DxD: Born Again in Flame (Riser si)

[abel targayen]

POV: Yubelluna

For the twentieth time that hour, Yubelluna went flying. Dirt exploded around her as she crashed into the training field, rolling once, twice, before landing flat on her back.

She groaned.

Her limbs ached. Her hair was tangled. Sweat clung to her skin in an unglamorous sheen. Her beloved king, however, stood not ten meters away, shirtless, barely winded, and positively glowing like some divine punishment.

"Again," Riser Phenex said, calm as the moon, flame still flickering faintly in his palm.

Yubelluna thumped her head against the ground. "You've got to be kidding me."

Almost a year had passed since they moved to Emberhold. A full year since that unforgettable night—the night of his legendary dance, now known across the Underworld as The Phoenix Mandala. And yet, some things hadn't changed.

Like her king's obsession with training.

If anything, it had grown worse. Fiercer. Like something haunted him. Like there was a clock ticking only he could hear.

"Why do you train like this?" she'd asked once, between bruises and coughing up smoke.

"In pursuit of my ambition," he'd replied.

Cryptic as always. Her king had a habit of speaking in riddles and half-truths. It drove her crazy. And not the good kind of crazy.

Still, being Lady of Emberhold had its perks: twenty demonic leyens under Riser's command now. Twelve low-class, seven mid-class, and one high-class. All of them produce infernal crystals: raw magic solidified, the most valuable currency in devil society. Not just for trade, no, these weren't for trinkets. Crystals could be absorbed, slowly increasing a devil's demonic power, which is why a society based on power would accept it as a currency.

But only if matched by class.

A high-class devil trying to absorb low-class crystals would barely feel a tickle. The real gains came from parity, like for example mid-class crystals for mid-class devils. Even then, a hundred crystals gave only a two-percent increase. Power was a game of patience and pain. And most devils weren't willing to play it.

But her king? He played. And he played to win.

Yubelluna groaned again. "Ugh. Why am I thinking about devil economics right now...?"

Oh right—because if she looked at him again, she was going to pounce. Riser wasn't even sweating. Shirtless. Muscles taut and shimmering in the setting sun like some sort of infernal romance novel come to life. It was rude. Unfair.

"How am I supposed to concentrate when you're walking around looking like that?" she muttered, pouting.

"Stop having inappropriate thoughts," Riser said mildly. "And stand up."

She glared. "You read my mind again, didn't you?"

He didn't deny it.

"Why can't you be like a normal devil? You know—lazy, indulgent, fucking me into unconsciousness like any reasonable man would?"

"Control your hormones, woman," he said, clearly amused.

"Unfair," she huffed. "It is not a crime to want to be ravished by my incredibly sexy, shirtless king who's built like a war god and smells like sin."

That earned a laugh. A rich, beautiful sound that made her toes curl.

"If you can keep up for thirty more minutes," he said, "then you'll get your reward."

He said it like she was some pet earning a treat. And... well. She kind of was.

Thirty minutes. The longest thirty minutes of her life. She couldn't even stand by the end. Her knees buckled, her legs gave out and he caught her.

Riser lifted her into a princess carry, all grace and fire. She collapsed into him, boneless and breathless.

"So…" she murmured against his shoulder, "do I get my reward, master?"

He hummed. "Yes."

"Fabulous," she sighed, and promptly licked the sweat off his cheek like a dog in heat.

He snorted. "You're making me reconsider."

"Not fabulous," she whimpered.

He laughed again, deep and beautiful and hers.

And even if she was sore and exhausted, at that moment, she was exactly where she wanted to be.


POV: Valerie

Valerie Tepes had long since stopped expecting her world to change. She had been born in a coffin of marble and gold, raised within the cold stone walls of the Tepes castle, and taught early that kindness was an illusion—a story told to weak children to make them easier prey.

Dhampir. Half-blood. Mistake.

They had a hundred words for what she was, and none of them were meant to make her feel like she belonged.

Even the silence here bled contempt. Every corridor, every black-draped window, every flickering candelabra reminded her of what she wasn't: pure. Whole. Worthy. The purebloods passed her like she was dust in the air, or worse, a stain that would never wash out. And so Valerie learned to walk with her chin high, her heart low, and her hope buried so deep it had almost suffocated.

Almost.

The only thing that made life inside the castle bearable was Gasper. Poor, trembling, cursed Gasper.

He was five years her junior, though in this place, time bent strangely around suffering. He had been born twisted by a Sacred Gear no one understood, shrouded in fear before he could even speak. They said his mother died just from holding him. Valerie didn't believe it was his fault.

She remembered the first time she saw him. Huddled in a corner like a shadow given form, eyes wide and red-rimmed, too scared to cry. She had marched right up to him and declared, "You're mine now."

He didn't flinch. He just looked at her. And stayed.

Over time, he stopped stuttering around her. He started smiling, even. She made him laugh once, and it nearly broke her heart. Because he still believed in something. Maybe in her. Maybe in escape.

He would talk about the world beyond the castle. About dragons and angels and great cities filled with light that never went out. He dreamed of meeting beings who didn't look at him like he was broken. And Valerie—

She pretended to listen with a smile. But inside, she knew better.

There was no escape. There was no world that wanted them.

But then the dreams started.

Valerie had never seen a city before. Not really. But in her dreams, she stood beneath impossible towers of glass and light, buildings that touched the sky and bled color like rain. She saw metal beasts rushing down black rivers, people wrapped in strange clothes and noise, and music.

Always the music.

It was haunting, lilting, without words but full of meaning. It crept under her skin, filled her lungs like mist. And then, always, the figure appeared: tall, golden-haired, crimson-eyed. Beautiful beyond understanding.

He would smile, and speak without moving his lips:

Follow the melody, and you will find what you seek.

She didn't know what it meant. And she didn't want to believe it. Hope was dangerous. It made you soft.

But then, one day, Gasper came to her. He looked shaken, pale even by vampire standards.

"I want to leave," he said. His voice was firm. Clear. "I want to try. Please, Valerie. Come with me."

And she looked at him, really looked. At the only person who had ever seen her as something worth staying for.

She remembered her dream.

Follow the melody.

"Alright," she said.

They planned carefully. Valerie knew the guards' rotations, when the feeding halls were emptied, when the castle's wards shifted briefly at twilight. Gasper, nervous as he was, could control his Sacred Gear just enough to freeze the eyes of anyone who caught sight of them for a few crucial seconds. They gathered what little they had: cloaks, dried blood packs, a map stolen from a tutor's study.

When they slipped out into the night, hearts pounding and senses stretched taut, they didn't expect to make it far.

But they made it past the gates.

And then they heard it.

The melody.

Faint, distant, but unmistakable. Valerie froze. So did Gasper.

He looked at her.

"You hear it too?"

She nodded slowly.

The music was eerie, unearthly. It carried no words, but it pulled. It beckoned.

She remembered the dream. The golden figure. The promise.

Follow the melody.

They had no map for what came next. No plan. Only each other, and the music.

So they followed.

According to whispered talks Valerie had overheard among the vampire nobility, the vampire world was a pocket dimension connected to the darkness of a human country called Romania. A shadowed mirror of the real world. There were checkpoints—gates—where the vampire realm bled into the human one, patrolled and watched by guards. She had never seen them. Never hoped to. But the melody led them there.

As if fate willed it, they found an unguarded moment, a weakness in the patrol. Valerie found it strange, too easy. Her unease deepened, but they pressed on and passed through the gate.

Romania.

The air felt different. Cleaner. The trees looked alive, not twisted and blackened like those behind them. There were rivers. Grass. Birds.

They walked for hours, eyes wide with awe, still following the song.

And then they began to hear the words.

Hush, now. Hide, all you little ones.

Rush now, Into the middle of Nowhere;

Singing and laughter will die.

The melody remained soft. Almost cheerful. But the lyrics turned their blood to ice.

Dreamless sleep Follows the Nowhere King.

When his kingdom comes, Darkness is nigh.

Gasper whimpered. Valerie took his hand.

Quiet, Crawl through the in-between.

Silent, Secretive feeling of fearsome Hatred that reaches the skies.

You will bring joy to the Nowhere King, When he sees the light Leaving your eyes.

The contrast between tune and words was unbearable yet comforting in an odd way. The music comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comforted. And, they followed. What else could they do?

Moments later, Valerie's dread proved right. Figures emerged from the forest, men in strange clothes, bearing holy swords. Their eyes cold. Their expressions cruel.

Vampire hunters.

Valerie froze.

"Well, well," one sneered. "What do we have here? Two young blood-sucking parasites, fresh out of the womb."

"How delightful," another laughed, raising his blade.

They didn't attack at once. They played. Taunted. Mocked. Like cats with mice.

Valerie tried to fight. So did Gasper. But they'd never seen real battle. Their strikes were clumsy. The hunters laughed.

"This is what the lords of night spawn now?"

And then one of them stepped forward, bored. Drew his sword and without hesitation, stabbed Gasper through the heart.

Valerie screamed.

She dropped to her knees beside him, blood soaking through his cloak. His eyes were wide with shock, lips trembling with a name he could not finish.

