DxD: Like a Devil Chapter 63

Edited by: Marethyu, Priapus

I gently lay Asia on the bed, rendered unconscious after seeing what was probably the worst thing she’d ever seen. I mean, it’s obviously not the first time she’s seen death or deep injuries, but that? It had me feeling a little sick, and I’ve seen my fair share of gore even before getting involved with the supernatural side of the world. Involuntarily, mind you.

Well, kind of. I’d be scrolling certain social media websites, click on a video I think looks funny or interesting, then get flash-banged by a guy getting executed and/or tortured by the Mexican cartel. I don’t immediately click off because my dumb ass would get morbidly curious. Somehow, I don’t lose any sleep over what I see.

Yeah, I was fucked up way before this system thing.

But I digress. Asia, being the kind of person she is, would naturally be very affected by something like that. She nearly passed out before I shook her out of it and told her the guy was miraculously still alive. Meek as she is, I guess she was determined enough to save his life. I can respect that.

Personally? Oh, I don’t give a fuck if he dies or not. I mean, he’s some random guy I never met, has no relevance to the supernatural, and is old. So what if he died? I’m sure the man has lived long enough. He doesn’t need to live until he’s eighty or something.

It's not like whatever Asia helped all that much. Yeah, she saved his life, but I doubt he’ll wake up sane. After what happened, very few people have the mental fortitude to live normally. We put him in a hospital, telling them we found him passed out on the streets.

The doctors are in for a surprise after he wakes up… which is what I thought at first. But thankfully for the man, we had two devils with us, both of which knew the memory erasure spell. Although, according to Kiba, it’s not perfect, so the guy may suffer from nightmares for a little while. But that’s about it. I doubt he’d be left with any long-lasting trauma.

It’s still pretty damn convenient. I completely forgot that devils could do something like that. It made me wonder if it’s similar to my illusion spells, but I don’t think so. Devils don’t use specific elements and magic types. Aside from clan traits, demonic magic does everything else.

Anyway, I only bothered to save that man for three reasons.

First, because I’m one of the ‘good guys’. It wouldn’t look pretty on my record if I let an innocent person die, especially in front of my ‘good guy’ friends. If I had told them to stand down or said something callous, I imagine I’d lose affection points with everyone present.

And that’s not good. I think something like that would get me to lose the perk I got from maxing out Ichi’s affection, and I don’t want that to happen. Sure, I can just regain it any time, but why lose it in the first place?

The second reason I got involved was out of spite. Those Barracuda fuckers ruined my night. I needed that chocolate lava cake, goddamn it. How dare they show up and stop me from getting what I deserve? I was on the verge of crushing their entire shitty gang.

If I’m not allowed to get my dessert, then I might as well use a few punching bags to let off some steam and enjoy my time. I haven’t really punched anything for a while now. We hadn’t been training since before the exams, and I was a little worried I’d gotten rusty.

Sure, it doesn’t help that we’ve been bullying common low-class mobs, but it’s something at least.

I exit the bedroom and close the door behind me, letting the blond rest as I return to the group to discuss what happened. Everyone’s waiting for me in the living room. We quickly returned to the resort once Asia passed out, knowing that lingering in Honolulu after what we did would be a bad idea.

“How’s she?” Ichiban is the first to speak.

“She’s fine. Just tired.” I respond.

“That’s good.” He says. “It must’ve been hard for her.”

“So hard that she blinded me for a second there.” I snort. “I’ve never seen her Twilight Healing respond to her that well.”

I was keeping an eye on the man’s stats when she was healing him, and his HP went from like 2 to full in a fraction of a second. In fact, his HP went past full. For a moment, it was showing 200 out of 100.

I’m not wholly sure, but I think Asia was actually tapping into Twilight Healing’s Balance Breaker. For a stranger she had never met. Obviously, I don’t care, but I don’t like that Asia cares too much about people she doesn’t know. Being compassionate makes her extremely easy to take advantage of.

However, it’s clear she hasn’t awakened her Balance Breaker just yet, but that glimpse of it is more than enough to make me very interested.

I also found it interesting that someone was watching us—specifically Asia. There weren’t any cameras around, so I couldn’t sense or pinpoint the culprit, and something told me it was not Raynare stalking me again.

Whoever they could be, they’re good. Are they related to the Barracudas? If yes, then they shouldn’t be underestimated.

“So what are we gonna do now?” Issei nodded. “I mean, we beat them up, and you even killed two of them— The police is probably gonna get involved now.”

“No, it’s more than that,” Kiba shakes his head. “That gang isn’t normal. They’re most definitely related to the supernatural. Police might be the least of our worries.”

Yup. And this brings me to the third reason I bothered with this.

