Chapter 15: 14
I woke up the next day, rubbing my eyes tiredly and moving the scantily-clad Shirone off of my chest. I pulled on my clothes, before making my way to the boy's bathroom to wash up. As I was rinsing my hair, a familiar voice caught my attention.
[Oi, Sensei!]
I blinked. [Issei?]
[Yep. I need your advice for something, if you have time.]
I blinked again. [What? Why?]
[Not right now, I have to go. School starts soon. I'll see later.]
I sighed, reaching for a towel to dry my hair. 'You know, you really shouldn't call someone up and say, 'sorry, I can't talk right now. Bye!' It's bad manners.'
I returned to my room a few minutes after, shaking each of my girls awake. Fifteen minutes later, we were all ready. I walked over to the transportation circle in the corner, followed by my girls. After activating it, I found myself in an almost empty dining room.
I walked over to where Ajuka sat, and waited for him to speak. "Ah, Millicas, there you are. I trust that you had a nice birthday?"
I nodded. "I did indeed."
He chuckled. "Good. Well, then, I suppose I should give you your mission."
He handed me a green crystal. "You will be working with a secret operative in order to help prevent an invasion of the Holy Land. The Khaos Brigade plan to destroy it, hoping to misdirect the wrath of Heaven towards the Devils."
I blinked. "A secret operative?"
He nodded. "One of the other Satans will be sending aid, as well. I was not told any details, but I have a decent guess of who you're dealing with. Make sure to be careful."
I smirked, slipping on my ))Avatar((. "Heh. I'll try, but I make no promises."
I glanced back at my girls, my tone softening. "I should be back soon. Call if you need me."
Gil nodded once in response, Shirone yawned sleepily, and Ruby smiled softly. "Be safe, Cas."
"All right, then." Ajuka gestured to the crystal. "That should bring you to where you need to go, just pour mana into—"
I found myself in a dark cave, with no one else around. I sent out a small pulse of Chakra, but still felt nothing. I decided to sit on a nearby rock and wait.
A while later, a cold wind blew through the cavern, and my reflexive Chakra pulse picked up a presence. I leaped to my feet, turning midair to face the rock I had just been sitting on. I caught my first glimpse of the newcomer.
It was an… oddly short… person in a skull mask and a heavy black cloak. They held a large sword point-first in the ground, both hands resting on the pommel. I shivered slightly as the being's presence hit me.
I frantically checked my spotty memory for any knowledge on the being in front of me. I was surprised by the sheer wealth of information on the subject.
King Hassan.
An assassin who wears a skull mask.
This is believed to the first Hassan-i Sabbāh to bear the title "Old Man of the Mountain" after the Hashashin sect was established as the Assassins.
However, neither the other eighteen Hassans nor the devotees of the sect know this figure's identity, and it is said that there was never any evidence that he existed.
He is a legendary assassin, said to appear to take the head of a generation's Hassan-i Sabbāh when they stray from the path.
In other words, he is the Hassan who kills Hassans.
It is said that the Hashashin left no witnesses, so it comes as little surprise that all who have seen him are dead.
The first Old Man of the Mountain also chose to live the life of a guardian who would pass judgement on the decay within the sect.
The organization rightfully followed God's teachings, but its actions were evil to humans. This was all the more reason that he could not allow the organization itself to rot.
Such offense would be the greatest sacrilege to God.
Namely, the corruption of the sect's leader, the current Old Man of the Mountain, would mean the decay of the sect.
Whether that leader suffered from a corrupt spirit or declining skills, such a person must not bear the name of the Old Man of the Mountain.
To decline was to die. He took their heads in forgiveness of their sin, and passed down hope to the next Old Man of the Mountain.
He chose to fight head-on with a greatsword rather than hidden weapons, in honor of his solemn duty to assassinate assassins.
To lay eyes upon his skull mask meant that one's life was over.
After bringing the hammer down upon fools who strayed from the doctrine of the order, the skull-masked swordsman would erase anyone who had witnessed him from the world.
It is said that he, who sent many Assassins to oblivion, remained in the shadows until the destruction of the assassin order.
The skull-masked swordsman was a living legend, the abyss of assassins, whom no one has ever witnessed.
I blinked. '…I have never been more glad that my Avatar makes me immune to instant death.'
"Would you be the agent that the Maou sent?" I asked cautiously, preparing a few Hiraishin gems just in case.
"Fear not, ally." The 'man' rumbled. "The Old Man of the Mountain reveals himself in response to thy summons. I have no name. Address me in a way that suits thee."
I blinked. "…Okay, then. Can I call you Nancy?"
The eyes of the skull mask glowed red. I chuckled. "All right, a no on that one, maybe something more noble. Tiffany, perhaps?"
"If you continue to treat this as a jest, I will take thy head." The man replied in annoyance.
I sighed. "Fine, ruin all my fun. How about King Hassan?"
The being considered this, and then nodded. "Very well. This is sufficient."
I grinned. "Great! Now, care to tell me who sent you?"
"The Lady Leviathan is the only voice I hearken to."
I blinked. Twice. 'I did NOT expect that one. What the fuck? Since when does the Magical Girl employ assassins?' "I… see. Well, then, let's go."
The man nodded, slung his greatsword over his back, and began silently walking. I followed, managing to keep up with the man's long stride. I glanced at the silent, imposing mask, which glared off into the distance. 'He must be thinking about something disturbing. Like the severed heads of his victims. I remember reading about that somewhere.'
Serafall Leviathan managed to suppress the urge to skip happily. Skipping would not befit an assassin of her caliber. 'But… Red-sama! He's right here! And he's just as strong as I remember! I can't even see any ways to kill him, even when this close! Truly, he is powerful! Ah, Red-sama! I am not worthy to be waking by your side!'
'Yep. It's gotta be something completely terrifying. I swear it looks like he's about to start giggling in glee. But, that can't be it. Assassins don't giggle.'
We reached the mouth of the cave, and stepped out onto a rocky plateau. "…So…" I began, hesitantly making conversation as we walked. "…I hear that Leviathan likes Magical Girls."
He turned to face me, the eyes of the skull glowing red. "Is that an issue?"
"Oh, no." I replied, slightly amused at the way he visibly relaxed at my words. "I'm quite the otaku, myself."
He seemed to light up. "Truly? Hast thou ever seen 'Milky Spiral Girl Seven?'"
I sweatdropped at the sight of the assassin standing on his tiptoes, red skull eyes glimmering. "Er… yeah. Magical Girl Milky-tan, right?"
"Hai." The man nodded seriously. "Lady Leviathan has an outfit of that franchise en route to her palace, as well as several games."
I raised an eyebrow. "She likes gaming?"
He nodded. "Indeed. The one named, 'Hyperdimension Neptunia' is her favorite."
I chuckled. 'I'm kinda surprised they have that here.' "Well, then. We'll have to compare notes sometime. Tell me, team Nep or team Noire?"
"Nep." The ancient assassin replied with the solemnness of an executioner. I barely managed to avoid laughing.
"I-I see. Well, I'm fine with Nep, as far as her adult form goes. But I prefer Noire personality-wise."
He turned to look at me. "Perchance Noire cosplaying as Neptune?"
I considered the thought. "Maybe if you drop the tsundere part. I've already got one of those… but don't tell her I said that."
He chuckled. "Worry not, ally. I shall disclose nothing of this conversation to another soul."
I reflected on the fact that the King of Assassins was currently holding a conversation about a game in which slimes were considered terrifying by the populace. I tried picturing him hunched over a Playstation, cosplaying as Neptune, operating the controller with his clawed gauntlets. I snickered at the mental image.
{Cas, what the fuck did I just see?} Ruby sent, sounding extremely confused.
