DxD: Like a Devil Chapter 42

Edited by: Priapus, Old man of the mountain, Marethyu, Bluwuh

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– Mizuki –

Opening the windows of her room, Mizuki enjoyed the warm sunlight fresh out of a shower, still in her white bathrobe. Contrary to what most would expect, she enjoyed this warmer weather far more than a typical freezing day in the middle of January.

It was ironic, considering her blood ties to a creature of ice and snow. She loved enjoying her time on the beach on a hot summer day way more than a boring cold night that she couldn’t even feel anyway. To Mizuki, cold days never really existed.

Maybe that was why? She never related to the average person when it came to cold temperatures. Or rather, could never relate to them. Honestly, she didn’t know. She enjoyed summer more than winter, and that was that.

“Hmm…” She sighed to herself. “Maybe we should travel this summer vacation…”

It'd certainly been a while since she and Akane had left Japan. Perhaps they should take a break from all the chaos here, even though it'd been relatively calm the past week or two. Still, maybe a place where they could rest their minds and bodies for a few days would be nice.

Her daughter probably needed it more than she realized. That workaholic spending all her day in the garage was a problem. Besides school and training, she never left the house, staying there to build that power armor of hers.

Mizuki tried to get her out of there a few times but to no avail. Even from Akane, it was somewhat unreasonable. It almost felt like she knew something that they didn’t—as if this armor had to be made soon.

She didn’t know if that was true or if she was being way off, but that’s what it felt like on some days. Akane looked… paranoid. Or troubled, to be more accurate. But there was no reason to feel that way, right? At least from her perspective.

Akane would only prepare this much if she was aware that something bad would happen, and considering how cocky she could be…

Could she be taking Mizuki’s warning about the Amon Clan so seriously that it was worrying her to this degree? No, that couldn’t be it. It almost felt like Akane knew something would happen as if she knew when they would attack.

That should be impossible. For how intelligent her daughter was, she couldn’t have figured anything out about the Amon Clan so quickly. None of them had any reliable information, not even Mizuki, after considering how much they could’ve changed over the years.

Just… what was wrong with her daughter? From her rare empty looks, the strange way her magic grew, her sudden skills and knowledge in mechanics and engineering, and now this random danger sense. Was Akane even aware of these things? If yes, why was she hiding them?

Mizuki shook her head. No, she shouldn’t be thinking that way. Akane’s secrets were hers to tell, and so far, they hadn’t been destructive in any capacity. Mizuki had learned her lesson: She shouldn’t stick her nose in her daughter’s business.

…She didn’t want Akane to look at her that way again.

Speaking of, Mizuki should wake her up now. They couldn’t miss Parent’s Day this year, too. Honestly, that girl had embarrassed her in front of teachers enough times. She couldn’t let it happen again.

Still in her bathrobe, Mizuki walked downstairs, knowing that Akane wasn’t in her room. She’d probably pulled another all-nighter to work on her armor, meaning she was either still working or she’d fallen asleep on the desk.

She opened the door to Akane’s workshop, sighing deeply as her latter guess was correct. Her daughter was slumped over her desk with her tools lying everywhere. The headphones beside her were still emitting heavy metal that she somehow slept through.

Before Mizuki woke her, she paused, spotting Icchan snoring on a chair. So he’d kept her company throughout the day? She thought he’d leave earlier, not stay here the entire night.

Still, it brought a smile to her face. What a nice kid.

Her gaze then wandered to the armor Akane made. Curiously, Mizuki examined it up close, checking its quality. So her daughter had finished it already? She’d heard them play around with it a few times last night.

“Heeeh…” Mizuki hummed. “She worked hard on this, alright.”

Mizuki was by no means a mechanic. She’d grown up around a lot of futuristic tech and used a lot in her time as an assassin, but that was never what she excelled in. However, she knew great technology when she saw it. This… this was up there.

It wasn’t Amon or Tojo level, but frankly, the fact that Akane was able to create something like this mostly on her own was something incredible. Sure, she’d had a lot of high-quality resources handed to her on a silver platter, but still…

…Honestly, Mizuki wasn’t sure if she should feel proud of Akane or scared for her. This sudden talent for engineering had come out of nowhere and seemed to relate to how odd she sometimes acted.

At least this thing would keep her safe in case she got attacked. Combined with Akane’s strength, even the Amon Clan would think twice before trying to start shit with her. For as weird as she was sometimes, she’d never join them.

After all, she hated being ordered around.

Mizuki turned on the lights and talked ever so quietly…

“Wake up. You’ll be late for school.”