At first, when the Barracudas showed up, I thought it was kind of weird how every single one of them had the same body build. They’re all jacked to hell and back, and I thought maybe it was the work of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids. So, I felt curious enough to use Observe on them. See how strong of a boost things like that can be.

I was surprised to see that their physical stats were within the 90-120 range. For reference, the average stat is 10, and an Olympic athlete would have about 30ish as an absolute maximum. These Barracudas' stats have put them at a low-class level, which isn’t normal.

So, they must be from a supernatural faction. No drug in the human world can turn someone from baseline human-level to low-class tier.

Which actually made me hesitate to get involved at first. If they’re part of a faction, then it’s one I’m not familiar with. One I know nothing about. As confident as I am in my own power and the faction I’m part of, I don’t want to make an enemy like that.

Especially when we’re being watched.

I know when to be careful and when to show my cards. Trying to pick a fight with an unknown adversary would be a stupid move, particularly when it’s easy to gather information on me, seeing how popular I’ve become.

Granted, I do have a bunch of backup hidden weapons, but they’re hidden for a reason. Not even my closest allies know about my illusion magic, Excelsis, Devour, and Nemesis, and I don’t plan on showing anything any time soon.

I’m just a very powerful human Cryomancer with Yokai ancestry, and I want to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.

Hell, even with the Amon clan, who basically know everything about me, I know how they operate. I know they’re good with technology and that they want me to join them. That’s some information I can work with.

But whoever these people are? I know jackshit. Naturally, considering where we are, it’s a big possibility that these Barracudas actually work for the CIA.

This doesn’t help much, seeing that I barely know anything about them, but it does give me an idea. If these people are part of the CIA, then I need to draw their attention somehow. Why would I do such a thing when I know nothing about them?

Because this is a trap for them.

The CIA should know who I am, so they’re not going to retaliate, considering what I did was just beat up a few of their fodders. At worst? They’ll snitch to the Tojo Clan, and I’ll get a warning not to do something like this again.

At best, and what’s likely to happen, they send a messenger telling us to stay away. After so many achievements, I’ve made a big name for myself, so unless they want to offend me, they’re gonna address me properly—face to face.

When that happens, they won’t notice the Spyder latching onto their agent, who will lead me to their real base. From there, I’ll know everything I need to know about the CIA, making it very easy to compromise them with my tech.

If this isn’t the CIA, though? Well, it shouldn’t be a problem. I already put a few Spyders on their mobs before we left. In fact, these rats have already led me to their den. 

Idiots. Raiding this place would be so easy. But for now, I think it’s best we lay low. See if the CIA will try to contact us any time soon.

“Yuuta’s right.” I nod. “We might’ve pissed off a real faction with what we just did.”

“It’s Yuuto.”

“So what, we should’ve left that guy to die?” Ichiban questions.

“Not what I said,” I reply with a roll of my eyes. So dramatic. “Only telling you that there might be consequences for what we did.”

“Like what?” Issei asks.

“Like being kicked out of Hawaii for one.” I shrug.

“Seriously?!” Issei’s eyes widen.

“But we just got here!” Ichiban complains.

“I’m not saying this is what’s going to happen.” I clarify. “It’s just a possibility, as small as it may be.”

“Yes. Depending on the offense, we could be told to leave Hawaii. Possibly the US as a whole.” Kiba adds with a nod. “But it’s highly unlikely. We may have struck first, but we did so protecting an innocent civilian.”

“This is also assuming that whoever we attacked is even part of the supernatural government of America,” I explain. “This could just be a dumb gang led by a dumber moron who’s supernaturally aware.”

The two visibly relax at that.

“Why didn’t you start with that?” Ichiban sighed. “Almost gave me a heart attack.”

“What should we do?” Koneko questions. “Should we go back?”

“No.” I shake my head. “We’ll lay low in the resort for two or three days and wait for a representative. If nobody shows up, then those Barracuda idiots are fair game.”

“Fair game?” Kiba blinked.

“We’re going to crush them,” I explain. “And I mean it. We’re dismantling the entire group.”

“Huh?” Issei looks at me in surprise. “But how? I mean, should we really get that involved?”

“They know who we are.” Koneko points out. “They’ll start looking for us anyway.”

“That’s true.” Kiba hums. “And if they’re powerful enough to bend the police to their will, then hiding from them while in Honolulu would be difficult.”

“So either we spend the rest of our vacation in the resort twiddling our thumbs,” I cross my arms. “Or we take over Honolulu ourselves and kick those motherfuckers out.”

I’m still mad about my lava cake, damn it.

“Akane’s right,” Ichiban says. “You heard what that waitress said. They go around parades harassing and killing people, thinking they own the city. We can’t let that go on any longer.”

“I guess I can agree with that.” Issei rubs his neck. “What about Irina and Xenovia?”

“They’ll be fine,” Kiba answers. “They weren’t with us. The Barracudas shouldn’t know about them.”

