On The Bench (AOT/DxD)

[Spearow]

I confess I'm very curious what the endgame of this fic is going to be, I thought for sure Kokabiel would be it, but it seems like Eren's Child of Evil reputation is bigger than what the Kuoh Devils know.

The thing is, if Kokabiel knows, no way the other factions don't know who he is, so what's the rationale for Sona and Rias to not be informed of Eren's reputation? Mysteries, mysteries...

Click to shrink...

Maybe the end game will be during peace talks? It will make sense if some extra people show up due to Eren existence

 

[mpbjunkie]

Thanks for the chapter and a happy new year.

 

[kz3838]

Thank you for the great chapter, I really enjoyed how you wrote Kokabiel here. He is a monster, but there are reasons as to why he become a monster. It doesn't make it right, but it does make it understandable to some degree. Furthermore I really like how weary he was of Eren and makes me curious as to exactly what his reputation in the Supernatural World is, if he is known as the "Child of Evil" to more then just the Church why didn't Sirzechs or Serafall warn their siblings? I look forward to finding out! Stay safe out there, and keep up the good work! Happy New Year!

 

[defenestrator]

This Kokabiel has significant Hellsing's The Major vibes. Only with more trauma and deep resentment, and a tiny bit less unhinged ecstasy.

 

[Tortonium]

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[D.KnightOfShadows]

[Previous Chapter]

Rias: Eren probably knows the world is weirder than most people think, but i dont think he knows the full picture.

[LITERALLY THE NEXT CHAPTER]

Kokabiel: How long are you going to pretend you don't know who those children are?

Eren: meh.


OKAY, I WASNT EXPECTING THAT BLATANT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Here we go then

 

[ReadingDangerously]

"I had my revenge," Yuuto said somberly, staring at the sword in his hand.

It was a familiar shape, flat and straight.

Designed to cut through flesh like a razor rather than the larger, more jagged swords he usually summoned. Those had been created to break other blades. It wasn't European or Japanese, his usual preferences.

This was the length of one of his usual blades, but its colouring proved it wasn't a standard sword.

One side of the flat sword pulsated with a black so dark it seemed to suck in all light.

The other side was radiant with white light, warm and bright as if to eclipse the sun.

Yuuto's Balance Breaker.

Something he had strived to attain for years yet had always been beyond his reach.

He hadn't attained it when he achieved his long-sought revenge.

"And?" Eren asked.

"And what?" the Knight asked, unsure what his Senpai was asking about.

Eren paused as if hesitating on the exact words to use. When he finally spoke, it was in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"What did it cost?"

Ah. Right.

Eren's vengeance had cost him everything, hadn't it?

It left him without friends and family, to live out his final years of life alone in a foreign country.

It had cost him the guilt of the innocent blood on his hands, the regret of the future that could have been, and the love of his life.

It made sense he would want to know what it had cost Yuuto.

Which made the words the Knight spoke all the more brutal.

Yet it had to be said.

"Nothing." There was disbelief in his tone as if even Yuuto couldn't believe them even as he spoke. "It was risky and dangerous, and things could have gone wrong in a dozen different ways." The blond laughed lightly as if the idea of him surviving was funny in and of itself. "But I did it. We did it. We all made it out, and it cost me nothing."

If Yuuto had expected Eren to be jealous or disgruntled at the younger boy's fortune, he would have been disappointed.

"Good," Eren grunted with a nod.

It seemed like the blind boy was prepared to accept that is the final word and end the subject.

Yuuto, though, was not ready to end it. He wanted to talk about it. Needed to talk about it.

Needed to be understood.

Even if he had to be vague about the details, Yuuto wanted to explain, to justify himself to the only person in the world he felt could understand him. He wanted his Senpai to know.

"I almost failed," he confessed, and the words came tumbling out from there. "My target was right before my eyes. Not those girls, but the actual man who had hurt me. Who killed all my friends and left me for dead. Valper Galilei." The name was spat with vile venom. Even now, the name tasted foul on his lips. "He was right there. But Koneko was injured." Before Eren could ask, the Knight hurried to answer. "She's fine now. But she was in danger. So were Issei and Asia. But Valper was getting away."

"What did you choose?" Eren asked somberly, understanding what Yuuto was trying to convey without needing it explicitly spelled out.

"I chased Valper," the Knight said, his voice flat. "Despite my promise to Rias, I chased him."

He paused and stared at the sword in his hand. Black energy pooled and swirled.

"But?" Eren prompted.

"But the weights on my scale were all wrong," Yuuto confessed. "I barely made it ten feet. My feet wouldn't move. He was right there, and I couldn't move. My feet. My back. My heart. It all weighed too much."

That had been when he attained his original Balance Breaker.

[Inferno]

A demonic sword subspecies. A blade of evil. A twisted, cruel sword meant to wreak vengeance on his enemies.

It had been HIS Balance Breaker.

For the short time he had it.

His first and only act with that evil sword was to save his friends.

"You made your choice," Eren nodded, and something in his voice tore the Knight's attention from his sword to look at the older boy.

Sympathy. Pride. Maybe... approval?

"Was it like that with you, Senpai?"