They didn’t wake up. Of course, they didn’t. She didn’t want them to wake up like this. Tsk tsk, this was no fun. It needed a special Mizuki twist because if not, they’d simply go back to sleep the moment she left the garage. She couldn’t have that.

“Oh well, I tried.” Mizuki shrugged, creating a megaphone using her ice. “You better not complain~”

Mizuki cleared her throat, approached her daughter, and took a deep breath.

“WAKE UP!”

Both flinched and fell over their chairs, and Akane was about to get ready for a fight before laying eye on her grinning mother, who still had to dodge an ice projectile regardless. The huge, shit-eating grin never left her face. She absolutely loved how her daughter reacted.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid bitch?!”

“Tsk tsk. How rude of you, daughter of mine. When will you learn? I’m your mother.” Mizuki responded haughtily, not really bothered. “I deserve respect. You should say something like ‘Good morning, Okaa-san! I love you! Would you like some coffee?’. In fact, I demand it. It’s my right as the greatest mother in the world.”

“All you’ll get is an icicle rammed up your ass if you do that shit again,” Akane said simply, standing up.

Messing with her never got old.

“Ugh…” Ichiban groaned, still on the ground. “Where am I?”

Akane blinked and looked at him, taking a few seconds to process his existence. Mizuki found their confusion and reaction to the situation endlessly amusing, so she stayed silent and waited for her daughter to figure it out first.

Akane clicked her tongue, and her scowl dropped. From the looks of it, she understood the situation clearly now.

“Did I fall asleep?” Ichiban muttered.

“We did,” Akane answered. “What time is it?”

“Thirty minutes before school,” Mizuki responded, shattering the megaphone into tiny particles. “You have enough time to take a shower. We don’t want to be late for Parent’s Day. You too, Icchan. ”

“Me?” He blinked.

“Yup. There’s a guest restroom with a shower installed.” She nodded. “Use that.”

“What? But why?” He asked, confused. “I mean, I don’t have a ‘parent’ to go with.”

“Aww, poor thing,” Mizuki said sympathetically. “Don’t worry! I’ll be your parent today!”

“Er, no, it’s fine.” Ichi declined the offer, making her tilt her head. Why was he refusing? “I, uh, I’d rather… use that time to study or train, y’know?”

Ahhh, I see. Mizuki thought. He’s just being nice—such a great kid.

“Nonsense!” She rejected his rejection. “An adult needs to be there for you, and I shall gladly volunteer!”

For some reason, the declaration, which was supposed to make Ichiban cry tears of joy and gratitude that he had the most fabulous auntie around, made him look dejected if his depressed sigh was anything to go by.

“What’s wrong, Ichi?” Akane smirked at him. “I thought you loved school.”

Ichiban said nothing, but he glared at Akane.

“Yeah, what’s with this reaction?” Mizuki raised a brow. “You should feel thankful you have someone as awesome as me go with you. Are you sick?”

“No, I’m fine.” He responded. “...Thanks, Mizuki-san.”

“Any time!” she gave him a thumbs-up. “Now, chop chop! Go get ready; we don’t have much time. I’ll run over to the nearest shop to get Icchan some clothes. In the meantime, wash up.”

“Is this Parent’s Day thing really necessary?” Akane asked. “I’d rather stay here and continue tinkering.”

“Of course it is,” Mizuki argued. “As your parent, it’s my responsibility to see how well you’re doing in school.”

“Which is also unnecessary.”

“Education is always necessary,” the mother disagreed. “Even if you know everything about the material, discipline is another thing entirely. We’re going, and that’s final.”

Knowing arguing would get her nowhere, Akane huffed. That’s right. Mizuki was still the mother here, and while she could easily tolerate her daughter’s disrespect and rebellious attitude — Honestly finding it hilarious — she knew when to put her foot down.

She hoped her daughter hadn’t caused too much trouble this year. Just because she hadn’t heard about Akane getting into another fight didn’t mean she wouldn’t become a nuisance to the teachers.

And keeping a closer eye on that devil-infested school occasionally wouldn’t be too bad. Even if those two heiresses weren’t as bad as their older siblings, it was better to be safe than sorry. Blindly trusting them just because they were Akane’s friends? Mizuki wasn’t stupid.

While she wouldn’t stop Akane from hanging out with them, they hadn’t proven themselves yet. She could give them respect for fighting Kokabiel but not trust.

You never knew when these devil bastards would stab you in the back.

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– Akane –

This woman does nothing but be a pain in my ass. This entire school thing is fucking pointless, and I’m only even bothering because I started a quest there that I want to finish. The moment that’s done, I’m dropping out.

