บท 26: [26]: Common foul devil

Draconic Deus

Earth - Japan

Kyoto - At X Motel

[***]

One day after the night Aiden traveled to Las Vegas and sealed an alliance with the Phenex, he stood at the entrance of his motel room, watching as the Phenex family's servant disappeared into a magic teleportation circle.

This was the same servant Ravel had promised to send him the day before, bringing with him the fake backgrounds Aiden had requested.

Now, both he and the girls had complete records of their supposed human lives in this world.

With the backing of such an influential noble house as the Phenex, creating something like this had been far too easy.

"Hmm, has he already left?" Natsumi asked as she saw him enter the room again.

She was sitting on the couch, watching TV with a nonchalant air.

"Yes," Aiden replied, nodding as he sat beside her.

Without wasting any time, Natsumi got up and settled onto his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"So?" she said, wanting to know what had happened.

"Ravel-san sent a servant with the backgrounds I requested yesterday. Here are the names they also chose. Since we're not married, it would be strange for all of us to share the same last name," Aiden explained as he handed her the documents.

"Oh! As expected from a noble house, they work fast. Here's everything: names, histories... no human or supernatural being would notice anything strange unless you tell them yourself," Natsumi commented as she read through the documents carefully.

Natsumi Kyouno.

That was the name she had chosen for herself.

It had come to her immediately, and although she hadn't thought much about it, it sounded good and she didn't dislike it.

"Were you also invited to the wedding ceremony of that guy who speaks in the third person?" Natsumi suddenly asked, glancing up at Aiden.

He had already told the girls everything that had happened the previous night at the Bellagio, in the United States, and both Kaguya and Yuzuru hadn't missed the opportunity to mock Riser's peculiar way of speaking.

Of course, Mukuro was quick to take offense, as she also spoke in the third person.

However, the others simply responded that, in Mukuro, it was cute, but in an adult man, it was ridiculous.

"Yes, Ravel-san mentioned that I'd be invited. According to her, as a future important business partner, I should be present. But she said she'll send me the invitation and the date on another occasion since they have pending matters to resolve on their side," Aiden finally responded, looking at Natsumi.

She nodded with a smile, clearly entertained by the situation.

"Well… I suppose we don't need to worry too much anymore and can take things easy living in this world. It's not like there's going to be a war soon… although that terrorist group is a bit concerning, it's not our problem for now," Natsumi commented as she settled more comfortably on Aiden's lap, lazily watching the TV.

She was right.

Aiden had already achieved one of his main goals: securing a powerful ally.

With the sale of the NerveGear, once finalized, he wouldn't need to worry about money or the funds necessary for the organization he planned to form over time.

As for the matter of war…

The original Maou had died in the Great War long ago, along with many of the 72 pillars of the underworld, leading to the extinction of several clans.

In the sky, God had literally died.

Without Him, they could no longer produce as many pure angels as they did before the war, and they had no choice but to reproduce with humans, though many angels fell from heaven by doing so.

On the other hand, Grigori, under Azazel's command, had lost too many comrades in the war and now preferred to avoid conflicts, dedicating themselves to researching God's [Sacred Gears].

With the three biblical factions worn down, another war seemed unlikely unless something truly serious happened.

This was what Aiden had managed to investigate thanks to [Rasiel].

Of course, those factions were still enemies, and their members still treated each other with hostility when they crossed paths.

Not to mention the problems from other myths: whether Indra wanted to fight Shiva or Ragnarok erupted in Asgard… none of that really mattered to Aiden.

None of those conflicts would affect him at all.

"Aiden, weren't you going to investigate the [Evil Pieces] today?" Natsumi asked, breaking his calm.

"Unnn," Aiden nodded. "I wanted to steal a set from some demon… though maybe I could ask the Phenex for one when we make the business deal."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just find a demon with a complete set of [Evil Pieces], knock them out for a moment, use [Analyze], and then leave?" Natsumi suggested.

Aiden looked at her silently, surprised by how straightforward and simple the idea sounded.

In the end, he had to admit it was quite effective.

"Good idea…" he replied, stroking her head and green hair tenderly.