{The most powerful assassin in history plays Hyperdimension Neptunia, and just finished speaking about Magical Girls.}
{…Oh. Um. Okay. I… don't know what to say to that. Leviathan, I take it?}
{Apparently.}
{I see.}
My companion reached the edge of the rocky plateau, and pointed at the town below. "Canst thou see those that dwell there?"
I glanced down. 'Those that dwell there? What does that… oh.' Sure enough, there was no one in the small town, no wandering pedestrians or lights in the windows. I switched on my Lifesight, and looked again.
The town began to glow brilliantly. No, not the town, below the town. I gasped at the sheer number of lights visible. "Holy shit. How many are there?"
He grunted, apparently noticing my now glowing irises. "Hn. I suppose thou dost have some skill, then. I take it that is how you hast managed to avoid thine trackers?"
I shrugged. "I dunno."
He eyed me for a moment more, before returning his gaze to the town. "There art half of a million heads down there, all ripe for the taking. I hast been told that they are homunculi, created specifically for this task."
"Invading the Holy Land, right?"
"Hai. You are tasked with eliminating them en masse, while I shall be seeking grander heads." His eyes gleamed, and he drew his broadsword. "Dost thou understand, or must I explain further?"
I sighed. "Are there innocents down there?"
He shook his head. "Only homunculi."
I nodded. "All right, then. Do you care how I dispose of them?"
"No. So long as thine method leaves no opposition, I have no qualms about it."
I raised an eyebrow. "…And why do you tell me this?"
"Thou art an infidel, yet worthy of my trust. Above all, thy heart is good. That unwavering spirit in the face of any challenge is what we require." He replied, standing tall and resting the tip of his greatsword in the dust at his feet.
I sighed. "All right, then. How should I contact you once I'm finished?"
He chuckled. "You shall not see me again. I care not where you go once finished."
I checked my watch. "Any other advice?"
He paused. "Lady Leviathan expressed a wish to meet you in person. I would suggest that you visit once you are done here."
I chuckled. "All right, then."
I tossed him a large blue gem. "If you ever need my help, then toss this at a solid object."
He took the gem, eying it oddly. "…'Tis a great boon, Lord Red. I shall do so if necessary."
I smiled, then leapt off of the plateau, accelerating hundreds of feet in freefall towards the small town. My smile stretched into a grin as I felt the wind rustling my Avatar's hair. I drew out my mana, preparing to break through the ground. Once I got near enough, I used raw Power of Destruction to cut a hole in the earth. I fell through the hole without pausing.
I fell into a large cavern, with glowing blue pods evenly spaced in a grid-like pattern. Every part of the cavern was covered, even the ceiling. Once I landed, I glanced through the glass of one of the pods. I choked on my own tongue.
I was looking at a perfectly cloned Devil, with one pair of wings, black hair, and closed eyes. He was suspended in the blue liquid, seemingly asleep. I glanced around at all of the other pods, and saw similar figures in every one. 'This must be what Ajuka meant when he said they planned on pinning the blame on the Devils.'
I ))Structurally Grasped(( the pod, before using Void of Creation to get rid of it. If I had used normal magic, an alarm would sound.
I caught the boy, ))Tracing(( clothes onto his body. I ))Grasped(( him, and found a little less than a day's worth of life energy in him. 'A disposable weapon, indeed.'
I weighed the possibilities. On one hand, I had to protect the innocents. On the other, these homunculi were innocents. I cursed. {Ruby. You need to see this.}
{I see it.} She sent back, sighing softly. {I have seen this kind of thing used many times over the years. Believe me, even if you free them and manage to prolong their lives, they will die without a purpose.}
I considered that for a moment. {A purpose, eh? Anything will do?}
{As long as it's something tangible that all of them are capable of.}
I grinned.
Ten minutes later, I had removed all of the pods, making sure to safely levitate the occupants to the ground. I then used a combination of several thousand ))Shadow Clones(( and Denial of Nothingness to expand their life force to well beyond a Devil's. I clothed them, giving them all hospital gowns rather than differentiating between gender. They could pick out their own clothes later.
I glanced over my small nation and sighed. I sent the command for my Clones to place them within Stasis gems, collecting each gem and placing them inside of a Storage gem. I placed the gem in my side pouch, before looking up to the hole in the ceiling several thousand feet above. I smirked. 'Challenge accepted.'
I managed to jump back out the hole, landing on the plateau outside of the fake town. I turned, and after checking to be sure that there were no other Lifelights, I decided to eliminate any evidence.
))VOID OF CREATION((
A sphere of… nothingness expanded in the center of the 'town', growing to encompass the entire thing, and even some of the surrounding terrain.
Contrary to popular belief, black holes aren't really black. In order for something to be considered 'black', every light in the spectrum has to bounce off of it and into your eyes. Hence why dark clothing is so warm. However, not even light can escape a black hole. As such, whenever you look at it, is simply isn't there. Nothing is.
Where the Void of Creation existed, nothing else did. Not light, not sound, not color. (And fortunately, not failed magical experiments, either.)
I allowed the sphere to disappear, and an enormous 'BOOM' was heard. That was the other effect of Void—once it's gone, air rushes into the space it had been. Rather like the 'crack' of displaced air from disapparating in Harry Potter.
I turned away, and tried to figure out where I was. Rocks… sand… a tree in the distance… nope. Fucking Ajuka didn't leave me a way out. I sighed, rubbed my eyes, and began walking. I absently changed the shape of my Avatar to my normal form, in case I got noticed by anyone I knew. It wouldn't do to be spotted as The Red Man right after what was basically an act of terrorism.
I had worked on my Talent to get Lost until I had developed it beyond the boundaries of physics. From what I could figure, my Talent stemmed from my Marble, so I should be able to control it to an extent. I was still Lost, but I could still find my way somewhere.
Now, instead of walking to the bathroom and ending up in Mexico, I started walking, stepped over a bridge in Scotland, walked through a café in New Orleans, jumped over a fallen log in a rainforest, and then found the bathroom I was looking for. I could set a 'point B' to go to, which was anything from a place to a concept. Of course, I had no idea how long the journey between the two was. And if at any point I forgot to maintain the 'point B', I was pretty much doomed to wander around until I found somewhere I recognized.
The way I saw it, a Marble made you very good at at least one flaw, supporting and enforcing it until it was absolute. For instance, someone Talented at looking ugly could disguise themselves perfectly as someone else, because it's considered 'ugly' for them. It warped reality to make it possible to rewrite the laws of physics. The original Fate universe had Gaia's influence to correct the warps, but this universe didn't. I suppose that Shirou would have a Talent for being in the wrong place, and would use it to save people. Or just awkwardly walk in on people having sex…
Heh.
I idly stepped over a fence, trying to keep my focus on 'finding Hassan'. As long as my thoughts didn't wander, my position would gradually change until I was at my destination.
I smirked, sidestepping a large crowd as I ducked into an alleyway. I continued walking through the alleyway until I found a large wooden door. I opened it, and walked into a broom closet. I sighed, closing the door and re-opening it. Instead of an alleyway, I found a long hospital corridor. I began walking, and thankfully my surroundings shifted before any awkward questions were asked. I continued walking, before finding myself… in a rainforest? What the fuck?
I sighed, grumbling to myself. I eventually decided to walk back the way I came, continuing until I saw a small wooden door. I opened it, and walked through. I froze, noticing the room's sole occupant.
Serafall Leviathan was humming to herself as she got dressed.
I was suddenly very grateful for my Avatar. If Serafall commanded the likes of King Hassan, there was no telling what she could do, especially if she thought I had perved on her. I decided to bite the bullet, and cleared my throat. She paused, turning to face me.
She blinked. "A-ah, hi?"
I frowned. "You know, I was expecting a lot worse than that. But, um, would you mind helping me out here? I'm trying to find King Hassan."