Which we can use to our advantage. I just need to figure out how to do that.

“It’ll be like the good old days.” I giggle, glancing at my boyfriend. “Right, Ichi?”

“Hell yeah.” He smirks, cracking his knuckles. “Honolulu is awesome, but I can’t lie; my fists are starting to feel itchy. I was waiting for someone to start some shit.”

“But how are we supposed to do that?” Kiba questions. “We don’t know where their base of operations is.”

I pause and bring up a recording of the Spyders showing me where the little rats are hiding.

They’re in District Five below a massive homeless encampment inside a derelict building complex. It’s in the middle of the city, about a ten-minute walk from Anaconda Shopping Center. The base consists of a big network of underground tunnels. Somewhat confusing, but I don’t need to map out the area. I know where they are, and that’s all I need. 

Unfortunately, I shouldn’t have any way of knowing where these Barracudas might be hiding, so I’ll have to act oblivious for now.

I leave the Spyders there and have them scan for anything that could cause trouble. Again, I don’t know much about the Barracudas, and as weak as their foot soldiers might be, they could be hiding a secret weapon.

But now that we have the upper hand, we should be able to wipe them out easily.

“Isn’t it simple?” I interject. “We find one of them and beat the information out of him.”

“Ice Queen is so straightforward,” Koneko says blankly. Though, I detect a hint of approval from her.

“What if they don’t have the information we desire?”

“Then we’ll cause enough chaos to lure out someone higher-ranking.” I shrug.

“That could work.” Ichiban agrees. “I mean, think about it. A feared criminal organization getting their asses kicked by a bunch of teenagers. Unless they send someone out to set things straight, people won’t take them seriously anymore.”

“Then we have a plan,” Issei says. “We stay here for a few days. If no representative shows up, we get our hands dirty.”

“Pretty much.” I nod. “It’s really nothing complicated. If anything, one of us can probably do it alone.”

The moment I say that, I realize something that makes me pause. Actually…

…Why even bother invading them together? I can go there myself under cover of the night and slaughter every single one of the Barracudas. I’d be alone, which is perfect because then nobody would see me devouring souls.

I mean, come on, a whole group of low-class level souls? And away from the eyes of the yakuza? I can’t say no to that. It’s a huge opportunity to grow my stagnating power. The little entertainment-type quests I’ve gotten while here aren’t doing it for me.

What can I say? I’ve been feeling a little hungry.

All I need to do is make a contingency plan in case I encounter a powerful opponent. Naturally, as I’ve said before, I’m very confident in my own strength, and while I don’t really care about the collateral in case a battle gets too destructive, it would draw way too much attention to my evil persona.

I’d rather cut my losses and escape if it came down to it.

Then again, I’m a little worried about the presence watching us back there. I don’t know where they are or who they might be. Anyone who knows about my other persona has to die. Yes, the Amon included. But that will have to wait.

“What’s up?” Ichiban asks me, noticing my thoughtful frown. “You got any ideas?”

“No, it’s nothing.” I wave it off, picking a controller off the ground and sitting on the couch. “Anyway, enough about dumbass gangsters. Who’s down to get their ass kicked in Mario Kart?”

Honestly, I don’t know. Should I really take the risk? I don’t feel them watching me right now, so it might be possible to strike the Barracudas’ base and devour every soul there without that strange presence knowing who I am.

But at the same time, I don’t know what kind of method they’re using to spy on me. Is it through magical means? Technological? Are they hidden in plain sight somewhere? I don’t know anything, and it’s bothering me way too much.

If I do hit their headquarters, it’ll most definitely draw enough attention that this stranger will trace me back to the resort. Yes, the hiding in the dungeon tactic could work, but I can’t risk it because I don’t know how they’re doing it. Maybe the moment I pop out of the dungeon, I’ll instantly be back on their radar.

…No, I can’t risk it. A few hundred low-class souls aren’t worth the issues this could cause.

Fuck me; my metaknowledge helped a lot, didn’t it? Maybe it’s time I get a word of advice from an expert. It’s hard to find someone I can have a real conversation with, especially about these kinds of things.

Fortunately for me, the infamous Devil King is a good pal of mine.

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

– Mizuki –

Swirling the shot glass of whiskey in her hand, Mizuki sighed and rubbed her temples, trying to soothe her growing anxiety. She had always found the ticking of the grandfather clock oddly calming. It’s why she loved this bar the most.

Back in Kiyohara after what felt like years, Mizuki had decided to say hi to the locals after she’d visited Tatsu. Not to brag or anything, but she and Akane were celebrities in their hometown. After all, Mizuki was the undefeated champion of Mahjong. Even global masters had failed to usurp her throne of the greatest Mahjong Player. Her daughter’s reputation, on the other hand, was a lot more violent. Naturally.