"No." Eren shook his head, and all emotion drained from his voice again. "I kept running. Not just once or twice. Over and over, I chose to keep running. I continued to run forward for my revenge even as people, corpses, were left in my wake."

"What changed?" The Knight couldn't help but ask, remembering their first conversation. "When did you stop running just for vengeance?"

It spoke of their friendship that Eren only paused for a heartbeat before answering.

"When I fell in love and saw what it would cost," Eren said gravely. "I never stopped running. I just saw a face I didn't want to leave behind. I just saw the people I would trample to get it. You know the rest. I discovered a way to have my vengeance and ensure they'd live long, happy lives after I was gone. A way to end it all. That made it worth it to me, despite the cost."

"Better than a half-assed reason like mine," the Knight laughed in derision at himself. "I just couldn't live with myself if I kept running."

"It was the right decision," Eren chastised lightly. "It is very rare and precious to be able to look back at a choice and say with certainty that you made the right one. We are always asking ourselves, 'What if.' You made a choice. You had your vengeance, which cost you nothing you couldn't pay. Take solace in that."

He was right, Yuuto knew, even if Eren didn't understand just how lucky they had all been to survive Kokabiel.

Not just survive, the Knight corrected himself. Benefit from.

And none more so than Kiba Yuuto.

Not only had he managed to kill the man responsible for all his pain and loss, but he had also managed to destroy a reforged Excalibur.

Most importantly, Yuuto had met his friends one final time in that remnant of souls harvested from their bodies.

He had seen their spirits, their Light, and knew they forgave him. For continuing to live, for surviving when they all died.

That Light was here. In Yuuto's blade. It always would be with him. It reassured him. Comforted him.

Absorbing that Light had led to a mutation in his Balance Breaker.

The dark, jagged and cruel blade of [Inferno] had given way to the flat sword in his hand.

[Purgatorio]

A sword for cutting and killing, but only what needed to be cut.

No longer HIS blade, it was now THEIR Balance Breaker.

A disposable blade perfect for someone who could forever remake it.

Perfect for children tossed away, yet coming back over and over until they had their vengeance.

Perfect for a man whose only salvation could come from the hands extended to him by others.

Staring at the sword in his hand, the Knight smiled wryly. His Balance Breaker imitated blades he had only seen three times in his life. He finally had a sword like the people he admired most.

Souji-sensei would be disappointed it was not a katana.

But Eren was right.

Yuuto dissipated the sword into motes of black and white light.

"You were right, in the end," the Holy Demonic sword wielder said. "My vengeance became a tangential thing. Something I wanted, but it wasn't all I wanted."

"Good," Senpai nodded. "Getting revenge is satisfying. Anybody who says it isn't is lying. But it is not all that the world has to offer. Men like us, sometimes find a new target when we have our revenge. A new grudge. That is where the danger is. Even if we claim our new target, it will never feel the same as the first. And like an addiction, you will always be chasing that feeling down. You need to find the beauty of life away from vengeance."

Yuuto could understand that. He still didn't like the church and the way they had turned a blind eye to the tragedies that benefited them.

It wasn't impossible that in another life, or if he had made another choice, he would have pursued vengeance against everyone involved or who had benefited from his pain.

But...

The Knight remembered a broken blade in the dirt, the blood of his Senpai still staining its razor edge.

Rias had taken that blade to have people examine Eren's blood, hoping for a cure, but Yuuto could still see that crimson-stained sword in his mind.

The Kiba Yuuto who pursued the path of vengeance to the end would have picked up that blade and sliced his new comrades' throats. He'd have gone Stray for his vengeance.

That Kiba Yuuto would not look at the lost, betrayed, and hurt Xenovia Quarta, his fellow Knight, and remember Eren's words.

Yuuto understood her in that moment of terrible realization.

God was dead.

Her entire life had been a lie. She was lost. Alone. Unsure what to trust and who to blame.

There was evil in the world. Kiba Yuuto still firmly believed that, and his blade was there to cut them down.

But people? People were just people.

So Kiba Yuuto extended his hand to the woman he had tried to kill.

Issei, Asia, and now Xenovia.

When had he become someone to look to for guidance?

The idea made the Knight laugh lightly.

Still, it was the role of Seniors, wasn't it?

To guide their Juniors.

"What's funny?" Eren asked, and Yuuto realized he had been silent for a while.

Yuuto decided to skirt the truth a bit.

"Xenovia, the girl we almost killed, whose guardian you almost laimed?" Eren nodded to show he remembered her. "She's going to school here now. She's part of the club. She might even visit you."

"I... see," Eren said slowly, clearly confused. "She here of her own free will, right? To join the club of the people she fought only a few days ago? She didn't seem to like you very much."

"She did," the Knight reassured the older boy. "She recently had a disturbing revelation about people she used to trust. Rias offered to take her in, and she accepted. I was laughing because I realized I had some really interesting Juniors. I wouldn't have believed it if you told me who they were a year ago."

"Ah," Eren nodded gravely. "Enemies can become allies if the cause is right and interest aligns. They can even become lovers. I think that is what happened to my best friend, though I can't say for sure. Just know it will take time if you want to pursue something like that."

"No, no," Yuuto laughed lightly, waiving off the idea. "I am still not certain I want anything to do with romance, to be honest. At least not now. And if I did, Xenovia isn't really my type."