She blinked again, unfreezing and zipping up her shirt. "I see. Well, may I ask your name?"
I shrugged. "Millicas Gremory. Ajuka sent me on a mission with Hassan, and I wanted to be sure that I completed it correctly. I used an… unorthodox method, so I needed to be sure."
She stared for a moment. "Ajuka sent… you?" Her eyes narrowed, and she looked me up and down. "I see."
I abruptly realized that I hadn't changed my form back to 'Red'. "Ah, right. Yes. Um. I may have been using another form, then."
Her eyes turned blood red for a moment, and she gasped. "You're The Red Man?"
I blinked. "Um… yes? I thought Ajuka… never mind." 'Fuck me. I didn't think this through. Now King fucking Hassan knows where I live. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.'
Her eyes sparkled. "Really?" She bounced over, smiling widely. "Because I never did get to thank you! Those mean old meanies had caught me and then you swooped in to save the day! You were all like, 'You aren't hurting Serafall!' and they were all like, 'Oh, yeah? We just captured a Maou! What are you going to do to us?' And then you pulled out a huge scythe, and they all died!"
I patiently waited for her to finish her tirade. Once she was finished, I sighed. "I'm sorry about that, Leviathan-sama..."
"Sera-tan." She interrupted. "Call me Sera-tan."
"…I'm sorry about that, Sera, I didn't have much mana left at that point, so I had to resort to drastic measures." I finished.
She pouted. "Mou… You shouldn't apologize for things like that. You looked so cool! And then, you walked over and picked me up, and—" She paused, blushing slightly. "I-I'm sorry, I'm going too far, aren't I? You can always tell me to stop if you want me to stop, because people always tell me I go too far, and—"
I held up a hand to silence her. "It's fine, Sera. You kind of sound like my )Queen( when she starts getting excited about something. I'm used to it."
She smiled. "A-ah. Thank you, Red-sama."
I blinked. 'Um… Did I just hear that right? No, it must've been my imagination.'
She flushed, looking down at her attire. "So… um… do you like it?"
I glanced at her outfit, and almost choked. 'Holy shit.'
She wore a mostly black one-piece parka dress that had a purple hood, drawstrings that looked like controller plugs, and two huge black and purple pockets with blue circles on them. The ends of the sleeves and the bottom of the parka had black and purple stripes. She had black boots with purple lining, and she wore a black and purple gun holster on her left thigh that matched the rest of the outfit.
She was cosplaying as adult Neptune from Neptunia. And damn did she look hot.
{Look at that top on her. How did she even zip that thing?} Shirone mused, looking through my eyes.
Sera flushed at my admiring gaze. "S-so… um… do you like it? I mean, Hassan told me that you wanted to see Neptune cosplay, so…"
I paused. "…Did you put that on for me?"
She nodded seriously. "Hai, Red-sama."
'…That one wasn't my imagination.' "Well, you look beautiful in it. Thank you very much."
She smiled, her cheeks turning bright red. "Thank you, Red-sama!"
She hummed happily for a few seconds smiling and staring off into space. Her cheeks continued reddening until she looked like she was about to faint. I sighed. 'I get the feeling that I just made a mistake…'
'Uaaah! Red-sama just complimented me! I'm going to have to make more of these outfits, and wear them all the time! Sorry Milky-tan, but this is necessary! I wonder, how can I modify these to look even better?'
'…Yep. I'm definitely missing something. And I'm not entirely sure I want to know.'
Sera returned her attention to me, her smile fading. "S-so, um… Red-sama, a-are you free right now?"
I blinked. "…Yes?"
Her smile returned, full-force. "Great! Then, would you mind if I made us something to eat?"
I blinked. 'Aaaand, Thought Acceleration.'
{You know, I swear I've heard that exact line somewhere before.} Ruby pointed out in amusement. {But yeah, I'm fine with it.}
Shirone was still eying her outfit. {You have a mostly-sane girl who's interested in you, and is perfectly willing to cosplay for you before she's even learned your real name. She also happens to have never dated anyone else in her life, and apparently knows how to cook. As long as she doesn't steal your lap, I'd be happy to have her.}
{I-I agree with Shirone.} Asia sent. {She seems to really like you. You should at least listen to her.}
Gil sighed. {W-well, so long as she doesn't mind sharing you, I'm fine with it. You wouldn't have asked if you didn't see the potential for a relationship.}
{…Point.} I admitted. {But I'm only going by what I saw. She seems to be a very… extravagant person, but I'm used to that.}
Shirone laughed. {Gil, Ruby, he's talking to you.}
{I-it's not my fault I like weapons so much! They're just too cool to not admire.}
{So what if I want the best of everything? It befits a King, does it not?}
I sighed. {I'll join her for now, and see how it goes. If there's something there, then I'll pursue it. If not… I'll have to find a way to break it to her gently.}
{Makes sense.} Ruby sent back. {Good luck.}
I returned to reality, slowing my thoughts. "All right, sure. I'd be happy to. Do you need my help cooking?"
Her eyes widened. "No! I mean, no thank you. I'll be fine on my own."
{She's trying to impress you.} Shirone observed.
I smiled. "All right, then. How about I get the drinks, then?"
She nodded cheerfully. "Okay!"
I followed her out of the room, making sure not to wander off. I really didn't want to get Lost right now. Especially when I noticed that Sera's 'palace' was a small house.
Sera seemed to notice how small her house was, especially for a Satan. "Sorry for the size, I've never thought that it was very practical to have everything fancy."
I laughed, following her down the stairs and into the kitchen. "No, it's fine. My bedroom is actually a modified broom closet, because I couldn't stand having a room so large that my sneeze echoed."
She seemed to relax slightly. "O-oh. Good. Now, um, what would you like for lunch?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. What do you have?"
She rustled around the cupboards, humming thoughtfully. "Is spaghetti okay?"
"Sure." I glanced over at where she had set several cups. "What would you like to drink?"
She paused, setting down a large pot. "What do you mean?"
"Assuming can make anything I want to, what do you want?"
She smiled. "Really? Anything?"
I shrugged. "Pretty much." 'Of all the things my Marble can do, who knew the random knowledge would be the most useful?'
"Then I'll take a Magical Girl special!" She replied, striking a pose.
I chuckled. "The fruity one or the alcoholic one?"
She frowned playfully. "Mou… What's the difference?"
"One is designed to get actual Magical Girls drunk." I replied drily.
She blinked. "Ah. I see. I'll take the non-alcoholic one, then."
I chuckled again. "That's what I thought."
I grabbed the glasses, pulling a few sealed containers out of my side pouch. I poured a few juices into a glass, pulling out a pink straw and using it to stir the concoction. I pushed it to the side, putting back the containers and pulling a small bottle of sweetened milk out of the pouch.
Sera watched me make the drinks while waiting for the water to boil. "Did Ajuka make you that?"
I tilted my head. "Make me what?"
She pointed to my bag. "That."
I glanced at it. "Nope. Made it myself a couple years ago."
She nodded. "I see. And how were you then?"
"…Six, I think?"
"And now?"
I smiled. "Sixteen."
She blinked. "So, when you saved me from the Old Maou Faction…"
"I was two." I finished for her. "Yes. I had an… interesting experience with an assassin a few weeks before then, and used magic to get myself out of it. After that, I couldn't just sit still and wait to grow up."
"A-ah." She turned back to the pot, stirring in noodles. "But, if you unlocked your magic that young, why didn't I hear of it?"
I smirked. "There's a very good reason Ajuka assigned me to this mission in the first place. I'm damn good at avoiding attention when I want to."
"Hence why you hide your abilities?"
I paused, crossing the small kitchen to watch her cook. "Letting Devils know you have power is like ringing the dinner bell. I got kidnapped by a couple mooks a few years ago, and I got away ridiculously easily, because they thought I was no threat."
