Humanity's Illusion (Highschool DxD)

Chapter 57

charclone

Well-known member
Okay. So... this one fought me. Hard enough that it delayed other stories. You can probably guess which scene in particular I had trouble with.

"Why did you agree?" Lacresha asked as they both got into the car. "You normally prefer to stay free of any group politics."

"Because I'm not going to turn away a couple of kids asking me to help teach them lessons that they can use to help defend themselves," Merlin answered as he closed the driver's door, giving her a look. "And I enjoy shooting for fun. Far less stressful than a shootout."

"First, those two are not children. Might I remind you of the Arctic? On top of that, I'm certain they are the age of majority," Lacresha countered. "Second, that isn't what I was referring to, and you know it."

Merlin sighed as he started the engine.

"I'm afraid," He admitted. "You aren't as deep into the supernatural as I am, for all your book smarts. There aren't governments able to crack down on gang violence like in the mundane political world. You always need to worry about some super-heavy hitter being around the next corner, or some punk growing freakishly fast in power. Leaves what governments there are cautious."

A strangle look came over Lacresha's face. Merlin chalked it up to her being reminded that she lived a more sheltered life.

"When people, creatures, like Ophis start making moves," Merlin shuddered. "I've only heard stories about the War, between Heaven and Hell. But I've seen some of the destruction that was inflicted on the world and the Underworld by it. I'd rather have some sort of anchor in that storm, all the better if they are human."

Lacresha winced.

"You don't trust anything non-human," She noted.

"Eh, I don't trust the ones that are too different. Fae are mostly human, just with a slightly different sense of morality," Merlin shrugged. "The local spirits here I just don't know enough about, but the devils have an inherent incentive to screw us mortals over and Fallen are fucked up, by both their history and with the younger ones their upbringing."

"True," Lacresha snorted. "But what about Philip's friend?"

"Eh, don't know enough about fox spirits, especially not Eastern ones," Merlin shrugged as he navigated the car out onto the street. "I know they're tricksters, but the girl seemed rather protective of him and skittish. I'll look more into it tonight, but given how she acted, I'm willing to guess she's more human than the devils."

Lacresha frowned, something churning in her mind.

"To change the topic, why did you agree to hire me?"

Merlin gave her a glance as he drove down the dark Chicago streets, streetlights only just starting to come on.

"Why do you ask?" He said. "Honestly, you were the most qualified of the people to apply. Plus, you already knew about the supernatural."

"Huh," Lacresha leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms in a rather deliberate fashion over her lower chest. "Was that all there was to it? My charming personality and looks had nothing to do with it?"

Merlin just laughed as he drove, deliberately not looking away from the street.




"Guns are loud," Aya groused as she ate. "I don't understand why people like them."

Philip snorted as he ate his own meal.

"Well, they are useful for defence and war. Easier to shoot someone than punch them," He pointed out, trusting in a ward he had placed to obscure their conversation from eavesdroppers. There had been an uncomfortable number of Fallen in the nearby block, practically advertising their presence with their, rather marginal, power being radiated. "Now, any thoughts about Merlin?"

"Eh, he seems okay," Aya shrugged. "I'm glad he's willing to help, but his secretary… I dunno. Something seems off about her."

"How so?" Philip asked.

"I can't put my finger on it, but something does seem off," Aya shrugged. "She doesn't seem dangerous though. Anyway… what do we do now?"

"Now?" Philip bit back a laugh. "We finish the meal unless you aren't feeling well."

Aya gave him a look.

"No, I mean…" She paused and sighed, giving Philip an exasperated look. "The other stuff going on."

"Ah," Philip dropped his gaze to his plate. "I'm not sure. Honestly, I'm realising I'm in over my head."

Aya gave him a pained, sympathetic look.

"If I may?" Tamamo spoke up, audibly. "Might I recommend continuing what you are doing? You know the three greatest threats; the Old Kings Faction, the Hero Faction, and Ophis herself. Ophis might be able to be talked down, based on your memories. Thus, you need information on the other two."

Philip winced, remembering the fragmented fanlation he read. He remembered that Ophis had been part of the main group before Issei was killed. But that version had been lacking portions, leaving him uncertain as to the how, and what happened. That Issei got better he only knew based on the fact that the series had continued.

Aya blinked as she realised the warding had blocked Tamamo's words, but not her voice.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" She asked the ancient fox, who giggled in response to the confused patrons in the restaurant, confused about the sudden strange new voice. "At least the warding will keep them from realising your voice came from us and what you said."

Philip sighed.

"Well, I suppose it's half a plan," He grunted, chewing on the last of his meal. "The other half will rely on finding sources of information on them. Okay, well, Aya, you want dessert, or should I pay so we can go?"

Aya shook her head.

"No," She drained the last of her juice, still being under the legal drinking age in British Columbia, before standing. "I'm done. And thank you for taking me here."

"My pleasure," Philip smiled warmly in response, making her heart flutter.

Philip paid the bill, and a short period later, they walked out the front door of the restaurant.

"Are we not going to call for a cab?" Aya asked as she put an arm around Philip.

Philip returned the gesture as he answered.

"One stop I'd like to make first," He said, vaguely, as he led her down the street. Aya's eyes flickered to a nearby store, her eyes widened as she giggled at the sight of the flower shop. "Do you have a preference?"

"Hello there!" A voice called from behind them. The woman that approached was perhaps a little older than them, dressed in form-fitting clothes that exposed more than a little cleavage and midriff, and was blatantly emphasising her chest with her posture. Philip felt Aya tense, he followed suit as a moment later the woman formed a barrier. Simple and meant to avoid eavesdroppers, but it was by no means subtle. "You're the magician, living in the suburbs, right?"

"Uh," Philip blinked. Beside him, Aya tightened her grip on him and glared. "That depends on who's asking."

"Well, me, obviously!" The unnamed woman beamed another grin, one that turned sultry. "So, I'll take that as a yes. Well, you two wanna have some fun?"

The question was accompanied by a wink.

Aya's grip became painful, and Philip felt his mood plummet.

"Why did you specifically approach us, if you are just looking for fun?" Aya nearly growled as she demanded an answer.

The sultry look faltered.

"Well, you two are the only ones in on the whole magic thing?" The woman gave a half-hearted chuckle, the sound dying as it left her throat. "Um."

The sultry look withered and died.

"I'm… interrupting something, aren't I?" The woman asked with a wince. "Well… I put my foot in my mouth… um… I'll just be going now."

The barrier shattered a moment later as the woman spun around and walked away, her gait no longer retaining its confident quality.

Aya gave a mournful sigh.

"That… ruined the mood," Philip grumbled. "Pretty sure that was a Fallen barrier. I see the local gang is making trouble for themselves."

There was a silent pause as something struggled in his mind before he continued.

"So, flower?"

