, giving him a thumbs-up. "Issei would approve."

He grinned back at me, a gleam in his eye. "Issei does approve. I figured out how to set up mental links, and he's just as curious as I am."

I nodded in approval. "Good."

At my girls' confused look, I shrugged. "What? I hoard you girls, do I not? What good is a hoard if you can't show it off to others? I might not have much, but I do have some Pride left in me."

Gil sighed. "So you're showing us off?"

I nodded. "Shamelessly. I'm going to do the same thing when we go to tonight's formal ball and party, too. I'm going to proudly kiss each and every one of you in front of the entire crowd. You're beautiful, and I want everyone to know that you're mine."

The girl flushed, sputtering in embarrassment. Shirone smirked. "And what about that picture?"

"And the sizes?" Riser called.

I grinned, sending a mental image of Lilith Asami through the bond. Out loud, I called to Riser "Bust 89, Waist 55, Hips 89."

He whistled. "Nice. That's what, E, F cup?" He paused. "Correction, that's a 70H in Japan."

I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "Telepathic link with Issei, remember? Even if the whole thing is an elaborate trolling technique, he still knows his shit. He just fed the numbers into his friend Motohama and instantly got a size. In case you wanted to know, that's a 28G in America."

"Thank you for that." I replied drily. "My life is now complete. I know my fiancé's future bust size in three different measurements."

Ruby, still flushed, seemed to consider something for a moment. "Instantly, you say? As in, no time calculating? Can he do that with people, too?"

Riser paused, then nodded, grimacing. "He's called the 'Three Sizes Scouter', apparently."

Noticing her thoughts, I added, "And his other friend is obsessed with the materials of girls' clothes. He can tell you, from a glance, the exact size and elasticity of any given girl's outfit. He can even mentally recreate the girl with different outfits on."

Now looking perfectly serious, Ruby turned to Riser and spoke in a commanding tone. "Tell them to open a dress or bra shop."

Riser looked confused. "What?"

"Good, cheap dressmakers are hard to come by. If one can measure without a tape and the other can design without a model, then they can easily start their own dressmaking business. They could even get famous. Imagine a dress shop where you can get measured instantly for free, and then can be sold the best possible dress for their figure. Bonus points since they can offer the dresses at cheaper prices."

I raised an eyebrow. "They get to perv on girls, and get paid for it. Lovely."

She sighed and smacked me lightly. "Get over it, mister overprotective boyfriend. He won't be looking at us until he learns some professionalism."

I snorted. "Them? Professional?"

"They'll quickly learn that the reputation of their shop decides the number of customers. If they want more customers, then they'll act professional. And they'll eventually learn that all girls have the same basic parts, and cease being so enthusiastic." She replied easily. Then, flushing, she continued. "B-by the time we need dresses, they should be fine."

Curious, I peeked into her thoughts and saw her planning our wedding… and our honeymoon…

'Aaaand I am not touching that one. Nope.'

I turned back to Riser, noticing approaching magic signatures. "You should probably put on your illusion."

He nodded, his hair turning blonde and his clothes shifting to a burgundy blazer with matching dress pants. He wore a white dress shirt with the top button undone, and black dress shoes. He put on an arrogant sneer, and looked at me like I was the scum of the earth.

A moment later, a large magic circle blazed to life across the hall from us. From the circle stepped Lord and Lady Phenex. Lord Phenex wore a red suit and shoes, emphasizing his blue eyes. His wife wore a matching dress and white formal gloves. Their blonde hair was the same shade as their children's', glistening in the morning sun that leaked through the windows.

Lord Phenex spoke up first. "I take it you all have proper attire for Ravel's formal ball? We are going to be announcing her engagement today, you know."

I smirked, glancing at Gil's blushing face. "I know. Your daughter hasn't stopped thinking about it since she found out."

He nodded, sending Gil a glance filled with amused fondness. "I see. You know, if anyone else had said that, she would've lit them on fire."

I nodded, still smirking. "She knows I can and will grab her and snuggle her wherever. If she did try to do that, I would just make sure to snuggle her until her embarrassment outshines her anger."

He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Good. Our daughter needs someone who can call her out on her antics. Just make sure that she's always that focused on you, and she'll be yours forever."

"Dad!" Gil squawked, scandalized.

He just laughed. Lady Phenex spoke up next, rolling her eyes at her husband's sense of humor. "Well, as long as you have formal wear, I can rest easy. You do all have some, yes?"

The girls and I all nodded. She smiled in satisfaction. "Good. The ball starts at four, so you have plenty of time to prepare. Now, let's eat."

After breakfast, Gil practically dragged the rest of her lovers back to her room to prepare. I sighed as the circle brought us into her pink bedroom, using a quick )Requip( to change my clothes before sitting on her bed. I waited for the inevitable fashion show. I was not disappointed. My girls began changing, slipping off their normal clothes and trying on a variety of colorful dresses.

By the time the outfits had been decided, it was nearly lunch, and Gil was picking on the smallest details. I gently halted the worst of her tirades, helping her calm down and think rationally. Ruby and Shirone were quietly laughing at Gil's antics from the background.

At last, the first guests began trickling in. Gil huffed from beside me. "I still think that we should've changed the color scheme to add red."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's not what you said five minutes ago."

She glared at me. "Excuse me? What was that?"

I refused to back down, instead sending the memory over the bond. "See? Not even five minutes ago, you said forest green."

She huffed, leaving to greet the newcomers. I smirked and followed, deciding to mingle with the partygoers and learn who was who.

An hour later, the party was in full swing. I spotted Riser's playboy disguise standing by Rias, who was steadfastly ignoring any attempts at conversation. Riser noticed me, and sent a subtle wink as he began loudly bragging about his Peerage to anyone who would listen. I snickered to myself as I noticed the uncomfortable expressions of the listeners. 'I have trained my students well in the art of trolling.'