The former exorcist wasn't unattractive by any standards. Issei had put it best, if crudely, while they were looking for the Exorcists the other day, before the whole mess with Kokabiel.

'Have you seen a pair of glorious Oppai hidden by an ugly cloak?'

"You don't have to fall in love," Eren allowed. "And romance isn't for everyone."

"I am not opposed to it," the Knight hedged, wondering how to put it into words without sounding like... well, like Issei. "It's just that girls my age seem so... immature. I don't think they're stupid," he hurried to clarify. "Just... There's a gap, a divide between how people my age should feel and how I usually feel. Am I making sense?"

"In a way," Eren tilted his head. "You know my situation as well as anybody. I might give advice when asked, but my experience with love is... bad. Or at least not normal. I can understand your feelings, though. For the longest time, I couldn't understand why everyone else didn't feel the same rage and passion as I did. It seemed so simple to me, so obvious, that anybody who disagreed with me wasn't just wrong. They were cowards. It took a long time for me to realize I was the odd one, not them."

"I know I am the weird one," the Knight said wryly. "The need for revenge always burned hotter with me than it did with the others. I couldn't help it though."

"I don't think that's wrong," Eren said plainly. "Especially now that you have accomplished your goal. All I will say is that you must find something that ignites that spark again, even if it is not as bright. Rias asked me to give Issei love advice, and it seemed to help, but that is for him. All he thinks about is girls. You can find anything you want that keeps you moving forward. Romance is but one option. There are others."

"I am not against falling in love," Yuuto said slowly, putting his thoughts together.

It was for reasons like this that talking to Eren was so enjoyable despite the dour topics they covered. Before sitting on the bench, the Knight hadn't given any deep thought to where he wanted to go from there.

"I even had a crush, once upon a time. I was younger. Barely a boy. And she is older, much older, so I never gave it serious thought."

Age differences weren't a big deal for devils, but Yuuto knew the woman was also a reincarnated devil and considered him a child. It had been the emotions of a troubled and unaware boy.

He hadn't seen her in years, so the feelings had long faded. He did remember the gentle curve of her lips when she gave one of her rare smiles. That had stuck with him every time he thought about his 'ideal' type.

"Love has always been something for others, not for me. A lot of things were like that."

"Now they are not," Eren said soberly. "Now you have an unknown future ahead of you. That is scary. But you are free to decide what you want to do. But what do you want? What future do you want to build?"

"I want to be a better cook."

Both boys had a moment of surprised silence as the words slipped from the blond's mouth.

"What?" Eren's voice wasn't filled with disbelief so much as bafflement.

Yuuto was just as surprised but started to explain himself as the thoughts came to him.

"I like cooking," he said as much to himself as to his Senpai. "Always have. But Akeno is better. I never thought about it before, but now I think I want to be better than her. Especially at baking."

"Ok," Eren nodded slowly, still clearly thrown by the unexpected admission but willing to go along with it. "It is not a bad goal. I... can't really help much with it. I am a terrible cook. Though I am very good at cleaning."

"You can taste test," Yuuto said absentmindedly. Now that the idea had come, inspiration flashed through his mind. "A bakery. That's what I want. One day, I'll open Isaiah's bakery. That's the goal I'll pursue for now. It might be a small one, and I might change my mind later, but it is something I can work towards."

"There is no dream too small," Eren said, and there was no mistaking the approval in his voice. "Only too big. A bakery is a fine dream. Why 'Isaiah'?"

"That was my birth name," Yuuto explained. "Before Rias took me in and gave me my current one. I still want to be 'Kiba Yuuto.' I am not Isaiah anymore, but I don't want to forget."

Isaiah had died with his friends, and Kiba Yuuto had been born from that child's body.

But just like he now carried his friends with him in his sword, he would carry Isaiah and his dream.

For hours, a Senpai and a Kohai conceived of the greatest bakery the underworld would ever know under the darkening light as they sat on the bench.

********

A bit on the shorter side of things, but volume 3 of DxD is such a significant turning point for Kiba that often goes overlooked in fanfiction that it didn't feel right to not give him the time to close things out.

For those whose only experience with DxD is the anime, in the light novels, Kiba explicitly remains as 'Kiba Yuuto,' unlike Koneko. The Bakery dream is also canon, and he expressly stated his favourite part of a woman is her lips.

Fun fact: The balance breaker Kiba gains in cannon, the Holy/Demonic sword, is explicitly only possible because he absorbs some of the Light from his dead friends' spirits. Without that, his regular Balance Breaker would be closer in keeping with a pure Demonic Sword, as he has a great affinity for that type of sword.

There were a lot of questions after the last chapter, which I expected. I won't answer most of them; as I said, I want people to be able to reread this after the end and go, 'How did I miss this!' like I did with AOT. Catching things like that was very fun for me, and I want my readers to experience that, too.

I will answer one misunderstanding some people have, though. This is not the end of On The Bench. When I said it would be 'short,' I meant in comparison to my other fic, which, at the time of writing this, is sitting at around 600k words. Volume 4 will mark the end of part 2 of this fic, roughly the halfway mark. The shortness is because of the size of the chapters and the smaller number. I fully expect to get to reach at least 150k in this work.