"Maybe next time," Aya pouted, suddenly feeling very tired. "Call the cab please."

Philip nodded, both disappointment and relief written on his face, and reached for his phone.

"Philip?" Aya asked, her gaze falling to her hand. "Are you alright?

Her boyfriend blinked, then looked down, following her gaze. Slowly, he unclenched his shaking fist.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," He breathed. "Just… my mind went to my mother and her… well."

Aya hugged him.

"Let's go home." She said.




"What the hell was that!?" Her boss hissed at her, his black wings making his silhouette seem larger as he towered over his subordinate. "You've roped people in that have put up a bigger fight!"

The woman stretched her arms above her head. Her own pair of black wings stretching out from behind her, lazily, in symmetry to her arms.

"You didn't see the way the girl was glaring at me?" She replied. "Plus, I don't think she was human."

Her boss frowned.

"Then what is she?" He demanded. "Another half-breed Fallen like us?"

"No idea, something Eastern is my guess, based on how weird her magic felt," The woman lowered her arms and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a flicker of power. "Given how much stronger than me she felt, I'm guessing a dragon. I'm pretty sure she is more powerful than-"

"Don't say it," Her boss sighed. "You know how he gets when people say there are beings more powerful than him. If you don't say it, I don't have to repeat it. Just… keep trying. If you can rope both in, great, but don't get yourself killed. The magician… the last one was very useful. His knowledge let the boss make the cops' attempts to track us a joke."

"Yeah, yeah, 'stronger together, and strength keeps us alive'," The woman snorted as she paraphrased the overused words. "I know the gang boss' favoured saying. Honesty, I get the impression those two are prudes, and while fun to tease, I'd rather not get killed, either. I doubt I'll get anywhere with them."

"Then we try another method," Her boss sighed. "We need strong people like that if we are to become more than just a gang."




"I think the local Fallen might be the ones that tried to use your mother to steal your books," Aya said as she stepped out of the cab. "There have been more of them around lately."

"Are you saying that because you dislike her hitting on us," Philip asked as he paid the fare. "Or because you are annoyed at the night being ruined?"

Aya fixed him with a look in response.

"Alright," Philip waved his hands in surrender. "I'll admit, it unsettled me as well, and I'm annoyed at her ruining the night for us. But it would make sense: they're too small fry to be considered by the larger players, thus my contacts couldn't find anything because it was all local."

"See!" Aya said, bouncing up the steps. "So, it might have been them, and we should investigate if they have any connections to the Khaos Brigade. Moreal might be willing to help interrogations!"

Philip gave her an unamused look.

"No torture, I already regret letting… asking, Moreal to get information out of her sister, even if it put her in a good mood," He sighed as he followed her into the house. "Anyway, want to watch a movie?"

"Hmmm…" Aya hummed in thought as she took off her shoes. "I want to, yeah. But I have no idea what to watch."

"Well," Philip paused. He glanced over at the couch, to where Kuroka was silently watching them, a grin plastered on her face, Koneko asleep in her lap. He glared at her. "No teasing. The night was ruined by a Fallen. Now, how about we watch Star Wars?"

Kuroka's face turned crestfallen.

"No," Aya shook her head, sitting next to Kuroka. "I'm not in the mood for that. I want something flashier and modern."

In the end, they decided to watch a generic action movie, Kuroka remaining with them. At some point, Koneko left back to Japan, well before any of them went to sleep.
 
Chapter 58

charclone

Well-known member
A.N. This chapter was easier to write, once I got around to it. Had a little bit of issue figuring out how to start it, though. For those unaware, the Galileo probe is this one.

"Moreal," Philip greeted as he stuck his head into the offices of the alchemy department. "How were things while I was gone?"

"Exhausting," Moreal replied, glancing up from some paperwork. "Floating castles aren't all that difficult, but the alchemy needed for long-term enchantments built into it, especially in Jupiter's atmosphere, meant we were brewing so many batches of potions for most of the week, just for the test model."

"Where's Aya?" The Fallen exorcists asked, shuffling the papers into a drawer. "I thought she didn't leave your side?"

"We aren't joined at the hip," Philip snorted. "She's off by herself buying cold weather gear since my episodes have decreased. Now, what's this about a test model?"

"They are teleporting a model of what will be the initial base to Jupiter, about know, I think," Moreal explained, sorting the rest of the papers before standing. "Rob is watching it now. I'll show you."

Philip followed her as she led him down the hall. A meeting room had had its table removed, permitting enough standing room for a small crowd to watch the spell being projected onto the wall, showing the inside of a storeroom located several floors down.

The man standing at the head of the group gave Moreal a nod, before speaking to the group.

"Okay, we are set it seems, so!" He threw his arms wide and gestured to the display. "I give you: the atmosphere of Jupiter!"

With a flash of teleportation magic, the display changed, showing layers of rippling clouds, one above, one below. A brown and yellow sky contrasted with strange whites, blues, reds and browns of the alien atmosphere. Lighting flashed in the distance, bridging the gaps between the layers of clouds.

As someone conjured a projection of the model to check on its integrity as it battled the winds of Jupiter, Philip stared at the scene being displayed from the distant model, ignoring the celebratory cheers of the rest of the group.

Something about the alien atmosphere, the distant image that was so out of reach in his past life, stirred some childish glee in him. Now, it was just within reach, so close that the group was experimenting with settling Jupiter.

"Ah, Rob!" Moreal waved at her lover. The magician struggled to get through the crowd, taking several moments to navigate the packed room. "You all ready to head out?"

"Yeah," He said over the shouting of the crowd. "I'm ready. We got cold weather gear?"

"Yes," Moreal grinned. "I picked it out myself. Let's go. I want to see what happened to the place after the rest got wiped out."

Behind the trio, as they left, there was a sudden wordless cry of dismay from the group as something smashed into the model. A few moments later, another cry arose, this one of disbelief.

"How the hell did the Galileo probe survive so long!?"




Merlin flinched as the wall of ice and snow hit them, the wind howling.

"I should have charged extra for the weather!" He cried. "How much further?"

"We're inside the wards now!" Moreal called back. "Not too much further! Should be just below that ridge!"

The group, composed of Moreal, Rob, Merlin, Philip, and Aya, with Lacresha taking up the rear, trudged their way up the small mountain, deep in the Caucasus. The hideout was well away from human settlements, ideal for a quiet place for research or storing materials. Its former Fallen masters' ability to fly made its isolation a limited problem.

Wind tugged at their bodies, Aya's tails billowing behind her while Philip drew his cloak tightly around his body, his coat feeling too thin, despite being made for Canadian winters. Both bolstered their cold weather gear with spells and ki techniques as they were able.

Merlin simply set his jaw to keep it from chattering as he kept alongside Rob, behind Moreal. The older magician kept his shoulders hunched, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and kept a steady trickle of power feeding into a heating spell, alongside a heat trap spell.