I glanced around, but didn't see any sign of the rest of her Peerage. 'Shame. I wanted to see what Kiba thought of my little 'gift'.'

I continued to look about the room, noticing Gil gracefully taking the center of attention, Gilgamesh's experience as a King serving her well as she artfully navigated the minefield of politics. Ruby was her shadow, the hand of iron to Gil's velvet glove. Whoever was too direct with their manipulations or proposals, was quickly shut down by pointed inquiries about the nature of their requests. Ruby truly did play the Dragon well.

Shirone clung tightly to my side, helping dissuade most political marriage proposals with her sharp glare. I sighed, leaning down and kissing her. She flushed, but welcomed the kiss. I could feel the gazes upon us, but I ignored them in favor of calming down my Nekoshou. She quickly melted into the kiss, purring softly and cuddling close to my chest. I pulled away, and Shirone sleepily allowed me to wrap my arms around her. My Greed rumbled in contentment as I noticed all the people who had watched our kiss.

I continued holding the girl close to me, occasionally stroking her ears when she got too tense. I continued socializing, aimlessly drifting about, until I saw a new guest arrive.

Sairaorg Bael stepped into the ballroom. I grinned, tapping my companion on the head. "Shirone, I'm going to go talk to someone, okay?"

She mumbled something, still on her attention high. I sighed. I waited until she was back to normal, then repeated myself. She nodded groggily. "'Kay. Later."

I pulled away from the reluctant Nekoshou, and walked across the floor to speak to the new arrival. Once within earshot, I spoke. "Hello, cousin. How is your mother?"

He turned, raising an eyebrow. "You would speak to me?"

I nodded. "We are family, however distant. One failure to another, yes?"

He smiled, but it quickly faded as he considered my original question. "I suppose you haven't heard, then. She fell into a coma six months ago, and has yet to wake. Her butler says it's a common disease faced by Devils, in which they remain comatose and eventually die."

I raised an eyebrow, pretending not to have known. "Really? Would you like me to look at her?" I held up a hand, one of my Super Tier Dreams coming to life in a glow of gold. "I'm quite good at healing."

He seemed surprised at this. "I would not have expected that. However, many of the best doctors have already looked at her and found nothing."

I scoffed. "Good doctors? Every doctor is a 'good doctor', kind of like how all restaurants are 'the best'. I can heal anything." I lowered my tone, my face turning serious. "Even death. As long as the soul remains intact, I can fix it."

His eyes widened. "A bold claim, to be sure. How do you plan on backing it up?"

I grinned. "My )Queen( was a disembodied soul before I helped her."

He laughed, apparently taking what I said at face value. "Fair enough. And what would you require for your services?"

I smiled. "Your word that my identity will not be disclosed."

He raised an eyebrow. "You would trust only my word? How are you sure I will not break it?"

I snorted. "Please. The best part of being the heir of the Crimson Satan is that no one will believe I can heal. Let alone my reputation as worthless. Plus…" I grinned. "Those muscles of yours speak of hard work. Nobody who is hardworking enough to build and maintain them would bother using deception."

He eyed me, and I briefly let my illusion drop, revealing my own corded frame. He smirked. "Ever heard of Touki?"

I held up a fist and summoned the barest wisp. "You?"

He grinned and copied me, allowing raw Touki to coat his hand. "Care for a fight sometime?" He asked, an eager glint in his eyes.

I cringed. "Um, dude… I'm almost a pure skill-type, who can use enough power to level the planet. I don't think you can touch me."

He just grinned wider. "Well, then. I would love to test myself against you."

After considering his declaration for a moment, I began to smirk. "I'll tell you what. I've had two students over the course of my life, and I've taught each of them half of my fighting style. If you can beat both, then I'll fight you without holding back."

He nodded, his grin not fading in the slightest. "Name them."

My smirk widened. "Riser Phenex, and Issei Hyoudou."

His grin finally flickered, confusion marring his face. "Excuse me?" He turned to glance at the loudly boasting Riser. "Him?"

I just kept smirking. "A man's best weapon is deception. If your opponent prepared themselves for a kick, then a punch will slip past their guard."

Comprehension dawned on his face. "Like your illusion."

I nodded. "Exactly like my illusion, actually. I was the one to teach it to him."

He smiled eagerly. "Then, he is strong?"

I smiled back, not saying anything. He chuckled. "Very well. I will see you later." He paused, his expression softening. "And… is next week okay for… the other thing?"

I smiled and handed him a sheet of paper with a Gate seal on it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a talentless nobody."

He nodded seriously. "I see. My apologies, then."

He strode away to speak to Riser. I sighed, making my way over to my girls. Shirone seemed to have joined Ruby and Gil in the center of attention. 'At least that makes it easier to find her, right?' I thought wryly.

Shortly after I reached them, Lord Phenex cleared his throat. "May I have your attention, please?" He called, silencing the guests. "We have gathered here today to celebrate my daughter's thirteenth birthday. However, I have an announcement to make." He paused. "I have secured for my daughter a marriage contract with a prominent family."

Murmurs raced through the crowd. He continued. "I am pleased to announce the engagement of Millicas Gremory and Ravel Phenex. May this marriage secure a better future for Devilkind!"

He stepped down from his metaphorical soapbox, returning to socializing. I could hear doubtful murmurs in the background, questioning the wisdom in 'Ravel' marrying such a 'talentless waste of space'. I just grinned and grabbed Gil by the waist. I leaned over, kissing her soundly on the lips. A few seconds later, I broke off, leaving Gil red-faced and panting. Her blush only deepened when she noticed all the eyes on us. "W-w-what—?"

I smirked. "Mine." I whispered in her ear, before stepping back. She just blushed brighter.

I turned to Ruby, still smirking. "Your turn!"