And this ‘discipline’ excuse is just as stupid. I proved my discipline by easily keeping up with my training and figuring out how to use Touki. School wastes precious time I could be investing in my tech or practicing my magic.

My mother should know that. She’s not dumb. I don’t know if this was some stupid attempt at holding onto whatever sliver of normality she might still have about something you couldn’t fucking pay me to care for.

At least I’m done with my power armor. It should be ready for actual combat scenarios now, so I’ve finished preparing on that front. I only have Asia to train up, and I’ll be golden. Also, now that I can focus on her, I should be done in two days—three at the maximum.

And if everything goes as planned— if I pull off what I want to do during the invasion… I’ll be unstoppable. If the threat of Kokabiel nearly doubled my stats even without taking his soul, then I can’t imagine how powerful I’ll become after having my fill of souls during the battle.

So then, Game, mind giving me a quest already? Seeing the rewards will only motivate me further. Making me stronger was your goal here, wasn’t it? I don’t know what for, obviously, and I don’t trust you, but right now, we’re on the same side.

No response.

Fine, whatever. I know you’re giving me a quest just as the invasion starts. You can act as mysterious and secretive as you like, but we both know you won’t miss an opportunity that big.

“Do you really have to hold my hand?” I ask, glancing at my mother.

I am just curious. Is this an attempt to embarrass me in front of the other students? If it is, she’s failing terribly. Because I frankly don’t care what random nobodies think.

“Yes. I can’t have you running away.” My mom says as we walk through the hallway. “So, which one is your class?”

I yawn in response, but Ichiban gives her an answer.

“2-B.” He says, still looking depressed. “Why am I even here…”

Heh. Last night, he was bragging about taking the day off. He was so excited to finally catch up on some of the games that came out this year, only for Mizuki to drag him out to school anyway.

It’s hilarious. He couldn’t even decline because we knew she had already decided to get him out there whether he liked it or not.

“Don’t be like that,” she says. “Someone has to tell Arakawa-san how you’re doing here.”

“I can do that myself.”

“Wrong.” My mother disagrees.

“What? What do you mean ‘wrong’?” Ichiban looks at her weirdly. “Are you saying I’d lie? Seriously, what’s that supposed to mean?”

She doesn’t elaborate.

You know, when she isn’t being annoying to me, her antics are hilarious. I guess I can see how Lucifer finds her ‘charming’. Too bad I suffer the brunt of her aggravating stunts 90% of the time.

“Alright, this is 2-B.” She says, stopping at our class.

“Answer my questions! What was I wrong about?!”

“You two stay here,” my mom tells us. “I’ll chat with your teachers and be out. It won’t take a minute. Do not run away, or I’ll be mad, okay?”

She lets go of my hand and enters the classroom.

“...I thought Parent’s Day is where parents observe us in class?” Ichiban asks.

“In your typical public schools. It’s different here.” I answer. “It’s just a way for parents to ask about us and how we do.”

Which I’d usually just skip and do something else. I actually went to a nearby amusement park last year. It was fun. There was barely anyone there and it was mostly foreigners, so no long lines or anything.

I would’ve skipped this one if I hadn’t fallen asleep. It’s nothing but a pain in my ass.

“Then why are we even here?”

“Formalities.”

“Right…” Ichi pauses. “You’re not telling me you’re going to seriously stand there, are you?”

“Of course I will. I would never disobey my mother.” I roll my eyes sarcastically. “Dumbass. Let’s just leave. I’m hungry, and I want pancakes.”

Drizzled and stuffed with chocolate. Maybe vanilla ice cream on the side… My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

“That sounds nice.” Ichiban agrees, walking away with me. “I know a place. Cheap, great quality, and like a five-minute walk from here.”

“Lead the way, then,” I respond. “We’re going to celebrate the creation of my first and real power armor.”

“Hell yeah!” He grins. “Man, I can’t wait to see it in action.”

Me too, Ichi. Me too. Just a few more days until its first real use. I really hope I don’t end up having it destroyed or something. I don’t know what will change in that invasion— what kind of people I’ll have to kill, so they might be way more powerful than whoever was in the canon version.

I know one of the Old Satans is going to be there. I think it was the Leviathan…? Ugh, I don’t remember. I just know some powerful people are going to be there. But I’m confident. I have everything ready, so the possibility of me or anyone I care about dying in that battle should be lower than three percent.

…Yes, I did the math. With everything I know currently, obviously. Though, even assuming they have way more firepower than I’m anticipating, the chance shouldn’t ever go above eight percent.