Rob's teeth audibly chattered as he kicked his way through the piled-up snow. His coat was far thinner compared to Philip's.

Ahead, Moreal kept her wings out to steady herself, angling the semi-corporeal constructs in the wind. Her own supernatural resistance kept her warm enough, bolstered by her spells.

Lacresha, keeping to the rear, kept her head up straight, sweeping her gaze back and forth, watching through the flying snowflakes. Her eyes were vigilant, despite the snow, for any movement or threats.

"Why did we have to teleport outside the wards?" Rob grumbled. "Don't answer that. I know, automated defences, teleportation being thrown off to leave us in the air, etc. etc. I'm just complaining to keep my lips from freezing."

"It will be warming inside," Moreal shot back at her boyfriend's complaining. "Here we are."

Glancing around, Aya noted they were still some distance from the previously mentioned ridge. A moment of concentration was all it took for her to see past the illusion.

With a wave of her hand, Moreal stripped away the barrier that hid the small cabin. Unlocking the door with a spell, she led the group inside, then down a staircase hidden beneath the floorboards.

"Alright, welcome to storehouse Kremling, as it used to be called," Moreal waved around as the others shook off snow and frost. The underground facility was larger than any of them had expected, based on her descriptions. One side of the single massive cavern was taken up by rows upon rows of shelves, some of them filled with a wide variety of materials, ranging from books to armour, swords, potions, preserved products, and even cans of food near what appeared to be a kitchen. "So, the alchemy lab is down at the other end. There is a small side lab that the lunatic used. There shouldn't be any traps, too risky with some of the stuff stored here, but I do recommend caution."

"Let me guess, set up during the Soviet Union?" Merlin asked as he rubbed his hands.

"Yup," Moreal nodded. "Oh, uh, fair warning, the kitchen in the corner… yeah, I wouldn't touch any of the food. It's been a few years…"

"Ew," Aya shuddered. "I thought the smell was just the alchemical ingredients."

"Yeah, a few of those have probably rotted away too," Moreal sighed. "Anyway, archives are on this shelf, lab is there. Hopefully, we have something here."

Aya watched as the others spread out, poking at the records, flipping through books, or inspecting artefacts. Merlin, in particular, seemed to be drawn to a small pile of exorcist swords.

But Philip instead made a beeline for the lab.

She hurriedly fell into step alongside him, her tails curling around his waist. At his questioning look, accompanied by a pause, she gave him a quiet smile and nod.

With his staff tapping against the floor as he walked, Philip resumed his pace.

As Moreal had described, the lab was tucked away. A door, unlocked, barred the way. Philip moved to open it, then hesitated. He twitched slightly, his head turning to one side as if listening to something, before he withdrew his hand.

"Okay, Tamamo recommended we be cautious, just in case," He said. "So, scanning spells, focused ones, looking for wards that were looking for scanning spells."

"And any enchantments that hide those wards," Aya replied, nodding. "You look for the wards, I handle the enchantments?"

"I was thinking you hide my spells while I work, looking for both," Philip replied. "I'm not quite as good as you are at that."

"No, you are," Aya pouted at him, then sighed. "I'm better at misdirection. Probably because I don't like lying."

Philip raised a hand and rubbed her back.

"Okay then, I hide and look for the wards, you handle the rest? On one; three, two, one!" Power surged through the formulas held in their minds.

Several moments passed as they stood there, studying the door, seeking any traps.

They both tensed and shared a look, before they pushed the door open together.

Within, the false image of a disorganised lab, with scattered books and diagrams lay as if it had been in use only a few hours ago. A flicker of Aya's power was all that was needed to burn it away, revealing the bare room.

A thick layer of dust revealed just how long it had gone unused.

"He never used this lab," Philip growled, the base of his staff ringing as it collided with the stone floor. "Damn it!"

"Based on the way the illusion was set up, it was meant to fool the other Fallen he was working with," Aya said, pulling him into a comforting hug. "Maybe the others will find something?"




"So," Merlin asked as he swept a spell over the disorganised stacks of notebooks, maps, textbooks, scrolls and the odd CD. "What's your game?"

"Hmm?" Moreal glanced up, seeing the way the American magician was looking at her. "What do you mean?"

"Every Fallen I ever met had some sort of plot or goal," He explained. "So, what's yours? Why work with Philip and the others?"

"Nowhere else to go, I love Rob, and… well, I need a group to be with. I'm an alchemist, I wouldn't last without support," Moreal answered. "Let me guess, lots of run-ins with the Grigori?"

"Something like that," Merlin gave her a side eye as he moved to another shelf. "But let's say I don't believe you. A couple-thousand-years old being surely would have picked up some nasty combat skills and spells."

"I'd agree, part of why I avoid the elderly," Moreal snorted. "I'm relatively young. Only been around for a few centuries."

"… huh." A troubled look set itself into Merlin's features. "You aren't lying."

"You have a lie detection spell?" Moreal blinked. "It can't be that foolproof."

"Not really, no," Merlin sighed. "Let me guess, sixth, seventh generation?"

"I think I'm fifth, though there was some separation involved and… uh, mixed generations," Moreal coughed. "So, it can't work off of reading the person's mind, since that could be detected… searching their micro expressions?"

"More divination of truth and lies," Merlin sighed. "I'll share a version of it with you, in exchange for a recipe for a truth potion."

"Eh, those are… essentially just barbiturates achieved through magical means," Moreal shrugged. "But sure."

"Great. Wish all the Fallen I dealt with were as human as you," Merlin snorted, then paused to collect a book. "Oh, what do we have here? Something disguised?"

"Oh, your spell reads intentions!" Moreal noted with interest. "And you could pick up on the intentions left behind by the person who interacted with it the most!"

Merlin winced but didn't deny it.

"Okay, let's see what we have here," The book's defensive spells came apart easily, betraying the caster's relative inexperience and desire to keep the book hidden. Merlin thumbed through the pages, his spell seeking specific emotions left behind. "Oh, hey! I got something here!"




"So, in short," Philip grumbled. "The mercenary band didn't trust the subgroup, but was expecting to be used as a source of income, not stabbed in the back, and was searching for the real lab?"

"Yup," Merlin nodded. "The good news is they narrowed down the area, the bad news is, that is a very dangerous area of the Himalayas that I have no idea how to refine the search area without getting close, and I have no idea how to get close safely."

"Teleportation isn't an option?" Lacresha asked.

"Well, it can be done," Merlin sighed. "But I don't know the terrain, and given its proximity to India, I'd be worried about the locals there getting upset. Yetis, gods, who knows what else."

Philip frowned.

"If I could find a local contact to help us search, would that help?"

"Depends on who and how far up the food chain they are," Merlin sighed. "I can try and narrow the location down, finding stuff is one of my specialities."