A while after the ball was finished, I began walking back to Gil's room. The girls had gone ahead with a circle, and were changing out of their heavy gowns. I didn't doubt that they would be comparing notes on their experiences, so I was giving them some privacy.

As I walked, I noticed a black blur hiding in an alcove. I sighed, sending a brief warning to my girls. 'Because that's not suspicious at all.' I considered for a moment, then decided to stay in character. 'Might as well see what they want.'

I walked obliviously past the dark figure, whistling carelessly. Sure enough, I felt the soft prick of a needle in my neck, and the world turned black.

I woke to see the inside of a prison cell. I sighed. {Girls?}

Feelings of relief flooded through the bond. {Are you alright?} Gil sent worriedly, concern flowing from her words. I grimaced. {I'm fine. I let myself get captured to see what they wanted.}

Gil began scolding me for not running my, admittedly stupid, plan by them first. I just listened until she was finished, and then patiently replied. {And what about staying in character? The instant I took that guy out, I admitted to being stronger than I let on.}

This gave her pause. While she was formulating a response, I opened the link up further, allowing them to use my senses as well as I could. Moments later, I heard footsteps. "Is he awake?"

"No."

The unfamiliar voices sounded in the silence, making me tense slightly. "I don't know why we're even guarding the brat. He's just some worthless piece of shit. The only thing he's good at is getting lost."

I smirked to myself. 'True, but I am magnificent at getting lost. It's an art form.' Ruby snorted in laughter.

The other voice replied, "Protocol, mostly. He's still the son of the fake Lucifer, even if he's wimpy."

I frowned. 'Fake Lucifer? Must be the Old Maou Faction. I should've known announcing 'Ravel's' engagement to me would ruffle some feathers. I'm just glad they decided to take it out on me, instead of my girls.'

{As are they.} Ruby pointed out in amusement.

She had a point. Even if I kept it suppressed, Wrath still was my main Sin. And if they had harmed a hair on my girls' heads…

Well. The Red Man got his name for a reason, and it wasn't his hair.

I waited for the guards to speak again, but they seemed content to sit in silence. I sighed. {All right, girls. Looks like we're not getting any more out of them. Tell my father I'm safe, and cut off contact for a while. I'm going to go get lost, and I don't know how lost I'm going to get. I'll be back in a week for sure, any longer and something went wrong.}

{All right. Be safe.} Ruby whispered, before disconnecting. The others followed suit.

I sighed. Only one last thing to do. I needed to make myself unable to be tracked. And the easiest way to do that was to pass for human for a while. I considered my options.

'The easiest way to pass as human is to lose the influence of the System. The System practically spotlights Devils hiding among humans, it's trying to warn the humans that something is amiss. Literally anyone can track you when the System is calling attention to you. All I have to do to blend among humans in is to become human in the eyes of the System.'

I smirked. 'And I just so happen to have the foremost expert in the System residing in my Reality Marble.'

I closed my eyes, falling into my Marble.

I opened them on the twilit bridge, the last rays of the evening sun paling in comparison to the softly glowing City of Light.

I turned, walking over to where I knew Adonai and Sétanta would be packing up for the day. I approached the two, whistling appreciatively at the size of their catch. "Nice."

The two grinned proudly. "Well, I can't rightly take all th' credit, cannae?" The spear-wielder replied, gesturing to Adonai. "'E was jus' as good as I."

His companion smiled, nodding pleasantly. "Why, thank you. Now," He said, turning to me, "I take it you need some help?"

I nodded. "This might take a while."

Sétanta nodded. "A'right, lad. I'll be seein' ye tomorrow, Pops."

Once the man had walked away, Adonai turned to me. "What do you need, Child?"

I cut straight to the point. "I need to know about the System."

He blinked. "Pardon?"

"I need to know about the God System. I'm trying to figure out a problem, and I think knowledge of the System might help."

The old God considered this for a moment, then sighed. "Very well."

After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he began. "The System is, like all things, bound by rules. First, and most important, the System cannot punish for a crime not committed. Similarly, it cannot punish for crimes allowed. For instance, an Angel would fall and lose a set of wings for killing another in pure hatred. However, should a Devil do the same, nothing would happen."

"How does the System discern the criteria of punishment?"

He looked confused. "What?"

I sighed. "If I were an Angel and I said 'God', then how would it tell that I wasn't a Devil saying 'God'?"

His eyes widened in comprehension. "Ah. I see. Well, it judges your soul based on your motivations and your energies. Put simply, a sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body. If a Devil used my name in praise, and had a large amount of Light in their body, then they would be fine."

I blinked. "So, the System can be confused?"

He nodded. "How do you think new Angels were created? The System deemed someone to have all the qualities of an Angel, so that's what they became. In order to create new Angels, I lent worthy candidates my Light. My Light substituted for theirs until they had enough to sustain their forms. It should even be possible to use the current System to Ascend, so long as the person has an enormous amount of light."

"How did you create Light in someone? I recall a project to transfer the Light Attribute, but that killed the 'donors'."

Adonai looked mildly horrified at the news. "What? Why would they do such a thing?"

"To let more humans use Holy Swords."

He groaned. "Really? No. Just… no. Those swords aren't meant to be used by just anyone. That's why they are able to choose their own wielders."

He paused, sighing. "And you said that transferring it killed the donors? Please. You can give Light without humans, you just need to know how. Failing that, they could've easily asked one of my children to donate part of their Light. As long as they only take part of a being's Light, it grows back in time."

I raised an eyebrow. "So… anyone with Light will work? What about someone who gained Light from a Rite of Ascension?"

He nodded. "Anything gained through Ascension is yours to keep, so they would have Light the same as any of my children would. They could easily donate some and let it regrow."

I grinned. "So, just take some Light and give it to someone?"

He made a so-so gesture. "Yes, but not in the ordinary way. I'm really the only one who can use Light to that extent."