She nodded. "I see."
She began to heat up a saucepan, and pulled a jar of sauce out of a nearby fridge. I cleared my throat. "So, um, could you pass a message on to King Hassan for me?"
She nodded absently, stirring the sauce. "Sure."
I smiled. "Good. Would you mind telling him that I found another purpose for the homunculi?"
She frowned, turning down the heat and adding a splash of wine to the sauce. "What might that be?"
"I can't keep the Tree of Knowledge completely dust free, and—"
"What?" She shouted, dropping the spoon and turning to face me. "You have access to the Tree of Knowledge?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you think the thing in the middle of the Sea of Red is?"
She blinked. "Oh. Well, that explains the defenses, then."
I gestured to the saucepan. "You might want to stir that."
She squeaked and swiveled back to the pan to continue stirring. I chuckled, reaching over and ruffling her hair. "Calm down, Sera. It's okay if you make a mistake."
She flushed slightly. I idly wondered what she was thinking.
'Aaaaah! I can't help it, he's too damn cool! Is it wrong for me to feel like a girl again, just once in hundreds of years? After all, he is a mighty warrior who's stronger than me. Damn it, why didn't I listen to Grayfia when she was talking about how she dated Sirzechs?'
An image of a multicolored butterfly crossed her mind. '…That's right, I didn't care. I'm sorry, Grayfia! I should've listened!'
I shrugged. It was none of my business. She probably knew what she was doing.
'I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING! I've never done this before. I'm good with battlefields and killing, not romance! What if I mess up, or make a mistake, and I ruin everything? Gah! Why is this so hard?'
She hummed softly as she took the pot of noodles over to the sink and strained them out. I watched in amusement as she began softly singing the Milky Spiral theme song. 'Serafall will be Serafall, I suppose.'
She abruptly realized where she was, and turned bright red. "S-sorry! I'm not used to eating with anyone else while at home, and—"
I held up a hand to silence her. "It's fine, Sera. I've sung worse songs for several hours straight just to annoy my friends."
She nodded. "Okay, then. Would you mind grabbing the sauce?"
I reached over and grabbed the pan by the handle. "All right."
We walked over to the table, setting down the food. I stepped over to the counter, picking up the drinks and setting them on the table as well. I sat down in one of the four chairs at the table, Sera sitting across from me.
"So, do you go to school?"
I shrugged, piling noodles onto my plate. "Not really. My father figured out that my Wrath is triggered by my precious people getting hurt. It would be a terrible idea to send me to a school in which whatever friend I make might get bullied. The bullies probably wouldn't survive. Plus, I would have to worry about favoritism due to being the child of a Maou." I shrugged. "I just got taught by private tutors most of my life. Though, I'm planning on transferring to Kuoh Academy soon."
Her eyes widened. "That's where So-tan goes to school!"
I nodded. "It's also where Rias goes."
She paused. "Wait, if you have school, then how do you have time for being a hero?"
I grinned. "))Shadow Clone((."
A perfect copy of me appeared, bowing melodramatically. "You called, milord?"
I snorted. "Shut up, you ham."
He straightened from his bow, grinning. "You know, talking to yourself is a sure sign of—"
I dispersed the clone, sighing. "Smartass."
I turned to look at Sera, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about—"
She practically teleported across the table, and held me by the shoulders. Her eyes sparkled with glee. "Teach me how to do that! That would be so useful! I would never have to do paperwork again~!"
I laughed. "All right, sure."
I rose, placing my hands on either side of her temples. {Hey, Gil. Do you mind if I use Sha Naqba Imuru for a moment?}
{Go ahead.} She replied absently, seeming distracted.
I smiled. ")Sha Naqba Imuru: The Omniscient Omnipotent Star(."
Sha Naqba Imuru is the mentality of Gilgamesh sublimated into a Noble Phantasm, said to have "spread across all corners of the world as if the brilliance of the stars, seeing through all creation." It is a continuously active Noble Phantasm that does not require its name to be invoked, but Gil tends to keep it intentionally restrained. It can discern heavily concealed truths with a single glance, from that of the opponent's True Name and Noble Phantasms to possibly even seeing through a piece of the truth of the demise of humanity that Trihexa may bring.
When facing her in a game like chess, she claims that even someone making advanced predictions and reading the flow of the game will have already lost at that moment. She does not read the future of the chess board, but instead gazes down upon and oversees it, allowing the correct move to always be visible to her. Even in something like a card game, the very minimum requirement to play against her on equal terms would be to draw the precise hand required.
Upon releasing its True Name, it will work as a form of "instruction" to guide others with the most optimal tactics, simultaneously increasing the attack power and defense power of the whole team near her position. Because it is not my Noble Phantasm, I can only use it for its' active effects, namely the ability to transfer information from my mind to another's. Even this is stretching it a little, seeing as I am only able to use the Phantasm through a loophole in the system.
Sera gasped as the information flooded into her mind. "Wha— How?"
I chuckled. "I might tell you eventually. For now, let's just say, 'it works', and leave it at that."
She nodded absently, her face slowly reddening. I smirked, removing my hands from her face. "Better?"
She nodded. "Y-yeah…"
She frowned in concentration, before calling out "))Shadow Clone((!"
Another Serafall appeared, blinking in surprise. I mentally dubbed the original 'Sera' and the clone 'Serafall'. "Huh. Well, that's a thing." The clone sighed, turning to Sera. "Does this mean I have to go do paperwork, now?"
Sera smiled brightly. "Oh, yes, yes you do~!"
Serafall sighed, crossing her arms and pouting. "Mou… fine. I'll do it. But just this once~!"
A magic circle appeared, whisking away the clone. Sera squealed in glee. "Now I can have fun, and visit So-tan, and I can run up to hug her, and she'll hug me back, and she'll say she missed me, and—"
She broke off with a gasp. "Wait! Why just visit Sona when I can join her! It'll be perfect~! I'll just register for Kuoh Academy with you, and we can go on more hot dates, and—" She froze. "I-I mean, if that's all right with you."
I sighed. '…You know, I really should've seen this coming when I showed her how to completely avoid her responsibilities.' I chuckled to myself. 'Well, at least I can take pictures of Sona's face when I see her meet her sister in the academy uniform. Heh.'
"That's fine with me, Sera. But we might want to finish our first date before scheduling another one." I replied, sitting back down at the table.
She nodded, flushing. She walked back to her chair and sat. "S-sorry. I got carried away…"
I shrugged, eating a forkful of noodles. "I don't mind."
She eyed me. "Not much phases you, does it?"
I chuckled. "After the shit I've seen in my life? Not really." 'Except mysterious assassins who know where I sleep at night. Those are fucking terrifying.'
She raised an eyebrow, stuffing a forkful of noodles in her mouth. "Wha do oo mean?"
I winced. "I get Lost. Often."
She blinked in surprise, swallowing. "…What?"
I laughed. "How do you think I got here?"
She glanced behind me. "…The front door is still locked."
I nodded. "I didn't use the front door. I got Lost."
She blinked. "Through several dozen highly dangerous shields, wards, and traps?"
"…I was really, really Lost."
She frowned. "How?"
I shrugged. "Hell if I know. I'm just really, really good at getting lost."
She laughed, a bell-like peal of sound. "I guess you are. You'll have to show me sometime."
I glanced down at my now empty plate. "How about now?"
She looked down at her own plate, using her fork to bring the last bite to her mouth. "Sure."
She stood, still chewing, and grabbed my plate. She walked them over to the sink, rinsed them briefly, and put them in the dishwasher. She skipped back over, smiling cheerfully. "All right, let's go~."
I chuckled, holding out my arm. She linked her arm through it, and I began to walk. I went over to the door, unlocking it and stepping through.