And if you are confused now? Well... *Mwahahahaha* It's going to get worse before it gets better. I just hope it is engaging, interesting, and, for those interested, it makes sense on the reread.

I look forward to it and will see you all next time on the bench.

 

[SirGrim]

I fully expect to get to reach at least 150k in this work.

Click to shrink...

And I fully expect to enjoy reading every single one of them.

 

[Hypervane]

I don't have words, boss. Just coming here from Rapturous Rhapsody having full confidence in you and being completely vindicated. I'll probably read this one much more regularly, with how self-contained each chapter is. You've got some really good stuff going on here. It's almost been a perfect amount of time since AoT ended too, to read this and rewatch the show with retrospect.

 

[Prince awsome]

This is one of the only stories I've read where kiba is treated like an actual person.
he usually gets ignored because he doesn't have any tits.
It's great to see him grow as a character

i can't wait for eren to meet vali
He's everything that was cool about kiba, but turned up to eleven

 

[Gwynx]

now everyone uses Eren as a love guru

nice work

 

[Monarchist Guy]

the thought that Eren is quite literally their crutch is going to be sad to watch when he inevitably reunites with Mikasa.

 

[kz3838]

Thank you for the great chapter, I really like how you wrote Kiba here. Most of the time I see him ignored or only partially used, but I feel that you have really done right by his character with the way you've written him. I am curious as to who the devil Kiba had a crush on was, it's an interesting detail to add and I wonder if it will come up later. Regardless, I am excited to see how you write the next arc! Stay safe out there, and keep up the good work!

 

[ReadingDangerously]

Sona felt the headache build behind her eyes, but she couldn't even rub her temples.

"SO-TAN!" Miracle-girl Levi-Tan continued to holler as she shook Sona back and forth in a tight hug.

"So-tan?" She heard Issei ask quietly.

At any other point, she would appreciate his helping Saji calm the students and parents when they came to gawk at the 'magical girl cosplayer.'

Right now?

All Sona wanted was to find a hole to crawl into to die.

"Levi-tan missed you!" The Satan continued to wail loudly as she flailed Sona around like a rag doll. "Did you miss me? Did you? Did you? Did you?"

"Ufufufu," Akeno giggled at the sight. "That is Sona's sister."

"But... isn't her sister..." Issei trailed off as he no doubt felt the horror Sona felt daily.

"The Satan Leviathan? Yes. Yes, she is." Akeno was taking far too much pleasure in this. Sona would have to get back at her later. "All the Satans are... unique. Lady Leviathan is much like Lord Lucifer and dotes on her sister."

"I 'id't 'no 'ot 'u' 'ere 'oming," Sona tried to speak, but it came out muffled against the most famous pair of breasts in the underworld.

Damn her sister.

She'd hit her growth spurt soon.

"I almost missed it," Serafall cried, hugging Sona tighter. Was that her spine or a rib-cracking? "Your message was intercepted. It was that bitch Gabriel! I was going to go 'Pew-pew' to get it back!"

There had been no message.

Sona had, very carefully, not communicated the date for Kuoh Academy's parent visit date. Despite wanting to see them, she hadn't even mentioned it to her parents or aunt, lest her sister find out.

"But Mi-chan told me we'd be late if I invaded Heaven."

Sona felt an odd mixture of gratefulness and spite toward her aunt.

On the one hand, her sister invading Heaven would no doubt restart the Great War, something they had gone through a lot of effort to prevent recently.

On the other hand, Serafall would not be here.

Then, a scarier thought entered the Sitri Heiress' mind, and she froze.

She hugged her sister back.

"Ah," Serafall exclaimed in joyful surprise. "So-tan? You missed me! Is it finally yuri-yuri time?"

"I missed you," Sona said, head finally peeking out from her sister's cleavage. She wasn't even lying. Despite Sona's considerable embarrassment at Serafall's antics, she did love her sister and was happy to see her. She just wished the Leviathan behaved more... appropriately, as befitted her station. "Are you here to watch me in a class?"

More importantly, going along with the Leviathan's antics was the best way to direct her attention from unwanted directions.

Like a blind boy on a bench.

Sona had been meticulous in only using Sitri agents when looking into Eren's background. If Serafall ever found out she was investigating a boy her own age...

Sona shuddered in horror.

Even her parents only thought she was scouting a potential new recruit for her Peerage.

"Mhmh," Serafall nodded, eyes sparkling in joy. That was literal. There were actual stars in her eyes. They twinkled. "I get to watch So-tan be all serious and smart and cute and cool. Mi-chan is also here. She was looking for you. She needs to refill her So-tanium too."

Sona felt a wave of gratitude at her honorary aunt at that moment. She knew her sister's Pawn did not like leaving her cottage, preferring to spend her days in peace in her territory, away from politics and combat.

The fact that she always visited when Sona went home for the summer and was here now filled the student's heart with warmth.

But that didn't change the fact that neither of them could learn about Eren's existence.

Her aunt would tell her King immediately. Despite their opposite natures, Serafall was her best friend, and the pair saw each other regularly. Serafall would know everything within a week.

Then Eren would die.

Or, worse, her sister would embarrass Sona so much that she'd need to die to purge her shame.