Apparently, the delinquent groups had a massive party after she and Akane had left the town, celebrating that the ‘One-Eyed Oni’ wouldn’t bother them anymore. It made Mizuki pity them, but to be fair to her daughter, she didn’t do anything unless she was provoked.

Even though she was very easy to provoke, but she digressed. She’d just felt like visiting her favorite bar. After exchanging a few words with the owner, he was nice enough to give her the place for herself. In return, Mizuki had to take care of the place for some time.

Despite her drinking, Mizuki had no plans to get herself drunk tonight. Just a glass or two to calm her nerves. Besides, she was a trusted customer. This wasn’t the first time she’d had the bar for herself. Thankfully, this place was kind of niche. She doubted anyone would come here.

Mizuki sipped from her glass, enjoying the silence in her lonesome. She hated being stuck in her own thoughts, but with a drink in hand, that changed. Honestly, she didn’t remember the last time she’d had alcohol in this kind of environment.

What she was about to do might just be one of the stupidest things she could ever do, but she needed to do this. She had to.

She glanced at the small black button on the countertop next to the bottle of whiskey. A device that she’d kept hidden for years. When her twin brother had backstabbed their father, he’d decided to give her this button in case she ‘changed her mind’.

As if he was counting on her to abandon her husband and child and rejoin his family of monsters. She didn’t know what was going on in his head at the time. He explicitly told her that he’d leave her alone as long as she and Tatsu kept their mouths shut about the Amon Clan. Then he turned around and gave her this? Was he hoping she’d come back to the Amons?

It pissed her off just thinking about it, and it pissed her off more that she didn’t immediately crush the button in her hands. Instead, Mizuki had kept it. Hidden it. Hoped that she would never get to press this blasted button. 

Because then, it would mean that he and their father were right. That she couldn’t change. At the same time, wouldn’t keeping that button prove them correct? She didn’t know why she’d do such a thing. Why did she hesitate to destroy it so much?

Mizuki huffed in frustration before she gulped down the rest of her drink. Though, as annoying as it made her feel, at least her reason wasn’t to rejoin them. Mizuki would rather die before ever doing such a thing.

As she felt the familiar presence shifting near her, Mizuki scoffed.

“So much for the Amon’s excellence.” She said with a venomous tone. “What took you so long?”

“You’re no priority of mine.” Her brother responded. “You should be thankful that I bothered to answer your call.”

Mizuki said nothing to that. Her eyes narrowed as Jo went to sit on the stool next to hers, resting his elbows on the countertop while folding his hands in front of his face. This surprised her a little— he seemed a little too relaxed.

Naturally, Mizuki wasn’t strong enough to defeat him on her own. Not when she was yet to break her seal, but her brother almost never relaxed unless he was in the Amon headquarters. Even against those weaker than him, he’d always be on guard.

Seeing this, Mizuki took her chance.

“So then—” Her brother started.

But she was already on the move, creating a small ice dagger in her hand and swinging it at his face. Within a fraction of a second, the tip of the small blade was less than a centimeter away from his forehead— a mere hair’s width away from ending his life.

However, Mizuki stopped as she felt the barrel of a gun pressing against the back of her head. In that instant, another presence revealed itself. One which she didn’t entirely recognize. Another Amon. But one she didn’t know.

“—why have you called me?” Jo continued as if the freezing tip of her dagger wasn’t on the verge of digging into his skull. “I can’t imagine you want to be let into the clan again. After all, the legendary Rin Amon died years ago.”

Mizuki remained quiet, silently debating if she should risk a bullet going into her brain if it meant she could kill this bastard before—

“I wouldn’t recommend it.” The other Amon agent said with a playful tone, almost as if he read her mind. “I’m real confident in my speed, y’know. You’d drop dead before you break through the skin.”

She took a moment to think this through. She didn’t really believe this upstart, but if he was able to get here without her noticing, then he was no joke. Even if she was able to kill Jo, she would probably die as well.

Mizuki exhaled, calming her killer instincts. And she couldn’t afford that. She couldn’t die and leave Akane alone like this. It wasn’t her time yet. Not until she was absolutely sure that her daughter was forever safe from them.

She dispelled her dagger and returned to her drink. The gun stuck to her head was then pulled away, letting Mizuki glance at who this young agent could be, and he looked almost exactly like her brother. 

“Smart choice.” He snickered. “I don’t think I would’ve been cool with killing my own auntie, to be honest.”

So this was Jo’s son? The Amon agent that Akane met during Kokabiel’s invasion of Kuoh. He had to be. He called her auntie, and she could feel the yokai blood running through his veins.

Something about him feels different. Mizuki noted.

It was hard to tell. But she shelved that thought for now as her brother spoke once more.