Into the Sahara Desert.
*Sigh.*
Sera blinked. "…How?"
I grimaced, taking a step back and closing the door. "Sorry about that. The Sahara usually only shows up when it's least convinent."
She turned to stare at me. "How do you know it's the Sahara?"
I chuckled. "You see, once you've been to every single desert in existence, telling them apart becomes easy. Now it's just that much harder to get out of it." I opened the door again, this time being buffeted by a cold breeze. "How about Norway? It's usually pretty nice this time of year."
She shivered. "I am now glad for my outfit."
I glanced at her parka. "Is it really that warm?"
She shrugged. "Warmer than any Magical Girl outfit. Plus, I made sure to make it extra thick and warm, just in case I ever needed to use my ice magic with it on."
I blinked. "You made that?"
She nodded bashfully. "It's not that good, but I couldn't find any good premade ones."
The wind blew through the door again. I pulled the door shut, smirking. "How about I take you sightseeing?"
She smiled. "Sure!"
I pulled open the door, stepping through and closing it, Sera keeping pace as I walked. We were on a large hill, walking down into a grassy plain. I chuckled, pointing in a random direction. "Over there you will find some shrubs, and there," I gestured in the opposite direction, "you will find some trees."
She giggled. "You're making things up, aren't you?"
I shrugged, still walking. "I'm Lost, what do you expect? See, look!" I pointed over to a river that wasn't there a moment before. "I bet that over there you'll find a bunch of gnomes that have decided to worship a lost shoe."
She giggled again, pointing in another random direction. "I'll bet over there, we'll find a society of unicorns!"
I pointed to a random mountain. "A mountain troll."
She pointed at a large tree. "Squirrel monsters."
I blinked, pausing. "Squirrel monsters?"
She nodded gravely. "Absolutely terrifying. Spawn of Ratatoskr."
I decided not to question it, instead beginning to walk once more. "Are they more terrifying than emus?"
She looked confused. "What? Why emus?"
I sighed. "I pray that you don't ever find out."
We continued to walk, pointing out random landmarks and guessing what magical creature lived by it. We eventually wound up facing a large iron door set in a concrete wall. I reached out and pulled it open with a metallic squeal. It opened to reveal Sera's kitchen. She blinked. "Wait, what?"
I just shook my head, chuckling. "See? That's how I managed to find you in the first place."
She nodded slowly. "…Okay. Can you get anywhere with that?"
I shrugged. "Pretty much. It's… not as useful as it might seem. If I lose track of where I'm going, I'm pretty much screwed. I've gotten stranded in some pretty odd places, and stumbled into some pretty odd circumstances."
She tilted her head slightly. "Like what?"
I held up a hand, counting each item off on my fingers. "Two Cthulu summoning rituals, one National Lawyers' Conference, a hostage crisis, and the Dimensional Gap."
She blinked. "Wait, really?"
I sighed. "Yep. The Great Red was less than amused. Thankfully I managed to get out before he tried to kill me."
'I somehow doubt that it would've ended too well for either of us. I've never really tested my blood, but I'm pretty sure it's poisonous enough to at least slow him down. And since I have )Delusion(, I won't even have to be hurt for more than a second. At the very least, I could pack a nasty wallop.'
'…Damn it, now I kind of want to fight him…I'm really curious about who would win.'
Sera unlinked her arm from mine, stepping through the door. She turned to face me, shifting slightly and blushing. "S-so, um, Red-sama…"
She took a deep breath. "A-are you seeing anyone right now?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking if I have a girlfriend, or if I would like you as a girlfriend?"
She flushed. "Both!"
I chuckled. "Yes, actually, I do. I have four girlfriends at the moment, and they are all perfectly fine with you joining us."
She blinked. "A-ah. I see."
I smiled slightly. "Do you need time to reconsider?"
"N-no! I'm just… a bit surprised, that's all." She fidgeted slightly with the sleeve of her parka.
My smile broadened. "Well, then. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow. Where would you like to go?"
She tilted her head, humming thoughtfully. "I want to see Heaven. My eternal rival lives there, you know~!"
I didn't bother commenting. I had figured out by now that she was a Cloudcuckoolander with a love of Insane Troll Logic. That was okay, though. It would be hilarious just to watch the baffled faces of those she starts talking to. Or, heck, I could use this as an excuse to use some Insane Troll Logic of my own. But still… "Are you sure that you would survive the sheer amount of Holy Light in Heaven?"
She frowned. "Hmm… you're right. Wait!" She gasped. "We still have to register for school!"
I chuckled. "Right, I almost forgot about that. Will you be handling that?"
She nodded. "If I have clones that can take my place, it'll be done in no time!"
I shrugged. "Works for me."
She paused, tilting her head in thought. "Oh, and… would you mind bringing along your other girlfriends so that I can meet them?"
I chuckled. "Sure. But, fair warning, several of them might try to grope you."
She smiled cheerfully, leaping and throwing her arms around my neck. "Great! See you tomorrow, Red-sama~!"
She closed the door, and I sighed. 'Because being groped is totally acceptable. Sure. Fine. Whatever.'
I turned and began walking, setting my destination to 'home'. As I walked, I mused to myself how odd it was that she had asked me on a date mere moments after she learned my identity. 'Ah well, I don't tend to understand normal people anyway. That's Gil's job.'
I closed the door, before opening it again. Sure enough, Red-sama was nowhere to be found. I closed the door, taking a deep breath. "YES! I just went on a date with Red-sama! I'm his girlfriend now!"
I did a small victory dance, ending with my Magical Girl pose. "This Magical Girl just scored the man of her dreams!"
I carefully ignored the fact that he was only two when he first starred in my more… *ahem*… adult dreams.
I turned, skipping merrily over to the sink, turning on the water and singing to myself as I washed the dishes. "Kawashita yakusoku wasurenai yo, me wo toji tashikameru oshiyoseta yami furiharatte susumu yo…"
'All right, so here's the plan! I'll go out on dates with him until he falls for me, and then we'll have a hot kiss, and then we'll get married, and then we'll live happily ever after! Kyaaa! I can't wait!'
I paused for a moment. '…Wait… am I going to be kissing his other girlfriends, too? Hmm… I'll make them fall for me, too! And then I'll kiss them, and they'll kiss me back, and that would lead to some girl-on-girl action, and that would be sooo~ hot!'
I sighed, brushing a large, leafy branch out of my field of vision, and stepped into the dining hall of my house. 'Don't question the logic behind that one. Along that path lies madness.'
I stepped into the teleport circle in the corner of the room, allowing it to take me to my room. I stepped out of the circle and glanced around.
All of my girls were on the bed, curled together with one pair of Asia's wings wrapped loosely around them. Asia seemed to be deeply asleep with her arms wrapped around Shirone. Shirone was nuzzling into Asia's chest and purring, while Gil was seemingly braiding Ruby's hair. Ruby was reading a thick book with a red cover, idly playing with a corner of the page. Ruby and Gil sat up at my arrival, slipping out from beneath the wings of the sleeping Angel. "So? How did it go?"
I sighed. "You know exactly how it went. You were watching the whole time. And how could you start cuddle time without me?"
Gil sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. "Asia just got back, and she was really tired. She didn't get to sleep last night, they kept her awake with her 'trial'. She was kicked out on the streets with one suitcase, with not so much a 'thank you for your time'."
I chuckled softly. "How do you think they'll react when they inevitably find a random feather that Asia forgot to hide?"
Ruby smirked, grabbing a hair band off of the nightstand and using it to tie off her braid. "I think they'll either shit bricks, or think that she stole it from someone."
"They might even get Michael involved to find out which Angel she 'stole' it from." Gil added thoughtfully. "That might end badly."
I smirked. "It might. Or, Michel might put together the truth and realize that the Church sent an Angel out into the streets. I'd like to see how that one ends."