"Lunch is going to end soon," Sona half lied, trying to extricate herself from her sister's arms. She didn't succeed. "I need to get back to class. Why don't you find Aunty and tell her you found me?"

"But, but, but, but," Serafall stuttered, sounding like she would cry. "But I just found So-tan. And we haven't had yuri-yuri time."

"I will still be here," Sona said, ignoring the last part with the ease of long practice. "I want to see Aunty too. And then we can talk after school at the house."

Far from the park and the boy in it.

"Moouu, fine," the Satan pouted as she lowered Sona back to the ground. "But don't do anything cute till I get back with Mi-chan and the camera."

"I promise," Sona said seriously, and it was everything she could do not to deadpan.

"Gah," Serafall gasped in an exaggerated manner, stumbling back dramatically, clutching her heart. "Like that! Serious So-tan is super cute! Don't do that again, or Levi-tan will not be able to leave."

Sona didn't say anything else, unwilling to push her sister further.

"I'm going, I'm going," Serafall said, large crocodile tears filling her eyes as she looked at the student council president. "So-tan is a meanie."

Then, with a twirl of her too-short pink skirt, Miracle Girl Levi-tan disappeared in a shower of sparkles.

Sona pretended not to notice as Serafall Leviathan flashed the entire gymnasium her panties as she cast a spell to alter everyone's memories.

The crowd that had gathered blinked stupidly. Sona could have done without the need to hypnotize the entire gymnasium, as well as leave the sparkles behind, but she still admired the control of her sister's spell.

But now was not the time for that.

Sona needed to focus on crisis management if she wanted to go the entire day without being forced to join a convent out of shame.

Which was a much bigger deal for devils.

It took less than a second for Sona to adjust her uniform, control her hair, and align her glasses before she whirled on the only occupants of the room who hadn't just been mind-wiped.

Saji, Akeno, Xenovia, Issei, and Asia.

Rias wasn't there, likely dealing with her own visitors, which was good. Lord Lucifer or Lord Gremory would let Eren's existence slip to her sister for amusement if they found out about him.

"That was well done," Akeno giggled with a golf clap. "I was expecting you to run away crying and for her to chase you yelling 'So-tan, So-tan!' I am a bit disappointed you learned how to deal with her."

Damn sadists.

"Leviathan is a magical girl," Xenovia was muttering to herself in shock. "Lucifer is henpecked. Both are sis-cons. My entire life has been a lie."

Sona didn't have time to deal with the new Knight's trauma.

"Get Rias from her brother and father," Sona ordered the Queen. "Then tell her to take them home immediately after school. No dawdling."

"Uh," Issei raised his hand in question. "I still don't understand what is going on. Why is a Satan a Magical girl?"

"Not important," Sona cut him off with a swipe of her hand. "What is important is keeping her, my aunt, and Rias' family from discovering Eren."

"Why," Saji said with a pained grimace.

Sona felt sympathy for her Pawn. She really did. She wasn't unaware of his affection for her, and she had tried to let him down easily.

Unlike other devils, she never wanted to leverage her position as King to gain romantic favour from her Peerage.

Still, it didn't mean she would tolerate dawdling just because he felt antagonism towards Eren without ever meeting the boy.

"Lord Lucifer is already aware of him," Akeno shrugged, the sadistic smile still on her face. "We passed Eren's blood samples to him to give to Lord Beelzebub to try and find a cure. It seems like he has taken it as a personal challenge."

"And is Lord Lucifer aware of how much time Rias spends with Eren?" Sona adjusted her glasses so they'd flash ominously. "Or would you like me to tell Lady Lucifuge about some of the outfits you wear when meeting Eren? I haven't heard one of her speeches about propriety in a few years."

If Sona was going down, she wouldn't go alone.

They could all join the same convent.

"Nobody saw them," Akeno hurried to defend herself. "He's blind. And the thought of dressing like that where anybody can catch us... nnnngggg."

Akeno shuddered, and Saji stepped back, eyes wide in surprise. Both Issei and Asia shared beet-red looks.

Xenovia was still traumatized.

Sona was unperturbed, well used to the half-fallen's inclinations.

All the Sitri did was continue to stare down the female pervert until she got the message.

"Fine," Akeno pouted, crossing her arms under her bust so it bounced. "But we can't leave the school early. We're skipping the last classes to free Gasper today."

"Congratulations," Sona said immediately. She was genuinely happy for her friend. Being unable to control Gasper's power had been a significant thorn in Rias' side for years. It also showed she was nearing her goal of Ultimate Class. "But then we'll need to take Eren away for the day. One of us will have to slip away immediately after class without them realizing we're gone."

"Is the Child of Evil a threat?" Xenovia whispered/asked Issei, finally snapping out of her funk. "Can I kill him?"

"What? No!" Issei cried, aghast. "Why are you so set against Eren anyway?"

"He nearly cut off my guardian's leg," Xenovia said seriously.

"Yeah, but Asia healed her, didn't she?"

"It's true," Asia chimed in like an eager puppy sticking its nose into a bag. "I can't heal Mr. Eren, but Miss Griselda is all better. And Mr. Eren is really kind. Um, most of the time."

"He still almost killed her," Xenovia insisted.

Sona ignored their little by-play. She had much more important things to worry about than the former exorcist.