“If you called me here to watch you throw a tantrum, get it over with already.” He said. “I have more important business to attend to.”

Mizuki sat silently, her eyes locked on him, uncertainty brewing within her. With a slight tremble, she poured another glass of whiskey from the nearby bottle. The cold air enveloped them, thickening the silence that weighed heavily in the room. As she contemplated the questions that had haunted her since the tournament, she felt the tension rising every second.

After another exhale, Mizuki worked up the courage to speak.

“Why Akane?” She questioned. “What does she have that you find so important?”

Her brother said nothing, making her continue.

“You’ve broken so many of the Amon rules just for her,” Mizuki added. “You’ve thrown away everything you were taught in a failed attempt to recruit her. The clan’s anonymity was its strongest weapon, and now, many leaders know who you are. What gives?”

She just couldn’t understand it. Yes, Akane’s growth was absurd, even by a prodigy’s standards. And as an Amon by blood, the clan would love to have her be a part of them. Mizuki was sure they were willing to sacrifice a lot just for her. But that much?

It didn’t make sense. How desperate were they? She had to be missing something—a crucial piece of information. Could her brother have changed how things worked within the clan? No, it couldn’t be. He was always as cautious as their father. Had they found something, perhaps?

Mizuki anxiously awaited his response as Jo took off his shades, putting them aside. His eyes were just like hers— black irises and light blue pupils. The Yokai heritage they shared. One she had never seen him awaken until now.

“Do you know how the universe is structured?” He said.

Mizuki was taken aback by this random question. Although she knew a bit about astronomy and physics, she felt that this wasn’t what he was referring to, so she paused for him to explain.

“It does not merely encompass the ever-expanding cosmos of the human realm. It’s much larger than that.” Jo started. “The Underworld, the Infinite Heavens of Yahweh, Yggdrasil— all of these dimensions, finite or otherwise, are confined within our universe.”

Mizuki remained quiet.

“And yet all of it— This magnificent macrocosm is surrounded by the nigh impenetrable layer. An infinite void where very few can survive its climate. One we know as the Dimensional Gap.” He continued. “The birthplace of Ophis. Home of the Great Dragon of Dreams. A world of nothingness.”

“Get to the point.” Mizuki scowled, losing her patience. “What does any of this have to do with my daughter?”

“Have you ever wondered what lies beyond it?” Jo said, ignoring her irritation.

“I…” She paused, a little surprised by the question. “…Can’t say I have. I never was interested.”

“Care to make a guess?”

Mizuki only cared to punch him in the face, but she played along for now.

“Nothing?” She answered. “It’s an infinite void.”

“Incorrect.” He said blankly. “The Dimensional Gap is a mere wall. It’s what separates us from the greater multiverse.”

“What?” Mizuki’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying the multiverse exists?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “And it’s inhabited by monsters beyond anything you could ever imagine.”

Mizuki didn’t know what to say. For the first time, she’d sensed fear in her brother’s voice.

“And they’re coming here. Perhaps in four or five years.” He added. “ And when they come, it’ll all be over. Not even the combined strength of every faction would pose a challenge.”

“What are you on about?” She questioned, feeling confused and a little frightened.

“I’m saying the end of the world is near.” He simplified it, looking at her directly. “And the only one that can stop it is your daughter.”

Mizuki moved, her powerful aura sending the wooden stools crashing to the floor and shattering the glass bottles on the shelves. With a fierce grip, she seized her brother by the neck, her dark hair turning white as her energy surged around her.

In her overwhelming anger, the air rapidly cooled, transforming the counter and floor into a glistening sheet of ice. This reflected her poor control over her own strength—even when it was sealed.

Once again, she felt the barrel of a gun pressing against the back of her head, but she couldn’t care less.

“You will leave my daughter out of your fucked up agendas.” She growled.

“The world depends on her—”

“I don’t care what kind of idiotic prophecy you stumbled on—”

“It’s not a prophecy.” He scowled. “I lured them here. I’ve seen them.”

Mizuki paused, becoming confused again.

“How do you think I knew about the multiverse? For years, we’ve been working on a device that could help us see what lies beyond the Dimensional Gap.” He added, his expression quickly relaxing. “And when we got it working, I saw them. And they saw me back. I’ve made them aware of our world.”

Mizuki gritted her teeth.

“It’s only a matter of time before they invade our world. Your daughter is our only hope.” He said. “She must be trained in our ways—”

“Akane isn’t your weapon.” She snarled. “She’s not a tool to be used. She’s her own person. She’s my fucking daughter.”

“You’ve seen what she’s capable of.” Her brother argued. “The bizarre way her power rises. Her absurd talent and growth. Such potential must be realized—”

“And it won’t be through your filthy, bloodstained ways.” Mizuki cut him off. “I don’t care what you saw. I don’t care what kind of eldritch gods you lured to our world. I will NOT hand my daughter to you or your family of bloodthirsty monsters.”