"Then could you show me how to use Light like you can?"

He smiled widely. "I'd be happy to, Child. I'm always glad to educate the younger generations."

'I call bullshit. He's trolling someone again.' I thought in amusement, holding out my hand. He took it, closing his eyes in concentration. In the sky, the City of Light began to shine.

I was immediately glad that I had Structurally Grasped Light and absorbed his Experience with it, because it wasn't Adonai teaching me as it was him reminding me. I could sense surprise from him as he began pushing the knowledge into my mind. He showed me how the sòul҉ w̸as͞ ̸wh̸at i̧t w̛as̶n̶'t̶, l̴͞e҉̧̡f̡t ͝͏͠ẁ̵a̡s̡̢ ̸̧r̛͟í̡ǵ̨h̢͜͟t͝,͏ ̸̕u̧͞p͘͢ ̵͢w̴a̸҉s͡ ͠҉̛d̡͟͞o͟wǹ͡,́͟͜ ̨͞a̢̨̛ǹd ̀c̕ǫ̶nt̛͜͝r̷͜ad̴̨i̶̕c̸̕t͟͡i̵̵͢o͢n̕͞ś͝͠ ̀͠m̢͠àde ͜s̷̨͞en̷s̶é̕,͏͟ e̶̵͠v̵̕e͢͝n͡ ͞w̸͜h͞͝e͞n̛ ̶͝͡t̴̢͝h͠e̵y̶ ̵̛d̛͞͡i̶̸dn̕͘'t̴̕͝.

For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee.

And then, it all just clicked. The floating City shone like a fallen star, glowing a brilliant white. When the glow died down, the light had become… solid. Instead of simple light structures, there were elaborate towers stretching into the heavens. The buildings gained definition, forming windows and doors. Then, as Adonai began to show me how to create using Light, the City gained roads and infrastructure, along with a defined center. Finally, when he taught me how to create Angels, the City gained great golden gates, guarded by constructs of Light.

I pulled away, gasping. "That… was intense."

He nodded, pulling back his hand. "It is my life's work. Beautiful, is it not?"

I smiled, still panting. "Yes, it is." Then, after a moment, "Now, who are you trolling and how can I help?"

He sighed. "Nothing gets past you, does it? Very well. I plan to tell Lucifer that taught someone to use Light on my level before she could teach someone Corruption on hers'."

I grinned. "She is going to be pissed~"

He nodded in agreement. A moment later, I realized how odd this was for him. "…You aren't trolling Lucifer, are you? You're pissing her off so that she'll go off on someone else. Leviathan, maybe?"

He matched my grin. "I don't know what you're talking about. Now, don't you have some Light to practice with?"

I held up an orb of Light. "I do indeed. Thank you for your help, Adonai. Oh, and give this to Beelzebub." I handed him a sheet of paper that said, Tell Lucifer that Minato might be summoning her again soon. The Old Maou Faction is acting up.

He nodded. "Very well. Do try to avoid killing yourself too badly, Child. Light is not a toy, and while dying here isn't permanent, it is painful."

And with that, he vanished in a flash of Light. 'That would've been much cooler if he hadn't just taught me to do the same thing.'

I sighed, and left my Marble. Once I was back in reality, I triggered Thought Acceleration and Memory Partition.

'Okay, so from what I know of the System, it can be tricked by using a large amount of Light and a dummy thought process. That's pretty easy when I'm both immune to Light and using some forty thousand thought processes at once. Now all I have to do is figure out how much Light a human has, and then use that to make myself a human in the eyes of the System.'

Another thought process reached completion, letting me know exactly how to reproduce Adonai's method of giving Light to humans with Denial of Nothingness. I grinned. 'And since Denial has no conceivable limits as long as the energy summoned is used immediately, I can literally turn a human into an Angel more powerful than God.'

Shelving the thought for now, I returned to reality, dialing back Thought Acceleration to normal levels. I modified ))Kyoka Suigetsu(( to work with my chains, then made a show of waking up. The guards noticed, and turned to check on me. The instant they glanced at me, I used the glint off of the chains to put them under Kyoka Suigetsu's perfect illusion.

I broke through my bonds, which were about as sturdy as toilet paper when faced with my strength, and stood. When one of the guards opened the door to escort the illusion to the bathroom, I walked out after him.

I set the illusion to disappear the moment the guards placed him back in the cell and turned around. Then, I got Lost.

Now, what you need to understand is, my nigh-impossible ability to get lost stemmed from my Reality Marble. As such, I had eventually figured out exactly how it worked.

At its core, my Marble was a 'dream'. And, in dreams, locations are constantly shifting from one place to the next. If you don't pay attention, you'll walk from the north to south pole without realizing it. In real life, this meant that if I didn't know where I was, I ceased to be anywhere at all. I ceased being a special constant. As long as my subconscious could see no big change in surroundings, I could feasibly go anywhere.

For example, if I was in a mansion, then I wouldn't end up in the desert, I'd end up somewhere else in the mansion. But if I subconsciously noticed some sand on my path and thought 'I'm somewhere with sand', then I would find myself somewhere with sand. That 'somewhere' could be literally anywhere with sand. The catch was that if I wound up in a desert, I couldn't really go anywhere else except other deserts. Unfortunately, I had to know where I was in order to Gate, so I was shit outta luck there, too.

Because of that, I couldn't actually control my ability… but I could activate it at will. If I went into a dark room without knowing where I was, then I could walk out of a porta-potty in Atlanta.

The only caveat to my ability was that to get lost, I both had to be able to move, and not know where I was. Plus, if I'm already lost, I can't get lost again. Other than that, I could get lost in an empty room.