Like preventing her family from embarrassing her in front of the whole school, her friends, and her crush.

Not necessarily in that order.

"I will ask Koneko to sneak off after we let Gasper out," Akeno nodded as she leaned in to conspire with Sona. "She's been trying to get Eren to take her to a new snack store. It shouldn't be too hard. You know he has a soft spot for her. But I don't know how we will keep him hidden with the peace conference happening here."

"Peace conference?" Sona asked.

"Lord Lucifer let it 'slip,'" Akeno rolled her eyes fondly. "They're using Kokabiel's recent attack as an excuse to hold a peace conference between all three factions. It's going to be held at Kuoh."

"And I wasn't told," Sona hissed.

This was big.

Huge really.

The ceasefire had waxed and waned over the years, but all three factions were technically still at war.

That there would be a peace conference, and it was in her territory?

"You probably would be," Akeno shrugged. "Part of the reason Lord Lucifer and Lord Gremory are here is to evaluate the territory before it is finalized. But once it is, Kuoh will be crawling with security from all three factions. Eren will be found unless he leaves town."

"He won't leave," Sona said immediately, and Akeno nodded. Both knew how stubborn that boy could be.

Still, the Sitri heiress' mind was working a mile a minute.

She had never achieved such clarity of thought before, and Sona would have marvelled at it, but it didn't matter.

Right now, all she needed to do was to save Eren's life, her life, and her sanity.

Again, not necessarily in that order.

"But he's human. And the only supernatural aspect about him is his life force, which most can't sense." Sona quickly put together a plan. It was rough, but it might work. "After today, we stay away from him. No visits, no familiars, nothing. Just between when people start to arrive and the end of the peace conference."

"Any security will notice him right away," Akeno pointed out. "He's inside the wards."

"Most will only realize that we 'let' him through the wards of the park. If we don't draw attention, he'll be safe with all the extra security in the area. We'll exploit the blindness most people have towards humans," Sona explained easily. Devils, angels, fallen, or even anyone else of power simply ignored humans without magic, Sacred Gears, or something equivalent. "I don't care if they see him. They just can't connect him to us. Eren just needs to remain unnoticed for a few days."

The only risk would be the church. They might hold a grudge. Sona would keep an eye on them. They'd think of another plan if Griselda arrived as security, but that was unlikely. She was half retired.

More importantly, Sona didn't want her sister or aunt to find him.

It was for Eren's safety, really.

Would it also save Sona from taking vows of chastity and locking herself away from the world out of shame?

Yes, but it was mainly for Eren's sake.

Really.

"It has been a while since I saw Aunty," Akeno asked with a light smile. "Yuuto will be happy. He hasn't seen her in years, either."

Sona's eyebrow twitched, but Issei interrupted before she could say anything.

"Who's your aunt? Is she hot?" he asked eagerly, always happy to talk about women. Asia pouted beside him. "Kiba has a devil girlfriend? He never told me."

"He does not," Sona declared as she crossed her arms in a huff. "She is my sister's Pawn. My adoptive aunt."

"Yuuto had the biggest crush on her," Akeno giggled behind her hand. "He'd follow her around everywhere, asking for training or trying to help her. It was so cute."

"So he's into MILFs," Issei crowed triumphantly. "That's why he never went on a date with his fans, the Damn Handsome. I'm so proud. How's her oppai?"

"Uuuu," Asia whined piteously, looking down at her own modest bust.

"Leviathan's Pawn?" Xenovia murmured to herself. "I have never heard of her."

"She's pretty," Akeno giggled in answer to Issei as Sona's eyebrow twitch returned with extra force. "But I'm bigger."

Just for emphasis, Akeno put an arm under her boobs and bounced them suggestively while shooting a challenging look at Sona.

The twitching was getting worse.

Was everyone trying to anger her today? And shouldn't they be focusing on the crisis here?

Sona didn't want to join a convent.

"But yes, Aunty is beautiful. And you wouldn't have heard of her Xenovia. She was reincarnated before we were born and rarely leaves her land. She doesn't like to fight. And since Satan Peerages don't fight in Rating Games, if they don't take missions, they can go years without being seen if they want."

"Still," Xenovia crossed her arms in thought. "As exorcists, we needed to study all the Satan's Peerages in case we run into them in the field, as well as all well-known devils and their abilities. That I was never told about her is suspicious."

"It isn't," Sona denied, wanting to end this topic. "Aunty's last mission was years ago. One of her only ones. And the church would not want to talk about it to their younger members."

"Why?"

"I made them look bad."

Sona whirled, eyes lighting up with joy as she caught sight of the familiar woman. The small smile on her face, so rare and precious, lit up Sona's heart.

"Aunty," she said with joy as she hugged the older woman.

"It is good to see you, Sona," her aunt said softly, pulling her tight.

""Whoa."" She heard Issei and Saji say at the same time.

She couldn't blame them, even if she wanted to tell them to stop staring.

Mikasa Ackerman wasn't as voluptuous or sexy as most natural devils, but she was still very pretty.

With Asian and European mixed features, long black hair, and a body built from training, she fulfilled the image of classical beauty the Japanese had. Her conservative clothing belied the dense muscles and undersold just how deadly the woman really was.