Jo remained silent.

“She’s not an Amon. She will never be.” She reiterated. “She is my and Tatsu Amamiya’s daughter. She’s my little girl, and I’ll be damned if I let any of you lay a finger on her. Her destiny isn’t to be a cold-blooded murderer like you.”

Mizuki let go of his neck, hatefully glaring at her brother. She truly and honestly did not care what he’d seen if he was even being truthful, and if he actually thought some ‘end of the world’ excuse was going to make her understand, then he underestimated the lengths she’d go to for her own daughter.

Nothing in this world could stop her from protecting Akane. Nothing.

“If I ever see you or hear you were around her in any way.” She narrowed her eyes, her tone as cold as ice. “I will personally crush the clan. Are we clear?”

Her brother stayed quiet for a few moments, studying her face before grabbing his shades that had miraculously survived her killing presence.

“Lower your weapon, Shin.” He told his son. “We’re leaving.”

Mizuki took that non-response as a yes because both of them knew that she was very capable of killing each and every one of their agents with her bare hands if it ever came down to it.

Her nephew, now she knew named Shin, did as he was told with a hum, following his father toward the exit.

“I pity you, Mizuki,” Jo said, stopping at the door. “Watching your obliviousness slowly cost you your daughter as everything you’ve built crumbles around you without you realizing it.”

“What do you mean?” Mizuki said, feeling confusion and creeping dread from that ominous statement. “What are you talking about?”

“I wonder.” He replied blankly. “But know this: Akane is an ambitious soul. She will join her true family out of her own volition once she realizes your weakness. That only we can offer her what she needs.”

“Bullshit.” Mizuki clenched fists. “Akane would never do such a thing. She knows right from wrong and the kind of animals you are.”

Her brother chuckled at that—something she’d rarely seen him do.

“This blind faith is exactly why you will lose your precious daughter.” He said. “Just as you lost your husband before her.”

With an enraged roar, Mizuki released the strongest spell she could muster— An ice javelin with enough concentrated magic that it could kill a Satan-class being. Only for it to shatter against an invisible wall surrounding the two Amon agents.

“Goodbye, Mizuki,” Jo muttered, exiting through the door.

“For what it’s worth, it’s been nice meeting you, Auntie.” His son waved. However, Mizuki didn’t know if he was being genuine or if he was mocking her. “Hopefully, we’ll meet under better circumstances next time, yeah?”

With that, he quickly left, going after his father. Mizuki panted in exhaustion as her hands trembled heavily, grimacing at the stinging sensation in her head. She’d nearly lost control and broken her seal— in the middle of her hometown.

She fell to her knees, seeing her own blurry reflection in the ice created by her magic leaking from her body. Her hair was snow white, and her eyes were fully blue. They weren’t returning to their original colors.

Mizuki inhaled and exhaled deeply, getting her breathing under control as she stared at the door. She knew that going after them wouldn’t matter, as their presence had already left the area, likely having teleported away.

Clutching her chest, Mizuki felt a sense of relief. That was too close for comfort. She was one mild inconvenience away from engulfing half of Asia in a perpetual snowstorm.

She stood up and stared down at herself, seeing her still quivering hands before sighing. She didn’t know what Jo had been trying to do when he’d said that about her daughter, but she wouldn’t let him get into her head.

Mizuki knew that if she got the seal on her magic safely removed, she could keep Akane safe from any threat in this universe and the next. 

She knew what she had to do. But she didn’t know how she was supposed to do it.

…

…It was a long shot, but perhaps it was time Mizuki had the opinion of the one who’d created the seal.

She could handle a few “I told you so’s” by a smug Kyuubi.

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

– Akane –

“So you wish to raid the organization alone to consume the souls of its members,” Lucifer wonders out loud, a hand on his chin. “But you fear this unknown presence gaining leverage over you by possibly learning your true identity.”

“Pretty much,” I confirm, working on my clone bot. “I have too much to lose to do something so reckless, but I also don’t want to waste this opportunity.”

Alone with the Devil King in my work-in-progress secret base, I decided to use the few hours I had alone to continue working on one of my other projects. I could help the little bots working on the base, but they have it covered.

It’s still pretty much a dingy cave at this point, but it’s a big dingy cave, so there’s enough space here that I can start working on other stuff. I just needed a table, a chair, and some of the tools I left back home, which I managed to sneak into and snatch from.

As for why I’m working on the clone bot so soon? Because it’s not gonna build itself, and I’d rather get it over with as soon as I can. As I’ve discussed with Lucy before, I know it’s not going to be useful on its own, seeing that anyone can just sense its presence, or lack thereof, and tell it's fake.