Unless they have fucking Ophis or something on their side. Which wouldn’t make sense in the first place.

“Oho?! Is that who I think it is?!”

The… somewhat familiar voice stops me in my tracks. At the far end of the hallway we’re on is Sona alongside a Serafall in that silly pink magical girl outfit with an equally silly wand in her right hand, which she is pointing at me.

“Look, Sona!” She says. “It’s your crush!”

“She’s not my crush!” Sona complains with a red face. “Could you sto—”

“Greetings, Emo-chan!” Serafall ignores her, giving me a nickname already. “It is I, Magical Girl Levi-tan! We meet again!”

“So this is one of the new Satans, hmm?” Lucifer says, reminding me of his presence. He feels kind of invisible these days. “The Leviathan, I assume? Interesting. She is not as powerful, but she is rather impressive. I could see why someone would follow such an example.”

In what way, exactly? I mean, she looks fucking ridiculous. Without her power, I don’t know how she could ever be taken seriously. The magical girl craze died about fifteen years ago. She’s late to the trend.

“Of all things, Emo-chan is what you chose?” I respond to her, unimpressed. “For a magical girl, you’re really unimaginative. At least try harder than that.”

Serafall stops and blinks. Seriously, that’s so boring. I’m not even ‘emo’ like these people think. Just because I’m stuck with this fucking haircut for the rest of my life doesn’t mean the nickname even fits me. Give me a break.

“Y-you’re so mean!” She says with an exaggerated tone. “What’s wrong with Emo-chan?!”

“It’s boring.” I shrug. “Now, you’re either gonna call me by my real name, or you’re gonna come up with a better nickname.”

“Hmm… nah, I like Emo-chan the best,” Serafall nods to herself with a grin. “Still, you have the guts to say that to my face. I like it. Alright, I have decided!”

“Yeah?” I raise a brow.

“You have my permission to court Sona-tan!”

“Sera!” Sona squeaks. “Stop!”

She is thoroughly ignored.

“As for you!” She points at Ichiban, who flinches. “You shall be… Shrublord!”

Incredible. Fucking Shrublord. Why haven’t I thought of that before? Hell, why does he get the hilarious nickname while I get the boring one? Not fair.

“Why?!” He complains. “I don’t even have the afro anymore!”

“Hmm, true.” She strikes a very exaggerated thinking pose before snapping her fingers. “I know! Just bring it back!”

“I will not.”

“Oh, come on, it suits you,” I say. “I think it makes you look handsome.”

“Exactly!”

“You are NOT talking me into this!” He vehemently refuses. “Fuck off!”

Shame. I was being genuine.

“Pff, boring.” Serafall huffs. “Whatever. I’m still calling you that.”

“Sera, please, let’s just go.” Sona whines. “I can’t take this anymore.”

“But we just got here.” Her sister blinks. “And I haven’t really talked to Emo-chan all that much. I wanna know more about the person who beat Kokabiel.”

“It was a team effort,” I say. “We wouldn’t have made it without Rias or your sister.”

“Is that so?” She grinned, whispering the next sentences very loudly. “See, Sona-tan? Just a few words, and she’ll be yours. She’s obviously head over heels for you.”

I don’t know if seeing Sona on the verge of breaking down is funny or if the implication of that is kind of creepy. I ignore the latter in favor of the former, smirking at the suffering Sitri Heiress. It’s not even a secret anymore, is it?

“She can hear you.” Sona grounds out. “Just shut up. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun.” Serafall rolls her eyes, patting me on the shoulder. “Anyway, nice to see you again, Emo-chan! Hopefully, we can talk soon! I wanna know more about Sona-tan’s crush!”

“For the last time, she’s not my—”

Sona couldn’t even get her words of denial out before I felt a sudden gust of wind from behind, causing some of the windows to crack. I blink, and suddenly, my mother is right between me and Serafall, pulling the Leviathan Satan’s arm off me and holding it tightly.

The mirthful mood is turned upside down as the students and their parents flinch, stopping all motion in the hallway. Serafall’s perpetual grin is dropped, replaced with a surprised frown, while Ichi and I step back in shock.

Her hair has changed, turning white with a few locks of black hair remaining, signaling her poor control over her power because the overwhelming killing intent I could sense from her would’ve knocked me out had it been directed at me.

What the hell is that? I couldn’t even sense her just now. It’s like she teleported. I bring up her stats in the heat of the moment, seeing all question marks.