Hers was an intense beauty, unlike the softness of Akeno, Rias or even Serafall. She held herself like a blade, accentuated by her training and form-fitting clothes. Sharp and ready for action.

The only extraneous ornament on her was the red scarf she never went anywhere without, and even then, it was tucked tight so as not to get caught by enemies.

"Um, they look alike," Asia commented with wonder.

Sona's cheeks burned, embarrassment warring with pride. Sona had always looked up to her sister's Pawn.

Mikasa's competence, her maturity and grace, and even her confidence, she admired it all.

Sona was self-aware enough to know that her honorary aunt had been the greatest female role model in her life.

She broke the hug and met her aunt's gaze.

"You've grown again," Mikasa said gently. That was true. Now, Sona was only a few inches, about ten centimetres, shorter than the older woman.

"It is good to see you," Sona said with a small smile. "Did sister find you?"

"I must have missed her," her aunt shook her head. "You know how she is. Especially today."

"You didn't have to tell her about visiting day," Sona said with a light glare. Mikasa must have remembered the date from last year after they had missed it.

"You should not have tried to hide it," her aunt glared right back, but it was softer. Sadder. "Serafall is a bit excitable, but she loves you. Do not lose precious time together because you are embarrassed."

Chastised, Sona reluctantly nodded. Her aunt smiled again and pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Introduce me to your friends?" Mikasa's smile fell to her usual expression of neutrality as she looked over at the gawking students.

"You already know, Akeno," Sona started.

"It is good to see you again, Aunty," Akeno said with a curtsy.

"You look... better," her aunt nodded, looking the Queen up and down.

"Ufufufu, thank you," Akeno giggled, placing a hand on her cheek and idly rubbing it. "I had a bit of a rough wake-up call, I am afraid."

Her aunt didn't say anything, just watching the girl with a critical eye.

"This is my newest pawn, Genshiro Saji," Sona gestured to the boy. He had only been reincarnated recently, and they would have been introduced this summer during the break.

"Pleased to meet you," Saji said as he bowed formally. Sona beamed with pride. Clearly, their etiquette practice had paid off.

"Please take care of Sona," Mikasa nodded, and Sona felt the tip of her ears turn red. She hurried to continue the introductions to distract everyone.

"This is Asia Argentio, Rias' Bishop, Issei Hyoudou, her Rook, and Xenovia Quarta, her newest Knight."

Again, the Pawn didn't say anything, just looking over all three critically. Sona knew she was a woman of few words, except when around those she was close to.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Issei said energetically as he bowed.

Sona noticed, with some schadenfreude, that his bow was far from Saji's in neatness or fluidity.

"Please take care of me," Asia tried to bow at the same time as curtsy and ended up tripping on her own legs. "Uuueee."

Thankfully, Issei caught her and held her in place as she regained her balance. The teenager held his girlfriend close and seemed lost in each other's eyes for a second.

Xenovia, thank the Satans, saved Sona from having to stare at the happy couple.

"What did you mean when you said you made the church look bad," Xenovia asked. Her aunt evaluated the girl for a long second before answering.

"I was the one that broke up the Holy Sword Project and a few others," she eventually said. "They wanted to deal with it themselves."

"No wonder Kiba likes her," Issei said under his breath as he released Asia. Then he tilted his head as if listening to something.

Her aunt didn't say anything despite hearing the Rook's words. Sona knew she knew of the Knight's crush but hadn't given it much thought.

Her aunt didn't deal with romance and was likely waiting for Kiba's infatuation to disappear rather than addressing it.

Mikasa didn't really talk about her past. All Sona knew about her aunt's life before Serafall reincarnated her except her unique birth location and the fact she had outlived all her friends and once had a child.

"Ddraig said I should be careful," Issei reported. "He says you're dangerous."

For the slightest second, Sona saw a grimace on her aunt's face as she looked at the boy.

"You are honest," the older woman nodded. "And I am not surprised. I killed the last Red Dragon Emperor."

That got some wide eyes from the group, even Sona.

"How come I never heard of this," the student council president asked.

"It was before you were born," her aunt said with a shrug. "It wasn't a big fight. The Red Dragon Emperor is only dangerous if you give them time to ramp up. I didn't."

"Ddraig wants to know why you finally took the challenge," Issei said, looking at his hand curiously. "They had been trying to get your attention for days. He said you were mad about a tree?"

It was only because of her long familiarity with the woman that Sona noticed the tenseness of her jaw. It made the scar on her cheek more noticeable.

"Something like that," Mikasa said simply.

There was less than a year between Sona's birth and her aunt's reincarnation. A newly reincarnated devil, without magic or a Sacred Gear, had killed last generation's holder of Boosted Gear?

"How did you do it," Sona asked, curious.

It had nothing to do with her inevitable Rating Games against Rias' Peerage.

Sona was all about self-delusions today.

"Surprise," her aunt shook her head. "The fight ended quickly. Only a few people heard of it."

"Why?" Akeno asked, morbidly curious.

She, like Sona, knew that getting her aunt angry was almost impossible. Whatever the last holder of Boosted Gear had done must have been vile to actually provoke the Pawn.