I began to walk towards a nearby hall, humming to myself. The more distracted I got, the easier I got lost. I soon found myself at an intersection. I picked the one on the left, then began to run full speed. I continued to run until I found a nearby door. I opened the door, walked in, then closed it. I waited, then opened it to see a different hallway. I exited, then began running down the hallway.

Since I no longer had any clue where I was, my surroundings changed every moment or so, the walls becoming cracked or new, green or yellow, brick or plaster. I finally stopped at a pair of ornate doors. I opened them, and stepped into a small room. An altar was at the end of the room, and there was a man praying in a pew.

'…A Catholic church? No thanks.'

I turned and walked out… into a rural area of Italy. '…Right. I noticed 'Catholic', so I went to Italy. Lovely. Time to use that System-based camouflage technique.'

I applied the technique, setting my mana pool to be 'pure' and giving myself a human's amount of Light. After a moment's thought, I Requipped into some old training clothes that were dirty and full of holes.

I began walking. Right now I was Lost, so I couldn't get any more Lost than I was. And since my subconscious noticed 'Italy' and 'rural', I was pretty much stuck where I was. So, I was looking for a place I recognized—hell, even the Vatican would work. No such luck. The sight of the noonday sun at least a bit more encouraging, meaning I had several hours until the sun went down. Thank God for time zone differences.

'All right. New plan. Find someone to tell me where everything is, wait until I feel familiar enough with the place to know where I am, then Gate home.'

I glanced around, looking for anyone familiar, hoping that my Canon knowledge would help me somehow. I heard the church doors behind me opening, but I ignored the sound. With both my disguise and camouflage on, not even Angels could detect me, so it was best not to draw any attention by watching the church like a hawk. I continued walking, until I felt something hit me in the back, knocking me forward. I stumbled for a moment, falling into my hands and knees. I turned to see who had run into me.

She seemed to be about my age, with wide, expressive green eyes. Her blonde hair flowed all the way down to her back, with split bangs over her forehead and an ahoge sticking out the top. Her outfit consisted of a dark teal nun outfit with light blue accents, a white veil over her head, a brown satchel slung on her right hip, and brown boots. The noonday sun glinted off a silver cross around her neck.

But none of that mattered—she was fucking adorable.

"O-oh! I'm so sorry, sir! I'm so clumsy… is there any way I can make it up to you?"

I got up and extended my hand, helping her up. In flawless Italian, I replied, "Yes, actually. I'm a bit new in town, so would you mind showing me around?"

She allowed me to help her up, flushing slightly. "O-okay. But, I have to get some groceries, first, so…"

I smiled. "Don't worry, that's fine. I'm lost anyway, so I'm not getting anywhere otherwise. I could buy your groceries as thanks."

She shook her head furiously. "Oh, no. I couldn't possibly…"

I laughed, cutting her off with a wave of my hand. "I insist. I can get lost in a straight line, and I have too much money to ever use, so I'd be happy to compensate you for your time."

She looked like she wanted to argue, but realized I wasn't budging on the issue. She frowned. "Fine… if you're that insistent…"

I nodded. "I am. Now, lead the way, miss…"

"O-oh. I'm Asia, Asia Argento." She replied, smiling happily. "And you?"

I held out my hand. "Call me 'Cas'."

She frowned. "C-caso? Cas? Is that it?"

I nodded, still holding out my hand. She shook it, smiling happily. "Nice to meet you, Cas! I'm Asia!"

I smiled back. "I'm happy to meet you, too, Asia. I hope we can be friends."

Her smile widened. "R-really? F-friends?"

I frowned. "Is that not okay?"

"N-no! T-that's fine! It's just…" She glanced down at her shoes, her voice softening. "I-I've never had a friend before…"

I grinned. "Well, then. I'm happy to be friends with you, Asia. We'd best be going, yeah? Lead the way, I'd just get us lost."

She nodded, a beaming smile on her face. "All right! This way!"

We walked a-ways down the street, stopping at a small, open-air marketplace. Asia took out a shopping list and began picking up items. Eggs, milk, flour, typical groceries. I helped, taking the items that she picked up to the owner's counter and setting them down. Once she was done with her list, I turned to Asia and asked, "What currency?"

She looked confused. "The currency? Euros. Why?"

I reached into my ever-present waist pouch and pulled out a wallet of different currencies. After the umpteenth time of being found in a different country, my father had wisely given me an international credit card and thousands of dollars in different currencies in case I had to stay in one place for a while.

I took out the required amount, and handed it to the stall owner. He ignored the large wallet, taking the Euros and thanking me. I picked up half of the groceries and began walking towards the church. "U-um, Cas, you're going the wrong way!" Asia called after me.

I sighed and turned around, walking in the opposite direction. Asia walked after me, obviously trying not to laugh at my put-upon expression. "It's not my fault I'm so good at getting lost!" I whined.

Once she had calmed down, I asked, "So, are you a nun?"

"What? Oh, no. In order to become a nun, I would have to be at least fourteen. I'm just wearing this to honor Mother Meridea for taking care of me all these years."

I smiled to myself. "I see. Good to know."

I paused, reaching the church doors and stepping through. No threatening feeling afflicted me as I crossed the threshold. I smirked to myself. 'Success! GOD! JESUS! HEAVEN! Hahaha~, take that you stupid System!'

I followed Asia to the kitchen and set down the groceries. "Thank you, Cas. Is there anything I can get you? Tea? Milk? Water?"

I smiled. "No, but thank you. Would you mind showing me around, now?"

Her eyes widened. "E-eh? I'm so sorry, I completely forgot! Here, let's go now!"

She ran for the door. I followed, waiting for the inevitable—there. I reached out and caught her when she tripped, picking her up and setting her safely down on her feet. "A-ah. S-sorry, Cas. I-I'm so clumsy. Sorry. My bad—" She said, her face bright red as she bowed multiple times in apology.