"Alongside burning down buildings," Lacresha teased her business partner. "But I have some ideas as well. Wouldn't need to be too close, but if we could get something related to the Fallen that were there…"

"I think I can manage that," Philip replied. "I'll need some time, but I can manage it."

"Great. In any case, I'll borrow the book to study," Merlin said. "Now, are we safe to teleport home from here? I'd rather not tramp through the snow again."

"Sure, I modified the wards," Moreal replied, before explaining. "The Brotherhood was looking to use this place as a new storehouse since it is isolated and well hidden."

"Fine by me," Philip shrugged. Something flickered in his eyes and something about the way his posture suddenly seemed stiff made a pit form in Aya's stomach.

Once Merlin and Lacresha vanished, Aya pulled Philip aside, away from where Moreal and Rob were discussing the supplies that were left behind.

"You okay?" She asked.

Philip stared at her for several moments, blinking, before slumping.

"Kind of. The fact that we have a plan helps, but… it's so frustrating that it keeps dragging on," Philip admitted with an exhausted sigh, slumping against her. His arm fell slack, kept up only by his staff. "I'm… scared of being pushed by this thing into doing something I'll regret."

Aya wrapped him in her tails, leaning her head against his.
 
Chapter 59

charclone

Well-known member
A week after the brief expedition, Rias, with a slight tremor of hesitation, led Philip out of the classroom of the Occult Research Club's clubhouse. He felt Aya nearby, leaving Issei, Asia, and Saji behind as they continued to practice with magic.

Philip could feel Asia and Saji's confusion, yet Ise had been, and remained, distracted, since before Philip and Aya had arrived.

"So, what did you want to ask me about Rias?" Philip asked. "You said it was important? Hopefully, you aren't asking me to do something I will regret."

Rias coughed uncomfortably, before shaking her head.

"No, no. I am… dealing with a personal issue, but one… potential solution I would like your opinion on," She said. "What do you know of Rizer Phenex?"

"Ah, your engagement," Philip said. Invisibly, Aya snorted as Rias' face distorted with embarrassment. "I'm not certain assassination is a viable option, however."

Flustered, Rias glared, crossing her arms in the process.

"No. That isn't what I mean," She sighed. "You're teasing me, aren't you?"

"Partially, and I just realised that it wasn't appropriate, my apologies," Philip hastily replied. "I wasn't thinking. So, my knowledge is… rather lacking, mostly from tabloids and research on his family's powers. Regeneration, limited by magical reserves and mental fortitude, fire, and is a playboy, in addition to the standard devilish powers. Anything beyond that?"

"No, I'm not upset," Rias gave another sigh. "That is a… simplified version. He is very accomplished in Rating games, only having lost twice to close allies to his house, which were by surrender rather than defeat. His peerage is also quite skilled."

"Okay," Aya spoke up. "What do you want Philip for?"

"Well… one possible way the engagement might be broken is a Rating game," Rias began before Aya interrupted.

"No, we are not going to join your peerage."

Rias shook her head, a slight smile on her face at the blunt statement.

"I was thinking mercenary positions, if the judges for the match would permit it," She said. "But I was expecting the refusal. No, I am hoping you could offer some advice, insight, or analysis into how I might be able to defeat him."

Philip frowned.

"Well, I am willing, but I presume something has changed?" He said. The half-truth came easily to his lips. "I read that the engagement was expected to last until you reached adulthood."

"The original plan had been until my schooling finished. I had hoped to drag it out by pursuing a degree… but my father and the head of House Phenex are close friends," Rias slumped. "He means well, but we have responsibilities as nobility, thus my father has changed the date. I am to meet Riser this afternoon."

"Well, that's a drastic change," Aya blinked. "What happened?"

"Well," Rias suddenly became nervous. Her eyes flickered to Philip before she spoke, a wince flickering across her face. "… another heir was killed. The general populace blames a Fallen, as several of the heir's peerage members were previously under or being watched by them, but my brother suspects that it was… someone else, using your spell."

Philip froze and Aya became pale.

Rias, taking their reaction as guilt pressed on.

"You aren't responsible. The assassin somehow slipped past all the guards, killing them in his main estate," She said. "The assassin probably would have used other tools, either way."

"I…" Philip stuttered. A sharp word from Tamamo, within his mind, jolted him. "I am not surprised that my spell was used, given the potential and flexibility, but what makes them think it was my spell?"

"No other spell can pull off a copy of a Spear of Light," Rias said, sympathy in her tone. "Though, there were indications of fire damage, from what my brother said. He probably would have had my father bring me back to the Underworld if it wasn't for the fact that the heir had been killed there."

"You said it was their main estate?" Philip tried to push a sound of disbelief into his voice. Tamamo whispered advice, coaching him into something less strained, more natural sounding and believable.

Rias nodded.

"That's right," She huffed. "It caused quite a panic, last week. I'm even more thankful for Aya's grandmother helping find the holes in my own defences."

"… I see…" Philip shook himself. "Well, we are getting off-topic. So, you are looking at how to defeat Rizer."

"Correct. I am hoping I can convince my father to call it off and let me choose my own husband," She pouted. "But the assassination has scared everyone and underlined the need for 'heirs and spares' as one news rag put it. So, my backup plan is a Rating game."

Philip slowly forced himself to set aside the bubbling panic and forced himself to focus on Rias' words. Thinking over the problem. He was briefly distracted when Aya's tail wrapped around him.

"Okay, first, make another backup plan," He said. "Just in case."

Rias suddenly blushed, glanced towards the classroom door, then away from it.

"I'm not going to ask," Philip said.

"I was surprised and pressed for time!" Rias burst out. "… you heard nothing."

"Not going to ask," Philip reiterated. "No, I am thinking political games, blackmail, pressure, leverage, whatever. Or arrange for something to interrupt the proceedings? Anyway, I'll let you think that over. Now, regarding Rizer… do you have copies of his Rating games?"

"I do," Rias nodded. She glanced at the classroom, blushed again, and then coughed in embarrassment once more. "I will have them ready for you after you finish the lesson."

"Oh, and how much are you paying us?" Aya asked, still slightly shaken.

Rias wilted.

"Can we discuss that later?"




Philip winced as the match finished.

"Well, he's a brute. His queen though… she has some skill. It's limited to her own skillset, however. Every one of those victories were about using his Peerage as ablative tools, wearing away at the enemy to make it difficult for them to counteract his regeneration," Philip observed. "None of the battles give me a good idea, just theories."

He leaned back in the borrowed chair.

To view the recordings, Rias had taken the two to the clubroom after dismissing the trio of new devils. She had even surrendered, however temporarily, her stuffed office chair behind the desk.

Aya shifted in Philip's lap as he leaned back.