She held him. Cried. Cursed herself, the hunters, the melody, the world.

He died in her arms.

And something inside her shattered.

The world burned white.

The Sephiroth Graal awoke.

Visions tore through her: life, death, soul. She saw the shape of existence, the principle of vitality. The language of creation screamed through her.

She rose.

The hunters turned but too late.

Her power tore them apart. Bones cracked. Screams filled the forest.

When the last body fell, she staggered back to Gasper.

He was still. Cold. Gone.

But the melody still played.

Desperate, broken, Valerie gathered his body into her arms and followed the song.

She ran for what felt like hours, through trees and shadow, as the final verse echoed in her bones.

You will bring Joy to the Nowhere King,

When he sees the light leaving your eyes.

And then, the forest broke.

A boulder loomed ahead. And beside it—

The figure from her dreams.

Tall. Golden. Crimson-eyed. Radiant beyond reason.

Is he a fairy? she wondered. No... something more.

She stumbled toward him, still holding Gasper's body.

"You're the man from my dreams," she whispered.

He smiled. "I am."

"You said... if I followed the melody... I'd find what I seek."

"And you did."

"Then save him," she begged, falling to her knees. "Please."

The figure tilted his head. "What will you give in return?"

"Everything," Valerie said, voice raw.

He smiled wider. And from his palm rose three small objects, smooth and gleaming like marble. She did not know what they were—only that they pulsed with strange power.

Two floated to Gasper's chest. One drifted into her own heart.

And then darkness took her.


3 months later

It's been about three months since I became a bishop in Lord Riser's peerage.

I remember waking in a bed softer than anything I'd ever felt, draped in silk and the scent of roses. He explained it all to me then, calmly, kindly. That he was a devil. That I had been reincarnated as one too. That I was now part of his household, his servant, his bishop. At first, I was terrified. A deal with a devil rarely ends well. It's almost laughable, isn't it? I tried to escape slavery and instead walked straight into it, willingly. But I don't regret it. Not when the person dearest to me was saved.

Since that day, I've thrown myself into learning. Everything I never had the chance to study while trapped in the Tepes palace, I devour it now. Etiquette, manners, speech, customs, the intricacies of devil society. Yubelluna, the queen of the peerage, has been teaching me. She's been... kind. Too kind. It makes me suspicious. But Gasper adores her. She's the third person in his life to treat him like he's not some cursed thing. He smiles more now. Laughs. I keep telling myself: even if her kindness is fake, his happiness is real. And that's enough.

Still, I'm not stupid. I know why we're treated so well. It's because we're useful. Sacred Gears are rare, precious. We're assets, not family. That's why I work harder than anyone else. I have to be indispensable. I study until my vision blurs. I train until my demonic energy burns. I force myself to improve, because I cannot be discarded. Not again.

Yubelluna praises me often. Says I'm talented. That I learn fast. She taught Gasper and me the foundations of devil magic. I picked it up quickly. I was proud, until I remembered what pride leads to. So I swallowed it and trained harder.

I researched on my own. Learned the limits and possibilities of devil magic. It's said to be limitless, in theory anything is possible. But in reality, there are walls everywhere. Demonic Energy, talent, knowledge, resources. Thus most devils specialize in a specific area of magic. Enchantment. Conjuration. Curses. Transmutation. Potions (very rare). Very few master more than one.

Except for Lord Riser.

He noticed me after I demonstrated aptitude for ritual theory. Since then, he's taken over my training. His knowledge of magic is... unnerving. He understands everything. Not just spells or potions, but the principles behind them. He teaches with such clarity that he answers questions before I even ask them. Sometimes, it feels like he's reading my mind.

I asked Yubelluna once: was every pureblooded devil like him?

She laughed. "No," she said, shaking her head. "He's a freak."

She meant it fondly. She told me that while talent is unevenly distributed, most devils have limits, things they can't do. But Riser Phenex... doesn't. Most devils are specialists, but his specialism is omniscience. He's a master of everything he touches. Magic. Music. Weapons. Dance. Yubelluna grew wistful as she listed them. Violin, harp, piano—he plays them all and weaves memory into melody. He enchants people not with spells, but with Mastery.

A perfect devil.

And he's mine to serve.

He's been focusing on rituals and alchemy with me. Potions, runes, summoning circles. It's difficult, delicate work, but he makes it make sense. He's patient, precise. Demanding, yes, but fair. And I give everything I have. Every thought, every hour. Because if I'm useful, I'm safe. If I'm useful, Gasper is safe.

And maybe….maybe—I can find freedom in this service. Even if I'm still a slave in name, at least I'm no longer in chains.

Not yet.


POV: Riser Phenex

The knowledge I gained from absorbing Kelzior Saeros' soul has proven… invaluable. Predictable, but still deeply satisfying.

Kelzior had been many things: a sadist, a despot, a brilliant polymath whose intellect burned so hot it incinerated morality. A Devil who once said, " All that is created must be known to me, or it exists without my sanction." A sentiment I now understand with unnerving clarity. The moment I took his soul into myself, his mind became part of the architecture of my own. Not as a voice—no, that would be crude, but as impulse, intuition, a sharper edge to my will.

He was an expert in enchantment, transmutation, conjuration, potions, alchemy, and ritual magic. A master of soulcraft. A scholar of domination in both magical and psychological forms. And now I am too.

But more than his knowledge, I inherited his hunger—a ravenous desire to master every discipline that caught his gaze. That part of him, his tyrannical intensity, I have not tamed. I've simply aimed it.

And it is accelerating everything.

My body, reshaped and refined through Kelzior's soul-fueled rituals, is something else entirely now. Even beyond its aesthetic perfection, though I do enjoy the way mirror reflections seem to pause in reverence, my capabilities have multiplied. My strength, even before enhancing it with demonic energy, is staggering. When I exhaust myself in training, my reserves recover at unnatural speeds. My demonic energy output is already above peak high-class. I'm still below ultimate class, but not by much. Not for long.

The leap from high-class to ultimate-class isn't simply about power. It's about transcendence.

In the devil hierarchy, each rank isn't just a number but a new state of being. Low-class devils are two to three times stronger than a human without enhancements; with demonic energy, they reach tenfold. Middle-class devils eclipse them five to seven times over. But from there, the scale curves steeply: high-class devils are ten to twelve times stronger than middle-class, and ultimate-class devils are fifteen to twenty times stronger still. The difference between an ultimate-class devil and a High-class entity is as vast as the ocean to a pond.

And then… There is Satan-class. The gods in all but name. Beings like Serafall Leviathan, Falbium, The Seraphs, Odin, Zeus, Azazel.

To breach these thresholds, raw power is not enough. One must undergo a qualitative transformation, an evolution. A unique ability, a sacred gear, a perfected technique, or in some cases, a conceptual shift in how their power manifests. Just as the caterpillar does not become a stronger caterpillar to fly—it becomes something else.

Before I attempt that leap, however, I must address my species' most persistent vulnerability: our racial weakness to holy and light-based forces. The very idea of being undone by such primitive elements offends me. So I've begun experimenting, rituals, potions, symbols long-buried in myth.

Progress has been slow. The work demands something beyond even my enhanced capability. A missing component.

Which is why I accelerated Valerie's escape from the Tepes estate.

In the original timeline, her Sacred Gear, the Sephiroth Graal, awakened only under extreme emotional trauma while helping Gasper escape. But in my version, I ensured their path was smooth, too smooth, in fact. Her emotional trigger never came. So I corrected the oversight.

I manipulated a group of vampire hunters into "finding" them. Let the scene unfold. Valerie's despair reached the necessary pitch. Gasper's death, temporary, of course, was the final push. She awakened. Just as I intended.

When she begged me to save him, I offered a deal. She accepted without hesitation. Just as I planned.

And now the Graal is mine.

Valerie is important. More than she knows. Her Sacred Gear connects her to the very principles of life. Through it, she perceives how life and soul are formed. Through it, I will reshape the biology of devils.

The Sephiroth Graal's ability that most interests me is its ability to reduce weakness. Vampires become more resistant to holy weapons. Evil Dragons resist their Slayers. Devils—I—may become impervious to the light.

That alone would be enough.

But with her help, I can craft potions and rituals impossible by conventional means. Imagine the possibility of overcoming the racial weakness of devils to anything holy or light, where I am free to act without constraint, without flaw. Imagine an existence where even God's weapons are dulled against me.

That is the future I am building.

And it is coming faster than I expected.


AN: Yep, it's that time again—another chapter has arrived. Believe it or not, I was planning to kick off the next arc here and make this chapter as long as a small novel, but then I remembered sleep exists. So the next arc will start in the following chapter instead.

If you're wondering about the song I used: it's from a children's show called Centaurworld, and yes, it's about the Nowhere King. I just thought the song was cool, creepy, and weirdly perfect, so I chucked it in there like seasoning.

As always, any kind of feedback would be interesting. Honestly, it's the only reason I even post. That and to inflict firebird drama on the world.