I sighed and cleared my throat, making her stop her with an 'eep!'. When she looked up at me in embarrassment, I asked, "Would you like to ride on my back? That way, I don't get lost, and you don't have to worry about tripping."

She bobbed her head in agreement, blushing as I reached over and ruffled her hair. I chuckled, kneeling so she could get on my back. She unsteadily clambered on, and I stood up once more and left the church. "Now, where to?"

She pointed the opposite way from the marketplace. I smiled and began walking. A few moments later, she spoke up timidly. "U-um, you're going the wrong way again."

I paused. I had been headed to a side street, and she was pointing to the left of where I was walking. I sighed. 'Okay, so I guess I can't get supernaturally Lost when I'm already lost. I can still just plain get lost.'

As we walked, she pointed out a half-dozen places along the way, such as the post office, the bakery, and the doctor's house. I noted with some amusement that there wasn't a single fast food restaurant in the whole town. That was consistent with Canon, seeing as Asia had never seen a hamburger until she got to Japan.

We stopped at several historical and religious sites, which she went into great detail explaining. I just smiled and nodded as Asia happily rattled of the history behind each one. Asia eventually sputtered to a stop, radiating embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry. I've been talking too much." She apologized.

I laughed. "I don't mind, I'm happy to see you so passionate about something."

She nodded emphatically. "I've always loved God, and everything He has taught us. I read the Bible every night before bed, because its' words calm my heart. Even if I choose not to become a nun, I will always believe in our Lord."

I smiled. "Okay, I can respect that. But why are you hesitant to become a nun?"

She stammered for a bit, before pointing a seemingly random direction and squeaking, "Oh, look! Over there!"

I chuckled and walked in the direction she had pointed. We stayed out for a while longer, with her highlighting the features of the rustic town the whole way.

Once the tour was over, Asia and I sat on a wooden bench near a small park to the light of the setting sun. I smiled. "Thank you, Asia. I would've never gotten around without you her helping."

She smiled back. "You're welcome." She paused, looking worried. "W-will I see you tomorrow?"

I nodded. "I'll be here for the rest of the week."

She nodded happily. "Okay! See you then!" She began to walk back to the church.

I sighed and walked away, towards a nearby hotel. 'Well,' I thought in relief, 'at least it's not Australia. Fucking emus…'

I thankfully reached the hotel without getting lost, and checked myself in with cash. With the use of a minor illusion, the clerk didn't ask too many questions. "Sign here, please."

I nodded and cast another minor illusion on the paper for my 'signature'. A moment later, I was holding a pair of keys and was walking towards my room. I managed to avoid getting lost simply by counting the numbers on the door. Once in my new room, I dropped my illusions, used ))Perimeter Check(( on the area around me to guard from intruders, and fell asleep.

OMAKE—As requested by frankieu, but with my own spin on it.

I sighed, watching the large doors boom shut behind Millicas. 'Honestly, that boy…'

I glanced down at the odd ring that had been carelessly tossed at me, and marveled at how much effort must've gone into keeping all of this secret from his father. 'He said to sit down while using it, so I think I'll wait until I get home. I'd better report to Sirzechs first.'

I pulled up a teleport circle, allowing myself to be whisked into my friend's study. I stepped onto the carpet, and cautiously glanced at the desk. "You can stop acting like you're going to see something horrible, Ajuka." Sirzechs said drily, setting down his pen.

I raised an eyebrow. "And how many times have I done this, only to see you bending your wife over that very desk?"

He winced. "…A lot."

I continued mercilessly. "And how many times have I seen you holding sex toys, doing things to your wife I'd rather forget?"

Sirzechs flinched. I laid the finishing blow. "And how many times have I seen your wife in only leather, holding a—"

I stopped short at Grayfia's glare. She was flushed a bright pink, and her clothes seemed… ruffled. I groaned. "Please tell me that you weren't just—"

"Nothing happened." Grayfia replied coolly.

I sighed. "All right. Fine. Now, would you like to hear what I learned?"

The man coughed, and nodded. "Yes, actually. I would—oh, and the short version, please."

I mentally smirked. He hated when I rambled on for hours on a single topic, so he often requested me to 'shorten it'. I had been counting on this. "Millicas used his soul to bring Ravel back to life. And, as a result of this, she is in a Soul-Bond with him."

He nodded. "I suspected as much when I saw her red eyes. I remember reading that changes in soul can affect eye color, and she seemed oddly attached to him. Thank you, Ajuka."

I smiled, summoning another magic circle. "Well then, let me let you get back to your 'nothing', then."

Grayfia flushed again. I chuckled to myself, stepping onto the circle. 'I wonder how the public would react to learning that the ')Queen( of Ice' is actually a Lust?'

I stepped into my lab, and made my way to a comfortable chair. I snagged a timepiece on the way, curious to see what the level of time distortion was within the Marble. I absently checked my watch, noting the time. I sat down, setting the extra timepiece on the ground next to me. Then, and the boy had instructed, I poured mana into one hand and made a fist with the other. I smashed my fist into my palm, and the world dissolved.

I found myself 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. The road stretched off into the distance, leading from the gleaming city, to a dark metropolis. 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. I began to feel it too, the relaxing feeling of being home.

I shook myself into awareness, grabbing a passerby by the arm. "Excuse me, sir, but could you direct me to God?"

The blue-haired woman paused, looking up to me. I took the time to observe her.

Her long, blue hair went past her waist, and was done in a ponytail. A delicate crown adorned her head. She had a gentle face, with blue eyes matching her hair. She had a dual color scheme of lavender and teal, with her strapless dress being a lavender-blue and hemmed with purple. She wore silk gloves, one being teal and the other lavender. Similarly, she wore boots with one being lavender and the other teal. The top of her dress had glimmering golden sequins hanging from the purple hem, hanging over an uncovered portion of her… assets.