And this look on her face— this cold, unbridled fury in her eyes… I’ve never seen anything like this from her; even when she was mad at me that one time, she never showed an ounce of this anger.

“Hands off my daughter.” She says in a tone that sends shivers down my spine.

Serafall flinches, seemingly intimidated, as her arm begins to freeze over slowly. She swallows dryly and pulls her arm away, looking at my mother in a mixture of surprise, discomfort, and… sadness? Guilt?

Huh…

“...Sorry.” She mutters quietly, taking Sona’s hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

The two devils leave quietly, but not before Sona and I exchange a look of concern and confusion. I know my mother hates devils, but to show a reaction like that… I’ve never seen her this mad before. It felt like she was on the verge of attacking Serafall, which may have been true.

She always acts stupid and silly; sometimes, I start doubting this Amon business. Or, well, more accurately, it made me think she only exaggerated things. This finally convinces me that my mother was a legend herself. That everything she told me was 100% true.

The best in her clan, she said. The most powerful Amon agent that had ever existed. Possibly the best assassin that had ever existed. Imagining being the target of her hate and anger is kind of…

…Terrifying.

“M-Mizuki-san?” Ichiban says, just as intimidated as I am, apparently. “Are you okay?”

She doesn’t say anything for a moment, but I hear her taking a breath before turning around to look at us properly, grinning from ear to ear.

“So I heard you kids are craving pancakes, eh?” She says, pretending as if the last few seconds didn’t happen. “Well, what are we waiting for? Breakfast is on me!”

She takes the lead, and after some hesitation, Ichiban and I follow her. Did she think we’d just forget that? She can pretend all she wants, but behind her cheerful attitude, her fury hasn’t simmered down one bit.

Her hair is still white.

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– Rias –

Through the familiar hallway of her mansion, Rias, alongside her peerage, made their way to the medical clinic. The servants she saw on the way would bow in her presence, and even though Rias never cared much about being… ‘overly respected’ like her parents, she had gotten used to it.

And it wasn’t like they treated them wrong. If anything, most, if not all, servants were happy to see her, as she’d built quite a good reputation with them. Their bows and greetings were out of genuine respect. Rias could be proud of that, at least.

While she would usually wave back and smile, Rias wasn’t feeling very good right now. She resisted a grimace as she saw her mother right around the corner, standing in front of the door. Not her…

“Rias.” She started. “What took you so long?”

“I was having a talk with Sirz— Lord Lucifer. About the peace conf–”

“That’s not what I’m asking.” Venelana cut her off. “You should’ve been checking on your Bishop days ago. It’s not something to hold off on.”

“I-I know that,” Rias responded. “I thought he needed a little space.”

“Ridiculous excuse,” her mother scoffed. “A member of your peerage loses control and attacks an important figure of the Tojo Clan, yet you still treat him like a child? He needs to be punished, Rias, not coddled, especially after the nonsense he keeps spewing.”

“That is not how we treat our peerages.” She argued. “You taught me to be kind to them.”

“I taught you to be fair and strict.” Venelana deflected. “Kindness has a limit. You cannot forgive and forget every mistake they make. You have a responsibility, Rias. You’re the heiress of the Gremory clan. Act like it.”

Rias kept herself from talking back, knowing her mother would double down. She’d never believed Gasper’s anxiety problems, thinking he was just lazy and that her daughter was only enabling such behavior.

…And to an extent, that might’ve been the case. Not that Gasper was lying—of course not. But Rias hadn’t done much to help him, had she? She’d been afraid, admittedly. She thought forcing things on him would only worsen the situation.

But that never meant Rias couldn’t have tried to help, right? She should’ve tried harder. Gasper was her responsibility. Letting his issues get to that level wouldn’t have happened had she been a better King.

She would never punish him for doing what he did back there. That was purely Rias’ fault, if anything— having ignored the kid’s problems for so long when she could’ve helped wasn’t his mistake. He didn’t know any better.

“...Sorry, mother,” Rias muttered, casting her gaze down.

“I don’t want a ‘sorry’, Rias,” Venelana said coldly. “I want results. You’ve apologized enough.”

Her mother walked past her, leaving an already depressed Rias in a worse mood. A part of her seriously reconsidered checking up on him when she was like this. It would probably bring the whole mood down.

Rias looked to her left as she felt Akeno’s hand on her shoulder. Her Queen gave her an encouraging smile and nod, prompting the redhead to shake those terrible thoughts out of her head. No, she couldn’t put this off any longer. She needed to check up on her friend right here and right now.