 

[abel targayen]

POV: Le Fay Pendragon

Le Fay sat by the window seat, arms crossed, headphones tucked around her neck but not playing anything. The drone of the plane's engine filled the silence. She glanced across the aisle at her brother Arthur, who sat relaxed but focused, listening to the man seated beside him: Cao Cao.

He was eloquent—too eloquent. Ever since her brother Arthur met him, Le Fay had been uneasy. It was supposed to be a simple mission. A rogue magister haunting an old estate in the French countryside. But when they arrived, there he was—sitting on a moss-covered boulder beneath the shade of a crumbling oak, as if he had always been waiting. He introduced himself with a smile and spoke with the kind of calm that made men listen before they knew they were listening. Within hours, Arthur had invited him to dinner.

And now they were on a flight to Japan, surrounded by his companions. Strangers, yet wearing the names of heroes.

George. Jeanne. Heracles. Leonardo. Marsillio. They had introduced themselves politely earlier. They'd even explained the names.


"We chose them," Jeanne had said with a soft smile, "because some of us are either descendants of these heroes, some spirit inheritors of these heroes from myth and some soul inheritors."

Arthur had nodded at that, finding the symbolism noble. Le Fay had remained silent.

Now, the conversation returned to why they were here.

Cao Cao spoke again, gaze calm but sharp. "A school bus in Japan had gone missing. Vanished without a trace outside Kyoto. Not a single body recovered. The local authorities are useless. The supernatural is involved—I'm sure of it."

Arthur had leaned forward, concerned. "What kind of supernatural?"

"Vampires, possibly," Cao Cao answered. "But it could be devils, or yokais or something else. That's why I'm gathering people with potential. People with the power and the will to fight monsters. People who see others suffer and instead of closing their eyes instead wish to do something about it. People like you. Heros"

Le Fay looked at him. "But why? What's your plan?"

Cao Cao straightened. His tone shifted—still elegant, but heavier now. Sharper.

"Because humanity has no one left. No guardian, no shield, no god who truly fights for us. We are ruled from the shadows by devils and monsters who see us not as people, but as tools, resources to be bent, broken, and discarded. Vampires keep humans like cattle, draining their blood night after night, robbing them of dignity, identity, and life. They treat suffering as their right. Devils are worse. They offer pacts laced in poison, bind men and women to eternal servitude, twist innocent into new devils without consent. They take those born with Sacred Gears—gifts meant to uplift—and chain them into servants for their petty feuds. And the yokai? They smile and whisper lies in alleyways, dragging innocents into the dark to devour them. We have become prey in our own world. And still, the world remains silent."

Arthur frowned. "But surely not all of them are like that?"

Cao Cao gave him a look. Not angry, just measured. "Enough are. Enough to justify action. We humans have no gods that fight for us. No armies of angels. No eldritch powers of our own. The supernatural feeds on us. Lies to us. Uses us."

He looked around at them all.

"That ends with us. With this generation. With people willing to take a stand."

Le Fay crossed her arms tighter. "You speak of darkness, but what of the light? Not all supernatural beings are monsters. What about angels? Gods? There are those who protect and heal humanity."

Cao Cao gave a quiet scoff. "The gods? You speak of them as if they are saviors. As if their divinity makes them just. Look at the Greek pantheon: so often praised, so often worshipped. What were they, truly? Petulant tyrants draped in immortality. They razed cities because they were insulted, condemned families for disobedience, turned mortals into beasts or stone for daring to speak freely. They took mortals as lovers, yes, but not out of love but out of possession. Out of hunger. They were predators who demanded praise, who demanded sacrifice, and gave nothing but ruin in return. And it is not just the Greeks. Across myth and history, the gods have done what they please without consequence. Is that who you would entrust with our protection? Creatures that destroy as easily as they breathe?"

He paused, letting silence stretch.

"And the angels? Those beings of light you speak of so fondly? They sit in their perfect heaven, cloaked in silence and prayer, unmoved while humanity screams below. Where are they when vampires drain children dry in cold cellars? Where are they when devils bind men's souls to eternal contracts? Where are they when demons walk the earth in noble garb and prey on the innocent with laughter on their tongues? They do nothing. Because their heaven is not our earth. Because our pain is not their concern."

Arthur looked down at that. Le Fay saw him nod slowly. She bit her lip.

"Then what's your solution?" she asked. "How do you plan to protect humanity?"

Cao Cao's eyes met hers. "Simple. Eliminate all those who threaten us. All who prey on mankind."

Le Fay stared. "That's vague. Who decides what counts as a threat? What about beings with power but no ill intent?"

"Intent is fleeting," Cao Cao said calmly. "Power is constant. If someone holds the power to enslave or kill millions, they are a threat, intentional or not."

"That's dangerous thinking," Le Fay said. "That's how massacres happen."

"And inaction leads to the same ruin," Cao Cao replied, his voice sharpening. "Every century, every decade, we say the same words—'Wait, hope, endure.' But how many humans have died because others stood by, too afraid to act? How many children have vanished in the dark, how many cities have become feeding grounds, how many sacred lives have been stolen, all while the world turned its face away?"



Her voice rose slightly. "But we're not talking about people, we're talking about entire races. You're talking about genocide."

He didn't flinch. "Genocide? No. I call it what it is—defense. The final, necessary stand of a race long betrayed. Humanity cannot be free while it remains bound in chains, chains not of iron, but of fear. Chains forged by devils who control our fates. By yokai who deceive and devour us. By gods who manipulate from above, and angels who let us die while whispering their hymns. The supernatural is Cain, reborn in a thousand forms. And we, the human race, are Abel, doomed to die over and over if we do not rise. But this time, Abel must lift the stone. This time, he must strike first or perish again, forgotten and broken. If we do not fight, we will remain slaves. If we do not resist, we will remain prey."

Le Fay looked away, tense. "Humans hurt each other all the time. We lie, kill, destroy. Are we not also monsters? Are we not a threat to ourselves then?"

"We are flawed," Cao Cao admitted, and for a moment his voice softened. "We lie. We steal. We kill. But we are human. And when we harm one another, it is a tragedy of our own making. It is a pain within our family. Suffering from within the species. We can understand it, judge it, and heal from it. But when the supernatural kills us, it is not family—it is domination. It is the powerful imposing their will upon the powerless. It is a lion devouring sheep. No remorse. No justice. Just cold control. That is not a tragedy. That is enslavement. We can change ourselves. But we cannot change those who see us only as tools and food and pawns. The difference lies not in the act, but in the intent, the perspective. The moment a being sees a human as less than equal, the tragedy becomes tyranny."

"That's not justice," she said. "That's fear, dressed in reason."

She sat up straighter, eyes on Cao Cao. "There are miracles too, even now. Moments of grace that defy cruelty. There are devils who have healed, yokai who've protected children, and even angels who walk among us quietly, doing what they can. Not all supernatural beings are monsters. Some of them love humans. Some are humans—twisted by fate, by magic, by blood, but still trying. That has to count for something."

Her gaze moved to her brother, briefly.

"You speak of monsters as if they are born and finished, that nothing can change. But people, creatures, change. They surprise you. They grow."

She drew a breath.

"Do you remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? A man beaten, left for dead on the road. A priest passed by. A Levite passed by. Men of the cloth, righteous men, who looked the other way. But it was a Samaritan, a foreigner, a man reviled by society, who stopped. Who cleaned his wounds. Who saved him."

She looked around the cabin. "We talk of blood and race and power as if they define morality. But kindness isn't bound to species. Mercy isn't exclusive to one race. The divine isn't found in wings or fire. It's found in choice. The choice to help. The choice to forgive. The choice to change."

Le Fay's voice began to rise, not in anger, but conviction.

"If we kill every creature with power simply because they might harm us, then what are we? Judges? Executioners? We become no better than the ones we fear. A world ruled by suspicion, by preemptive hatred—that's not salvation. That's just another kind of cage."

She looked straight at Cao Cao now.

"You speak of defense, of standing tall. I understand that. But strength is not only found in the sword. It's found in the hand that chooses not to strike. In the heart that listens. In the soul that believes redemption is possible. If we forget that, if we forget compassion, we've already lost."

She exhaled slowly.

"I don't deny that darkness exists. But neither will I deny the light. Not in others. Not in us."

Cao Cao gave a small smile. "You're kind, Le Fay. But kindness alone won't save humanity. The only way to end our suffering is to remove those who cause it."

She turned to Arthur. "Brother, I would advise you against partaking in this folly. It can only end in sorrow. A mission born of hate cannot bring good. Those with power should seek better ways, not slaughter."

Arthur didn't respond.

Cao Cao laughed softly and stood. His voice filled the cabin.

"So! Will this valiant company abandon the innocent to their chains? Let devils rule and yokai feed while angels sit and watch? I say no."

He looked at each of them, his eyes intense.

"If sorrow awaits us, we have known it already. This world is not fair. We bowed our heads, and still the innocent bled. So now—we raise them. Through grief, we'll find joy. Or freedom, at least."

He turned back to Le Fay.

"If I cannot tear down the architects of our pain, then I will at least hurt them so badly that even the heroes of old will hear of it and wonder. And perhaps, in the end… they'll follow me."

He sat down. The cabin went quiet.