But building the body itself is the boring, time-consuming part, and I’d rather be done with it once I’ve figured out a way to trick people into thinking that the clone is the real me. To do that, I think I’m gonna need that Agaresite material Lucy told me about. The one used to make Excelsis.

I’m sure it won’t be that simple, but Excelsis has its own presence that’s kind of similar to Lucifer’s. Meaning it’s possible to do the same thing with the clone bots. Probably at a much better degree, seeing that Excelsis was made of too many materials from too many pantheons.

The question now is how and when I should raid that island for its materials. I have no way of going to the underworld, but I do have a few Spyders there still connected to Nemesis, so I just need to make a machine that can open a portal there. It shouldn’t be too hard to build.

As for the when? Not sure. I’ll need to map out the entire island and its surroundings because while I say I want to ‘raid’ it, but really, I’d rather just take what I need without anyone noticing. Granted, it’d be impossible to make the connection between this invader and me, but it’s better not to make them alert.

Guess I’ll have to think about it for a bit more.

“Hmm, have you perhaps considered striking after you and your friends are done with them?” Lucy offers. “After all, you’d be somewhat obligated to avoid killing them, seeing the difference in power. They’ll all be alive for you to devour later.”

I pause and frown. That’s… kind of a strange advice. It’d give investigators hunting down my other persona something to work with. It might work now, but it’s terrible for me in the long run, and I’m 90% sure he knows that too.

Weird.

I decide not to call him out on it, though. Just in case I’m overthinking it. Even though he’s dead, I don’t want to piss him off.

“No. That will make things harder in the long run,” I argue. “It might make a connection between me and my other persona. Also, if we dismantle their group, it’s doubtful they’d be in one place. They’ll scatter.”

Lucifer hums in thought.

“And even if they don’t, it might come off a little suspicious. Remember, I have no way of knowing where they’re hiding right now. If I strike now, no one will be able to frame me as the perpetrator.” I point out. “It would’ve been a foolproof plan if not for this presence I felt back in Honolulu.”

“I suppose it would’ve been.” He agrees. “Though, I’m a little perplexed. You seem to care about this far more than I thought you would.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re mere low-class. Nothing to you.” He clarifies. “Even devouring a hundred souls won’t make a difference.”

“Yeah, but how many organizations have something like that?” I argue. “Think about it. I can’t directly attack any of the biblical factions or any pantheon. The CIA isn’t weak and controls the most powerful human country, and the Yakuza are on my side.”

“Your point being?”

“The Barracudas are weak as far as we know, but they’re way stronger than any regular human gang,” I explain. “Yet they’re not strong enough to cause any huge trouble if they were to disappear.”

How do I know this? Because the location isn’t the only thing my Spyders have shown me. First, the chance that the Barracudas are working for the CIA is only going down.It just doesn’t make that much sense— there’s nothing special about them. No weapon or anything they could be hiding. Just a group of drugged and brainwashed homeless people used to scare the locals into submission. Why would the CIA even bother with that?

On the off chance I'm wrong, and the CIA is involved, then they're shadowy backers and aren't entirely connected to the Barracudas. Which is a risk I'm willing to take if I decide to strike.

Hell, they even have a leader. He’s called Dwight Mendez, and his group are allies with a more low-key gang called the Ganzhe, seemingly a chinese organization. Granted, I don’t know much about them either, but at least I’ve confirmed that the CIA isn’t officially backing them.

And last I checked, the US and China don’t really like each other that much.

That’s not enough information to really satisfy me, though. I mean, I don’t even know where this Dwight asshole lives or what his deal is since none of his minions know all that much about him either, but I guess it’ll do for now.

I’m gonna guess that he’s the one who’s been watching us.

“I see.” Lucy nods. “Then how about a decoy?”

I pause at his suggestion, giving him full attention.

“Decoy? What do you mean?”

“You have the tools needed to force this stranger to show his hand without having to do the same.” He explains. “You’re in a position to force him to make a mistake.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Isn’t it simple?” He raises a brow. “You have the resources to build a decoy, yes?”

“Oh…” I narrow my eyes in thought as I understand his advice.  “Huh. That makes sense. Why didn’t I think of that?”

I can just build a robot here and send it to scare him off by killing a few of his minions. That’ll maybe lure him out of his hiding spot, and once he’s out, getting rid of him would be easy. Then, his entire little gang would be ripe for the taking.

If killing his minions doesn’t do the trick, then I’ll try damaging his base in a way that’ll force him to care. I’m sure there’s something important enough that’ll piss him off enough if I were to destroy or steal it. Maybe a document or a weapon or something.

Hell, it can also work as a test to see how well Nemesis pilots robots during combat. He’s done a fantastic job when it comes to research and work bots, but I’ve yet to see his performance during battle.

“This could work.” I nod. “I guess I’ll have to switch my work schedule around. The clone bot will have to wait until I build a new combat bot that’ll do the job.”

