One-Punch DxD: NEO

"Where's the old fart?" Issei asked as he did not see Valper inside the hotel suite.

Xenovia mildly glared at Issei's blatant disrespect, yet she replied, "Father Galilei is in another room on this floor, reviewing the notes and leads we've had so far."

"Hm, sure. Whatever. So, what are we doing now?" Issei asked, dismissing her rebuttal to her visual chagrin.

"Originally, you were to stay with Valper while Xenovia and Irina scout the areas of interest, but after seeing your abilities in person, I rescinded those plans. You will accompany Xenovia and Irina in their field investigation in specific destinations." Griselda explained as she laid out the map of the town, where several arrow, circle and cross marks had been written across with red ink.

"The devils occupied Kuoh for years because the town possessed several leyline points with rich mystical energies. It is possible that the Excalibur swords were hidden somewhere between these locations, where the energy permeating those leylines might have obscured their signatures. Also…"

Issei noticed as the trio female nuns' faces looked uncomfortable.

"...We didn't mention this during the previous meeting, to maintain our neutral stance, but several of our agents that we dispatched ahead to gather intelligence in Kuoh were all missing or confirmed dead. So we will also look into the areas where those were last seen while alive."

Issei was stunned. He did not expect there to be casualties here which further complicated the situation. Perhaps he should check the news just in case for any missing persons or otherwise.

"Ooookay, way to drop the bomb… How many dead agents are we looking at here?"

"Twelve."

He expected the number to be smaller. Issei exhaled with exasperation as he hung his head.

"...When are we heading out?" Issei decided to move on.

"As soon as you are ready. It was supposed to be an hour ago but your friend paid an unexpected visit…" Griselda informed with a knowing smile.

Issei pursed his lips. Well, since they were already late, he should address the most glaring issue first.

"...Alright, but first. There is one thing I want to address before we head out." He gestured at Irina and Xenovia.

"...Hm?" Irina blinked, confused.

"Their outfits. Change them." Issei demanded.

"Eh?" Xenovia and Irina looked at each other for a moment before they looked down at their very erotic attire.

"...What's wrong with these?" Xenovia asked with a narrowed look.

"What's not wrong with them?" Issei shot back with criticism.

The girls were confused in equal measure. Issei sighed as he ran his hand over his face before it slid down past his chin.

"Alright. Let me make it clear for you… Anyone. And I mean, anyone that is of the guilty party, will completely and utterly know that you're coming for them."

Irina and Xenovia looked down at their attire again. It took them over a minute to perk their head in realization.

"Oh! I see!" Irina clapped her hand.

"Finally!" Issei pointed out. "The robes, the cross, not to mention, your… package there. Yeah… go ditch them." He gestured at the wrapped Excalibur Destruction leaning against one of the couches.

"What? An exorcist never leaves their weapon behind!" Xenovia shouted at him.

"Carrying something that big is like screaming 'Hello, I'm of the Vatican,' and force whatever bastards out there to either attack you or avoid you."

Xenovia then scowled, "Then that will make our job easier, right? Let them come to us so we can capture them."

"...Do you even have working brain cells in that skull of yours?" Issei severely questioned Xenovia's education.

"I find that question highly offensive." Xenovia retorted.

"Alright, then tell me what happens if they refuse to show themselves because of you refusing to hide or not hold your overbearing sword?"

Xenovia opened her mouth for a moment… but not a single word left her lips as her jaw slowly closed.

"Xenovia."

Xenovia flinched when Griselda spoke out, eyes shaded with masked irritation above her ominous smile.

"Your current mission today is reconnaissance. May I remind you that your task is not only reserved for conflict? Or are you that attached to the weapon to jeopardize our sacred mission? Since when did I teach you to adhere to principle over necessity? Especially when common sense is needed?"

Sweat started to trickle out of Xenovia as she slowly veered her eyes away from Griselda.

"Y-Yes, Sister Griselda." Xenovia meekly conceded.

Issei snorted at Xenovia's submission to her senior. He found it highly refreshing.

"...We still have the clothes we wore yesterday. It just came through the drier." Irina spoke.

"Normal girls don't wear skin-tight spandex under formal suits." Issei bluntly pointed out.

"But… these are the only clothes we have." Xenovia retorted.

"Well…" Issei should not be surprised. "Then this is going to be a long day then."

Issei understood that they were more out of touch with society than he believed. It was time to give them a quick course on how to be normal.

oXo

"…There." Issei presented them to the clothing store he once brought Asia to.

The girls stared at the mannequins outfitted with various dresses behind the wall of glass. Xenovia looked disinterested while Irina was planting her face on the glass with starry eyes.

"Please tell me you girls know how to shop... Or buy clothes" Issei asked.

He was wearing a simple jeans and red T-shirt, hands in his pocket.

"How insulting. Of course we know how to perform monetary exchange." Xenovia turned to Issei as if insulted.

"You two look like you would end up begging for money on the street if Ms. Quarta wasn't watching over you." Issei retorted.

"How rude! We're not that bad!" Irina retorted.

"Hah, I think I can bet a quick two thousand yen on that one." Issei shot back.

"Oh, really?" Irina pouted.

"Yeah. What, you want to make the bet?" Issei asked.

He would guess they would end up cold and hungry after a day or two out there.

Before Irina could have replied, Xenovia yanked on her arm, "Enough, Irina. We've argued with this heretic long enough as it is. Let's just get this over and done with."

Irina pouted a little. "Fine… this isn't over." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah, yeah… Let's see what clothes you girls want." Issei gestured to the shop as the girls entered.

He waited outside for the duration. He wanted to see what the girls would pick if left alone to themselves in a store.

Much to his surprise, it took only around ten minutes until he was called inside.

"...Huh, that was quick."

Issei once accompanied his mother shopping for clothes…. Where she took at least half an hour to decide which color tone she wanted to buy.

After that, he swore to never shop with his mother for clothes ever again.

Irina was clad in a long-sleeve T-shirt with white and pink colour theme, denim shorts and white sneakers; completed with the Excalibur Mimic still securely wrapped around her wrist.

Per Issei's idea, Irina forwent her twin-tails hair-style into a single, side ponytail.

Xenovia herself was clad in a dark blue hoodie over a plain white T-shirt, plus jeans and boots to cover her bottom-half. She also opted to cover her head with a light-blue hat.

However, when Issei took a better look - judging from Irina and Xenovia necks, they still wore the skin-tight suit from the morning duel.

"Well, at least the spandex is completely covered." Issei noted.

Xenovia merely grumbled as she looked down on her get-up, yet she did not comment anything as she moved around to test the outfit, with her Excalibur Destruction wrapped and strapped on her back.

"Huh, this doesn't feel so bad." Irina remarked as she moved and stretched around in her new outfit.

"I still think you should've ditched the sword." Issei glared at Xenovia's Excalibur Destruction.

"...And if we end up in battle?" Xenovia challenged.

"Guess you'll get the chance to know what it feels like to be a damsel." Issei snorted with stifled laughter.