“Koneko and I will go in,” Rias said. “Akeno, Kiba. You two wait here. We don’t want to overwhelm him.”

“Understood,” Akeno said.

With that, Rias placed a hand on the doorknob, slowly opening the door as to not startle the boy, and went inside with her Rook. Gasper was on the bed, covered by the blanket and unmoving until he heard the creak of the door being opened.

The two girls entered the medical room and closed the door behind them as Gasper faced them properly. All the wounds Akane had inflicted on him were healed without leaving a single scar.

Several emotions were present on his face—confusion, relief, happiness, shock, and… fear.

“Hey.” Rias started with a gentle tone. “It’s good to see you doing well, Gasper.”

Gasper said nothing for a moment. He broke eye contact, curling up in a ball as he stared at his bed with a very confused and scared look.

“I-I’m not doing well…” He whispered back. “N-no one believes me. They-they think I’m lying.”

Rias and Koneko glanced at each other, not sure what to do. The latter made the first move, getting closer to the damphir. Gasper did not react negatively to that, thankfully.

“Can you tell us more?” Koneko requested.

Gasper took a moment, then nodded.

“A-at first, she wasn’t saying anything bad. S-she introduced herself, and that was it.” He said. “But I could tell that she was… angry. So very angry. I felt scared. I felt cold.”

Akane being angry was believable. She didn’t seem to be Gasper’s biggest fan, so she could believe that. But to make him, an undead, feel cold? That would mean she was releasing a considerable amount of magic for the sole purpose of intimidating him.

But that wasn’t true. None of them felt anything particularly off about that entire interaction. Akane being mad or not wasn’t gonna change the fact that she was extremely nice to Gasper.

“T-then she changed her attitude and started saying horrible things to me.” He replied. “That I’m worthless and weak. A coward. B-but everyone denies that she said that. I don’t understand— I heard it. I saw it.”

“What else did she say?” Rias asked.

“...S-she said I was too self-important. That I’d put my contracts over you.” Gasper started to tear up. “But that’s not true! I’d never do that! S-she was just being a jerk for no reason!”

This left the redhead completely confused when she first heard it. It didn’t make sense— all of them had witnessed the entire thing. Akane was being nice to Gasper. So nice that Rias felt jealous. It just didn’t make sense.

Was he… seriously schizophrenic? Rias had read his medical report, and this nonsensical and absurd scene where Akane apparently kept mocking him was the only indication. He showed no other symptoms.

Just what the hell was going on?

“A-and then… she told me t-to…” His voice shook. “...She knew who Valerie was. Said she’d be… disappointed in me.”

What? Rias was thoroughly confused. How’d she know?

“Maybe… maybe she was right.” Gasper sobbed. “You saved my life. I s-should’ve helped you. I-I should’ve been more useful to you. But I’m just a weak, pathetic cowar—”

Surprising the other two, Koneko lunged at Gasper and embraced him tightly, not wanting to hear him finish that sentence. She wrapped her arms around his neck, gently rubbing his head as she hushed him, whispering into his ears.

“It’s okay.” She said. “You’re not a coward, Gasper. You never were. You’re a wonderful person and nothing will change that.”

“B-but I…”

“She’s right, Gasper.” Rias agreed with her Rook. “Whatever you heard from her wasn’t true. You’re a great friend and my bishop. I’d never trade you for anything.”

For a moment, the damphir boy remained quiet until he asked his own question.

“...Why didn’t you say anything then?” He whispered. “She kept saying all those horrible things, and you just… stood there. You watched and said nothing. Did you agree with her?”

Rias wasn’t sure how to answer this. Clearly, they’d all experienced completely different events that day. What had even happened there? Gasper currently wasn’t showing any signs of severe mental illness unless this was the effect of the medicine he was prescribed, which she doubted because his psychologist complained that he wouldn’t take anything.

He said all of that as if that was truly what happened, but it wasn’t, making him look like a lunatic.

Not knowing what to do, Rias opted to tell him the truth.

“Gasper, I know you’ve already heard this, and I know it’s frustrating, but from our perspective, that wasn’t what happened at all.” She said. “We didn’t say anything because, in our eyes, she was only encouraging and kind.”

“You too?” He looked at them in disbelief. “Why does everyone say that? I know what I saw! She’s a terrible person!”

“Wait.” Rias quickly stopped him before this got out of control. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, Gasper. I believe you.”

This made him pause, a surprised look taking over his expression.

“You… do?”

“Yes.” Rias nodded. “I can tell that this wasn’t some mental illness thing on your part. Something must’ve caused this weird phenomenon. Perhaps a… third party?”