"You could also look for some [Sacred Gear] user, right?" she added, still thoughtful.

"I'll do that later…" Aiden muttered, succumbing to the same laziness that seemed to fill the atmosphere.

Eventually, he decided to relax alongside Natsumi, and without realizing it, he ended up falling asleep.

[*]

In a parallel Earth.

[*]

One day later.

"Another failure, huh…?"

Aiden murmured as he distractedly read the information about that world through [Rasiel].

What he had discovered was that it was a parallel Earth, but unlike Draconic Deus, no supernatural beings existed here.

"Well… at least this world could serve as a backup if things get complicated in the future. Maybe I could even find talented people bored of a normal life and bring them to the other world. With the [Spirit Pieces] and artificial [Sacred Gears] I'll create in the future, it wouldn't be impossible to make them more powerful…"

The reason Aiden was exploring worlds, using the 2-3 daily attempts allowed by [Kaleidoscope], was to find the origin world of [Falna].

However, so far, he had been unsuccessful.

Since leaving Elicia, he had already made nearly 300 attempts and still hadn't found the right world.

"It's like playing gacha," he thought resignedly.

Even though he had the development ability [Luck], it didn't seem to be enough.

"As expected of an infinite multiverse… It won't be that easy. Still, with some luck, I might stumble upon an interesting world while searching for [Falna]."

His voice faded into an almost inaudible murmur.

—Clank!

The portal opened, and after saving the coordinates of that parallel Earth, Aiden left.

[*]

Draconic Deus

Earth - Japan

Kyoto - At X Motel

[*]

Two days later.

"…"

Origami stared at Tohka with a blank expression.

"W-What's wrong with you, Origami? I didn't do anything for you to look at me like that, as if I were some kind of bug!" protested Tohka, sitting on the couch while watching TV.

Origami wondered if this girl truly thought she was an idiot.

"And my snacks?" Origami asked calmly, fixing her gaze on Tohka's face, which had several crumbs of what she suspected were her snacks.

"I-I don't know! Why are you asking me? Ask the others, or Aiden. It could've been them, right?!" Tohka replied nervously, unconsciously licking her lips to eat the crumbs as she stammered.

'This idiot…' Origami thought.

"Tohka, do you really think everyone is as much of an idiot as you?" Origami sighed.

In the end, she decided not to bother taking her snacks back.

"What did you say, O-R-I-G-A-M-I!" Tohka was about to snap back when another voice interrupted.

"Tohka-chin, at least wipe your mouth when you're done eating. Seriously, Origami isn't wrong to call you an idiot."

Nia, who was drawing manga, spoke without even looking up.

"Hmm…" Yoshino, who was also there, nodded in agreement with Nia.

She slowly got up, and her pajamas transformed into a long white dress with a hat.

"Heading out again, Yoshino-chan?" Nia asked as she continued working on her manga.

Yoshino's puppet answered first.

"Yes, Yoshino and I enjoy walking around here. We like observing different types of Youkai. Some have entertaining habits. Besides, Kunou-chan wanted to see us yesterday, but we couldn't go. Now that we're free, why not?"

"Yes… I also want to play with Kunou-san," Yoshino added softly.

In previous days, Yoshino had met Kunou and her guards while strolling.

They quickly became friends, and Yasaka, the leader of Kyoto's Youkai, also expressed gratitude to Yoshino.

Though at first, Yasaka was somewhat perplexed by the changes in Yoshino's hair and personality—from lively to shy—she soon adapted.

"The leader of the Youkai, Yasaka… hasn't she asked you to join her faction? Or maybe she's been subtly questioning you to learn more about you?" Kotori, who was also present, asked.

Yoshino shook her head, but her puppet intervened:

"Not yet~. Yasaka-san is probably investigating our backgrounds since we appeared in her territory out of nowhere."

"Well, at least she's kind enough not to complain about us being here," Origami commented, taking one of Tohka's snacks.

"Origami… please… don't eat my snacks!" Tohka whimpered.

Origami silently stared at her, opened the snack, and ate it slowly.

Then she licked her fingers and gave Tohka a triumphant smile.

"You're so cruel… Origami…" Tohka muttered, tears welling up.

Nia looked at Yoshino and gave her a few instructions before she left.

"Be careful out there and don't come back too late, okay?"

Kotori accompanied Yoshino to the door and watched as her body became invisible before leaving.

After all, this was a motel, and Aiden had never mentioned having companions.

'We won't be late,' Yoshino communicated mentally before disappearing.

Kotori returned to the living room, where she found Tohka and Origami fighting.

She decided to ignore them; that was already normal.

"Nia, where's Aiden now?" Kotori asked.

"He said he went to find a demon to investigate the [Evil Pieces]," Nia replied without taking her eyes off her manga.

Kotori leaned in to see what she was drawing.

When she saw the storyline, she couldn't help but purse her lips, as it was surprisingly similar to the structure of this world, though with some obvious differences.

"Ah~ so boring…" Kotori murmured, settling onto the couch to watch TV.

[*]

Draconic Deus

Earth

Japan - Tokyo

[*]

"Seriously… this demon is such a despicable being…"

Aiden, sitting on the roof of a house, murmured while observing from a distance a demon forcing a girl to join his nobility.

In other words, he was compelling her to become his slave or servant—call it what you will.

"So this is why the entire supernatural world thinks Ajuka Beelzebub's [Evil Pieces] are the worst invention ever created, huh?"

The [Evil Pieces] were originally created to replenish the lack of demons after the Great War, where many lives were lost.

However, things had spiraled out of control.

This case was a perfect example.

Aiden had used [Rasiel] to locate a demon in the human world.

His plan was to "politely" ask to investigate his [Evil Pieces].

Of course, "polite" if you ignored the fact that he'd first knock the demon out, then analyze the [Evil Pieces], erase his memories, and leave as if nothing had happened.

But seeing this situation, which was clearly common among these twisted demons, Aiden didn't feel guilty at all.

"I wonder if this is why so many reincarnated demons rebel against their masters and end up as rogue demons…"

Without another thought, Aiden teleported near the demon.

His eyes landed on the girl, who looked terrified.

No wonder—the demon had already revealed his true nature, and she, a normal 16-year-old girl, was trapped in this nightmare.

How horrifying must this be for a regular person?

"Hey, demon… you're disgusting, you know? Forcing a lady at this time of day… revolting."

Aiden's voice echoed from behind the demon, who froze for a moment before turning around.

"Who are you…? Why don't you mind your own business? Leave before I kill you, inferior human!" barked the demon upon seeing Aiden.

"Why does everyone call me human? Ah, I guess I've never denied it… Oh well, whatever."

"Tell me something, demon. Is your ugly face so useless that you need to resort to such miserable tactics to get someone to join your nobility? Pathetic doesn't even begin to describe it."

Aiden took a step closer, his hands in his pockets and a disdainful smile on his lips.

"How dare you, you cursed insect! I am a high-class demon. Insulting me like this can only mean you have a death wish."

—Flap!

A pair of black wings emerged from the demon's back as an intense killing intent filled the air.

The girl, unable to withstand the panic, fainted behind Aiden.

"Die? By your pathetic hands?"

—Flash!

Suddenly, hundreds of golden portals opened behind Aiden.

From them emerged countless weapons, all aimed at the demon, who stood frozen in shock at the sight.

"Well? Oh, great high-class demon, how exactly were you planning to kill me?"

Aiden's voice remained indifferent, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.

[***]

End of Chapter.

(•_•)

A/N:

Yoshino and Yoshinon are building relationships with the Youkai, considering potential alliances for the future.

Meanwhile, Aiden is planning to create his own [Spirit Pieces] system before venturing out to recruit allies in other worlds.

The first anime he plans to explore is Akame ga Kill.

Why? Well, there's no deep reason, I just like the anime.

Also, the [Teigu] resemble the [Sacred Gears], and the organic [Teigu] are quite similar to independent [Sacred Gears], like [Canis Lycaon].

Of course, there are still a few loose ends in this world to tie up before jumping to others, but don't worry, those stories won't drag on too much since the main plot remains focused on DxD.

By the way, here are some pictures of Natsumi I came across while browsing:

[Image]

Thanks for reading~.