Xenovia chose not to dignify Issei with an answer and huffed away instead.

"Alright, but fine. If you REALLY want to keep that sword… there is a way." And Issei knew that she would take it.

"And that is...?" Xenovia took the bait.

"Follow me. I know a place." Issei gestured.

Several blocks later, they arrived at a musician's store. After a few minutes and some convincing, Issei exited the store with a large black musician case, one seemingly large enough for Xenovia's sword.

Xenovia and Irina stared at the large case.

"Well?" Issei asked as he handed the case to the bluenette.

Xenovia picked up the case to test its weight. "...A little too heavy, but I'll manage. The case also looked sturdy enough to keep the sword safe."

"Good. Now let's see if your weird sword can fit. The guy at the counter gave me the biggest one he had on loan, so you kind of owe me over ten thousand yen." Issei gestured to her to try it.

It did not take long for Xenovia to settle her Excalibur Destruction inside the black case.

"Hm… I have to admit, this can work." Xenovia nodded at her equipment.

"Good, now we have…" Issei checked the time on his phone. "A few hours before lunch. So, where to first?" Issei asked before sliding his phone back to his pocket.

"Hmph, follow us. Our first destination is St. Adonai, or what is left of it."

Issei flinched when he heard that name. It aroused much terrible memories as his scars ached for a brief second.

"...Lead the way."

Issei wondered what became of it after the disaster. It would not be ironic for the villains to hide in the remains of the tragedy.

Yuuto groaned as he stirred.

What happened to him? Yuuto felt like drums were pounding under his skull, a loud headache plaguing his thoughts at every attempt to remember as he slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he registered as he regained his vision was the familiar furniture - he was inside his apartment room. The second thing he realised was the soft sensation where he laid his head on.

He was sleeping sideways for some reason, and the third thing he registered was a pair of flesh pressing on his head.

"Finally awake, I see."

Yuuto paused at the unfamiliar sound of the female's voice from above him. Soon he finally realised that he had been sleeping on a woman's thighs.

The Knight immediately shot and rolled on the floor, down low and prone as he swiftly inspected the stranger sitting in his living room.

It was a woman - a beautiful, voluptuous woman with long, lustrous black hair framing over her face like a veil, clad in a black kimono with white linings, which the top was scantily showing her bare shoulders and some of her cleavage.

The demure smile on her face made the woman look like a courtesan from the Edo period - beautiful, elegant, alluring.

"Wha…? Who-who are you?"Yuuto wrecked his brain, trying to salvage any memories he had to explain how he ended up in his apartment with the strange woman.

"Yo, you're finally awake."

Yuuto turned his head to Black at the door, seeing him holding… from Yuuto's experience, basically what he assumed was the entire contents of his fridge held in elongated and swelled arms while his tentacle head grabbed an apple and threw it into his mouth. He heard the silent crunch of what was basically his food being chewed.

"So, you want the short or long version of what happened?" Black asked.

Yuuto wanted the short version, but something told him that he would not understand and would have to ask for the long version anyway.

"Alright, long version it is."

"Greetings again, abomination." The woman noted Black's presence with a clipped tone.

"Nice to see you too, hon. Anyways, so, good news, you're not possessed by a demonic spirit. The demonic spirit actually took a liking to you. Did some research and found out the sword is a Tsukumogami, a type of Youkai that is somehow born from a demon sword. Wanna guess what's her name, pretty boy?" Black asked as he slurped a string of salami from the pile of loot in his muscled arms.

Yuuto stared at Black still very confused.

"Yep, it's Muramasa! The woman that's giving you the pillow lap treatment is THAT Muramasa. You got yourself the demonic Excalibur of Japan, pretty boy!"

Yuuto blinked. Once. Twice, before he turned to regard the woman - Muramasa sword, who merely smiled at him.

"...What?"

The manifestation of the demonic sword merely giggled melodiously, "Ufufufu, my, my, what an unusual master I have found myself with."

The woman then stood up and approached Yuuto, who was still kneeling on the floor. She crouched down and extended her hand so her fingers could caress Yuuto's face.

"I am the fabled sword Muramasa, forged by a certain blacksmith with the same name." The woman introduced herself. "...And you are my wielder…. Although I must ask if you have what it takes to truly wield my power."

The name slowly sank into his head as he gradually realized the importance of the weapon before him. He had heard of the name in certain fictions, especially in Japanese history classes.

"You should've greeted the other kid this way, hun." Black chortled before he swallowed a whole raw fish and gulped.

"That was a mistake." The woman scowled at the creature.

"Yeah, trying to take over the wielder and pull his strings into killing everything was a mistake." Black remarked with sarcasm.

Black's words dimmed Yuuto's sense of security when they sank into his head.

"Black… explain. Please." Yuuto asked, now really wanting to know what happened.

"Alright, alright. Here's the short version. Basically, when you touched the sword, you started glowing a demon aura thing and you got possessed. You then looked at me and screamed how much you hate me, though that is her speaking through you for a moment. Took a while to calm her down enough to let you go. We talked for a bit and managed to convince her to carry you back to your home."

"...You know where I live?" Yuuto asked, not letting that one go.

"I know where everyone lives. I am everywhere, pretty boy. Now we agreed that she will give you a chance to prove yourself worthy. I kind of threatened to throw her to the bottom of the ocean if she didn't if you're wondering, so... Yeah." Black explained.

Knowing Black, Yuuto could imagine the fury a swordsman would have against a creature that just could not be cut to death. Frankly, he was more thankful that Black pulled him out of the possession without ripping his arms off.

"What the abomination said." Muramasa chipped in. "...To tell you the truth, I originally preferred that one boy with a powerful aura of a dragon…. But I was repelled by the said dragon living in that boy before I could make contact with him. Then, I was given to you." Her smile then returned as her gaze scanned over Yuuto. "When you first wielded me… I peered in your soul, and I must say… The sorrow, the rage, the pain…. Every emotion you keep in your heart…. Are so appetizing that I cannot bring myself to leave you alone."

Muramasa finished as she licked her lips sensually, inching her face to Yuuto who automatically leaned away.

"She's kind of a sadist. I've already asked Azazel for help researching her history a little, but I think we got it handled. So, what's the test for the pretty boy? Test of courage?" Black asked before he started shoveling his loot into his mouth one by one.

Muramasa hummed for a second before she returned to Yuuto.

"I have learned that you seek the destruction of the Sword of Promised Victory… Or what is left of it. I found it…. Entertaining." Her lips grew into another smirk. "To compete against a sword of such calibre, perhaps I won't mind lending you my power, given I would like to test myself as well. Whether you are worthy or not, we will see as the time goes by."

Muramasa then leaned forward, tracing her finger on Yuuto's chin and lifted his head to look at her directly.

"So what do you say, boy? A temporary contract between you and this sword, at least until we learn if you have the power to destroy the Excalibur Fragments?"

Yuuto honestly could barely keep up with the current conversation. He basically had received a demonic sword that was apparently more than he could handle as he was now.

"...How can I show that I am worthy?" Yuuto asked, still hesitant to accept the woman.