"She heard about me and was rampaging around my territory in the human world," Mikasa said, keeping her words short. "She killed the last devil to control the area and didn't like someone else taking over. I didn't care and left her alone. She found where I lived and tried to anger me. She succeeded. She destroyed something she shouldn't. A grave."

Sona shared a look with Akeno. They both knew the Pawn's unique situation, and that story didn't line up. Not when they knew she had been born and died beyond the Gap.

If it was before Sona was born, it must have been right after she was reincarnated. Mikasa wouldn't have known anyone who had died in this world. Her aunt didn't get close to people easily.

Coming to care for someone in less than a year? There was no way.

But at the same time, her aunt looked so sad, so lonely, standing there and touching the scar on her cheek that neither wanted to press.

"Everyone back to class," Sona said instead. "The bell will ring in a few minutes."

She had told a little white lie to get her sister to leave. Sue her.

"I'll follow you," her aunt said, snapping out of her funk. "Serafall will find us, I'm sure."

Sona twitched and shot a look at Akeno, who nodded.

"Will you be staying for a while," the Queen asked with feigned casualness.

"No. I am visiting today and will return as Serafall's bodyguard for the conference."

Sona read between the lines.

Bodyguard meant babysitter between the two friends. There was a possibility that Gabriel would come from Heaven's faction, and Mikasa was one of the only people Serafall would listen to.

This wasn't the worst outcome, Sona thought. Koneko would have time to get Eren off campus today and again on the conference day. So long as Eren was off premises, Sona's life (read: pride) was safe.

"Ano," Asia said hesitantly in the silence that fell as they walked back to class. "Are you Japanese, Miss? Your hair is really pretty."

"...Thank you. But, no, I am not Japanese. My mother was from the East, though. I got my hair from her." Almost self-consciously, the Pawn ran a hand through her long locks. "And you can call me Mikasa... or Ackerman if you want to use Japanese standards."

"That's German, right," Saji said, eager to show off.

Sona wanted to smack him but held her control. He had no idea how much of a minefield that was for her aunt. Sometimes, she questioned whether or not his friendship with Issei was good. He definitely seemed more interested in girls, rather than his duties, when around the Rook.

"No. I'm not German, either. It's not a secret or anything," Mikasa said, and it was like listening to Eren when they first met. Her voice was dead. Empty. "I'm Eldian. The only Eldian in this world."

********

Mwahahaha *Evil Laughter Intensifies*.

There is so much and so little in this chapter. I won't say anything more and will let you all digest it. Just that I will see you all next week on the bench.

PS: ...Mwahahaha.

 

[Spearow]

So, she reincarnated as well, probably never meet eren because she is much older that this eren incarnation, high chances of her knowing about this eren but ignoring it as a coincidence, the tree and the grave were probably symbolic, like, her leaving her past life behind, burring her past.

 

[MejaisBlack]

Really not a fan of Misaka being around too, but whatever, let's see what you are cooking.

 

[Gwynx]

Uhh, I wonder what the reunion will be like or maybe Eren already knew?, excellent job as always.

 

[Solus]

I said "What the actual fuck" out loud... That's a first

 

[GAMB42]

On one hand bold choice. On the other hand I can't really see the need for Mikasa here. Feels like a cop out for Eren if he ever finds out she exists and a very classic and overdone/cliche if he doesn't.

Also are the pronouns correct there and the last Red Dragon emperor was a female ?

And what is that about her being from beyond the gap ? How exactly did she become a pawn under serafall ?

 

[MejaisBlack]

I can understand why she's in the story, since you've said before that this fic is a farewell to AoT, I'm just not a fan of the implications of her being around, specially when Eren commited literal Genocide to keep the people he loved alive.

 

[Hypervane]

Spoiler

Honestly, I was shocked when the chapter didn't end right after Mikasa was introduced. I'm getting the feeling that a lot of people are going to start acting on Eren's 'orders' while the conference happens; I also don't expect Eren to actually meet Mikasa for a good while yet. I'm not sure how you'd pull that off without some more build-up, and I'm really unsure what a conversation between world-weary Mikasa and Eren would like.

That said, I'm sure you do. Super excited to see where this goes!

 

[JEMMMI]

Bro just left a bombshell and leave us plebs hanging

 

[Hilight]

So is Armin hanging out with the Grigori? I assume Sasha will turn out to be God. I can't wait for the reunions of Levi's boot with Eren's head.

 

[PintSizedSlasher]

Ooooo, not a reincarnation I'm betting given her age. She was physically transported over somehow....

 

[Vongrak]

While everyone is freaking out about Mikasa I'm over here trying to work out if I need to look her up on the AoT wiki because I never got into AoT. Not the manga or the anime. Too dark for me.

 

[kz3838]

Thank you for the great chapter, I really like how you introduced and wrote Mikasa. I am curious if she is the one Eren is waiting to meet? Regardless, keep up the good work!

 

[HyrulerSage]

Let Him Cook!!

 

[Nightbat]

Did it just say in the chapter that Mikasa had a child? With who?

 

[TempestZeta]

Holy shit. Not gonna lie, did not at all expect Mikasa to show up. Not mad at it though. Let's see what you have cooking. Though, I do wonder if Armin is gonna make an appearance? Would be nice to see the trio together again.

 

[Speedshot]

Very curious as to what's next