I coughed, looking to her face once more. She smiled, her face lighting up as she answered. "Adonai? Sure! I'd love to! Follow me!"

She happily skipped over to the edge of the bridge and stepped off onto a platform of magic. I blinked. '…I've never seen that kind of magic before.'

I followed her, stepping on my own platform to avoid getting wet. "Thank you, miss…" I paused, waiting.

"Medea." She replied cheerfully. "Medea of Colchis. Former Witch of Betrayal, current owner of Medea's Floral Arrangements. I'm here to be free from the meddling of the gods. You?"

I smiled. "I am here to learn. Thank you for leading me, miss Medea. I must say," I continued, gesturing to the elaborate platforms she was walking on, "I've never seen any magic like that. What is it?"

She smiled. "You're the first to notice! Actually, I made this system myself. Kind of like Millicas. Did you know that he made his own system at the age of four!" She gushed, making exited gestures as she spoke.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I did not know that. Tell me, if that really is a Trihedral Metabetic Fractal that you're using, then how did you get past the Helix Effect?"

She frowned. "That? Oh, you just need to shift the vectors from odd to even. That allows the magic to flow freely and support itself."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? And how did you adjust the structure to compensate for the imbalance?"

She smirked. "Like this."

She held up a hand and wove a small diagram in the air, detailing a small shift in the fourth ring of the spell that not only allowed the magic to move unrestricted, but reinforced the matrix with the excess mana. I raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."

She lowered her hand as a pair of fishermen came into view. She stepped onto the shore, and released the magic. "Adonai! You have a visitor!"

One of the fishermen sighed, standing to reveal 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.

"Ah, hello. I am Adonai. And you are?"

I blinked. "Ajuka. Ajuka Beelzebub."

He smiled. "Nice to meet you, Ajuka Ajuka Beelzebub. You certainly have a repetitive name, but who am I to judge?"

I blinked again. 'Did God just… make a joke?' "Ah… yes. I suppose I do."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm messing with you, Child. Millicas has spoken of you before." He paused. "Something about creating your own reincarnation system?"

I nodded. "The Evil Pieces. It allowed for our race to repopulate without worrying about our low birth rate."

He glanced at Medea. "Repopulating the Devils, eh? I see. I take it that's why you keep such lovely company?" He smirked. "Cute, smart, and powerful. I approve."

I choked. "E-excuse me?" I spluttered.

He laughed. "Millicas described you as the perfect gentleman, and Medea needs someone special in her life. You seem to respect her and have much in common, so I see no issue with your relationship. You have my blessing."

Medea was almost luminescent in her blush. "F-Father!" She squeaked, "That is not appropriate!"

He only laughed again, before turning to me again. "That aside, why have you sought me out?"

I sighed, ignoring the way my ears burned in embarrassment. 'I can see how Millicas called him a troll.' I spoke up. "I wish to learn from the best minds, and meet the original Faction leaders. Would that be okay?"

He nodded. "That would be fine. However, I am currently fishing with my friend. I will be finished by sundown, which is also when the Maou wake up. In fact, I just so happen to be meeting with them later tonight." He began to smirk. "I will take you with me, but only on one condition."

I sighed. "What is it?"

His eyes twinkled. "You have an entire afternoon to burn, do you not? Go out and take Medea on a date."

I coughed. "Excuse me?"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes still twinkling. "Did I stutter?"

I grimaced, but shook my head. "No, sir."

I turned to look at Medea, who was blushing and looking at the ground. "O-okay. I'll do it." She whispered, glancing at my face. "A-as long as you're fine with it, that is." She added hastily, waving her hands frantically. "I-I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of other ways you'd rather spend your time—"

I raised a hand, cutting her off. "You are a beautiful and charming young woman who is capable of matching my intellect, and has no ulterior motives for courting me. I have no issue going on a date with you. You need only to show me where to go, as I am rather new here."

She nodded, her cheeks still flushed. "O-okay." She turned to Adonai once more. "I'll see you around then, Father."

She began to walk towards the city of white marble. I walked beside her, keeping pace with her, but allowing her to lead the way. After a while of walking, white marble steps came into view. As we scaled them, I caught my first glimpse of the city.

It was a thing of beauty, the architecture curving and elegant, yet also simple and plain. The entire city seemed to be made of polished marble—the streets, the homes, even the storm drains. The elegant arches that curved over the road every few feet caught the light, gleaming in the noonday sun.

I glanced over at my… date… and asked, "Where are we headed?"

She frowned, thinking. "I suppose we could go out for lunch, do some sightseeing, and then catch the sunset?"

I nodded. "Sounds fine to me."

She turned to me. "What would you like to eat?"

I shrugged. "I could go for some coffee, so a café?"

She smiled. "Great! I know just the place!"

She took me by the hand and began to drag me through the streets. We eventually reached a small café called 'Sinfully Perfect'. Upon entering, I scanned the room. It was a spacious place, with comfortable chairs and wooden tables. The street outside could be seen through the windows.

I looked up, only to see a tall teen with tan skin, black hair, and red eyes. He wore only shorts and a torn cloak around his waist, exposing his tribal tattoos. He had a scrap of the torn cloak tied around his head like a bandana. He spoke up. "Hello, my name is Angra Mainyu, and welcome to Sinfully Perfect. May I take your order?"

I glanced at the menu. "I'll take a coffee and an egg salad sandwich."

Medea glanced at me, then giggled. "Same."

I raised an eyebrow, and gestured towards the tables. "After you."

She happily skipped over to a window seat for two, allowing me to pull out her plush chair for her to sit in. I sat across from her, and we began to talk.

We spoke of all manner of things over the next few hours, from events in the outside world, to magical theory, to possible uses for alchemic plants.

When Medea finally noticed the time, she apologized profusely for lecturing me so much, and insisted on showing me around the city while there was still daylight. We continued our conversation as we walked, with her occasionally pointing out places such as Chiron's School for Heroes, and Herakles' Ballet Studio(?).