Both Koneko and Gasper looked at her strangely.

“You think both of what we saw was true?” Koneko asked.

“Yes,” Rias confirmed. “There are many possibilities, and honestly, I just came up with the idea, but I’m sure we can find something if we look for evidence.”

“Y-you really believe me?” Gasper looked hopeful.

“I do, and I promise, I’m going to figure out what happened.” The redhead responded, looking serious. “Isn’t that right, Koneko?”

“Mhm.” The white-haired girl nodded, smiling. “We won’t let anyone hurt our friends.”

“Exactly!” Rias grinned back. “So rest easy, Gasper. We will find out what caused this and ensure it never happens again. Leave it to us!”

That was much easier said than done, of course, but honestly? Rias was convinced. Something had been off about that situation. Gasper was still his anxious, sane self, so he couldn’t have been lying. Because why now of all times?

And why Akane specifically? Had she done something? No, it couldn’t be her. She’d looked just as confused when Gasper attacked. And while she was harsh, she wouldn’t do something like this. Besides, what could she even do?

No, it had to be someone or something else. Was it perhaps some weird side-effect of Gasper’s Sacred Gear? It was a weird and probably nonsensical theory, but what if it had shown them two different timelines?

Maybe Forbidden Balor View showed Gasper what could’ve happened? Or something like that? Like, what if Akane hadn’t been as nice about this and just wanted to beat him up for no reason other than beating him up?

Yeah, it's an alternate timeline where Akane just felt like being a bitch instead of supportive. But if that was the case, then which timeline was the correct one? All of them remembered Akane being nice except Gasper, but did that mean they were on the true timeline or was Gasper experiencing completely different events?

Had this been happening for a while? Maybe this was the first time it had gotten this bad. Who knew? Certainly not her. This was getting a bit exciting, like a murder mystery, but without the murder.

She looked at the smiling Gasper, who looked in a much better mood than before, prompting her to ruffle his hair.

Rias liked the alternate timeline theory but should probably keep it to herself.

Maybe she had been reading too many comic books recently.

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

– Akane –

It has been hours since the incident with Serafall at school, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. It’s been eating away at me the entire day so much that I can’t focus very well on my own training. I guess seeing the usually silly Mizuki like that really shocked me. Even though it really shouldn’t have. Kind of.

She’s been pissed nearly the entire time, and I only knew that because her hair didn’t turn black until like an hour into our training. Though, with the way she acted, you would never guess. She’s really good at acting when it comes to it.

Or she’s good at hiding her anger if I want to be more precise.

Granted, my training with her was cut short after she was taken to the side by some other yakuza. I may or may not have eavesdropped on them a bit, but it wasn’t anything serious. She was just getting scolded after doing something like that in a public setting and to an important political figure.

That was pretty funny, honestly. Somewhat. Hearing her respond with a very quiet, cold, and uncaring ‘sorry’ instead of her usual loud complaining was unsettling.

After she returned, I insisted that she leave early today so she could clear her mind. She tried to argue, but I knew my way around her and managed to convince her. That was when her hair returned to its darker color, telling me I’d successfully calmed her down.

I don’t really need training right now since I’m barely getting anything stat-wise. And currently, we’re focusing on refining my stance and perfecting the basics and techniques I’ve already learned, which I can do on my own, so I decided to use my time for something more productive.

Akane: Does she seriously think a third party was responsible?

Sona: Apparently. She’s convinced, and admittedly, she makes a good point. I’ve checked on Gasper myself. His medical report did not sign him off as a Schizophrenic or anything like that, and he doesn’t particularly act like one. Perhaps it’s worth investigating.

“Heheh…” I giggle to myself as I read the message on my phone. “Fuckin’ idiots…”

“Haaa!” Asia roars, throwing a punch at me.

I easily dodge it by side-stepping and tripping her up with my leg, texting Sona back.

Akane: It is a possibility. Though what would anyone gain from doing this?

“Hiya!” Once again, the blond tries to land a hit on me. “Take this!”

I deflect the punch and lightly tap her in the stomach in response, sending her tumbling backward. As Asia’s butt hits the grassy ground of our training place, Sona sends me a response.

“You’re too predictable, Asia.” I criticize. “Simple punches aren’t gonna get you anywhere when the opponent is much faster.”

Sona: Unsure. It might not be someone. Perhaps a malfunction of Gasper’s Sacred Gear? Rias seems to think so, but she is not elaborating.

How’d she get to that conclusion? What’s time stop got to do with visual and auditorial illusions?