Le Fay exhaled slowly. The hum of the engine was louder than before.

She turned to the window.

Somewhere far below, the sun was rising.


POV: Tobio Ikuse

It had been a month since the bus vanished. A month since his classmates disappeared without a trace. A month since anyone last heard Sae's voice. The world had moved on. He hadn't.

Most days, Tobio Ikuse sat on the park bench after school and stared at the ground. He didn't cry anymore. That had stopped two weeks ago. There was just numbness now. The kind of dull emptiness that made the hours feel like sludge. People passed him by, not seeing him. He preferred it that way.

But recently, something odd had started to happen.

He'd made a new friend.

It was two weeks ago. He was sitting at a bench near Shinjuku Gyoen, half-numb, when a stranger approached. Foreign. Tall. Golden hair, red eyes. Striking beyond reason—not just attractive, but impossible. Beautiful like he wasn't real.

"Is this seat taken?" he'd asked in perfect, unaccented Japanese.

Tobio shook his head. The man sat down.

"You look like someone carrying too much silence," the stranger said, tone soft, words thoughtful. "Sometimes it helps to share a little of it."

It wasn't the kind of thing someone just said. And yet it didn't feel forced.

Tobio didn't talk much at first. But this man, Riser, he would later learn, was different. Riser had a way with words. He seemed genuinely curious about everything. He asked Tobio questions that weren't just polite, but thoughtful. Real.There was something disarming in his calm, something magnetic in his presence. He didn't pry, didn't pity. He simply listened, then offered comments that were both insightful and oddly comforting. The man introduced himself as Riser. A foreigner, apparently, though his Japanese was flawless.

Over the next few days, they kept meeting. Sometimes by chance, sometimes planned. And slowly, Tobio began to talk. About his life. His pain. His confusion. The bus. The school. His friends. His own guilt for not being on the trip. How he kept wondering what would've happened if he had been.

Tobio didn't know what compelled him to talk to the man, but somehow, conversation came easier than it had in weeks. Riser never judged. Just sat with him, asked the right questions, and let him speak.

They talked about everything. Music. Football. Books. History. Riser had an opinion on everything, always well-informed and strangely elegant in how he phrased things. It wasn't arrogant. Just... precise.

One afternoon, after an hour of talking about literature of all things. Tobio said, "Your Japanese is incredible. I wouldn't have guessed you weren't native."

Riser tilted his head. "Thank you. But I do not consider myself fluent. You see, I can neither read nor write Japanese."

Tobio blinked. "Seriously? How can you speak it this well and not read or write? Where did you learn it from?"

" From a Japanese man," Riser said with a small smile. It wasn't evasive exactly, but something about it felt deliberately vague

"Still, that's insane," Tobio muttered. "Reading and writing are like... half the language."

"Then perhaps you could help me complete the other half," Riser said, eyes gleaming. "Would you be willing to teach me?"

Tobio hesitated, then nodded. "Sure. Why not."

"Excellent."

And so, he did. For the next two days, they spent their time with notebooks and textbooks. Riser absorbed everything. Not just quickly, but perfectly. By the end of the second day, he was writing full sentences in perfect kanji and correcting Tobio's stroke order.

"You're not normal," Tobio muttered once, only half-joking.

Riser just smiled. "Perhaps. But neither are you."

Their bond grew. Tobio found himself looking forward to their talks. He started sleeping better. Eating again. Laughing, even.

But part of him couldn't ignore how... off Riser seemed. Too perfect. No one should be that perfect. He seemed to know everything. Philosophy, science, music, literature, sports, even fashion. He could quote obscure authors, play classical piano, and had once broken into fluent French mid-conversation before apologizing and switching back. Once Tobio heard him speak in German and Italian on the same day. And he moved like someone who'd trained for centuries.

He wasn't just beautiful. He was unreal.



And yet, with all that, he never made Tobio feel small.

Riser had a way of making him feel seen. Not pitied, not managed. Just... seen.

Still, Tobio sometimes caught himself watching Riser like he might disappear. No one should be that beautiful, that smart, that patient. It didn't feel real. But then, neither did his grief. Maybe they matched.

Because for the first time since the bus vanished, he didn't feel alone

Maybe that's why Tobio kept meeting him. Because Riser made the world feel sharp again. Not brighter, necessarily. But clearer.

And that was enough.


Pov: Tobio ikuse

Two months had passed since Tobio Ikuse's classmates vanished. The pain hadn't dulled, no– it lingered, like a fog in his chest that refused to lift but it has become bearable since he has started talking about it with his new friend. That night, after parting ways with Riser, Tobio walked home under dim streetlights, lost in thought. The sky was a deep blue, the kind that felt heavy.

Then he saw him.

Kouta Sasaki. A former schoolmate.

Alive. Standing across the street like nothing had happened.

"Kouta?!" Tobio called out.

But Kouta didn't react. No smile. No confusion. Just turned and walked away.

Tobio sprinted after him, heart pounding, confused and hopeful and afraid. He followed Kouta through narrow alleys, and finally caught up to him in an abandoned park.

What he saw froze him in place.

Kouta stood beside a lizard-like creature hunched over a dead dog. It looked up, bloodied, jaws twitching. Tobio backed up. Kouta raised a hand, flat, mechanical, and the beast lunged.

Tobio ran.

He stumbled, clawed at the dirt, kicked wildly, but it was useless. The lizard-like creature was faster, stronger. He was going to die.

Then a flash of light cut through the night and something slammed into him from the side.

They rolled, and when Tobio looked up, someone was standing between him and the monster. Slim frame, short brown hair tied back, wearing a school jacket.

He blinked. "Natsume…?"

She didn't answer right away. She stepped forward, movements sharp and precise, hands glowing with light as she raised them toward the beast. The monster snarled, but didn't approach.

Tobio stared in disbelief. "You're alive?"

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Yeah. And you're lucky I am."

---

Later, in a quiet corner booth of a run-down family restaurant, Tobio sat across from her in stunned silence. The menu between them sat untouched. The fluorescent lighting buzzed overhead. She was nursing a soda like nothing had happened. Like this was normal.

"I thought you were gone," Tobio said finally. His voice was hoarse. "Everyone said you transferred. That you missed the trip."

"I did. On purpose."

He blinked. "What?"

"I knew something was off. That whole trip reeked of a setup. I tried to convince the others not to go, but no one listened. So I stayed behind."

"And you've been… what? Hiding?"

"Investigating," she corrected. "Trying to figure out what happened to our classmates. Took me a few weeks, but I got a name: the Utsusemi. They're the ones who took everyone."

Tobio's head was spinning. "But Sasaki—she was with that thing—"

"They all are," she said. "The Utsusemi bonded them with creatures. Parasites. Living weapons. I don't know if the others even know who they are anymore. Their memories, their minds… they're not whole."

She pulled something out of her bag and placed it on the table. It looked like an orb, dark blue and veined, faintly glowing. It pulsed like a heartbeat.

"This one's for you."

"What is it?"

"Think of it like an egg," she said. "There's something inside. Something that's meant to bond with you. Like the creatures they forced on the others. Only this one hasn't hatched yet. You need it if you want to survive what's coming."

Tobio stared at it, then back at her. "Wait. What the hell do you mean 'bond'? What's inside this thing? Why would I die without it?"

Natsume leaned forward, lowering her voice.

"Because they're going to come after you now. You've seen Sasaki. That means you're marked. And without a partner, you're just prey. That egg, whatever's inside, is the only thing that can level the playing field."

Tobio looked down at the orb. It didn't look dangerous. It didn't look like salvation either.

"This is insane," he muttered.

"I know. But it's real. You'll see soon enough."

There was a long silence.

Tobio finally asked, "Why are you helping me?"

She looked up at him. "Because I couldn't save the others. But maybe I can help you."

Tobio didn't have a reply. He just sat there, staring down at the thing that might be his last hope.

As they stood to leave, Natsume paused and leaned in close. "I'll come by your place later tonight. Make sure you stay alive until then."

---

Tobio barely remembered walking home. The world felt fragile now, like it could shatter at any second.

Once inside, he placed the orb—egg—whatever it was, in the bathroom sink. It didn't do anything. Just pulsed gently, rhythmically.

He stared at it a long time.

Then, drained, he collapsed onto his bed and slipped into a restless sleep.

At midnight, he awoke to a strange feeling.

Someone was watching him.

Tobio crept to the window. A boy was clinging to the wall of the building across from him. A massive spider loomed beside him, attached to the wall by thick strands of webbing.

His heart dropped. The boy moved. Fast.

A second attacker appeared from below, this one, a girl, accompanied by a frog the size of a car.

Tobio ran. He darted through the apartment, spider silk lashing behind him. The frog crashed through furniture.

Panicked, Tobio threw himself into the bathroom. The egg.

It was cracked.

He stared, trembling. The monsters were outside. He tried to hold the door shut. Then it burst open.

Cornered, back against the tub, he remembered something, his grandmother's hand on his forehead, the seal she placed years ago. She'd said it would protect him one day.

And then the blade appeared.

From his shadow, a long, black blade erupted, piercing the frog through the face.