We reached the edge of the city just in time to see the sun set. Medea turned to me, her face becoming flushed. "H-hey, um, Ajuka… Do you think that we could… do this again sometime?"

I stared for a moment as she turned bright red. I smiled. "As I said before, you are a beautiful and charming young woman who is capable of matching my intellect, and has no ulterior motives for courting me. I would be more than happy to go on another date with you."

She smiled brilliantly, and, apparently feeling brave, leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. "A-alright! See you later!" She squeaked, before quickly disappearing out of sight.

I smirked to myself. 'Well, I suppose Sirzechs did say that I should find myself someone…'

I sighed, shaking off the thought as I began walking back to where Adonai was fishing. I arrived just in time to see the other fisherman leaving, carrying his catch and… a red spear?

I turned away, towards an approaching Adonai. "I take it that the date went well?" The God asked, noticing the lipstick on my cheek.

I nodded. "We even planned another for tomorrow."

He grinned. "Well, then. I'll be sure to get you home in plenty of time." He stepped forward, grabbed me by the shoulder, and teleported us in a flash of light.

We appeared in a penthouse suite, complete with a skyline view of the metropolis. I glanced over and saw a poker table, with five people gathered around it. A rugged man with blue robes, a slim man with a crisp lab coat, a woman with black hair and a red dress, a preppy-looking teen in slacks, and a man with horns curling from his forehead.

Adonai pointed to each person in order. "Ajuka, this is Orrin Leviathan, Aden Leviathan, Glory Lucifer, Vona Beelzebub, and Somus Asmodeus."

The people in question glanced up. The scientist turned to the man in the blue robes and whispered something. The rugged man opened his mouth to speak, and I tensed slightly. "What? Why?" He whined in a childlike voice. "Mommy says that all I need is her, anyway."

I blinked. The rest of the table groaned. "I swear, Orrin." The scientist, apparently Aden, growled. "If I hear one more 'Mommy' comment from you, I'm going to castrate you. Again."

I winced, almost pitying him. He opened his mouth, and promptly spoke once more. "But Mommy said that you're not allowed to—"

I was treated to the sight of the scientist picking up the larger man and dragging him out of the room. Loud, bloodcurdling screams ensued, making me reflexively wince. My reaction was mirrored by the other males in the room.

I walked towards the table, and holding my hand out to the preppy teen. "Vona, right? I'm Ajuka, the current holder of the title."

He took my hand and shook it quickly, pulling it back and wiping it with a cloth. "I am aware. You are welcome to the title. Too much hand-shaking with the unwashed masses. I could never find the time for all those demanding plebeians, anyway."

I mentally snorted. 'And now I know why the kid called this guy a prick.'

Out loud, I asked, "So, you're okay with the new Maou?"

Lucifer chuckled, her voice soft and smooth. "Well, they're certainly better than my descendants. Useless, the lot of them."

I smirked. "I see. I take it the rest of you agree?"

They nodded. I grinned. "Excellent. Now, I must know. How did you all die?"

Lucifer spoke up again, frowning. "We got tired of the bloodshed, and decided to remove the source of the issue."

"You destroyed each other." I realized.

She nodded. "It was quite painless, and we made sure that no bodies survived. It would be too troublesome for some of the necromantic members of our Factions were to puppet our corpses."

I whistled. "Damn. That's hardcore."

She shrugged. "It was necessary."

I nodded in agreement. "That it was."

The horned man interrupted us. "If that is all," he made a sucking noise as if sucking in his saliva, "then can you please leave us to," he made the noise again, "our game?"

'…Holy shit that sound is annoying.' I smiled. "Sure."

I turned and walked back to Adonai. "Do you mind if I come back when I have more questions?"

Lucifer shrugged. "I don't mind."

I smiled again, then turned to the God beside me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I found myself back on the beach where the God had been fishing before. I checked my watch, then exited the Marble the same way I entered.

I blinked awake in the chair of my lab, leaning down and picking up the timepiece. Rather than ten hours, less than ten seconds had passed. I grinned. 'One more test, then.'

I re-entered the Marble, set down the timepiece, then left. I waited five minutes, then re-entered to pick it back up. Sure enough, only five minutes seemed to have passed. I began to laugh.

'This really is the perfect research tool! The time distortion only occurs when an outsider enters!'

As my laughter faded, another thought occurred. 'This means that I can actually date Medea!'

I smirked, leaving the Marble for the last time that night. 'I guess I'm finally getting that fairy-tale ending Serafall is always going on about.'

I froze, remembering that day's revelations. 'Oh shit, Serafall! I just met The Red Man, and he asked me for help fighting crime! She's going to be pissed that she wasn't there! She fucking idolizes him!'

Another terrible thought occurred. 'The kid doesn't know she likes The Red Man like that! I've got to warn him! Unless… no, it's too dangerous to warn him. If he acts suspiciously around her, then she'll start guessing. And that's never good.'

I sighed. 'Sorry, kid. You're on your own with this one.'

I put the thought aside, and began to think of my new girlfriend. 'I wonder if the kid can bring her back to life? It's at least worth asking about. Maybe I can ask for that in exchange for information, sometime.'

I smirked.

Life was finally working out.

LINELINE

END

LINELINE

A/N: Ajuka needs some love in his life, too, right? ;D

Yep, Serafall is crushing hard on The Red Man ever since he saved her from the Old Maou Faction ten years back. Not adorable crushing, more like 'I will do anything to make you love me' crushing. Not yandere, but still unhealthy.

Putting it into perspective, if she learned from him that he liked serious girls, she would immediately burn all of her Magical Girl merchandise and become a stickler for the rules.

Poor Sera has never actually learned what love is, so she mistakes it for blind adoration and devotion.