Shirone yawned, drawing my attention. She held up a hand and cast a Silence spell on the sleeping girl's ears, before rolling over to face my direction and snuggling back into Asia's embrace. "I take it the date went well?"
I nodded. "We're all going to go to a diner together for dinner tomorrow. She wanted to meet you guys."
She yawned again. As she moved her hand to rub her eyes, the sheets slipped slightly, revealing her bare stomach. I blinked. "Where's your shirt?"
She glanced down at her exposed front. "Oh. I forgot it."
I narrowed my eyes slightly. She had been 'forgetting' things more and more often over the past few years, even things that should be nearly impossible for her to forget, such as Mother's name. That had raised more than a few red flags in my mind.
I had asked Ajuka to get me books on Reality Marbles, so that I would be able to more easily understand how they functioned, and what the warning signs were for one forming. I'm not an idiot, I knew right from the start that there was a chance that one or more of my girls would be affected by my Distortion. A theory all but confirmed by Ruby's offhanded remarks about Shirone during yesterday's conversation. While I myself had never noticed any Distortion, that's no guarantee that there is none.
The books I read were very long winded, and most of it was contradictory. But, by cross-referencing them with each other and what I knew myself, I had compiled a list of need-to know information about Reality Marbles.
The first thing one needs to know is how they are formed. First, one must be exposed to something that causes Unnatural Distortion. Natural Distortion can be caused by many things, but the most common cause is something that breaks a person slowly enough not to shatter them, while at the same time repairing the damage they caused. Natural Distortion is usually harmless, but it becomes Unnatural when directly exposed to any Unnatural Distortion.
Next, one begins to develop what I call a Talent. This Talent is a form of magic where the user changes the world in strange ways. The Talents are notoriously hard to control and are known to 'get away' from their users, often to dramatic and hilarious effect. This Talent depends entirely on the Reality Marble, but it is a mix between Cursed with Awesome and Blessed with Suck. It's an offensive/defensive ability that works best when used defensively.
I believe my previous example of Shirou explains it best. If you have a Talent for being in the wrong place, you would both be exposed to useful things like the enemies' plans, and really awkward things like seeing two homosexuals having fun. If Shirou were attacked by a gunman, he would avoid the bullet completely by virtue of being in the wrong place to get hit. I am still researching the Talents, so I will explain more at a later date.
After one gets their Talent, they begin to hear the first lines of their Aria. These lines are usually vague enough to be used for nearly anything, and one can only move forward once they have correctly used the lines of the Aria at least once.
After they have correctly used their Aria, they will begin to see visions of the incomplete Marble, either in dreams or in reality. They begin hearing the rest of the Aria, as the visions of their Marble become clearer.
After the Marble is fully manifested for the first time, the Talent will slowly become more controllable, as it is an aspect of the Marble.
The only other thing that the books all agreed on was that to naturally form a Reality Marble required a direction for one's soul to be grown in. While in the Marble's infancy, the person themselves would get closer and closer to madness. Only once one was half-step away from insanity, could their soul begin 'fixing' itself. I believe this part was akin to the old adage, 'everything will get worse before it gets better' taken to its' logical extreme.
The difficult thing about Reality Marbles is, one must maintain the perfect conditions throughout, otherwise the person will just break completely, their mind shattering from the strain of whatever Distorted them in the first place.
I had used the conditions of the 'between' to unknowingly foster my Marble, and only needed to follow the rest of the steps in order to fully unlock it. Shirou Emiya had somewhat looser restrictions, namely following his ideal of 'hero'. This had earned him the name 'Fake Janitor' among his peers.
I suspected that Shirone was unknowingly using her Gluttony to incubate her own Marble. Hence why she had such an issue with her addiction, and why her OD was so mentally disturbing for her. She was literally using her Marble to hold her excess 'attention', and her mind snapped once the Marble couldn't handle any more. Once she calmed down, however, and as her Marble used the excess to fuel its' growth, her mind returned to its' normal state.
This would also explain how disturbing her 'comedowns' were, as her Marble devoured all of her 'high' as the source of its' strength. The empty feeling was actually her fledgling Marble using her energy to stabilize itself.
'…I am suddenly glad that she has never been left completely alone. The sudden shock to her system might very well shatter her.'
Ruby, who was apparently listening in to my train of thought, paled slightly. She widened her eyes, tilting her head towards the oblivious Nekoshou. I nodded. She sighed. "I see. Well, I can take care of that, and we can talk more later. In the meantime, why don't you go see what Issei wanted to speak to you about?"
I hesitated. "…Are you sure? I just got back. Normally you gripe for hours if I leave right after I come back."
She pouted. "It's not for hours! Besides…" She glanced at where I stashed my notes. "…I have some reading to do while you're gone, just to be sure I know everything I have to."
"All right, then." I walked over to where the girls sat on the bed, and kissed each one on the forehead, even the still-slumbering Asia. "I should be back soon. Call if you need me."
I formed a Gate to Kuoh Town, and walked through. I made my way towards Issei's house, trying my hardest to suppress my Talent. Thankfully, I avoided getting too lost, and arrived without incident. I knocked on Issei's front door, and waited. Issei opened it a moment later. "Oh, good, you made it. I was beginning to get worried. What took you so long?"
I smirked. "Oh, just a date with a hot chick. She was into cosplay."
He blinked. "Are you kidding me?! Come on, man, at least leave some girls for the rest of us!"
I chuckled. "I don't know, Issei. You've raised enough flags on your own, when you were acting as Nameless."
He sighed putting one hand in his pocket and leaning against the doorframe and running a hand through his hair. "It's No Name. Get it right. And besides, what flags could I have possibly set up?"
I grinned. "I can think of a certain hime-miko Fallen Angel girl with black hair."
He blinked. "Eh? What does she have to do with anything?"
I shrugged. "Well, you did save her from her enemies and deliver her to safety, like a knight in… shining… armor…"
'…Now I feel like an idiot, no wonder Sera was so infatuated with me.'
Issei sighed. "Well… I mean, that girl was about my age… but what are the odds of ever meeting her again?"
I smirked. "Higher than you might think. Now, are you going to let me in?"
He shook his head, stepping out of the doorway and closing the door behind him. He cast a minor sound-based illusion that made anyone hearing it think we were talking about homework. "All right, so you know the school I go to is full of the supernatural, right?"
I nodded in amusement. He continued, "So, I've been meaning to join a Devil's Peerage, and a Fallen Angel just showed up in my school. She tried to ask me out on a date, and I poured on the 'pervert' charm, but she didn't seem to mind at all, Thus, she is likely there to try and kill me. After I figured that out, I realized that the Devils in my school don't have enough power to reincarnate me. So, what I'm asking is, is there any way to bind my powers to a more manageable level?"
I hummed thoughtfully. "Well, yes, I suppose. The binding would only have to be temporary, because the Pieces adapt to the host's power level after use."
I reached into my side pouch, digging around until I found what I sought. I pulled out a glimmering bracelet, handing it to Issei. "This should bind your powers completely, but it's very fragile. But keep in mind, since you lose your powers, you lose your connection with Nature as well. You won't be any stronger or faster than a human."
He nodded, slipping on the bracelet and smirking. "All right, then!"
I abruptly remembered a detail of my conversation with Sera. "Oh, and, um, I'll be seeing you tomorrow in school."
He blinked. "Wait, what?"
I chuckled. "I told you that I would be transferring, right? Well, I'm going to be joining you in school tomorrow, along with all of my girls."
He grinned, his eyes gleaming. "Even the new one?"
I sighed. "Yes, Issei. Even the new one. But she's not part of the bond yet, so treat her like you would anyone else."
He nodded seriously. "And, uh, Riser said something about you having a cute sister you never told me about."