"To determine a man's worth… give him power. A quote from the memories of a previous wielder before he perished." Muramasa noted. "Now that belies the question. What would you do with the power that is now in your grasp? Will you use it for your purpose? Or will you squander it before reaching the destination?"

Yuuto took the question into his heart as he pondered for a few seconds.

Soon, amusement and intrigue grew on Muramasa's expression when she saw the fire in Yuuto's eyes.

"...For as long as I can remember, I desire answers." Yuuto began. "Why did those people treat us like we are expendable? What was their purpose? What were we meant to them? And then I learned that the hell we'd been forced to go through was for the sake of a mere holy sword."

Yuuto's fists tightened for a second before he relaxed slightly, a small smile crept on his lips.

"But then… For a time, I received the things I have longed for during those hellish days - a family, new comrades I can rely on. I thought, maybe I could let it go, let them all go…. How naive I was."

Yuuto gave a mirthless chuckle.

"It turns out that my duty, my fate, my destiny will always be the same, as long as that thing exists." Yuuto's eyes glowed in hatred. "...Now fate has presented me the opportunity to obtain the justice that I and my fallen comrades rightfully deserved, and I will not stop at anything until I destroy every single one of them."

Black had already finished his food by the time Yuuto had finished; his expression was neutral as he regarded Yuuto's sharing without a word.

Muramasa was judging her new wielder with a twinge of amusement in her eyes. A few seconds later, she exhaled with her smile remained on her face.

"...That will do for now." Muramasa decided, "You can still grow, that I can assure you. But seeing you and listening to your story… I decided that I shall lend you my power for the time being. Shall we finish our temporary contract?"

Yuuto was a tad crestfallen when Muramasa said the contract would be temporary, but at least she would help him in destroying the swords. The Knight then replied with a wordless nod.

Muramasa also nodded, "Very well, I shall determine your worth in due time. I suggest you do not disappoint… Boy."

Muramasa's eyes bore into Yuuto's. Yuuto could not describe when he stared into her eyes. Her gaze was pulling him, dragging him into her eyes, pulling him away from all light, all colors, all feeling until there was nothing but the abyss of nothingness, to the point of unresponsive when her pale hands grabbed his face.

Black himself leaned forward from his spot, wanting to see a 'contact' face to face.

Yuuto waited for a few agonizing seconds, when he suddenly felt something soft, and slightly moist, pressed against his forehead.

Black was filled with disappointment.

"...What? That's it? A kiss to the head? Where's the stabbing or blood rituals?!" Black complained.

Ignoring him, Muramasa leaned back and nodded.

"The temporary contract has been made. I shall expect great things from you, master."

"Boooo…" Black jeered.

Saint Adonai…

Issei really could not escape this place, now that he thought about it. First, it brought the exorcists into his childhood, second it housed an asshole Devil, and now it was the location of interest of the exorcists, possibly housing a holy sword or two.

"Can't believe it is still pristine after so long. The front door is kind of broken down though." Irina commented as she inspected the entrance with the missing doors.

"Indeed. It only mirrors the stalwart fortitude of our faith despite being forgotten." Xenovia nodded with a hint of pride. Issei was not amused by her offhand praise.

"What did they tell you about this place?" Issei asked Xenovia, wanting to test something.

Xenovia regarded Issei for a second before replying, "I was told that it was one of the church's attempts to expand their teaching across the world."

"And...?" Issei asked.

"This location was one of those that failed." Xenovia continued.

"…That's it?"

"Yes." Xenovia answered stoically.

"Do you know what happened to this place?" Irina asked, her tone full of curiosity.

"...Let's just say this place did not inspire good memories." Issei's mind trailed to the time when the exorcists broke into his home before.

"So why are we here? Did your 'superiors' note anything of interest?" Issei asked, changing the subject.

"You can say that." Irina replied as she flipped open a small notebook. "Let's see… Our first guy's last report was… several fallen angel sightings, where they shipped something inside."

Issei blinked at the vague description. "...Okay, anything else? Like what's that 'something'?"

"Well, nothing much, unfortunately…. But from the looks alone there's nothing of worth in this place."

True to her words, despite the poor lighting, everyone could tell that the entire church had been abandoned.

"You sure there's nothing else about the item being shipped here? Nothing even about its size?" Issei asked.

"Err… I assume it's something sizable that it needed to be 'shipped', but…. Wait, I know!" Irina then flipped through her notebook again, searching through the pages. "Okay, there's supposed to be an access into an underground chamber under the altar, which means… Over there." She pointed at the altar in question.

The trio then approached to inspect the altar.

"There doesn't seem to be any opening…" Issei noted.

"A hidden mechanism, perhaps? Or worse, we might have to brute-force it to open." Xenovia put in her two-cents.

"Hmm…. There's nothing about 'how' to access the basement either…" Irina scowled as she looked through her notes once again.

Issei then noticed something on top of the altar - a set of ceremonial candle-stands and a thick, large Bible which were usually used in Sunday masses. What caught Issei's eyes was, the candle-stands were rusty and falling apart, while the bible - despite being covered in dust, Issei noticed the book still looked rather pristine.

Issei reached out to pick the book up, but he found… That he could not; it was as if the book was stuck on the table. Issei was about to tug it, when a thought crossed his mind.

The Bible could not be moved or opened, and when he dusted off the cover, he learned that the ornate cross on the cover could be rotated and pushed like a button, where the longer side of the cross appeared to point to several insignias surrounding the cross.

"Iri, Blue, look here." Issei called the other girls.

"It's Xenovia, would it kill you to address me properly?" the blunette grumbled, but she still came with Irina to inspect Issei's findings.

"Says the one that keeps calling me heretic, but depends." Issei retorted as he pointed at the cross of the Bible.

"The book is the only thing not rusty, and if you look closer," Issei touched the cross and twisted it until it was upside down, then pushed.

Then, the insignia where the cross was pointing at, glowed in a soft green light.

"Hoo…. It's like a safe combination." Irina commented.

"More like a secret button." Issei corrected as something moved.

The altar before them shifted, causing all three of them to step back in a small alarm. When they took another look, the floor at the other side was slightly opened - far from enough for a person to fit through, but visible enough to show that there was an access underground.

Xenovia, Irina and Issei shared glances before the latter immediately rotated the cross and pushed again. However, the next insignia suddenly glowed in red, before dimmed down along with the previous green light.

At the same time, the altar shifted again, but this time the altar was closing the opening on the floor.

"What? No!" Xenovia clicked her tongue before turning to Issei again. "Start over! Point and push the cross at the correct symbol earlier!"

"You don't have to say it." Issei replies as the altar slightly re-opened again.

"This reminds me of a puzzle from that game… it's at the tip of my tongue." Issei skewed his lips.

"It looks like we need to find the order of which symbol to point." Irina muttered, "...But which are they?"

"Why not just smash through the floor?" Issei suggested.

"What? No!" Irina rejected vehemently, "We can't defile sacred grounds! Especially in the House of The Lord!"

Xenovia nodded alongside Irina, grunting in agreement.

"Ehhhhhhh… But isn't this plane no longer under 'God's' jurisdiction?" Issei sweat-dropped a bit; he was once taught that abandoned churches were more likely within fallen angel's territory.

"The building is still standing, and it can be renewed into a proper church, so I say this is as good as our jurisdiction." Xenovia countered.

"…Alright, a total waste of time but…" This felt completely pointless now.

"Solving the mysteries of The Lord is not a waste of time." Irina argued back with a straight face.

"Mm. Mm." Xenovia nodded in agreement.

"Okay, be my guest then. See if you can figure out your 'Lord's' puzzle." Issei gestured to the Bible.

Xenovia scowled at Issei's tone, and she opted to take the first turn. She inspected the Bible's cover with scrutiny, "Now that I looked at them again, the symbols looked familiar somehow…"

"Familiar how?" Issei asked.

Xenovia simply hummed as she scrunched her eyes to look closer.

A minute later, Issei finally said, "...You have zero ideas, don't you?"

The blunette then blushed, "N-no, of course I have ideas! It's-! Y'know…. That!"

Issei blandly stared at the flustered Xenovia for a few seconds.

"Uh-huh…" He turned to Irina. "Alright, how about you?" Issei decided to give up on Blue.

"I, err…" Irina was as clueless as Xenovia, but she did not want to look bad before her childhood friend. Her eyes darted around, hoping to find anything that could serve as a clue for her.

"...Well? I'm waiting. If you have nothing, I'm gonna borrow Blue's sword for you know what."

Issei's taunting threat did not help her case at all, especially when he began to smirk with amusement. Xenovia quickly pulled her Excalibur behind her defensively at Issei's playful threat.

Fortunately, Irina caught something when she looked up. There were several old, worn-out angel statues fixed on the church's upper walls. One of them - where the sun shone through the broken window above, was holding something - dangling below its sculpted hands.

"Aha!" Irina pointed at the angel statues. "I found something!"

Now Issei would not have to deface Church property.

"Look closely." Irina approached to show Issei and Xenovia the closest statue. "See in its hands? That is the same insignia that Ise chose correctly earlier."

Issei squinted his eyes at the said statues.

"…Huh, what do you know?"

"Mhm! And if you follow the order like this…" Irina started pushing the button in a certain rotated order.

The next green light appeared, then the altar shifted, opening wider.

Issei and Xenovia blinked at the development, and turned to see Irina's smug smile.

"...Alright, alright, you got this, I get it. Just open it already." Issei remarked.

Irina simply giggled as she kept working, and the passage to the underground began to open wider and wider.

A few more steps forward in progress, however…

"Err… Can you guys help me out a bit? It's a little hard for me to discern the shape from this distance with the darkness and all…" Irina squinted her eyes as there were only a few more symbols to hit.

Issei glanced at Xenovia who shrugged, and the two proceeded to have a closer look at the statues further away from the altar.

Issei got to the first statue and looked up, "...Damn, the sun doesn't reach here; it's too dark to make out the shape."

"The statue's position and shadowing don't help the case as well." Xenovia remarked.

"Guys, come on! We don't have all day!" Irina shouted from her spot.

"Ugh..." Issei should have just smashed the floor instead. This started to feel like a waste of time. Again.

"It can't be helped, then. Crouch down." Xenovia then said.

"Huh? Why?" Issei asked.

"So I can use your shoulder to elevate myself, obviously. We must get closer to inspect the next symbols, and neither of us can fly." Xenovia said as she put her Excalibur Destruction on the floor, then she glanced quizzically at Issei, "...Can you?"

"I can throw you if you want," Issei offered.

"Not in your life." Xenovia narrowed her eyes. "Just crouch down so we can get this done and over with."

This time, it was Issei's turn to narrow his eyes. He sighed as he grumbled, bending a knee for Xenovia.

Without wasting time, the blunette immediately planted her sole on Issei's back and climbed up, prompting Issei to straighten his knees up as well, bringing Xenovia even higher.

Seeing that Xenovia was high enough, Irina then shouted, "Well!? How does it look!?"

"Um…. Okay, so it's round with…. A symbol like flame…?" Xenovia described.

"I have three symbols that also looked like flames on my side! Please be more descriptive!" Irina retorted.

"The option of brief flight is still there." Issei called out.

"I will not let you throw me like a ball." Xenovia lashed back as she resumed squinting at the shapes.

"Don't you have something like magic lights or something?" Issei asked.

"I… well…"

"You seriously don't have that? You guys can't use any magic?" Issei asked.

"Shut up! I doubt that you can use magic, you… sacred… gear wielder… thing!" Xenovia shouted with a furious blush.

Issei felt like teasing this one some more but decided to hold it in. For now.

"Well... This sacred gear wielder thing kind of can." Issei retorted. He raised a clenched hand. When he opened his palm, a sphere of light flew up his hand.

Xenovia and Irina stared at the light of magic levitating skyward up to the ceiling utterly speechless, illuminating the dark ceiling.

However, before Xenovia could see the shapes, the light immediately puffed. Gone like a popped bubble.

"...Yeeeaahhhh." There went Issei's moment to shine. Literally.

"You're just as useless!" Xenovia remarked.

"Yeah, I suck at magic, but I can still throw you… Wait…" Issei turned to Irina. "You said that your Mimic can turn into anything?" Issei asked.

"...Yes, why?" Irina returned

"...Can it turn into a flashlight or something?"

The moment Issei asked that, the girls stared at him. The girls stood still like statues for a few seconds before their train of thought finally restarted back to ignition. They looked as if the answers of the universe slapped their dumb minds to reality.

Ignoring the heat creeping up her face, Irina took the concealed Excalibur Mimic off her arm before she morphed its shape into a simple flashlight. Then, she tossed it to the air, all the way towards Xenovia who caught it with a practiced ease.

Note that Xenovia's face had also gained a faint shade of red.

The girl gave a quick inspection on the flashlight before she clicked the switch, only to find no light came out, even after she clicked the switch for a few times.

"...Did you include the batteries?" Issei asked.

"I-!" Irina bit back and heaved a sigh, "Excalibur Mimic cannot really imitate something like batteries, y'know? Batteries and the flashlight itself are two different components."

"...Give me the flashlight." Issei opened his hand.

Xenovia did not argue as she dropped it to his hand.

Issei immediately turned it into a glow stick and shook it, letting the fluids glow green. He tossed the glow stick into the air. Xenovia and Irina followed it with their eyes the moment it lit the ceiling.

"Well?" Issei asked as the glow stick landed back in his hand. At this point, Xenovia no longer needed to use him as a footstool.

"...Right, so it still kind of looks like a flame, but… I guess it's more like grass?" Xenovia described some more.

Issei then turned to Irina, who had her eyes locked on the mechanical Bible once again. A few seconds later, Irina looked up,

"That still doesn't help!"

"Eeeehhh!?"

"That's pretty much what it looked like!" Xenovia shot back.

Irina then grumbled, "Ugh, fine! Let's see, does it look like a letter 'S' that's been written by a doctor!?"

'...Where did Irina get her references?' Issei thought.

"Your description is even worse than mine! How should I know what a doctor's hand-writing looks like?!" Xenovia shouted with a tick mark on her forehead.

"I don't know how else to say it! It looks like an S!" Irina complained.

Issei only sighed as the two girls continued to complain to each other. And Xenovia was still standing on his shoulders.

"...This is gonna take a while."

He really should have just smashed the floor and saved some time.

"...What kind of neanderthals would make an opening mechanism like that?" Xenovia grumbled as she, Irina and Issei were descending through the stairs.

"I thought you wouldn't criticize anything 'made by God' or something." Issei remarked behind Xenovia.

"No, I refuse to accept that men of God designed that farce called a puzzle. It's clearly…. I say a fallen angel." Xenovia refused.

"Why would you say that?" Irina asked in curiosity.

"Abandoned church with ruined decorations and furnitures symbolised the fall from grace, which fits their kin. Not to mention, the way the clues were hung high on the walls… It's as if something capable of flight were designing them."

Issei was starting to question the Church's education system. Should that not be common knowledge the moment they entered the church?

Issei rolled his eyes as they descended the lower floor, wanting to get this day over with.

The bottom of the stairs led to a grand chamber, rows of seats presented before an altar holding a metal cross on a dais. The cross was tall enough to hold a crucified human, and the surface had been carved like entangled roots or vines, giving the cross a morbid image.

"What the hell is this…?" Issei muttered as he approached and carefully ran his hand over the oaken surface.

"The way the room is being set… This is a ceremonial chamber." Irina noted.

"Ceremony for what, though?" Xenovia put in her two-cents. "No matter how you look at it, there's no way people are holding any normal masses in a place like this."

"Unless this church houses a secret cult. Think the Church sanctions sacrifices?" Issei joked a little as he inspected the cross.

However, Irina and Xenovia responded with silence. The quiet felt awkward even more so when he turned around, seeing them fidgeting on their heels. Issei was starting to feel anxious.

"...Seriously?"

"Well, to be fair, old customs used to sacrifice young cattle like lamb or calf, for example, in the Old Testament… Haha." Irina explained awkwardly, rubbing her head with embarrassment.

"...Wow." Issei did not believe that little tidbit was there.

However, before they could continue, they heard someone's voice from the stairway.

"Huh? Why is this open?!"

A female voice echoed from above.

"Did you forget to close it again?" Another female voice asked - this one sounded noticeably younger than the first one.

"No, no, I swear I locked the entrance last time!"

On cue, Issei, Irina and Xenovia immediately hid themselves; the former hid behind the cross, while the latter two split up and hugged the walls next to the entrance. Xenovia quickly took her big sword out of the music case as fast as possible, though she had some trouble trying to get it out from the case.

Footsteps echoed from the stairs and entered the chambers. Issei peeked over the cross the moment the figures entered.

"Wait…" Issei could not believe it.

The buxom blue-haired office lady and blonde gothic loli… crap, he forgot their names but he swore he saw them before. They were the ones who appeared after his botched date with Raynare.

"Are you serious, I swear if you keep forgetting to lock the hidden door, I will pin the blame on you to Lord Azazel."

"I told you, I didn't forget!"

"Ughhhh, let's just carry the device out and-!"

However, before he could have let himself known, Irina and Xenovia immediately bolted out with their swords ready, the two female fallen angels suddenly finding blades pointed at their throats.

As soon as the two women registered the threat behind them, both of them then conjured their black wings - the sudden burst of their wings caused Irina and Xenovia to leap back, allowing the now-revealed fallen angels to brandish their spears of lights in their hands instantly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Issei immediately called out before they engaged in hostilities, waving his arms frantically.

The tense air dispersed, all eyes towards Issei, Issei walked towards them in his calling off the battle.

"What are you doing? They're Fallen Angels!" Xenovia shouted, returning her focus to the older one.

"Yeah, I know." Issei groaned as he approached them.

"Wait a second… I know you…" The blonde loli pointed at Issei. "Weren't you Raynare's ex?"

The older one blinked when she inspected him for a second before her eyes also widened in a similar recognition.

"...You are the one Lord Azazel wishes us to monitor, the Red Dragon Emperor."

"Yeah, I'm that guy. Now what are you two doing here?"

"Eh?" Irina and Xenovia shared confusion. "Issei? W-What is happening?"

"Well, short version, I kind of know them…" Issei confessed as he shook his head.

"...Not only devils, but you also share affiliation with those forsaken by God?" Xenovia asked.

"The boy is with us, the Grigori. What is your relation with them, Red Dragon Emperor?" The older blue-haired woman asked as they dispersed their spears of light.

"What?!" Irina and Xenovia shot their eyes at Issei who rubbed his head.

"Hah, damn it... Fine, fine. Long story short, my dad is kinda working for Azazel. So yeah, as for you two, I'm working with them on a case. It's complicated." Issei answered both of their questions.

The two girls were left stunned in silence.

"I know you two have questions, but now's not the time. What about you two? What are you doing here in this place?"

The fallen angels shared eye contact for a second.

"Well… we are here to retrieve a device left behind during the… miscommunication." The older one - who introduced herself as Kalawarner, explained.

"What device?" Issei asked.

"Uh, well… that one over there." The loli - Miltelt pointed at the cross at the altar.

The girls and Issei looked back at the strange crucifix. It did seem out of place if they were being honest.

"...Really? What's it for?" Issei asked.

"Uhhh, we kind of brought it to extract your Sacred Gear…" The loli explained shortly.

Issei was lost. He heard something that he thought was impossible clashing with his current common sense.

"Allow me to clarify. Before we learned that the order was false, Raynare had us carry the Sacred Gear Extractor Prototype to remove your Sacred Gear from your soul after capturing you and present whatever you have within you, to Lord Azazel as a gift. Now, we are trying to transport it back to Lord Azazel under his orders." the older one explained further to Issei's astoundment.

"Oh… well…" This was incredibly awkward now that he thought about it. "I didn't even know that Sacred gears can be removed."

Here he was, with a thing that could take Ddraig away from him, brought by his first girlfriend.

"The device is still, in all facts and purposes, a prototype. The downside is that the subject with the Sacred Gear will perish during the extraction process… Raynare thought it was a good time to test it on you since we thought our lord wished you dead." Kalawarner informed.

"But what are you doing here?" The loli asked in return. "Why are you here? You're not supposed to be here!"

"Funny story." Issei moved on, putting the topic about tearing his soul apart behind. "But I think it's time we head somewhere to sort this out over lunch. I think my place can do that."

Xenovia pointed her sword at him, the tri-tip of Excalibur Destruction aimed at his head, the wielder sporting a dangerous face of resolve.

"...Well." It was the first time Issei felt like the smaller person before the irate Xenovia.

"We asked for a neutral party, should the devils want to monitor our mission. Having your friend to rudely barge in this morning was one thing, but to reveal that you are of Grigori? Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut you down here and now, as well as reporting to our superiors that both devils and fallen angels are actively jeopardizing our mission?"

Issei sighed as he rubbed his hair. His eyes then hardened as he glared at Xenovia back.

"Because if you do, then there is no one to help you get your magic swords back." Issei corrected Xenovia. At this point, he would have to divulge everything about his affiliation with Azazel. "...And you can't beat me."

The truth would likely shake Xenovia and Irina's belief.

"...Explain." Xenovia asked.

"You have absolutely no proof of your sense of treason. Yes, I did keep my affiliation with Azazel a secret, but I have my reasons. I know you better than you know yourself after talking with you, you are the kind to jump the gun at everything that screams unholy. If I tell you, you would most likely reject me and wander the town as open targets. You have literally no common sense, everything you do is because you do for the church and not for yourself. You literally can't live without your religion and you don't know how much it's destroying you." Issei dissected Xenovia's common sense.

"...And as for the Grigori, my relationship with the Grigori is neutral. My dad works for them, sure, but I don't answer them. We only work for them because my dad needs the pay to cover our bills. We don't tolerate senseless murder or theft in my house, and neither does my family. If you still want to accuse me of treason, go ahead, but know that whatever you choose will put your being here at risk. So, what's your choice? Are you going to declare me an enemy of God and risk everything? Or will you make a gamble and see this through to the end?"

The room was silent, as Xenovia and Issei glared at each other. Neither Irina or the two fallen angels dared to interrupt as they could only watch.

A tense few seconds later, Xenovia finally lowered her sword. "...I admit, I would rather complete this mission without casualties. But if these fallen angels turn out to be the culprits…" She tightened her hold on her sword as she glared at the two fallens.

"Hey, I don't know what you're accusing us of, but don't think you can threaten us just because you hold some holy swords!" the younger-looking fallen angel shot back.

"...Alright," Issei turned to them. "So, in short, we're here because we're looking for some stolen holy swords. The culprit that took them is apparently hiding in this town, and you two definitely look suspicious. So, just in case… do you have a hand in it?"

"...No, we only heard it from you now." The older one replied.

Issei regarded both fallen angels for a few seconds before nodding.

"...I don't think they're lying." Issei concluded. "But seriously. You two didn't hear or see anything suspicious?"

"No?" The younger one shook her head. "We were busy arranging transport to smuggle the Extractor from Kuoh back to Azazel on his orders. We didn't even know about some stolen holy swords, honest."

Issei then glanced at the two exorcists, who looked convinced that the two fallen angels were not those they were aiming. Heaving a sigh, he then spoke.

"Alright, but one more thing. Can we get out first and find some place to eat first before we continue? I'm hungry."

Xenovia and Irina shared a glance, with the latter shrugged, prompting the former to sign in resignation. The exorcists then put their swords away in their respective inventories before Xenovia simply walked away to the entrance.

When Issei caught up with Irina, the girl was slightly frowning at him, "Ise, you should stop hiding secrets like that. It's getting harder to trust you, like Xenovia said."

Issei glanced at the two fallen angels following them behind before he turned his attention to Irina.

"...Like I said. It is complicated." Issei looked forward. "Not everything in this world is black and white, Iri. You're not equipped for that kind of world, yet."

The group entered the diner that Issei had recommended, and they walked inside, Issei was greeted by a familiar face by the reception counter.

"...Master Ise."

"'Sup, Mary. Hope you don't mind us dropping in on your shift," Issei casually greeted with the others following behind him.

Xenovia was blinking at the devil dressed in a waitress uniform, but she managed to refrain herself from lashing out.

"Table for five. Got a recommendation from the menu?" Issei asked.

Mary glanced at the other patrons and her face paled immediately at the music case in Xenovia's hand. Noticing Mary's distress, Issei placed his hand on top of her trembling one.

"Mary." Issei called her softly, prompting the Queen to meet his eyes with hers. "...They're with me. It's gonna be okay." He also smiled to reassure her.

"...Alright." Mary gulped as her trembling dwindled.

Issei then silently beckoned his companions to follow him as Mary personally led them to an empty table. Along the way, the group noticed that nearly all other waitresses flinched at the sight of Irina and Xenovia.

Now that Issei thought, he had never seen a holy sword in action against a Devil yet. He heard that a single cut could down the average devil instantly or something if he recalled the lesson from Azazel…

"H-here are some water and towels…" Amanda, who also worked that day, nervously a set of glasses of ice water and wet towels, along with the menu.

"Thanks, Amanda. We'll let you know when we're ready to order." Issei smiled, allowing the Rook to immediately walk away.

"...Just what kind of place have you brought us to?" Xenovia leaned forward. "All the waitresses here are devils. I'm not taking food made by them."

"Would you change that tone if I say that everyone here was once part of your precious church?" Issei asked.

"...That is even more of a reason to refuse."

"Then you are beyond hope." Issei sighed as he ran his hand across his face. "Screw it, it's either you eat or you don't eat. Don't blame me if you fight on an empty stomach."

Issei and the two fallen angels proceeded to skim through the menu. Irina was hesitant at first, but by the time they ordered, she ended up choosing a simple set of Japanese dishes.

That left Xenovia alone who had not ordered anything from the menu. When Issei was looking through the menu, he caught Xenovia's face riddled with hunger. The girl's stomach was even grumbling, her face turning red despite it still being stoic.

Finally feeling a little sorry for the girl, Issei said, "If it means anything to you, the chef who cooks the food and drinks here is a human."

Xenovia looked embarrassed, but still reached the menu.

Once they submitted their order - Mary volunteered to serve their table, considering she was the de facto leader of the other waitresses, it was time for discussion while they were waiting for their food.

"So, who are those devils? They don't seem to be a part of Gremory or Sitri. Is there another high-class devil in this town?" Irina asked.

"Err… complicated story. They're my peerage… Kind of." Issei answered with an awkward tone.

Both Irina and Xenovia, along with the fallen angels, stared at Issei for a few seconds until Miltelt asked, "...But you're a human... Right?"

"Like I said. Complicated." Issei reminded them.

Eventually Xenovia sighed while rubbing her forehead and Irina leaned back on her seat. "You know what, I don't care anymore. Let's just finish our discussion and I can leave this place."

"Good call." It was better that way at least. Saves him the energy and a headache.

"So? What do you want to know from us?" Kalawarner began the discussion.

"Right, so you heard from us that some Excalibur fragments had been stolen, have you… Y'know, heard any rumors or stories about that in the Grigori? Like, anything at all?" Issei asked.

"If that's your question, then we can only say that we received no inkling of the news. I mean, why would you even come to us? Bluntly, we're practically just the grunts." Millet replied.

"Ask them." Issei pointed at the two exorcists. "We went there because of 'Fallen Angel' sightings. One of the exorcists that died here mentioned spotting you two."

"Eh?"

"I told you not to let yourself get caught, Miltelt."

"But… ugggh. Damn it, Kalawarner," Miltelt's face fell on her hands as she groaned.

"I believe that it might be an error on our side. But in our defense, we didn't know. Is there anything you want to mention to us?" Kalawarner took over.

"There are like twelve exorcists that came here and died. Please tell me you have met or sensed one of them at least." Issei requested.

"To tell you the truth, despite being a small town, Kuoh had quite amount of travelers coming about. We are included in that list ourselves, so we can't tell if church officials did pay their visits here." Kalawarner replied. "Rather, is there any reason why you would link the theft to us?"

'By us' Kalawarner meant the Grigori and fallen angels as a whole.

Xenovia and Irina shared a brief glance before the latter explained, "The thief who stole the Excalibur swords in the first place knew about our security system, enough for whoever that was to sneak in and out undetected. Traitors of the church are more likely taking refuge in the Grigori…. Or it's even possible some former member of the Church who is actually a member of Grigori, infiltrated the Vatican so they could steal the holy swords."

"That is completely and utterly racist." Miltelt pointed out.

"I know, right? Racists." Issei agreed.

Irina and Xenovia felt equally offended by that remark.

"Call it however you wish. But considering we have to find them as soon as possible, we need to consider any possibility." Xenovia retorted.

"Well, good luck with that. Our hands are too busy to care." Miltelt raised her hands. "And it seems way out of our leagues anyways."

"Indeed." Kalawarner nodded in agreement.

"Hah, so we hit a dead end… Great." Issei leaned back in his chair, one arm over the handrest as he looked around… Wait a minute…

Issei straightened his back when he saw a familiar face taking a seat on another table.

"...Kiba?"

Issei squinted his eyes. That person was definitely the handsome pretty boy.

The girls followed his line of sight towards the Knight.

"...Isn't he the one from this morning?" Xenovia asked as she pointed at him.

They watched as one of the waitresses served Yuuto his meal, a very large portion in fact. Plates upon plates of steaming food stacking on the table, ranging from beef, chicken, vegetables, stuff like takoyaki, and more.

However, there was another thing that truly caught their eyes.

Sitting next to Yuuto, was a woman - a gorgeous woman wearing a kimono that was worn rather scantily. The said woman could be seen trying to feed him some of the food, only for Yuuto trying to keep her away.

"What the…?" Issei could not believe it.

A part of him wanted to smile, but there was something off about the scene. One, Issei did not take Yuuto to be the one that actually picks up girls. That and he never saw that woman before… yet there was something familiar about her.

"I know him. What is he doing with that girl?" Irina asked as she squinted her eyes at the woman.

"Yes, I agree it is strange. Do you know her perchance?" Xenovia asked.

"Truthfully, no. She is a new one to me." A part of Issei wanted to march over and greet them, but he felt that it would be extremely rude to do so.

Yuuto then was seen looking around frantically as if looking for help. When his eyes met Issei's, Yuuto's face was filled with relief.

"Ah, Ise!" Yuuto waved before he quickly stood up from his seat, leaving the woman pouting on the table.

Issei watched him come to him on his own.

"...Did you just stand up to a girl on a lunch date?" Issei asked in a slight teasing smile.

Yuuto's expression, however, was having none of that. "No, no, no, no, you don't understand. I need your help."

Before anyone could have asked, the woman from Yuuto's table followed him. Along with another guest that Issei failed to notice who hopped out from behind the table into view.

"Oh, hey, kid. Fancy running into ya at lunch."

Black approached them with the woman in kimono as Xenovia and Irina stared at the small alien creature, trying to process its existence.

"Okay, I guess that explained the large order, but…" Then Issei turned to the woman.

Why does she seem so familiar…

"Have we met by any chance?" Issei asked.

"Indeed we have, dragon child. It is a shame that we faced our first encounter like this."

Issei paused. He could not recollect a time when he met this woman, yet there was still this air of familiarity around her that he just couldn't connect with.

"Hey, kid. Have you heard of the legend of Muramasa?" Black asked.

"...The famous Japanese samurai sword?" Issei asked.

"Just like in fiction, kid. Well, remember that sword I bought before?" Black asked with a widening smirk.

"Yeah…?" Issei asked. He did not like that smile.

"Let's just say that I managed to figure out what kind of demon sword I bought, hehehe."

Black's words did not help Issei at all, only furthering his confusion.

"Wow, you're dense. Kid, this woman. Here. Is that sword. Muramasa." Black spelled it out for him.

"...What?"

Yuuto sighed as he rubbed his neck.

"...Issei, the woman you see is the manifestation of the sword named Muramasa, the one Black purchased. I… am currently her wielder." Yuuto explained himself to the baffled human.

"...Oh… wait…"

Processing the information proved harder for Issei than he thought. All he heard was Muramasa and Woman and he could not put the two together right now.

"...You're saying the cursed sword is… her?" Issei summarized to the best of his ability.

"Yes." Yuuto explained.

"...Err….. "

"The sword is a Tsukumogami. You know, a youkai born from inanimate objects?" Black explained.

"...Oh… wait…...If she is a demon sword… wait, I didn't know that… can demon swords even become Youkai?" Issei asked, now scratching the head containing his monkey brain.

"I can understand your confusion, but I assure you it is not an uncommon occurrence." The woman giggled before she bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the demon sword, Muramasa. I was named after my creator before… his untimely demise. It is a pleasure to meet you in the flesh."

Issei parsed the information far better now after multiple askings. He glanced at the other girls at his table - the fallen angels the exorcists were still staring at the black dwarf creature.

"Um… Girls?"

"Huh? What?" Xenovia was the first to snap out of it, before she cleared her throat in embarrassment. "Sorry, I wasn't listening… Actually, I have to ask, what in the world is that?"

She pointed at the alien creature that defies all of her common sense.

"Is… that thing a youkai? Uhhh… Chimaera?" Irina asked.

"None of the above, girlies." Black gave his input.

The two girls continued staring at Black in an attempt to understand his very existence.

"Alright… why is everything new I've learned about you so… bizarre and complicated? What have you become?" Irina asked.

"Back to you, Kiba." Issei ignored Irina, who pouted at him.

"...Let me get this straight. I assume Black gave you the demon katana… and you somehow wielded it without getting possessed… and that it is the legendary sword of Japan famous for murder?"

"Technically, I kind of threatened to throw her to the ocean if she didn't give the pretty boy a chance, so…" Black interjected.

"Alright, the point is… you're now the wielder of Japan's demonic Excalibur… and… I'm not sure how I should feel about this. This is too much to take for one day." Issei could not find the right words to express his emotions under the sea of confusion. He should feel excited that he has THAT Muramasa, but the context behind the sword was killing the mood.

"Ahaha, well… um…" Yuuto stammered a little.

"Um… I know this is rude, but…. I think we have more pressing matters right now." Irina decided to interject.

Issei blinked at her before he nodded, "Right, stolen Excaliburs… sorry, Kiba, but hold it for later. So, um… Where were we?"

Yuuto sighed as Muramasa giggled at his misfortune.

"You just asked us for information that we cannot provide." Kalawarner quipped, "...Actually, on a second thought, there might be something. Do you have any pictures of the exorcists in question?"

Issei then turned to regard Irina and Xenovia, both sharing a long momentary glance with each other in a silent debate. In the end, they nodded and Irina fished out her cellphone and handed it to Kalawarner.

"These are the exorcists confirmed missing or dead in Kuoh. Did you see any of them?" Irina asked as the office lady scrolled through the images.

"Hmmm… I know one of the faces here…" Kalawarner muttered.

"You do?" Issei asked, even the exorcists were attentive to listen some more.

"Yes. This one I've encountered multiple times." Kalawarner pointed at one picture of a middle-aged man. "He usually frequents the massage parlor I always visit after work. Though, he always received his service through the backdoor…"

Issei, Yuuto and Black blinked at the particular piece of information. Irina and Xenovia, however, looked thoughtful as they had something else in mind.

"Backdoor dealings?" Irina said with a finger on her chin.

"He's probably meeting his contact, an informant or some sort. Miss… Kalawarner?" Xenovia guessed her name from vague memory.

"Yes, that is my name." She affirmed.

"Do you know anything else about this establishment, by any chance? Like its staff members?"

Kalawarner absorbed Xenovia's serious expression for a few seconds. She shot a glance at Miltelt, the latter responding with a devious smirk. Kalawarner received the message as her lips curled up with equal mischief.

However, Issei and Yuuto exchanged nervous glances at the implied context while Black was holding down his laughter with a demonic smile.

Meanwhile, Muramasa merely listened from the sidelines without much focus on the topic, favouring observing her surroundings.

"Well, let's see…" Kalawarner maintained her smile while tapping her finger on her chin. "The backdoor is not open for just any customer, but it can be accessible under the correct conditions." She then fished out a small business card. "Go to the reception desk and say, 'Mara's touch,' and follow their lead."

When Xenovia accepted the card, the waitress arrived at the table with their orders, placing their plates down. Black quickly stole something from Irina's side before she could notice, throwing it into his mouth.

"Alright, we will go check this place out once we have our fill." Xenovia then announced.

"Err… Sure, yeah." Issei was not sure if he should tell them or not, as he shared another uncomfortable glance with Yuuto.

While everyone was digging in their food - Black, Kalawarner and Miltelt were smiling knowingly all the way.

The fishes were being difficult today.

The way they were swimming in the river around the worm on the hook with disinterest was irritating. If this continued, he would sharpen a stick and spear them himself, but he preferred not to eat the river clean. He already scared the animals in the woods enough with his hunting.

Patience was never a virtue for him, but considering his current lifestyle, it was now a necessity for his survival.

Oh, a fish bit on the hook. Nice, it got stuck tight on the bait. Time to fill his stomach-

SPLASH!

He stared at the thing that fell. He reeled in his hook to see that the fish was gone, probably swimming away from whatever that just fell to the water.

"...Tsk, damn it." Angst rising to anger, he was about to vent his rage at the thing that ruined his lunch. However, his anger deflated when he saw a child rising from the water.

The child coughed out the water that got into his windpipe, wiping the water off his eyes as well. Their eyes met.

The child stared at him for a few seconds, before his eyes darted around at the river, then back at him, then at his fishing rod.

"Err…. Sorry for jumping in."

And ruining his meal.

"...Where did you even come from?"

It was the first time he saw a child falling from the sky. And he was sure the weather did not include raining minors.

The child looked bashful.

"I, err… was sort of… Well… Playing."

"Playing?" He asked.

"...Alright, I was training. Before I was thrown all the way here."

"What kind of training involves throwing yourself off a cliff?" Garou asked as he looked up at the nearby cliff.

The child looked away awkwardly. "...Yeah, it's hard to explain."

His stomach grumbled, interrupting the conversation. The boy stared at him for a moment.

"Um… Do you… want to join me for lunch? I think I have enough for two…"

"...Where are your folks, kid? Are they really alright with you here in the woods by yourself?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, I just brought my dog with me, so it should be good. He is an awesome dog!" the boy boasted as he climbed to shore out of the waters. "Follow me! Hopefully my dog brought something extra from the woods!" The boy ran to him and pulled his arm.

He pondered about his invitation for a moment as he sighed.

"Alright. It better to be good."

"Don't worry! Mom has taught me how to make the best curry rice!" The boy smiled as he led him by the arm around the river.

The boy led him to climb up a slope leading to the top of the cliff. They powered through many branches and leaves, the slope very acute in angle but they managed to reach the top of the cliff.

The boy was somewhat tired but he kept pushing through, very energetic and athletic for his age.

The boy was panting while he watched, waiting for him to catch his breath.

"Hah, hah, hah…Say, old man."

"I'm not that old."

"Um… okay. So… what are you doing here by yourself? I mean… are you a hunter?" The boy asked.

"...You can say that." He curtly replied.

"Oh! Cool! But you don't seem like a hunter… I mean I don't think you'll find animals here."

"I was a great hunter once. I took down the greatest of games alone with my bare hands alone." He corrected the child as he crossed his arms in reminiscence. "But that is a long time ago."

"Really…? So what are you doing right now?"

"You can say… I am trying to find my own way. I gave up on that life to find something better."

The boy stared at him at a moment before he offered his hand.

"...Um… I'm Issei, by the way. What's your name?"

He stared at the small hand.

"...Just some nameless wanderer. I won't be here long, anyways, kid." The man accepted the boy's hand and shook it.

The boy's smile dimmed slightly as he did not get the man's name; but nonetheless, he did not press as he led him through the thicket of trees until they reached an open glade.

"Right, here we are. Rover! You there, buddy?! I'm back and I brought a cool guy to join us for lunch!"

That name…

Something came out of the trees. It was massive, as big as a bear, black fur shrouding its bulky form with six crimson eyes staring at the boy.

Strange… it was not as big as he remembered as it jogged towards the child on its four legs while carrying a dead rabbit within its maws.

"Oh, you caught something! Thanks, bud!" The boy laughed as he hugged the beast that was definitely not a dog.

He continued staring at the scene where the thing continued to play with the boy, huffing pleased breaths until its six eyes met with his.

It went silent as memories returned to the man. He swore it was much bigger the last time he encountered it.

The monster dog called Rover dropped the rabbit and started to growl at him, paddling between him and the boy as it barked at him. It was the first time he saw a monster defending something. The years must be kind to it for it to cherish someone smaller than it.

"Err… oh, crap. Rover, eyes! Eyes! You forgot the eyes!" The boy shouted as if he forgot something. The dog continued barking at the man regardless of Issei's trying to calm it down by rubbing its neck.

"...You raised your dog well." He commented with an amused smile. "It is quite big. What'd you feed him to grow so large?"

He decided to entertain the boy. The dog stopped barking as it growled at him. It eventually grew quiet as Issei continued petting it.

"U-Um… lots of steaks?" Issei sheepishly lied.

"Well, guess you owe me some pounds of steak then." He played along. "Besides, shouldn't you start cooking? Your dog brought some fresh meat."

"Oh, r-right! Rover, can you bring me some firewood?!"