The spider reared back.

Out of the shadows stepped a small black puppy, eyes glowing faintly, a blade jutting from its head. The frog lashed out with its tongue. The dog jumped, clean, fast and diced the frog apart in midair.

The spider tried to run. The dog grew blades along its spine and gave chase.

Tobio followed, stunned.

In the living room, another beast had appeared, with its human master. The dog charged again, but was intercepted and knocked outside. Tobio, desperate, hurled a pot at the man. He collapsed.

Outside, Tobio watched the monster drag the dog skyward.

Then it changed. The puppy twisted into a long, elegant blade and impaled the monster through the chest. Both fell, crashing onto a rooftop.

Tobio gasped.

He remembered. His grandmother had warned him about the dog. Told him it was dangerous but loyal. That it would come when he needed it most.

Natsume appeared beside him.

"You did great," she said. "That power of yours…… It's amazing."

Tobio didn't answer at first. He just stood there, staring out into the night, the adrenaline still fading from his system. He finally muttered, "I think… I'm safe now."

She looked at him with concern, but said nothing more. For now, the monsters were gone. The danger had passed, at least for tonight.

Unbeknownst to either of them, someone else had been watching the events unfold from a nearby rooftop.

A tall man stood with his hands in his coat pockets, golden hair catching the moonlight, crimson eyes glowing faintly with interest. He tilted his head, a slight smile curling at his lips.

"Well now," Riser Phenex murmured, amused. "This is getting interesting."

POV: Tobio Ikuse

The small black puppy, Jin, Natsume called it, curled up in her lap as they sat in the living room. She absentmindedly scratched behind its ears while Tobio stared at the deep gouges left in the hallway wall. The chaos from earlier still echoed in his mind: the monsters, the shadows, the blades that had erupted from nowhere.

"You okay?" she asked.

Tobio nodded slowly. "I… think so."

"Good," she said, still focused on Jin. "Because we need to move. The Utsusemi might come again, and next time they won't send amateurs."

He blinked. "Wait what?….now?"

Natsume looked up, serious. "Yeah. Pack what you need. Just the basics. We can't stay here."

Tobio stood, hesitating. "Did no one hear the fight? The neighbors, or someone? That noise had to draw attention."

"They cover their tracks," she said. "Whatever tech or magic they use, it's efficient. People forget, cameras stop working, signals jam. No one will remember anything."

He opened his mouth to protest, but her tone left no room for argument. So he packed.

They were halfway down the street when it happened.

The sound of something slithering scraped across the pavement. Tobio turned, eyes widening. A creature like a snake, only much larger, coiled and misshapen, blocked the road. Its scales shimmered with unnatural light. Behind it stood a boy. No older than Tobio, wearing a blank expression.

Natsume tensed. "Another one."

They looked at each other, ready to run or fight. But before either could act, the snake burst into flames. Its body twisted once, then crumbled into black ash.

"What the hell—?" Tobio muttered.

A voice spoke behind them.

"Too slow."

They turned. A girl with long blond hair stepped from the shadows, cloaked and wearing a pointed hat that made her look like a storybook witch. Her eyes sparkled, and she gave Natsume a brief smile.

"You're late," she said.

Tobio stared. "Who…?"

Natsume handed her one of Tobio's bags. "Lavinia. She's with us."

"Let's go," Lavinia said. "More could be coming."

---

The apartment they arrived at was tucked between trees, nearly invisible from the road. It looked abandoned from the outside, but inside was clean and lived-in. Lavinia dropped Tobio's bag by the door and stretched.

Natsume motioned toward the couch. "Sit."

Still in shock, Tobio sat.

Natsume inserted a disc into the DVD player. The screen flickered to life.

"Watch this. It explains what's happening."

The footage was grainy, clearly from hidden cameras. But Tobio saw faces he recognized instantly. Friends. Classmates. People who had vanished. Sae.

He leaned forward. "They're alive…"

Then the video shifted. Each of them appeared again, but now bonded with monsters. Their expressions are blank. Controlled.

His stomach turned.

"No…"

"They're called Utsusemi," Natsume said. "And they've been turning kids from our school into weapons. Bonding them with monsters. Sacred Gears."

Tobio turned to her, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why us?"

"Because we have potential," she said. "You and I, we're Sacred gear users too."

Tobio shook his head. "Sacred Gears? What even is this?"

"God's gift to humanity to protect themselves against the supernatural. And yes, the supernatural exists," Lavinia said from the corner. "Gods. Devils. Angels. Yokai. Dragons. All real. All hidden."

Tobio stared at her, mind spinning. "That's insane."

"I thought so too," Natsume said. "But once you've seen it, you can't go back."

He tried to process it, tried to find some rational part of it he could latch onto, but the world had clearly changed and he couldn't deny what he'd seen.

"How do you know all this?" he asked her.

"I got this info from someone," Natsume said. "A contact. He's someone important, Governor General of a certain group. I haven't met him directly yet, but he told me to give out the last egg. Yours. It can help awaken your sacred gear."

"So this thing," Tobio said, pointing to the egg now resting on the table, "it draws out Sacred Gears?"

"Yeah. It unlocks what's already inside you."

He looked back to the screen, where Sae stood with a twisted creature behind her.

"They're still alive?" he asked.

Natsume gave him a soft smile. "They are. And we can still save them."

He let out a breath, something solid forming beneath the fear. Determination.

"Then let's do it," he said. "I'll help."

Natsume grinned. "Good. We'll figure this out."

---

Later that night, after she and Lavinia had gone to sleep, Tobio stood outside the apartment. The moon was bright. The air still.

His mind wasn't on monsters or missions. It was on someone else. His new friend.

Riser.

Tobio had meant to tell him about the weirdness, to share what had happened. But now… He remembered that something about Riser felt off. Too perfect. Too beautiful. Too talented. Something not human. And now that he knows the supernatural is real, he wants to be sure.

Tobio left without telling the others.

---

He found Riser in the usual place, a small park bench in town, lit by street lamps. The man was seated, reading what looked like a haiku anthology.

Riser looked up and smiled. "Tobio."

Tobio sat down, tense. "I need to ask you something."

Riser tilted his head. "Of course."

Tobio looked him dead in the eye. "Who are you, really?"

Riser didn't react. He closed the book and folded his hands.

"I see," he said. "So… you've found out about the supernatural."

Tobio's breath caught. "You knew? Wha–who are you?"

Riser's smile widened, almost amused.

"I am a man of wealth and taste." he said smiling.

He paused, watching Tobio's reaction with interest.

"I hope you've guessed my name," he added.

Tobio said nothing. The words, the tone, it sent a chill down his spine.

Riser leaned back on the bench, calm as ever.

"Relax, I mean you no harm," he said. "I'm still your friend."

But Tobio wasn't so sure anymore.

AN: Another chapter has landed. Nothing too earth-shattering happens here. It's just the beginning of a new arc, which means setup, setup, and even more mysterious setup. But don't worry, I have plans. Stay tuned.

 

[tehstorm]

Nice chapter! I Hope he will be abel to reeincarnate Tobio and maybe get Lavinia as his contracted magician...

 

[Gareth River]

Thanks

 

[abel targayen]

POV: riser phenex

Convincing Tobio Ikuse hadn't been difficult.

He was desperate, after all. His classmates were missing. His school had become a hunting ground for something he didn't understand. All I had to do was promise that I could help him save his kidnapped classmates, and he didn't even hesitate. That's the thing about humans. You don't need to lie to manipulate them. You just have to offer them something they want more than the truth. So when I told him I was a devil and that I could help, he didn't flinch. He just asked what I wanted in return.

"Nothing," I told him. "I'm not your enemy."

He asked questions. The usual ones. Why would a devil care?. I told him what he wanted to hear: I don't like what the Utsusemi Agency is doing. I don't like chaos in the human world. And I don't like monsters kidnapping children and turning them into weapons. His friend was in danger, and in moments like that, humans stop thinking. They cling to whatever light they can find, even if it comes from a devil.


That was enough for him, for now.

I made sure to appear confident but cooperative. I didn't push. Just offered help and waited for him to follow. It worked.

He believed me. Desperation does that.

He brought me to meet the rest of his group. Lavinia Reni and Natsume Minagawa. Lavinia didn't trust me from the start. I could see it in her eyes, although she appeared carefree, she was quite perceptive. But she didn't argue. Natsume was more cautious than I expected, not unkind, just measured. I didn't push too hard. Let them come to their own conclusions. I could tell they were watching me. Judging me. That was fine. I preferred it that way.

Still, they agreed. They had no other leads. I had power, resources, and experience. I could get them inside one of the labs that the Utsusemi Agency was using to hold the missing students.

We moved together.

A raid on an Utsusemi Agency lab. It was buried under an office building. We neutralized the guards. Lavina froze one. Natsume put another to sleep. Tobio was focused. Efficient. I barely needed to do anything.

The place was worse than expected. Students strapped to machines. Magic experiments. Living weapons. Tobio nearly broke down when he saw one of his classmates. Natsume pulled him back. We called for medical extraction and moved to secure the rest of the wing.