Akane: Weird. Well, whatever it is, tell me if you need any help.

Sona: Appreciated. Thank you, Akane.

I’m having way too much fun with this. Gosh, a small part of me just wants to tell them that I did it. Imagining the looks on their faces makes me want to laugh. But I don’t want to look creepy in front of Asia.

“Y-yes, ma’am!” Asia says seriously, charging at me again.

I pocket my phone and give the blond my full focus. I’ve already taught her the basics of martial arts, and surprisingly, for someone who very clearly hates violence, she’s learning relatively quickly. I don’t know if this is the work of that teaching perk I got or if she has the potential to be a good fighter, but it’s making my life easier.

Asia throws a flurry of punches and kicks, which I either block or dodge pretty effortlessly. I make sure that my response is light, hitting her back with quick body shots to the side and stomach, hurting her badly but not injuring her.

She takes it like a champ, though, only gasping and gritting her teeth in pain as she pushes forward regardless. Seeing her progress makes me smile as I pick up the pace, hitting her harder and harder until she starts to slow down, eventually falling to her knees and holding her abdomen in agony.

As I’m about to tell her to stay down, seeing no reason to continue with how much progress we’ve already made, Asia suddenly lunges at me, continuing the spar. I’m somewhat surprised, but with the gap in speed, she isn’t close to landing a hit.

“For someone who’s never fought, her endurance is not bad at all,” Lucifer notes. “Wonderful work, my dear. You turned a useless weakling into a combatant. A weak one, but not completely defenseless. That’ll surely be useful in the future.”

…I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or not.

He’s such an ass sometimes.

Asia throws one last punch at my face, which I catch as it's only a few centimeters away from my face.

“That’s enough for today, Asia,” I say. “Good job.”

“I-I can still fight!” She replies enthusiastically.

“No, you can’t.”

“But–!”

“Your attacks have no weight or power behind them, and your stance is a mess.” I cut her off, glancing at her wobbly legs. “You’re too exhausted to move properly. I like your enthusiasm, but training’s over.”

Asia tries to say something, but the words die in her throat, so she reluctantly falls to the ground with a huge sigh. She’s been at it for hours, since right after we had our delicious pancakes. It’s already midnight.

However, I’ll admit Asia’s work ethic is doing wonders for her. I kind of like her now. At first I viewed her as a somewhat useless healer whose only worth is being an unpaid maid. Now? I think she could be something more.

Because she’s willing to learn, and no matter the training I put her through, she doesn’t complain and pushes through it regardless. Combined with her attachment to me, I have a very good pawn working for me.

It’s even more impressive considering she can’t restore her own stamina with Twilight Healing. She can heal herself, but she’s stuck taking breaks every once in a while.

I think I’ll have to treat her better and maybe involve her in our hangouts, too. Honestly, all she needs now is to stop being a pushover. I can tell she’s unconsciously mimicking some of my mannerisms, like how I walk. It's very small stuff, but a bit more personality might do her well.

Thankfully, Asia doesn’t seem to view me in a… romantic light. I think that was the case when we first met, but it seemed to have shifted into ‘sisterhood’ instead. Maybe it’s because my mother practically adopted her.

I’m not complaining. I like this development more. Honestly, I always wanted a younger sibling. Too bad my dad died before he put another bun in the oven, so she’ll have to suffice for now.

“You’re so strong…” Asia says after catching her breath. “I couldn’t even touch you.”

“The gap between us is still massive, Asia,” I respond, not sugarcoating it. “You’ll get there eventually as long as you keep up this training.”

“Right.” She nods, not discouraged. “I’ll do my best. I’ll catch up to you, I promise.”

“Looking forward to that.”

Her motivated nature is making this quest piss easy. After finishing up with the weights, her growth rose much faster. The gravity belt plus our sparring matches made her way more powerful. In one day, she went from level 90 to 130.

That is massive. 70 more levels in only three more days? Easy. If she isn’t 150 by tomorrow, I’ll go harder on her for the last two days. That’ll surely put her above 200 and give me that self-healing skill.

…Three more days until the invasion, huh?

I feel nervous now, like those funny butterflies in my stomach. It almost makes me want to tell my mother or someone about it so we can prepare better. But I can’t do that. Not only is it stupid compromising my last bit of metaknowledge, but it’ll also prevent me from using Devour to its full extent.

I have to live with this alone. For my sake.

Because if everything goes according to plan, then I won’t need the yakuza after the invasion. With all the stats and powers I’ll get alongside Excelsis, I’ll be utterly unstoppable. No one will be able to defeat me.

No one.