Using my armor is a no-no because my friends know about it. Need something new, maybe with the same design philosophy as my gauntlet.

“Naturally.” He agrees. “Although, this reminds me.”

“Hmm?”

“The Nekoshou girl.” He mentions. “Have you come up with a way you can deal with her?”

“Koneko, you mean?” At his nod, I hum thoughtfully. “A few.”

“Do tell.” Lucifer smiles, looking at me with interest. “I’ll admit, not having the opportunity to manifest does get a little irritating.”

“First of all, killing her is out of the question if that’s what you’re hoping for.” I deny. “If she dies, Rias will be immediately alerted as the evil piece she used on Koneko returns to her.”

“Which will cause a thorough investigation that could lead them to you.” He says. “Fair enough. Then what do you suggest?”

“Make a mechanical clone of her,” I answer, tapping on my own clone. “While kidnapping the real one and imprisoning her in a place where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Truth is, while I do like the pipsqueak’s attitude and blunt nature, I hate how close she’s trying to get to Ichiban. I don’t know if she’s aware of our relationship or not, but I can’t let her influence him. I can’t let her get close to Ichiban when he’s already very close to someone like Arakawa. 

Ichiban belongs to me. He’s mine. Like Arakawa, Koneko is a threat that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Not only that, but Koneko’s Senjutsu makes her an annoyance. Even if I get my clone working with Agaresite, she’ll be able to notice the difference.

Because even though Agaresite can mimic my energy, it can’t mimic souls. She’ll figure it out instantly.

But getting rid of her is a lot easier said than done. As I said, killing her would be a huge mistake. Not only is she close to us, but on the off chance she manages to survive, I’d be utterly fucked.

So the best way is to lock her away somewhere in a place where she can’t make contact with her peerage or anyone else while replacing her with a loyal bot.

“A mechanical clone, you say? Fascinating.”

“It won’t be easy. Assuming I go through with it.” I say. “First thing first, I’ll have to get a lot of Agaresite. Once I’m sure the clone is good enough to trick people, I’ll think about how I should deal with Koneko.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” Lucy shrugs.

In the meantime, I guess it’ll be good if I have Nemesis study and record Koneko’s mannerisms in his database. Like he’s doing with me right now. But one thing at a time. Being overwhelmed with too many projects on my mind will only slow down progress.

I push the unfinished mechanical clone of myself away, taking my tools to build my first non-suit combat robot before an emergency notification from Nemesis interrupts, making my eyes widen in shock.

“Three out of fifty Spyders have been compromised.” My super AI says. “Initiating self-destruct sequence effective immediately.”

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– ??? –

He glanced at the broken bits of black metal in his hands, eyes narrowed in suspicion and concern. That’s one way to start his investigation. An unknown third party getting involved in something that didn’t concern them. And not just any faction, but one good with technology as well.

No, ‘good’ was underselling it.

He had been waiting for this Overseer to make a move ever since he’d been in Hawaii, and once those Barracudas decided to go on their little parades, he knew this was the chance to infiltrate their ranks and gather information.

So he followed some of them back to their base after their little scuffle with the Tojo kids and the devils, quickly discovering a lot of fucked up things about them. Like the countless homeless people they kidnap, brainwash, and inject with what they call the ‘super serum,’ creating a small army of low-class warriors.

But he’d expected something like this. He’d gotten a report about foul play like this before he took the mission. No, what truly interested him was what he sensed latching onto some of the Barracudas.

Tiny mechanical spiders that could barely be seen with the human eye—Advanced beyond anything he’d seen in his life as a CIA agent. A remarkable piece of machinery that, if not for his Sacred Gear, wouldn’t even have noticed.

And when he tried to take control of the thing, try to dismantle it, and see where it came from, it immediately blew itself up, taking away anything he could’ve used to pinpoint the source and owner of these small robots. So not only were they incredibly sophisticated, but whoever made them was cautious.

Whose machines were those? The only factions that relied on technology were the Yakuza of Kanto and Kansai, the CIA, and the Jingweon Mafia, which had been destroyed years ago. But this? He’d never seen anything like it. Its foundation and design didn’t match anything he’d come across.

He had no idea where these things came from, but this was a bad sign. Naturally, he didn’t know what they wanted or if they were good or bad, but an unknown faction joining the fray was the last thing he needed. He already had enough on his plate, what with those kids killing a few gangsters.

At least it was done for a good cause.

Magnus Rose exhaled through his nose, putting the broken pieces inside a plastic packet before pocketing it. His Unknown Dictator couldn’t restore it— the explosion wasn’t anything big, but it was concentrated and strong enough to vaporize anything he could’ve used for research. No circuit board, no nothing.

This conspiracy was becoming way too big for his liking.