I blinked, before bursting into laughter. "AHAHAHAhahahaha. Ahem. Yes, I do. Her name is Remilia. She inherited my mother's white hair, and she has stunning turquoise eyes."
Issei grinned, fist-pumping. "Hell, yeah!" His gaze turned suspicious. "…Anything else?"
I sighed dramatically. "Well, yes… Unfortunately, she can't control her magic very well, so she has a problem with her Power of Destruction."
He blinked. "Is that it?"
I nodded. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with her. Even if her eyes turn red when she gets too mad."
He grinned. "All right, then! Do you think she'd be interested in me?"
I shrugged. "If she were I would probably kill you. She is my little sister, after all."
He snorted. "Relax, Sensei. I'm not going to hurt her." He paused. "Wait, little sister? How old is she?"
I gave him my best shit-eating grin. "Three."
He faltered. "…What."
I smirked at his deadpan statement. "Yep. She's three. I have no doubt that she'll grow up to be quite the beauty, so I'm sure that'll give you something to look forward to in the future."
I cheerfully waved farewell, walking back the way I came. I managed to stifle my laughter until I was out of earshot, before bursting out into loud guffaws.
I Gated back to my room, noticing that Asia had woken up and was rubbing her eyes sleepily. "O-oh, hi Cas!" She called over, smiling cheerfully and bouncing over to give me a hug.
I smiled, wrapping my arms around her. "Good morning, love. How was your day?"
She giggled, burying her face into my chest. "It's better now. I missed you."
I ran my fingers through her hair, pulling out a stray feather. "I missed you too, love."
Ruby glanced up from my notes. "Hey Millicas, I think I figured something out!"
I briefly glanced over at where Shirone was stretching. "Did you…"
Ruby nodded absently, scratching something down on a piece of paper. "I used the Bond."
I nodded. "All right, then."
I picked up Asia, stepping over to the bed and sitting next to Shirone. I placed Asia between the two of us and she happily allowed us to cuddle her. I turned to Ruby. "Okay, so what did you find?"
She sighed, closing my book of notes and turning to face me. "I figured out where we are along the development process." She gestured at the white Nekoshou to my left. "Shirone is on the stabilization step, and is slowly becoming more and more stable. Her Talent is 'Forgetting', which stems from her desire to simply bask in our love and attention to forget all of her problems."
She gestured to Asia next. "She's still developing her Talent, but she seems to have a Talent for 'breaking things. I initially thought that it was just her being clumsy, but then I saw her accidentally break your desk. That thing is strong enough to shrug off a hammer blow. I'm not too sure where the Talent comes from, though. Maybe her desire to never get stopped by anything?"
She gestured at Gil. "She can procrastinate her own damn funeral. Honestly…" She grumbled, ignoring Gil's indignant squawk. "But, yeah, her talent is 'procrastination'. The longer she puts it off, the more intense it is when she actually has to do it. This includes movement, wounds, thinking, pretty much anything you can think of. I'd say she's just behind me in terms of Marble development. I think her Talent comes from her desire to live in the moment as much as possible, and avoid the consequences."
She paused, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I… think I'm about to the point of no return on the development of my Marble. I didn't actually have to do all that much, seeing as my feud with Albion drove me close enough to madness for long enough that my soul was in the perfect condition to create a Marble. I believe you call it 'Natural Distortion'. All it needed was extended exposure to Unnatural Distortion like yours, and a direction to develop in. My Talent is 'overcomplicating things'."
She flushed, holding up a blueprint I vaguely recognized as something she had drawn as a weapon design. "I… um… don't really have to explain that one. I think it's an extension of my desire to protect you guys at all costs. I plan more and more, trying to amount for every eventuality, but I only ever seem to waste time with it."
I blinked. "I… see. Well, then. That certainly explains a lot. I know how Gil, Asia, and, to an extent, Shirone have been Distorted, but what about you?"
She coughed, blushing. "Well. Um. I… can't stop thinking about any of you. Ever. At first, I was just terrified to leave you alone in case you… died… and left me alone again." She took a deep breath, her cheeks reddening. "I-I want to keep you all for myself, and never let any of you go." Her cheeks reddened to match her cloak. "And then we hit puberty, and… um… I couldn't stop thinking about you again. For… reasons. Many different reasons. Mostly due to hormones giving me mood swings. One moment, I would be annoyed at the age restriction on sexy times, the next I would be convinced you all were about to die."
She sighed, her blush fading. "Once it solidified into Distortion… I realized that I would happily slaughter armies to keep you all happy. I would kill innocents, burn cities, sacrifice everything I have to keep you safe."
I smiled at her, standing and walking over to her. I knelt down, leaning over and kissing her. She 'eeped', but was soon leaning into the kiss, allowing me to hold her and stroke her hair. Once I broke the kiss, she sighed in contentment. "I needed that."
I chuckled, continuing to stroke her lightly. "I could tell."
She flushed, burying her face in my chest. "Not fair." She mumbled. "Not at all. You just aren't fair. One moment I have my emotions under control, and then you do something that makes me love you even more…"
I sighed, picking her up and setting her on the bed. I wrapped my arms around her, and Gil sat down to do the same.
'I swear, this whole 'Talent' thing feels really, really familiar. Maybe I read about it, somewhere?' I thought about it for a moment, but couldn't remember anything. Putting that aside for a later date, I finally spoke once more. "Has anyone heard a line of their Aria, yet?"
Asia hesitated. "U-um…
I could feel Shirone's hesitation, but I didn't press. "…I might. But, I have no clue how to use it."
I blinked. "…Okay, then. Can you send the lines over?"
She opened the link, allowing us to hear the Aria without activating her fledgling Marble.
A soft voice whispered in total silence.
)I serve but one Master,(
)For I am his alone.(
)He is the one who saved me.(
I blinked. "…I thought you had to have a poem about the caster as the basis. Or at least, it has to describe them in some way."
Ruby sighed. "Normally, yes. But she literally formed her soul around yours, so it stands to reason that her Aria is about you as well. She almost certainly has some verses about her ideals and such, but they are probably near the end of her Aria."
I sighed. "I see. Well, then." I addressed Shirone next. "Have you tried to use the verses, yet?"
"Yes, but nothing happened… except, well, my Gluttony started growing again. I swear, for the next week I could never be satisfied."
I blinked. "Wait, was that why you practically glued yourself to my side last week?"
I heard an embarrassed cough from her direction. "U-um, yeah. Sorry."
I sighed. "It's fine, just… tell me next time you decide to do something like that. You confused the hell out of me, and I think you terrified half the maids in the house."
Ruby snorted. "Please. They've seen her do much worse. They were the ones who taught her how to hide bodies."
I blinked. Twice. "I'm not going to ask."
Gil looked confused. "Why not? Is not hiding bodies a useful skill to have?"
I grimaced. "First, really? Is that even a question? And second," I held up a hand, summoning an orb of Power of Destruction. "I think I have it covered."
Her eyes widened. "I see."
I turned to Asia. "Please tell me you tried to stop them."
She just looked adorably confused. "Hiding bodies? What? When did you learn to do that?"
Shirone sighed. "I'll tell you later, Asia."
I decided I really didn't want to know. I turned to Gil once more. "All right, that aside, I need your help on something."
Gil perked up. "Really? Well then, I would be happy to help."
"…You don't even know what it is, yet."
She smiled at me. "I know. I'm still happy to help."
I smiled back, musing to myself that she seemed to be avoiding any excessive tsun, lately. 'Sure, there were small incidents in public, but she hadn't had any outbursts in private for a few months, now.'
I heard Shirone laugh. {Are you saying that our beloved tsundere is becoming a deredere?}
I snorted. {Hell no. She's too much of a spitfire for that. No, I'm saying her adorable dere side is becoming easier to get to.}
Gil huffed, her face reddening. "I don't have to help you if you're going to tease me like that."