Until the creature showed up. One of Utsusemi's mistakes. Patchwork flesh and too much mana. It charged. I put it down with one strike.

Too easy.

Later that night, another raid.

We weren't alone this time.

Cao Cao's group.

I recognized them immediately. This wasn't supposed to happen. In the original timeline, the Hero Faction didn't interfere with Utsusemi or any of the slash Dog events. Something's changed.

Cao Cao. Arthur Pendragon. Jeanne. Heracles. George. Leonardo and he was older than the canon timeline. Le Fay. The early Hero Faction, though not fully formed. They were young. Still feeling out their ideology. Still willing to take risks.

When Jeanne and Heracles ran into Tobio and Natsume, they assumed the worst. Jeanne struck first. A sword appeared mid-air, aimed for Tobio. I caught it with two fingers.

Heracles came next. His glowing punch carried explosive force. I stopped it with my other hand.

Both stared at me, stunned. I didn't teleport. I just moved faster than they could see. Jeanne's blade stopped against my fingers. Heracles' punch met my palm. Neither attack even made me flinch.

I smiled politely.

"I suggest you ask questions before you try to kill my allies."

Le Fay arrived a few seconds later. She noticed immediately that something was wrong and tried to talk them down. She seemed the only one willing to look past species.

Cao Cao wasn't so quick to relax. He looked at me with contempt. Ah yes, the guy had a hate-boner for the supernatural. To him, I was just another devil. Another problem. I let him glare.

We stood in a triangle. My side. His. Utsusemi. The air was tight. One wrong word and the whole place would have gone up in flames.

Something rose from the lab's lower level. Massive. Misshapen. Covered in seals. Another Utsusemi creation. This one was unstable.

It roared and attacked all of us indiscriminately.

The standoff ended. We fought.

Tobio struck first. Lavina followed. Jeanne and Arthur flanked. Heracles brought brute force. I watched.

I only stepped in to stop the creature from collapsing the room. Held back, observed the others. Measured them.

Cao Cao's team had potential. Not just strong. Disciplined. Smart. They weren't fully formed yet, but I could see the shape.

Longinus users, most of them. Dangerous.

They weren't involved in this event in the original timeline. That confirmed it. This world is different.

And that was fine.

I don't cling to the canon timeline. Only opportunities.

This group would become the Hero Faction. In canon, they opposed all non-humans. Wanted humanity to stand alone.

Now, I had a front-row seat to their formation. Maybe even a hand in shaping it.

It could be useful. Or amusing.

I would observe.

And if needed, intervene.

--------------------------------------------

Names were exchanged quickly. Cau Cau, Jeanne, Heracles, Leonardo, George, Arthur, Le Fay. They didn't waste time posturing, their attention on me and watched me carefully. Reasonable. I was a devil, after all. Tobio introduced Natsume and Lavinia and I introduced myself politely.

We moved through the building as a group. Fourth floor, then to the fifth. More Utsusemi units waited for us, guarding something. Or someone. A man stood among them. He wore a coat like it belonged in a lab, but his stance said soldier.

When the last Utsusemi fell apart in a soft, wet thump, the man behind them stepped forward. He looked ordinary. Small, slim, hair cut too neat for a place like this. He had a file in one hand and an easy, practiced smile.

"Ah, well done, everyone," he said. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kazuhisa Doumon. You may call me Director Doumon, if you like. I represent the agency that governs this little facility."

He gestured around like he was giving us a tour of a garden, not a building crawling with monsters and corpses.

"And unfortunately for you," he added with a pleasant shrug, "I must ask you all to come with me. Quietly, if possible."

Cao Cao stepped forward first, twirling his spear like it was a walking stick.

"You plan to capture us?"

Doumon's smile didn't move. "For study. For the good of the Agency, naturally."

So this was their next obstacle. At least he is polite, thought Riser.

He snapped his fingers. More Utsusemi rushed in. My eyes tracked everyone.

Tobio's team handled themselves well. Lavinia froze enemies mid-step. Natsume moved quickly, striking with precision. But it was Cao Cao's people who stood out. Jeanne cut down constructs with speed and grace. Heracles tore them apart with brute strength. Le fay used her spells. George provided barriers and buffs, while Arthur's sword moved like an extension of his will. Excellent teamwork observed Riser.

But then Kazuhisa summoned something bigger.

A massive clay doll emerged, powered by something beyond simple magic. Tobio and Natsume attacked together, but they were overpowered. The doll caught them both and slammed them into the floor, pinning them with surprising precision.

"Don't struggle," Kazuhisa said. "You'll only make it worse."

Arthur took one step forward and raised Excalibur Ruler.

He didn't speak loudly. Just a command:

"Stop."

The clay doll froze mid-motion, its limbs jerking against invisible threads. Then, Cao Cao walked up calmly and tapped it with the tip of his spear.

Ash. And its master along with it.

Tobio was freed. He thanked them immediately.

We moved down to the final floor. The deeper we went, the colder the air felt.

And then we saw her.

Sae Toujou.

She stood alone, her expression calm. A smile on her face that wasn't quite right. Tobio tried to call out to her.

That's when the real enemy made his entrance.

"I am Hanezu," the man said. "Leader of the Utsusemi Agency."

He spoke in a calm, measured voice. His expression was composed, but there was something brittle beneath the surface. Riser had seen it before. Men who wrapped deep hatred in the language of righteousness.

Hanezu looked directly at Tobio, as if no one else in the room existed. "You are Himejima Tobio, aren't you? Or rather, Ikuse Tobio, child of an exiled branch of the Himejima. You were born under their name but cast aside from their blessings. Just like the rest of us."

Tobio frowned, confused. Hanezu didn't wait for questions.

"Utsusemi. That's what we call ourselves. Do you know the meaning?" He smiled faintly. "It's an old word. It means 'human', but more precisely, it means a cast-off shell. Like the hollow skin a cicada leaves behind. That's what we are. Born into lineages full of power and prestige, but not granted the spiritual gifts that gave us value. Our families called us useless. Hollow. Not people. Just... failures."

He looked around the room, but his gaze settled again on Tobio.

"We were supposed to disappear. We were expected to accept our roles as weak, broken. But we didn't. We remembered. And now we act. The Five Principal Clans cast us out. I intend to return the favor."

Riser observed quietly. The man wasn't ranting. His words were too still for that. This was practiced, almost rehearsed. A statement of belief, not a plea for sympathy.

Hanezu continued, "Ikuse Tobio, you have potential. More than they ever imagined. You possess a Longinus. A power strong enough to warp fate. Why waste it defending the very system that discarded you? Why fight for their world? You could destroy it. You could remake it."

He took a step forward. "Lend us your strength. Not for our sake, if that bothers you, but for your own. For everyone who was ever rejected. Help us tear down the monsters in the shadows of those clans. Replace them with something honest."

Tobio didn't answer. His eyes were downcast, uncertain. Riser could tell he wasn't convinced, but he was listening.

Hanezu smiled again, almost wistful now. "We were hollowed out by our own bloodlines. Do you understand what that does to a person, over time? You lose the part of yourself that believes you matter. And then the rest crumbles."

He looked tired.

"But you, Tobio... you were born with a blade. A black one. Tainted, they called it. Cursed. That's what makes you different. It wasn't supposed to exist. You weren't supposed to exist. And yet you do. That means something."

Riser tilted his head slightly. Hanezu's ideology was consistent. Broken, but consistent. His hatred had been curated over time, turned into doctrine. He didn't want justice, he wanted erasure. To delete everything that had made him feel like nothing.

"Let them suffer as we have" Hanezu said quietly.

Tobio looked shaken. Lavinia stepped closer to him, silent, uncertain. Natsume stood rigid, clearly disturbed by what she'd heard.

Riser said nothing. There was no need. This wasn't his moment. This was Hanezu's performance: raw, damaged, and meant to manipulate Tobio into sympathy or guilt. Riser understood it for what it was.

But what mattered wasn't what Hanezu believed. What mattered was whether Tobio would be pulled in by it.

And Riser was very interested in the answer.

Tobio was quiet for a long time after Hanezu stopped speaking.

The silence in the room wasn't empty. It felt dense, like a wire pulled taut. Riser watched Tobio's posture, the way his shoulders were tense, his eyes lowered, jaw clenched. He looked less like someone uncertain and more like someone holding back emotion with effort.

Then, finally, Tobio spoke. His voice was steady but quiet.

"No."

Hanezu blinked. "You would side with them?" His tone stayed calm, but there was a crack in it. "With the same clans who exiled your family? Who turned people like us into experiments?"

Tobio raised his head.

"I don't care about the clans," he said. "I care about my friends."

Riser noticed it then, the resolve in his eyes. This wasn't passive resistance. It was the kind of refusal that came from conviction.

"You hurt them," Tobio continued. "You hurt Sae. You used my classmates. You took people who had nothing to do with the clans and dragged them into your war. Just because you suffered doesn't give you the right to hurt other innocent people. Did you really expect me to work with you after all of that?"

He stepped forward.

"You say we were both born cursed. That we're the same. But we're not. I don't want to tear anything down. I just want to protect the people I care about."

Hanezu's face shifted slightly. Not anger but disappointment. As if he had truly believed Tobio would understand. He can't seem to grasp why someone whose friends he brain washed and turned into a weapon would not want to work with him.

"I never wanted to kill anyone," Tobio said. "I still don't. But I'll fight if I have to. And I'll stop you."

There was nothing dramatic in his tone. No grand declaration. Just a quiet, painful honesty. Riser could tell the refusal wasn't easy. Tobio was clearly shaken, and beneath that anger was sorrow, grief for what Hanezu had become, maybe even pity.

But his decision was firm.

"I won't become like you," Tobio said.

The words landed with more force than a blow.

For a moment, Hanezu didn't respond. He stared at Tobio like he was seeing something unfamiliar. Then he looked away, expression unreadable.

Riser folded his arms, mildly impressed. That level of control, that clarity, it wasn't common. Most people would have either lashed out or broken under the pressure.

But Tobio didn't. He chose restraint, even when it hurt. Riser could work with that.

Hanezu raised his hand.

"Sae."

A large lion appeared from thin air, summoned by her. She didn't hesitate.

Lavinia stepped forward to act, but George calmly interrupted.

"We're surrounded."

All around us, figures appeared. People. Hostages. The relatives of the original victims, used to anchor the Utsusemi experiments.

Hanezu gave an order. His subordinates moved to attack.

Tobio panicked. "Stop! Don't hurt them! I surrender!"

Cao Cao cut in. "Don't. That heart of yours is admirable. But they started this. We'll finish it."

Leonardo looked bored. "I'll take care of it."

His shadow stretched. From it, three monsters emerged. Each of them at the level of high-class devils.

They tore through Hanezu's troops in seconds.

Tobio stared.

Hanezu went pale. "You… You're the wielder of the Annihilation Maker..."

Leonardo didn't even respond.

Cornered and seeing that odds don't favour him, Hanezu did something stupid.

He grabbed Sae and put a knife to her throat. "One move, and she dies!"

Tobio froze, hands up. "Wait! We can talk!"

But I didn't wait.

I moved. No sound. No flash.

One moment, I was standing. Next, I was behind Hanezu.

A light tap to the back of his neck. And put a spell on his soul. A safety measure in case he escaped.

He crumpled.

"C-rated villain tactics," I said. "Always the hostages. Never any originality."

Everyone turned.

Tobio ran to Sae, who still didn't respond.

She raised her hand and tried to attack Tobio.

He didn't react in time.

I stepped in again. Tapped her forehead with two fingers.

She collapsed.

"She's fine," I told Tobio. "Just under control. I broke the link that was controlling her mind."

He nodded slowly, still trying to process it all.

The others looked at me.

Jeanne was frowning. Heracles narrowed his eyes. Even Cao Cao looked thoughtful.

I didn't care.

They were wary now. That was fine.

Better they understood who I really was.

--------------------------------------

Tobio held Sae tightly in his arms. She was unconscious but breathing. He muttered a quiet "Thank you" in Riser's direction, his voice low with emotion.

The moment didn't last. A teleportation circle snapped open, its purple glyphs twisting midair. A woman stepped through it: an elderly foreign woman in her latter sixties dressed in violet robes and a witch hat with a sharp glint in her eyes and an upright posture that appears almost youthful. She wore a pair of earrings and multiple rings on her fingers.

"Well, this is unexpected," she said smoothly, eyes scanning the ruined lab. "I came to see the dog. Instead, I find the Utsusemi scattered like trash. How pathetic"

Riser studied her quietly, arms crossed. Her aura reminded him of ancient fire sealed in velvet.

"Augusta of the purple Flames," Lavinia said flatly, stepping forward. Her posture changed. Tension coiled into her limbs.

A second figure followed through the circle, much younger. A girl with a bright smile and bouncing steps.

"Ooooh, what a weird room! Who's the boy holding the girl? Or wait! Who's the icy one with the pretty golden hair? And who is that beautiful man with crimson eyes?"

"Walburga," Augusta said without turning. "Focus."

But her own gaze had already locked onto Lavinia. Her lips curled.

"I see. So Grauzauberer sent someone. Mephisto finally decided to kill me. Fitting, he'd send you, Lavinia Reni. And you just following his orders like a good pet. Tell me, did you even ask him for his motive?"

"I'm not here to debate motives," Lavinia said coldly. "I'll know soon enough if you deserve to die."

Walburga leaned forward, examining Lavinia like she was art. "She's so pretty! I want to know her name!"

"You're embarrassing yourself," Augusta muttered. Then louder, "That's Lavinia Reni, the ice princess. Magician. Dangerous. And this" she gestured to the bubbly girl beside her "is Walburga, my disciple."

Riser remained silent, watching closely.

Lavinia stepped forward. Magic gathered around her feet, cold and slow. Ice spread in an even circle around her. Behind her, a towering woman of pure frost began to take shape: a three-meter tall ice doll taking the form as a woman in a dress without a face with six eyes on the left half of her face.

"Absolute Demise," Riser said under his breath. "She brought out the Longinus early."

Augusta raised an eyebrow. "Lovely. A true Longinus bearer. How delightful."

She raised her hands. Purple fire burst from her palms, swirling and condensing into the shape of a massive, humanoid figure, horned, armored, and aflame.

"Incinerate Anthem," Riser confirmed. "This should be interesting."

The tension in the room was heavy. Tobio held Sae protectively, while Natsume and Le Fay stood just behind him. Jeanne, Heracles, and the rest of the Hero Faction watched in silence, their expressions focused.

The battle began without words. Augusta struck first: blasts of purple fire shooting like artillery. Lavinia responded instantly. The frost giant blocked the fire, its limbs forming solid shields of crystal. Magic clashed and detonated midair, freezing and burning the ground.

"You're strong," Augusta said calmly, deflecting another wave of ice. "But let's raise the stakes. Beat me, and I'll tell you about Glenda, your precious master."

Lavinia didn't hesitate. She drove the frost princess forward, launching a volley of razor-sharp ice shards.

"You should stay out of this," Augusta warned as Tobio took a step forward. "This is between us."

"You're using people," Tobio said. "Sae, Glenda—what do you even want?"

Augusta smiled faintly. "What any of us want. Power. Legacy. Truth. You wouldn't understand. But she might." She gestured to Lavinia. "That girl has more potential than you know."

"Leave them alone," Lavinia growled, her voice shaking.

Augusta's gaze flicked to Sae. "There's more inside her than you think. Glenda saw it."

Lavinia's eyes narrowed. "Don't speak her name."

"Why not? She is a good friend" Augusta said, amused. "She gave us everything we needed. Willingly."

"Liar, she would never work with the likes of you. You tortured her," Lavinia hissed. "You used her."

Augusta raised a hand. A magic circle formed. Inside it, Glenda's face appeared, calm, expressionless.

"master?" Lavinia said, voice cracking.

"We have nothing to say to each other," Glenda replied, tone cold. "This was always the path."

Lavinia staggered back. Her magic flickered. The ice giant shuddered.

"Poor girl," Augusta said softly. "Your mentor never cared. But I will. I'll use your body better than you ever did."

She rushed forward, hand glowing with purple light, aimed at Lavinia's forehead.

Then Augusta stopped mid-lunge.

Riser was standing in front of Lavinia, having moved between them in a blur. He didn't shout. He just moved. His fist slammed into Augusta's stomach.

The force was immediate. She flew backward, smashing into the wall hard enough to leave a dent. She coughed blood, barely catching herself on one knee.

"Still breathing?" Riser asked casually. "That's a surprise."

He began to walk toward her, but suddenly, his body froze.

He glanced down. "Ah. Excalibur Ruler."

Three shadows rose up around him, monsters from Leonardo's Annihilation Maker.

Then Cao Cao stepped forward. His spear gleamed. He pointed it at Riser's chest.

"Really?" Riser asked, raising a brow. "You want to protect her?"

"She's human," Cao Cao said flatly. "And she wields a Sacred Gear. That makes her our responsibility."

"So," Riser said dryly, "if she didn't have Sacred Gear, I could kill her? What's your scale? Is hypocrisy a prerequisite for joining your little club?"

"She's still human," Cao Cao said. "You're not."

Riser smiled. "Neither are those monsters you keep summoning. But I won't lecture you, boy. You'll learn."

Everyone remained frozen. The air was thick with tension. Lavinia slowly stood up behind Riser, her body still shaking.

Riser kept his eyes on Cao Cao, an amused expression curling on his lips. He flexed his fingers once, then pushed a thread of his will through his body. The paralyzing grip of Excalibur Ruler broke like paper.

Arthur blinked in disbelief. "He broke it?"

"His will," Arthur said slowly, eyes narrowing, "it's greater than mine."

Before things could escalate further, a smooth voice broke the silence.

"Well, well," it said, melodic and curious. "What do we have here? An ethical dilemma. Mmhmm."

The new arrival stepped into the room. He was tall, regal, with raven-dark hair that contrasted his unnaturally bright eyes. His face was flawless, his movements almost rehearsed. And yet Riser felt nothing: no aura, no pressure, no presence. But every part of his instinct screamed one thing: run.

"Who are you?" Heracles asked warily, already on edge.

The man smiled, slow and deliberate. "Satanael," he said. "First and mightiest of the Fallen. Who was here before humanity was."

Riser didn't let his expression change, but his thoughts raced. Satanael? He wasn't in the original arc. He appeared later. He shouldn't be here. Why now? What changed?

Satanael looked around calmly. "You defeated Augusta. And Hanezu. Interesting. New generation defeating the old one, how cliche. Well, let's see..."

He raised his hand.

It wasn't killing intent. It was clinical, detached curiosity. He released a fraction of his aura. Tobio and Natsume dropped to their knees, screaming. Raw terror hit them like a physical blow.

Everyone else reacted on instinct.

Cao Cao charged with his spear. Arthur raised Excalibur Ruler. Jeanne, Heracles, Lavinia, Le Fay, George, all struck together. Riser held back, watching.

It didn't matter. They never reached him. Something unseen threw them all against the wall like ragdolls.

" How rare, so many Longuin wielders gathered in one place. It almost reeks of his Grand plan. Too bad he is dead."

Leonardo, barely fazed, raised his hand and summoned six dozen shadow beasts. Behemoth-like monsters surged toward Satanael.

"Now this is interesting," Satanael said.

He summoned light spears with a casual motion and skewered the beasts. They fell, but then rose. Then more came. Stronger. Faster. Adapted.

Satanael raised an eyebrow. "Ah. So they evolve. Interesting way to use Annihilation maker. One needs to instantly kill them in one attack or they adapt and it is a matter of time before they defeat you. A flaw in your design, though."

He vanished. A breath later, he stood in front of Leonardo. He tapped his chest with a glowing finger. The boy fell unconscious.

"The weakness," Satanael said softly, "is the caster. Always the caster. So you must either hide yourself so that your enemies can't reach you or have strong allies to defend you."

He turned, addressing the others. "You all have talent. Potential. Years from now, you may even pose a challenge."

Then the others either out of anger or fear attacked him simultaneously.

Cao Cao activated the True Longinus. Arthur unleashed Excalibur Ruler again. George twisted the battlefield with Dimension Lost. Lavinia summoned the full force of Absolute Demise.

They coordinated. Tactical. Controlled.

Satanael sighed.

Twelve black wings erupted from his back.

Riser's heart skipped. Twelve? That's seraph-level. Satan-class. He's beyond anything here.

And Satanael proved him right. In seconds, he dismantled their offense. Cao Cao was the last to fall, defiant but clearly outclassed.

Satanael looked over the room of battered young warriors and smiled, almost kindly.

"You have courage," he said. "And skill. But not yet the power to face me. You need time."

Then his eyes landed on Riser.

Riser felt it instantly. As if a mountain had pressed onto his chest. His breath caught, and his instincts screamed at him to run. But he didn't. He looked back.

"You are a descendant of Amador Phenex."

Riser's gaze sharpened. "You knew my grandfather?"

A smile flickered across Satanael's face: thin, brittle, reverent.
"I did. He was a curious devil. A hopeless romantic, through and through. Arrogant, yes. Proud and powerful. But most of all, foolish in the holiest way. He fell in love with an angel. And she, by some miracle, loved him in return."

The hall held still. Something sacred clung to the silence.

"It was real. Their love. Not some illusion born of temptation. No seduction. No corruption. Just two souls, so utterly unlike, and yet drawn together like breath to flame. While our kind waged war across the skies and tore creation apart, they dreamed. They whispered of peace. Of building a place between heaven and hell where neither sword nor sin would rule."

He looked far away now, as if speaking to memory rather than audience.

"And Heaven… did not condemn them."

A pause.

"To the surprise of many, the archangels did not call her naïve. They rejoiced. For angels are creatures of perfect clarity, and what they saw between those two was beautiful. They believed in it. In them. To love purely, even across the veil of damnation, that, they said, was closer to God's will than all the choirs of war. They hoped that their union might be a sign. A wound healing. A path home."

Riser barely breathed.

"But Hell… Hell does not forgive dreams like that. For hell is the place for those who rejected God's grace"

Satanael's voice hardened, touched by the old bitterness.

"Lucifer scorned it. The Satans called it betrayal. Asmodeus, in particular, saw it as heresy. Still, she would not fall. She would not trade her wings for his flames. And so he tried to rise. Not by conquest, not by trickery, but by love and Faith. He sought Heaven not as a conqueror, but as a supplicant. To be judged. To be accepted. To be with her."

His voice lowered to a reverent hush.

"And he was struck down at the gate by Asmodeus himself. Before he could speak a word. Before Heaven could answer."

He looked at Riser then, eyes dark with the memory of it.

"And the angel…? She wept. Then vanished. Some say she turned into starlight, others say she wanders still, searching for the place they dreamed of. A heaven where devils might walk unburned."

He stepped back, as if the telling had left him tired.

"A devil who tried to fly upward. A love sanctified by angels and shattered by hell. Is there anything more beautiful? Or more damning?"



Riser took a slow breath. Then he stepped forward.

"Let's see how strong his descendant is," Satanael said softly.

Riser didn't respond. He launched forward, vanishing from sight. Satanael raised a brow, and the battle began.

Riser struck first with Dismantle , an invisible slash that tore across the floor toward Satanael. The air screamed as pressure was ripped open. But Satanael didn't move. He raised a hand and the slash dissipated on contact with a shimmer of light.

Riser appeared beside him and used Cleave. His palm touched Satanael's shoulder, activating the adaptive slashes. The force surged outward, adjusting for Satanael's energy level. But nothing happened.

Satanael stood unaffected.

"Interesting," Satanael muttered.

Riser stepped back and flung both arms outward. Wind coiled around him in a violent spiral, lifting debris into the air. He gathered fire into a massive swirling vortex, and the heat crushed the surrounding air.

Fire Field.

The flames exploded outward, surrounding Satanael in a violent typhoon of heat and force that stripped the walls and shattered the ground. Reality seemed warped. Sensors from orbit would have picked up the sudden disruption of the Earth's magnetic field.

Satanael stepped forward calmly. The typhoon parted around him.

"Remarkable. Fire that disturbs Earth's Magnetic fields. Very impressive for someone who dances at the edge of ultimate-class. And yet so young. You may just be another Sirzechs Lucifer ."

Riser didn't pause. He raised his hands, wings of fire bursting from his back.

Fire Phoenix.

A dark flame consumed his body, and he transformed into a massive phoenix-shaped avatar of fire. The heat blazed, burning crimson into the air. The phoenix roared and dove, striking Satanael with enough force to register on seismic sensors.

The impact sent a wave across the city, and the ground cratered.

As the smoke cleared, Satanael stood at the center, untouched.

But a single black feather fell.

Riser reformed, breathing hard, a single feather in hand.

Satanael looked down at it, then at Riser. "You took that from me. Impressive."

Riser coughed, smoke trailing from his mouth.

"You're not just fire and arrogance," Satanael said. "You have potential."

Then gravity around Riser intensified. His body was pinned to the ground, unable to rise.

"But you're still a child playing at war," Satanael said. He approached slowly. "You fight like one who has seen glimpses of transcendence, but not yet stepped into it."

He raised a finger. Riser felt the pressure building, crushing, blinding.

Then it vanished.

Satanael turned away.

"You did well, Riser Phenex. Your grandfather would have been proud."

The ancient fallen spread his twelve wings. Light shimmered off the feathers.

"Grow stronger. If you survive long enough, we will speak again."

And then he vanished and with him he took Augusta, Walpurga and Sae toujou.

Riser lay still for a moment.

He had lost.

But he had earned something.

Silence fell over the battlefield. Riser rose slowly, dusted himself off, and held the black feather tight.

 

[Hk473]

Well, not sure if grabbing mama cat is a good way to entice the kittens in to your service, she did leave raising shirone almost entirely to Kuroka as I understand.

To far into the madness place of mad science as girl genius sparks would term it.

But it is worthy of consideration I suppose.

 

[Erebos_03_]

Peace was easy.

But peace was meaningless.

And meaning… I'd have to build that from scratch.

Click to shrink...

Didn't read further but after that sentence I almost expected him to die again and wake up in Star Wars

 

[FateManic017]

Well, not sure if grabbing mama cat is a good way to entice the kittens in to your service, she did leave raising shirone almost entirely to Kuroka as I understand.

To far into the madness place of mad science as girl genius sparks would term it.

But it is worthy of consideration I suppose.

Click to shrink...

Uh what? Sae isn't Kuroka and Shirone/Koneko's mom. She's Tobio's childhood friend. Their mother's name was Fujimai.

 

[chinlamp]

Gotta love how in their own asses the Hero Faction are about humanity when they just slaughtered their way through a bunch of humans doing monstrous experiments. But no, this human is worth not killing and turning on the devil you're with.

 

[Hk473]

ah, got confused again then.
my bad

 

[tehstorm]

The hero faction hipocrisy is fun to see...If they had the slightest chance of recruiting Lavinia or Tobio, then it just went up in smokes...