"Okay, so the main theories are: One, Light-slash-holy item or spell kept inside him while he tries to regenerate, though this will likely leave the attacker vulnerable and drain their reserves. Two, the same, but concentrated on his head, this would be much more difficult but should trigger the safeties in the field due to the brain damage not being immediately healed, making it faster. Three and four are the same, using fields of Destruction, but that puts you at risk. Five is yet another variation, using some sort of holy item, though that is problematic for devils. The final theory is… well. Are you allowed to take alchemical explosives into a Rating game?"

Rias blinked.

"Part of me is intrigued, but the rest of me is alarmed at the idea," She said from where she sat across from Akeno on a couch. "I believe it would be allowed, but there is likely a limit that would render it impractical against Riser."

"Really?" Aya stared. "Why?"

"Ah, I recall an incident a few years ago where someone unleashed a vat of a toxic mixture that ate away at the arena barrier, damaging the stadium," Rias placed a finger on her chin in thought. "I know the ruling afterwards limited the number of alchemical ingredients and their type, that could be brought into a match, especially since someone else had manufactured additional phoenix tears in the match for use even earlier, but I don't recall the exact limit."

"Firearms?" Aya suggested.

"A possibility, and Koneko could probably handle firing a rocket launcher, but I suspect there would be political complications from using human weapons," Rias sighed. "An option I will consider, though getting them would also be an issue. Their normal limitations could be circumvented through spells and enchantments to let them pierce the magic barriers that protect devils, and while the damage wouldn't be lethal, it would certainly be enough to take them out of the fight, or give us a temporary advantage."

"Oh, that gives me an idea," Philip said. "Riser can't fight what he can't see or hear."

"Hmm, spells like that can be counteracted," Rias pointed out.

"But what about ones that cause damage to the eyes or hearing, even if it's temporary?" Philip countered. "Even if it's limited against Riser himself, it could be used against his Peerage. On top of that, I didn't see anyone use illusions beyond invisibility."

Rias frowned.

"There are… too many ways to detect someone to easily teach my Peerage how to move undetected," The red-headed king said.

"Decoys, fake attacks, altered landscape," Aya pointed out. "There are plenty of other options."

"I suppose I should have expected someone acquainted with Kitsune to be more knowledgeable about the application of illusions," Rias snorted.

"I wonder what else those two use illusions for?" Akeno interjected, her voice husky and suggestive, winking at her friend.

Rias gave a huff and ignored the implied statement.

"Moving on," Philip felt heat rising to his cheeks, noting that Aya's current position certainly didn't dissuade the notion Akeno pointed out. "How long do you likely have?"

"I don't know for certain. A few days if it does come to a rating game," Rias answered. Then froze as the teleportation circle at the back of the room lit up. "He's early. Too early."

She relaxed a moment later when Grayfia stepped out of the fading teleportation glow.

"Lady Gremory," The wife of the ruler of Hell greeted her sister-in-law. "My apologies, but I must request that you dismiss your guests and call your peerage together. It is almost time."

"I still have an hour… very well," Rias grit her teeth. Then a light went on in her eyes. "… actually, given Philip and Aya's connection to the Leviathan and third-party nature, I would request them to remain, as neutral observers."

Grayfia narrowed her eyes. But rather than outright demand their removal, she summoned a spell next to her ear and whispered something into it.

"Very well," She did not sound pleased, a moment later. "They may remain as observers, given your… disposition to the arrangement, Riser's reputation, and his potential knowledge of the spell used against the Astaroth heir."

Tamamo-no-mae howled with silent laughter that only Philip heard.

It took little time to summon Rias' Peerage, as they had all been told to remain near the Academy until called.

Philip noted that Kuroka arrived with her sister. Grayfia's gaze narrowed at the black-haired nekoshou, before slumping in quiet defeat when Kuroka joined Philip and Aya. The maid swiftly covered up her unprofessional demeanour beneath a mask of cool focus.

Finally, Grayfia announced the impending arrival of Rizer Phenex and his Peerage, the teleportation circle bursting into flame.
 

charclone

Well-known member
It's nice, hearing from, and about, minor powers.


After all, the big powers are such a bunch of loonies in canon.
I mean, the Brotherhood of Nod is named after... yeah. Plus they are putting a station inside the atmosphere of Jupiter.

They are a different type of loonies. Partly because they need and have better survival instincts.
 
Chapter 60

charclone

Well-known member
The atmosphere in the room notably dimmed, as a frown formed on Rias' face, almost a look of disquiet disgust. Akeno wore a stony mask, while the other members of Rias' Peerage wore a mix of confusion and nervousness.

Aya briefly wondered as she sat with Philip on one of the couches, if Rias had remembered to inform her Peerage members just what was going on. Given the devil heiress' feelings on the matter, the answer was likely no, not that Aya could blame her. An arranged marriage would certainly skew one's thoughts to forgetfulness.

As the flames within the teleportation circle rose higher, the temperature rose. Part of Aya wondered if Rias could sue Riser for any damages the flames caused, but the rest of her just tensed up, ready to spring into action.

Riser stepped from the flames before anything caught alight, the blaze dying down quickly behind him.

Aya found… he looked dishevelled, in her opinion. A wrinkled dress shirt only done half up, wild hair, the expensive jacket left open. Faintly slouched with his hands in his pockets adding to the image of a lazy, rich boy who had never faced hardship.

Some might have found him handsome, but Aya just found him plain. She almost started to snicker when she noted his shirt wasn't even done up right, a button having been missed at the bottom, making the shirt seem lopsided, disguised only by a half-hearted illusion, or perhaps amateurish.

The young man, presumably Riser Phenex, sighed.

"It's been a while since I came to the human world," He said airily. Aya noted it seemed a little forced, his pronounced words, spoken in English she noted, were just ever so slightly overpronounced. "My lovely Rias, I have come to see you."

A flicker of emotion drew Aya's attention to Ise, who scowled, and Rias, who kept a calm face but whose clenched fists revealed her emotions.

"Hmm?" Riser's gaze drifted from Rias to Aya, Philip, and Kuroka. "Rias, who are these? Send them away."

"We are not married, nor will we be, Riser. Do not order me around," The venom in Rias' tone was nearly palpable.

"May I introduce the Magician Philip and his associates, the Kitsune Aya, and nekoshou-turned-devil Kuroka," Grayfia interjected. "They are present as a neutral third party, at the request of Lady Gremory. Philip, Aya, Kuroka, this is Riser Phenex, third son of the House of Phenex."

Aya felt Philip shift slightly, almost imperceptibly, as he considered something.

She also noted a faint, brief look of uncertainty on Riser's face, a slight tensing of the muscles near the eyes, and a twitch of his eyelids, as he looked at Kuroka. He knows of her, then.

"Why would we need a third party?" Riser said dismissively, with a wave of his hand. "Our parents have already agreed that we are to be wed. Besides, pure-blooded devils are at risk of dying out. The situation is serious, far more important than some childish flight of fancy."

"Flight of fancy!? Childish!?" Rias stood, glaring at Riser. "I am willing to take a husband, Riser, but it will not be you. It will be one of my choosing, a right even those of the old houses have a right to!"

Aya sighed as they two began to bicker back and forth. She glanced over at Philip, noting that his gaze had become distant.

"Philip?" She poked him.

"Sorry," He muttered, shaking his head. "Tam just pointed something out about something Grayfia said."

The two devil kings continued to bicker back and forth. Riser's voice slowly gained a tone of ire, rising in volume to match Rias' angered one. Part of Aya was tempted to make a joke about 'bickering like an old married couple' but that would both hurt Rias' feelings and be the verbal equivalent of tossing a lit match into a gunpowder factory.

Grayfia simply watched the pair as they bickered, her face impassive.

Rias, Aya noted, was arguing based on legal precedent, her own feelings, and her rights. Riser, in contrast, was going on about how it was generous of him to have come to Earth, despite his dislike of it. How their parents had already come to an agreement and that they must abide by it, in addition to the devils' population issues.

"Kuroka," Aya said lightly, looking over the back of the couch at where the nekoshou stood. "Do you know anything about the laws Rias is talking about?"

"Just because I lived most of my life in the Underworld doesn't mean I memorised the law," The dark-haired woman replied. "Do you know Canadian law?"

"Some of it, my mom's a lawyer, remember?" Aya shot back. "So, Philip, you know anything about Underworld law?"

Philip started, glancing at her, startled out of a conversation with Tamamo.

"Uh, sorry, yeah, not really," He said. "Mostly what I looked at was what powers the Houses and Kings held, which is both a lot, and little. Lots of precedence, like the UK, gives them a great deal of leeway, but most of it seems to boil down to who's the stronger. That, and not a whole lot is made easy to access by most people. They still rely heavily on private libraries, no public ones."

"Ah," Aya replied, disappointed.

Rias, Aya felt, gave the more persuasive argument of the two. She certainly had the drive behind her, bolstered by laws. But Riser was unwilling to budge. Couldn't, Aya realised slowly. He seemed to be of the mind that they had no choice in the matter and intended to at least use the situation to his advantage to have some fun.

Neither was willing to budge, and every time Rias said something that could be remotely taken as a slight against his house, Riser became more aggressive and irate. At one point, he tried to change the subject and get closer to Rias, even attempting to touch her. His hand came back, restored in a burst of flame, after a shaky sphere, its edges poorly defined, of Rias' inherited power appeared in its path to remove the offending extremity.

"You…!" Riser cut the rest of his words off as his hand retreated, curling into a fist. "Fine! If I have to, I'll burn my way through your peerage if I must, first."

Aya tensed as Riser stopped keeping his power close, and instead let it run wild. Flames burst from his body, worn like they were instead accessories instead of fire. Philip stood, his staff in hand. Kuroka crouched slightly, ready to pounce.

Asia clung to Ise, the boy tense and pale, but with a determined glare on his face. Kiba had a sword ready in a flash. Koneko, like her sister, tensed for an explosion of movement. Akeno didn't move from where she had been preparing tea, but lighting flickered across her shapely form. Rias, behind her desk, kept the field of Destruction, wavering as it was, in place between her and Riser.

Grayfia pinched the bridge of her nose.

Aya could understand the maid's frustration. Riser's power wasn't vast. Kuroka could probably put out the same level of power as the third son of House Phenex. Which meant Riser wasn't anything more than a nuisance to Sirzech's wife.

Riser's gaze flickered over everyone in the room, then snorted.

"Magician, I suggest you leave. You have no place here, and none of your girlfriends could pose a threat to myself or my peerage," Riser said, lazily, as if he wasn't facing a room of hostility. "Rias. Your queen might be worth something. But the rest of your Peerage is trash."

Rias bristled at the flagrant insult to her Peerage, who as Aya knew, she treated as family. It made Aya briefly wonder about the legalities of Peerages. Were Peerages members of their houses automatically, or were they vassals or property?

"Enough," Grayfia cut through Riser's power with only a word, the temperature in the room seemingly dropping, even though it hadn't risen at all, despite the flames from Riser. "If neither of you will resolve this on your own… Master Sirzechs, Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex prepared a precaution. In truth, this was, no matter what else, to be the last meeting. Lady Rias, if you wish to push your opinion on the matter forward, you may do so through a Rating Game."

Quietly, Kiba explained what a Rating Game was to Ise and Asia, further cementing the idea that Rias was not telling her Peerage enough.

"There is another matter," Grayfia glanced at Philip. "To the Brotherhood's representative, given the insult and threat presented to you, Lord Sirzechs will provide compensation on behalf of the House of Phenex for the slight."

Aya blinked. True, if a fight had broken out, it would be bad for the Underworld politically, a neutral party being attacked… but the Brotherhood of Nod was a minor power, at best, from what she had been told. So why would Grayfia bother…. Oh. Aya held in a snicker as she relaxed. Sirzechs expected this to happen… and it gave him political leverage, though small, against House Phenex, by covering their son's faux pas. Enough that Sirzechs, could, say, get Rias' engagement annulled without embarrassing either house.

Philip simply responded with a nod of acknowledgement, before sitting back down.

As Aya leaned against him, she paused, remembering that Riser had seemingly implied he thought Kuroka was one of Philip's girlfriends. Kuroka was going to be an insufferable tease over it, wasn't she?

Aya sighed as Riser began to boast and needle Rias over her lack of victories in Rating Games, before summoning his own Peerage. She watched them and noted their appearance, apparent power and skills, but focused on Rias.

Later, Aya would realise that Riser had been trying to belittle Rias, in an attack of psychological warfare, matched by some of his later remarks about even ten days of training not being enough.

Eventually, Grayfia had enough and sent the arrogant ass on his way.

"Why not say something?" Aya whispered once Riser had vanished, once more in flames. "Should we have tried to get more time for Rias?"

"We're supposed to be a neutral group," Philip said, then shook his head as he looked into her eyes, silently urging her to not press the issue. "Now, I need to talk to… probably the council, actually, over the compensation. Probably won't be much, but friendlier relations would be appreciated."

"And it can't be nothing, or it hurts the leverage that Sirzech's just took," Aya nodded.

"Leverage?" Rias glanced over at them.

"Never mind the politics," Grayfia interrupted. "Lady Rias, you have ten days, starting tomorrow. I recommend you begin planning and preparing. Magician Philip, Lady Aya, Sirzechs has extended invitations to the Rating Game to you, as a courtesy."

"He has our appreciation," Philip said. "Rias, I assume you are going to ask for more ideas?"

"Yes," The redhead nodded. "If you happen to have a time dilation spell I am willing to cover any costs or lost income."

Philip snorted.

"I wish. No, no temporal manipulations. Pretty sure I read something about time travel being lethal, actually," He shook his head. "Now, it is getting rather late. I suppose I will meet with you tomorrow?"

"Excellent!" Rias grinned. "In ten days, we are going to blow Riser away."

"Yeah!" Ise cheered.

Grayfia simply took her leave. Shortly later, Philip, Aya, and Kuroka did as well.




"I assume you caught it too?" Philip asked as he reclined on the couch, Aya resting against his shoulder, her tails over the both of them like a blanket. "They waited quite some time before announcing Diodora's death. They moved the body too."

Aya nodded.

"Well, now that you mention it… yeah. I was more worried about the whole 'they knew it was your spell that did it'," She sighed. "… I really hate having to lie about that."

"I don't like it either," Philip sighed. "I should have aided Rias, or at least said something. Done more to help, but being a passive observer at least tipped things in Rias' favour, even if she seemingly hasn't noticed it. I was too distracted by Tamamo. She pointed out them having moved the body, and we got to theorising why. No evidence though, so it's all just guesses."

Aya hummed in agreement, then said nothing more. She instead opted to cuddle tighter against her boyfriend.

And then Kuroka flopped across both of their laps.

"You two are too serious," She said. "Rias will be fine. I'm teaching Shirone, and you are teaching the rest of them… so, on to another topic! Riser, as much as he is an arrogant jerk, seemed to think we were a thing!"

"No," Aya bluntly stated, glaring at the raven-haired catgirl as Philip gave an exasperated sigh. She curled an arm around Philip possessively. She didn't mind Kuroka's teasing, but she had a terrible sense of timing. "This is not the time for this."

"Fiiiiine," Kuroka, lain on her side across their laps moaned with a drawl. "… actually, I think I will stay like this. Your tails are very soft, and you two are warm."

"Yet again, more proof Kuroka is a housecat," Philip gave another sigh. "And her sister is the wildcat."

"My sister is too cute!" Kuroka protested as she resisted, successfully, Aya's attempts to push her off. "Now, how about we watch TV?"
 
Chapter 61 New

charclone

Well-known member
Asia forced herself to remain still as Philip stepped out of the cabin, Rias following him, the day after the meeting with Rizer, after a long hike up a mountain to a remote training camp owned by the House Gremory.

"Okay, so, we have a basic training plan," The magician announced to the Gremory Peerage. "I will be spending an hour teaching those of you skilled in spellcraft some useful spells. I will expect you to practice them later."

"The rest of our time here will be taken up practising, training, exercising, and building up your power," Rias joined in. "We have ten days before the Rating game. And we will win."

As Ise cheered, Asia briefly felt shame at her hesitation, before she nodded. Yet, doubt plagued her mind. She had been reborn as a Devil, thus, should she be more excited at the prospect of bloodshed?

"So," Philip continued. "Couple points to note. Ise, focus on using your Boosts on your rate of growth. If that doesn't work, just focus on the rate at which your body heals. Both you and Asia are also to experiment with your Sacred Gears."

"In addition, Aya is away talking with her grandparents who may agree to help train you," Rias took over where Philip left off. "Lastly, if any of you have ideas or concerns, go ahead and voice them."

"No such thing as a bad idea, just an impractical one in need of workshopping," Philip joked. "I'll be away most of the time, as will Aya, but I will help whenever I am present."

"Oh? Working on anything that we can use against that fried Chicken Bastard?" Ise asked, excited. Asia gave him a small, quiet, disappointed glare at his use of bad words before she paused, the look vanishing before anyone saw it, and briefly wondered if, as a Devil, she should instead be using that sort of language. Then again, Ise seemed to be the only one who did use swear words…

"No," Philip rolled his eyes. "I do have to teach Saji too, you know. Also, I have a job besides tutoring you three."

"Right," Philip clapped his hands. "We'll start with the first two spells I'll be teaching you. They are Sealing Barrier and Elemental Dart. We will work our way up to Elemental Lance over the next few days."

Asia swallowed as she felt butterflies in her stomach.

Unaware of Asia's nervousness, Philip began to lay out the basic mathematics of the spells. Asia appreciated the visual guide he gave, using illusions, but it didn't make the math any easier. It was more advanced than anything she had been taught by the Church. But she would push through it, for the sake of Ise, her new friends, and the second chance at life she had been blessed with.

Eventually, once Philip was certain they had the basics down, and after making a teasing comment about him being jealous over Devils' ability to not need hard formulas on the spells to cast magic, he set them to practice them.

Asia giggled as she hit Ise for the third time in a row with Sealing Barrier, his own spell fizzling out as his power was briefly constrained, his face falling.

"Alright, Asia, not bad," Philip complimented with a nod. "While I am gone, focus on tightening up your spells and casting them faster. Ise… yeah, find a target and practice on it. But you are keeping them tight and efficient, so good job there."

Ise deflated, slumping where he stood, but gave a nod.

"Alright," Philip turned to the far end of the field. With a wave of his staff, copies of Rizer appeared. "This-"

A blast of power made them all jump as one of the illusions was torn apart, cutting off Philip's words.

A moment later, Rias meekly lowered her arm. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she apologised, before turning around and heading back into the cabin, giving Akeno a death glare as the Queen giggled.

"As I was saying," Philip coughed and replaced the destroyed illusion. "You will be using these as targets."

Ise pumped a fist in anticipation. Asia frowned. She understood why Ise was excited, Rizer seemed like a bad person. But the butterflies in her stomach did not cease.

"Okay, just hit them with the Elemental Darts a couple of times, at your own pace," Philip instructed. "We can work on speed and accuracy later. Same with efficiency."

Ise took a deep breath, and as his Gauntlet appeared with a draconic voice shouting 'Boost!', he poured his power into the spell.

The small dart of fire fizzled out behind the illusion.

"Accuracy isn't bad, but the power was lacking," Philip critiqued. "Also, use ice, or some other element that won't cause ecological devastation."

"Ahaha…" Ise gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "I, uh, only know the fire one…"

"Then go back and memorise something like ice or water," Philip sighed. "Okay, Asia, you are next."

Asia tried. She held her hands up and pushed the power into the spell. It even materialised before her… but not fully, collapsing into itself.

In the distance, the illusion of Rizer seemed to mockingly grin at her, even though Asia knew it was just mind. Or Philip teasing her.

She tried again, and this time, the spell stayed stable for several seconds, but she couldn't get the power to stabilize enough for it to release.

She paused, as Philip waited patiently, a slow frown forming on his face. She took another breath, ignoring the heat from her cheeks, and gathered her reserves again.

"Enough, Asia! Enough," Philip suddenly called out.

Asia blinked in surprise, then stumbled as the world seemed to sway around her.

Ise was suddenly there to catch her as she fell.

Philip sighed.

"Okay, that's enough for now," He declared. "Ise, keep memorising the other variants and practice with them. Asia… are you alright?"

"Um… I'm fine," Asia said as she tried to stand, after giving Ise a grateful smile, and desperately ignored her blush. "Um… so should I try again?"

She tried not to sound pleading.

Philip shook his head.

"Ise, why don't you go practice," He said. At the Pawn's reluctant look, Philip sighed. "I want to talk to Asia about it, before moving ahead."

Ise frowned but gave the magician a nod and went back to where the books had been left on a picnic table.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Philip turned to Asia, giving her a look. "You became very pale and poured far more power into that spell than you needed to. I'd have probably passed out around halfway."

Asia flinched.

"No, no, I'm okay," She held up her hands. "So, I just need to put less power into the spells?"

"… no," Philip frowned. "Tamamo seems to think there is more to it than that."

Asia flinched again. Philip snorted.

"You're worse than Aya at keeping things a secret, aren't you?" He accused with amusement. Asia just hung her head. "It's alright. I, nor Rias, will be mad. Now is a good time to find issues before we start heavy planning for the Rating Game."

Asia's butterflies turned into a hurricane.

"I'm… I don't want to be useless…" She started to sob. "But… I… I hate the idea of hurting people. I know… I know I'm supposed to be a Devil now, but…"

In the distance, she could hear Ise suddenly rush towards them.

"Is there a difference between Devils and humans, beyond the inherent magic?" Philip asked.

"Well, um," Asia sniffled. "Ah, the priests and sisters… they said that… Devils were evil, but… Rias isn't like what they said, and the one I healed, he was so kind."

A distant look flickered over Philip's face, a slight tugging at the side of his face.

"So, they were wrong, or didn't have the whole story," Philip said. "One would hardly expect the nice Devils to willingly go out hurting people."

Blinking Asia nodded.

"Ah, is everything okay?" Ise asked.

"One moment, please," Philip calmly replied, before looking back at Asia. "So, no offensive spells. You had no issue using the Sealing Barrier against Ise, so, as long as it causes no direct pain, do you think you could do that? If not, I can look into you getting alchemy lessons from Moreal, and we can look into teaching you to be more flexible with your healing."

Asia sucked in a breath as Ise put a supporting arm around her shoulder. She wiped her tears and leaned into his touch.

"If it helps Asia, she can use me as a target as many times as she wants," The boy declared.

"I… I am willing to try," Asia said.

"Okay," Philip nodded. "In that case, I will focus on buffs and debuffs I can teach. Unfortunately, illusions make up the bulk of my repertoire, so I will need to ask around for some spells."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Asia winced. "I didn't mean to cause problems."

"No problems," Philip denied. "I should broaden my own skillset anyway. Besides, I am being paid to teach you. Once you feel ready, I can teach you some of the basic stuff I know, though I haven't used it much. Given your reserves of power, I suspect you will be able to leverage them to greater effect than I could."




"Well, aren't you the cutest!" Masa Kato declared. The elder kitsune rubbed Asia's head, ruffling her hair. "Why didn't you say she was so cute!?"

Philip sighed as Aya wilted under her grandmother's teasing glare. Asia, for her part, didn't mind the affection, though she wasn't sure how to react to being hugged.

"Anway," Rias coughed. "Thank you for agreeing to help."

"After Aya described what the sleaze was like, I had half a mind to call some fae I know," Masa replied, smiling. Asia trapped in her embrace, by both arms and tails. "But that would probably be a bit too far. Even if he deserved it."

"Perhaps as a plan B?" Rias said. The coughed. "Now, you said you had a plan to help us train?"

"Correct!" Masa released Asia. "Now, your main issue is that his peerage has more experience and general power, correct?"

"That's correct," Rias confirmed.

"His regeneration is an issue," Philip added.

"Well, I'm not sure I agree," Masa countered. "After all, you already have everything you need to crush him on his lonesome. So, you need to take out his Peerage, divide and conquer."

"That is the general plan we had," Rias frowned. "What do you suggest?"

"Simple," Masa grinned and looked at Asia. "Could you try and bless this bottle of water for me, please?"

Asia swallowed, uncertain, but nodded before she prayed over it. She gave a brief hiss of pain, but pressed on, her Twilight Healing giving a green glow as it eased the pain.

Rias' grin became predatory when she felt the prick of pain from a single drop when she experimentally dripped it onto her skin.

"Oh, Lady Gremory," Masa asked. "Where is the rest of your peerage?"

A sudden yelp of pain echoed from across the camp as Ise took a blow.

"Rias is having them beat on Ise," Philip bluntly stated.

"No!" Rias protested. "They are helping teach him to dodge."




"How is it going?" Cain asked as he entered the lab. Then he paused and blinked. "Where is everyone else?"

"Given the time here in Berlin, asleep is my guess," Philip replied. "A pity temporal manipulation is still out of our reach."

"Gods can handle the side effects," Cain replied. "We cannot. Now, anything interesting?"

"Well, I think Asia has issues with causing harm," Philip said. "Um, Ise is quick to learn when motivated. Rias doesn't think things through."

"I meant about the project, though those are interested," Cain shook his head with a smile. "I have also prepared a list for you."

"Ah, thank you. Now regarding the project… well, without Heaven's system to pull power from, we need to use magazines or batteries of some sort," Philip said. "It will bulk up the design since having magicians charge them in combat isn't an option."

The young man stood from where he had been studying a diagram on one of the tables and walked over to another workbench, where a large, disassembled weapon lay.

"As for the goal… well, golems can handle the weight, and I certainly wouldn't want to stare down the barrel of a massive cannon, no matter what it shot," Philip snorted. "I think, with the modifications to the design I had and Moreal's crystal recipe, we can get these out at a decent rate."

"Excellent," Cain clapped his hands. "Now, head home. Get some rest. I can speak from experience when I say that teaching can tire one out quickly."

"Sure boss," Philip yawned. "Just wanted to read over the notes added to the design."

"Do it in the morning," Cain ordered. "You have the time. Also, the favour owed: I will have you attend the Rating Game. I have a few more things I would like, but I think that, and a slight discount for some alchemical ingredients will be sufficient."

"Yeah, alright," Philip snorted. "You think Rias will win?"

"Probably," Cain shrugged. "I've seen what her kin can do with Destruction, and what the Phenex can do. There is a reason Bael, was a King of Hell and Phenex a Marquis. Encourage them, and help them grow. And foster good relations."

"Yeah, I won't forget my main job," Philip shook his head before heading off. He paused for a moment. "Hey… and suggestions for taking out a Phenex with spells?"

"Keep the head from reforming," Cain replied. "Holy Light and Ice, with an Elemental Lance, should do it. No ability to think will keep them from moving or casting spells. Keeping them still long enough, that is the trick. What you should be asking is how to deal with his Peerage."

"And?"

"He uses them disposably, as I'm sure you noticed. Make him pay for that."
 

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