I chuckled, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. "Who said we were teasing? You really are adorable when you're like this."
Flushing a deeper red, she coughed into her hand. "A-ahem. Anyway. What did you need from me?"
I sighed, becoming serious. "I need help building a kingdom."
She blinked. "What?"
I dug out the Storage gem, holding it out for her to see. "This holds about a half-million dormant homunculi. I plan to put them inside the Tree of Knowledge, and have them be its' caretakers. They have only the barest of basic knowledge needed to survive, and their creators didn't bother teaching them to read, so the knowledge is safe with them."
Gil sighed, taking the gem. "Very well. I shall aid you, then. Shall we go?"
Lezaroth, my friend, you have the Devil's own luck. I was looking through my file directories to find a missing file (for ATiredDude, actually) and I found this. It was a rough sketch, and only half-done, but with some polishing it became what you see below.
Enjoy!
OMAKE: At the bar
I swirled the content of my glass, staring at it. I glanced at the man sitting next to me, drinking his bourbon and laughing at something Falibum said. I drained my whiskey, before setting down the glass and sighing. "Bartender, I'll take another whiskey, please."
The middle-aged man walked over, smiling kindly. His dusty glasses glinted in the soft light. "Very well, sir. Anything else?"
I smiled politely back at him. "Millicas said that you have some great sweets here."
He chuckled, picking up my now-empty glass and pouring in the contents of a glass bottle. "I do, indeed. Why do you ask?"
I sighed, glancing at the redhead beside me. "Hey, Sirzechs, do you think Grayfia would want any sweets?"
He turned to me. "I suppose. Are you getting some for Medea?"
I nodded. "She's been complaining about my empty cupboards, and my lack of anything sugary."
He chuckled. "You won't truly be considered a married man until she's taken over your entire house. The kitchen is only the beginning."
I sighed. "Is it possible for one to be considered a 'married man' before I'm even married? Because I've had my house rearranged more times than I can count over the past few months."
He burst out laughing. I grumbled to myself, sipping my now refilled whiskey. I glanced up at the bartender, who seemed to be taking out a large box. He set it on the bar top, opening it and allowing us to see its' contents. "You may take as much as you want."
I reached into my pocket for my wallet. "How much?"
He shook his head. "The drinks are the only thing in this bar you will have to pay for. Everything else is a labor of love."
I eyed the man suspiciously. He seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. "Are you sure?"
He nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Positive."
I glanced over the selection of sweets, picking out a few brownies and a chunk of fudge. I grabbed a paper napkin, wrapping the sweets and putting them in my pocket. I handed Sirzechs a napkin for his sweets. Once we were done, the man closed the box and stowed it beneath the bar once more. "Hey, Bartender!" A voice across the bar called. The man smiled at me, before leaving to attend the customer.
I glanced at Sirzechs, sipping my drink once more. "So… any last-minute tips for being married?"
He chuckled. "Talk things over with your wife before making any big decisions, like having kids, or buying anything big."
I hesitated. "And… any advice for having kids?"
He laughed. "Well, I'm not exactly the best person to ask about that."
I raised an eyebrow. Sirzechs smiled ruefully. "Well, one of my kids is a powerhouse that can probably outfight me in a pinch, and the other one can't control her magic and destroys her surroundings every time she sneezes."
I blinked. "Outfight you? How do you figure?"
He turned back to his bourbon, taking a drink. "The kid walked through a battlefield when he was six. And I know for a fact that he didn't just 'find' any member of his peerage."
I nodded slowly. "…And?"
He sighed. "Think. He deliberately walked into not only an active war zone, but into church territory to seek out members for his Peerage. And that's not even counting that bullshit story he made up about that Dragon )Queen( of his." He took another sip of bourbon. "Don't get me wrong, my son is one hell of a liar. If I didn't know better, I'd say he were the Lord of Lies himself. But the only flaw in his skills is that he doesn't actually want to lie to me, so he hesitates before every lie."
I chuckled. For all he acted the fool, my best friend is a force to be reckoned with when he's serious. He didn't take up the position of Lucifer without learning to see past the noble houses' façades. "So what does that have to do with him being able to outfight you?"
He sighed, glancing down at his glass. "I have absolutely no clue what he can do, even though he has been training for the past ten years. I took only six years to completely unlock my full abilities. And if he has enough power to casually reincarnate a full-blooded Dragon, then what else can he do? If pressed against the wall, if forced to act in desperation, he could very well land a fatal blow on me if he tried."
He sighed again, draining his glass. "Of course, this is all conjecture." He smiled slightly. "Who knows? Maybe the public is right, and he really is talentless. I wouldn't know, because we've never spoken about it."
His eyes shone, and he burst into dramatic sobs. "Ajuka, why? Why doesn't my Mi-tan trust me-ee-ee…" He sobbed.
'…I take it back, maybe it's not entirely an act.' I sighed, setting down my glass to rub my eyes. "And what about Grayfia? How does she feel about her son?"
He sniffled, wiping his eyes, before becoming serious once more. "Well, she knows he hates being treated like a prince, so she thinks he is deliberately hiding his abilities. After all, if he were a total prodigy like we think he is, he would be chosen as the Heir of Gremory, rather than Ria-tan."
I blinked. 'Huh. That's… pretty likely, now that I think about it. He would totally do something like that.'
My thoughts were interrupted once more as Sirzechs continued. "To tell the truth, we don't really care one way or another. Even if he is, in fact, ungifted, he still has a life ahead of him. His mother and I love him, and he has three lovely girls who adore him more than he can possibly imagine."
He allowed the bartender to refill his glass, politely thanking the man. "Grayfia made sure to teach every one of his girls the etiquette required to blend into high society. No matter what path he chooses, they will support him in everything he does. And that's what really matters to us."
I nodded, finishing my whiskey and setting the glass on the bar. "Well, thank you for the Bachelor party, but Medea said that I had to be home by midnight."
Sirzechs sighed, pulling out his wallet and paying for his drinks. I did the same. Turning away from the bar, I began walking towards the door. "See you tomorrow!" I called to the other men attending the party.
Heh. That Omake was a bit too short for my liking, but I couldn't think of anything else to do with it.
A/N: Imagine my utter shock when Millicas rolled a seventeen out of eighteen on his 10+ roll for knowledge of the Nasuverse.
Thankfully, Google-sempai was very helpful when looking for more information on King Hassan.
Fun fact from the Fate Wiki: 'Differing from his successors, the Old Man of the Mountain terminates his targets not by imposing physical harm, but by severing 'fate' itself by way of an ability similar to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.'
Hence how Sera figured out the connection between Cas and his alternate identity. I wrote it as her eyes glowing red whenever she uses her ability to see 'death'.
Now, if only he could get that lucky for knowledge on something else.
8…4…6… oh, come on! How hard could it be to get one measly eleven on 3d6!
Cas's ability to get Lost has now reached the conceptual level. I have ranked it accordingly.
Lost One's Weeping
Type:
Anti-Unit (Self)
Anti-Army (Self)
Anti-Gate
Rank: EX (Anyone who tries ranking it ends up losing whatever measuring device they have…)
Range: 1~40
Maximum number of targets: 1~50
Once Millicas ceases to completely understand his position, it ceases to be absolute. In other words, his position is defined by what he knows of his surroundings.
As long as he is leading the way for a group, it is possible to get the entire group lost.
It is impossible to get lost while following someone else, as he subconsciously recognizes that 'I am following X, so my location is relevant to X'.
(To anyone interested, here's Sera's info.)
Serafall, finished growing (? Years old, series start)("It's rude to ask a lady her age!")
161 cm (5'3")
B94-W58-H92
29H American, 72I Anime
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone