Timeline – Volume 6
Mother of Devil's Daily Life 1
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Lilith's Soliloquy
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Time has passed since I left the Khaos Order. Eight days ago the war with them also ended. Jin—or his true identity, Aaron Toole had been busy. He had been leaving his home frequently while also bringing along a few of his lovers.
He even offered me to go with him, but I declined. I was skeptical that the devils of the Underworld would allow me much freedom, even though I could move around Kuoh and throughout Japan. But I was uncertain if my freedom extended beyond this country…however, the new generation of devils have been kind to me.
Even if I did not fight against them, my old body has contributed in the Khaos Order's plans and mischief. Super Devils being consistently born from my old flesh and whatever other experiments that were done to it, I did not bother finding out since it caused me discomfort. Yet…
"Ah, Lilith-sama, would you like to go to the rooftop top garden?" a young human female asked me. It was Shigune Nanaderu from the Slash/Dog Team. She like many others had started a small garden up there, and occasionally invited me.
"…Alright, I will accompany you, young Shigune," I replied. She smiled at me before her Sacred Gear manifested and appeared in her arms.
As we went up the stairs, I felt a few other life signatures up there. When we arrived, the other women of the Slash/Dog Team were there. Natsume, Kanami, Fusae and the former Lavinia Reni before she left the team.
"Shigune, you made it—ah, Lilith-sama, welcome. You're joining us today?" asked Kanami and I confirmed with a small nod of my head.
There were various flowers here provided by the Primordial Goddess Danu—an Irish Goddess. As a goddess, she keeps up her appearance as a human by owning many flower shops across the country of Ireland, she also changes her appearance slightly over time, so she won't be recognized. However, Suzaku Himejima, Lavinia Reni and the new…Velgrynd from another universe also brought over other floras.
"By the way, where did Aaron go today?" Natsume asked as we joined them at the section of the rooftop.
"I think…he went to the Philippines Pantheon? According to Penemue and everyone who went with him to capture Rubicante and retrieve Lilith-sama, they made contact with a Goddess over there, who was from that Pantheon," replied Lavinia Reni.
They turned their attention to me and I shrugged. "I do not know. That event may have happened before they reached the island I was supposed to teleport to. However, Aaron did mention it a few times as I was brought to Kuoh."
"Aman Sinaya, if I remember Griselda correctly. I think she was the goddess and protector of the sea and fishermen? I heard that they had a lot of fish and dishes based on them in that country…do you think Aaron will bring us there?" asked Kanami.
"Perhaps in the future, he does want to bring all of the supernatural together, and also, he wants to take us on several trips abroad—normally I mean, so…using planes and other vehicles," replied Lavinia.
"Does he have his license?" Shigune asked. She had been tending to the other plants while the rest made new pots to put flowers in.
"He plans on getting it after graduating since he wants to drive us when we go on the graduation trip. We're apparently going to hit up several places in Japan, and then once Asia-chan's year graduates, we'll go to different countries instead. So this year and next year will be full of exciting things!" Lavinia added and became rather excited.
I couldn't help but stare at the woman. It was obvious to everyone, yet they did not acknowledge it, nor do they say anything about it. But the bond between her and Aaron is deeper than the rest—even still, he treats them equally. It's quite curious…
I heard the concept of the 'Fated Ones' and one of them were here, while the others were in different parts of the world. Suzaku Himejima was in Kyoto to deal with the fall-out after the war, Danu was most likely in Ireland and Velgrynd…that dragon, I do not know where she went. She does whatever she wants, giving vague replies of 'Out', or 'Traveling to see the world'.
They were very vague, but Aaron still let her go. He has a lot of trust in his women—with such a large harem, some males would have some doubt in reality. But he doesn't, is it because he has his shadow soldiers in their shadow so he'll know if anything happens to them? Does he not fear of them cheating?
I wanted to ask this to them, but…it may be a sensitive topic.
"Lilith-sama, is something wrong? You've stopped moving," said Shigune. I looked in front of me and my hands had stopped moving and she had a look of worry on her face.
"…I have a question for all of you. You do not need to answer it if you do not wish to," I said. It's possible that I'll get a good answer in this group, so I'm willing to take the risk.
They all looked at one another and agreed, so they waited.
"Has the thought of cheating on Aaron Toole ever occurred to any of you? Or the fact that he keeps on getting more women? Do you not consider it cheating to some extent?" I asked.
I was aware of the stance of harems and multiple partners in the supernatural, but these girls were humans, even if some of them were immortal. Upon hearing this inquiry, they froze and stared at me.
"It's not like Aaron goes after every woman he sees," said Natsume.
"But one way or another, a woman will develop some kind of feelings towards him, correct? Whether that is romantic or something else entirely is left up to the future. I do admit that doesn't just seek women anymore—according to things I've heard," I replied to her.
It started off as that simple and idiotic wish—a harem, but it changed as he experienced more of the supernatural world. He is young and impressionable, so his goals slightly changed, even if the core/root of it were still the same.
"Cheating…it's a hurtful thing to do and it has never once come to mind," Lavinia said while frowning at the pot planet she was working on. "He has announced his intentions to the supernatural world, so any woman that develops feelings for him knows what they're getting themselves into."
She looked at me and continued. "While the concept of harems is mostly fantasy to humans, it's very real for the supernatural, as you know. Except for a few exceptions in cultures and religions and whatnot. I'm not sure if the rest know but…he does tell us if he's interested in someone at times."
"Or that person usually approaches us, if they do, or make their intentions very clear…I love Aaron, so I won't ever do that to him, and he has enough restraint to not just fuck any female he sees and you should know he has his own morals about this kind of thing," she said seriously, almost glaring at me.
The rest of the women here silently stared at her. This was until Natsume put a hand on her shoulder, and the face she made at me relaxed and shifted back to her usual one. I glanced around and a bit of ice started to form under her feet.
It was rare for Lavinia Reni to curse, so hearing her say that was quite surprising. Did I touch upon a sensitive topic?
"Well, the rest of us and I would assume the rest of the women around Aaron feel the same way. It's not like we can stop him or others from liking him. He hasn't told us of a limit either, so…we can only speculate. If you're curious, why not ask him when he's back?" asked Natsume.
"…Yes, I'll do that. My apologies if I struck a nerve, Lavinia Reni," I told her and slightly bowed.
"Ah…no, it's my fault for getting a bit angry too, I'm sorry," she said and also bowed.
After that, with a slightly awkward atmosphere, we continued our short gardening session.
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"Aaron, can I have a moment of your time?" I asked. He had arrived around two hours ago, had dinner with everyone and relaxed in his home.
I caught him as he entered the entrance hallway. He looked at me and came over. "What's up, Lilith?"
I nodded and told him of my inquiry towards the women of the Slash/Dog Team, as well as Lavinia Reni. Aaron seemed a bit surprised by this and then nodded.
"I see, so that's why Lavinia was a bit upset earlier. Well…I've already told several people my thoughts on this, so I'll just…" he gestured for me to step closer to him, and so I did. He poked my forehead gently and suddenly my brain was flooded with information about his thoughts on this topic.
I put a hand on my head after gaining all of that information. "I see, so that's how you feel about this…I will go apologize to her again," I told him.
"No, it's fine. I'll go speak with her, and hey, it's a natural question, so don't dwell on it too much. If you have any more questions, come ask me, Lilith," he told me and left.
I had many because I wanted to know more about him. However, even after finding out more about him (outer god, reincarnation) and the like, I feel like I'm still missing something. I'll ask others…perhaps the Lucifuge…?
Making my way to the kitchen, I found Raiko of legend, Inaie, a hybrid and Grayfia Lucifuge, as well as Scathach, and Aífe.
"Hmm? Ah, Lilith, what brings you here tonight?" asked Scathach.
"I have…a question for Grayfia Lucifuge," I said and looked at her.
"If it's within my power to answer, then I will, Lilith-sama," she replied. So I told her of my inquiry towards those girls this past day, and of Aaron's own answer.
Grayfia Lucifuge smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "Some of his views are a bit traditional, but I feel like he's slowly growing out of them…no, that wouldn't be right, more like…he's changing parts of his own ideals? For now, he and Natsume Minagawa started dating before their own feelings were confirmed with each other."
"—Like they were attracted to each other, but they weren't. I guess you could say, 'Liked' or 'Loved' each other," said Scathach and Grayfia agreed with her.
"Yes, something like that. In today's youth, that sort of thing is more common, no? Many start dating before they truly are attracted to each other beyond looks or 'having something in common'. Some don't fall for each other so they break up, while for some it works out. This is all due to my own research on the topic," explained Grayfia.
Traditional views and modern-day views. To us old devils, it's a strange thing to wrap our heads around. However, I would like to think I'm a lot more flexible than the old devils in the Underworld like Zekram Bael, and other old high-class noble devils.
"Then…to the question I asked them about cheating?"
The women there looked at one another. The one excluded in this was Aífe as I did not know her thoughts on Aaron. However, if she wants to comment on it, I won't stop her.
"I guess it's just our own opinions? I mean, I'm not in a relationship with Aaron, but I want to, and I know he's aware, but with everything that's been happening lately, there hasn't been much time, but I do spend time with him. Also, everyone here is more or less fine with it," answered Inaie.
Raiko moved behind her and then embraced her before she started stroking her head. "Although Aaron has said that you're like a troublesome little sister at times."
"I've been sister-zoned?!" Inaie asked in shock—her face looking pale.
"…T-that's not what I meant, Inaie," Raiko said in a panic.
Aífe, who also looked at the ground said, "Scathach and I were normal humans before we…changed. For me personally, I don't see a problem with what Aaron is doing—I've come across some people that also want harems, both male and female. Some are more unhinged than others. I think Aaron is quite slow and calm about it."
"To the topic of cheating, I believe it's how each person perceives it. Maybe to normal humans they may see it as them cheating, but polyamorous relationships are becoming a thing, but they're also not the same as harems since everyone in that relationship can go off and start new ones and I doubt the women he's with want to date other men, right?" Aífe asked them.
All of them there shook their heads. I see, so they have no desire to pursue other men, huh?
"Why is that? Surely there are other men out there that are…suitable for you?" I asked. However, after I said that, they seemed genuinely confused and thought about it for a long time.
"No one comes to mind," said the legendary figure, Raiko. "I've met many men who would be considered 'outstanding' or 'legendary', although I never thought of romance after I transcended, so…"
"Umu. Romance, for most of our lives wasn't the focal point, well, it changed when Aaron came around, didn't it? Most of the time, when he meets you, he had a curious look. He didn't have the supernatural in his previous life after all, so seeing us for the first time always peaks his interests," said Scathach.
"What do you mean by 'curious'?" I asked.
"It's like when you bring a child to a candy or toy store. They looked very excited to be there. That's the kind of look Aaron had. He would want to become your friend and find out more about you, though after that—"
"He's an idiot savant!" shouted Inaie, interrupting Grayfia who looked at her rather annoyed.
"Idiot…savant?" repeated Raiko looking confused.
"…Inaie…" Grayfia said while glaring at the poor girl. "As I was saying, he's just excited to meet new people since his original goal has shifted/changed. The fact that he's also the Middleman, Oppai Dragon and Dual Dragon Emperor, his reputation has grown a lot since he came onto the scene. More people are inclined to like him because many of his achievements are widely known."
"Like having max [Charisma] and [Luck] in video games. Then all the achievements he has increases those even further, so like his max [Luck] and [Charisma] is at 99, and that's the max, but those achievements allow them to go beyond it. Let's just say each good achievement is a [+1], then he'd have like 120 or something. I didn't keep an eye on how many things he'd done," explained Inaie.
Video games…the Dhampir, Gasper Vladi has shown me some, as well as the Nekomata Kuroka. They're interesting things, but…I see, if we put it like that, it's quite simplistic.
"If we compare it to that, then…no wonder people are charmed by him. Although the real world isn't a video game, but…because of his recent actions, the more people respect and like him—an equal amount will also grow wary of him. They do not know if he would switch sides suddenly, nor will they know that he won't just go berserk," I told them.
"Aaron is aware of that. Not everyone will like him, especially after he showed that power. Some will respect it, and many will fear it—he's the wild card of the supernatural after all. Even if he does go 'good' deeds and protect many people. There will always be fear of him changing," replied Scathach and the others there agreed.
I feel like we veered off topic, but, well it doesn't matter. I more or less know their feelings about this, and from what they told me, the rest feel the same way, so there's no point in asking them.
"…Well, thank you for answering my questions. I'll get going then." I nodded my head again before leaving the room.
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Another day arrived, and today…I was in the Underworld. I was let go after another (light) round of questioning. Even though the current Satans and government know that I have nothing else to offer up (information), the old devils won't stop asking me to talk, and try to recruit me back into their factions. It's quite irritating.
I, along with Rubicante, who was a former member of the [Malebranche] were also called here. However, many of the devils that found out of the existence of the [Malebranche] were shocked beyond belief when Aaron brought him back along with me a few months back.
Even now when they ask him the whereabouts, he answers with he doesn't know since his memories were wiped. At the very least, he's helping the alliance along with Avezza in making new Artificial Sacred Gears, and they've made significant progress so far, well, in the words of Azazel and Ajuka that is.
"Yo, Lilith-sama~!"
When I looked up, I saw Serafall Leviathan. We only see her on occasion in Aaron's home because of how busy the Underworld is nowadays. With the Rating Game scandal, arresting the old devils, corrupt officials and the aftermath of the war with the Khaos Order, a lot of things have been happening down here—especially change.
"Serafall Leviathan. How can I help you?" I asked.
[Are you doing a magical girl event?] asked Rubicante.
"Not today, but I did get word from Latia-chan that she wanted to test you with several things, if you don't mind that is," she said.
Latia…Latia Astaroth? She's also one of Aaron's lovers, but she hasn't been in his home for too long, and he's rarely there since she's the next head of the household, although I believe that will be passed down to someone else because she'll most likely marry Aaron. Would they even have any powerful or competent heir after Latia?
I heard that Dio Astaroth wasn't exactly the best candidate and the fact that he betrayed the Underworld to be part of the Khaos Brigade shows that he was already incompetent at it, and his power wasn't that strong either, the fact that he needed a boost in strength from a mere vial.
"Latia Astaroth, was it? Very well, I do wish to explore more of the current Underworld," I replied. I was mostly stuck in Aaron's home. Even if I had the freedom to move, I would be watched when I go out, so I would rather not deal with that.
Unless I do want to, and even then I would ask one of his women to accompany me (usually Grayfia), and I would inspect the town of Kuoh since it seems to be the central point of many things.
"Great! Let's get going, someone will be meeting up with us once we're there," she said and teleported us away.
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Once we arrived in the Astaroth territory, she immediately took us to a special room. Rubicante also accompanied us. She also said 'Ah, he can also come along, she may want to test his strengths too, especially after you two trained in Aaron's [Training Facility]'.
For a current Satan, she's quite brazen—almost too relaxed that it was a bit…strange, but her power and information network were real, as well as her negotiation skills. So she does fix the criteria's for being a Satan, even if she is a 'Magical Girl' and 'Eccentric'.
"Welcome, Lilith-sama," said Latia's voice. When I turned to its source, I saw Latia, with…a small girl with her and…another tall woman. Both of them seemed to be devils.
"Hello, Latia. These two are?" I asked and looked at the two devils. With them were other devils too, I believe they were their [Knights], except for the older woman, she seemed to have brought a human here.
"Ah, yes, the smaller girl is Iryuka Glasya-Labolas and the other is Vanaria Mammon. Iryuka brought her [Knight], so did I. Vanaria has her pact magician, she's Koharu Fujiwara," explained Latia.
I see…a Glasya-Labolas and Mammon, huh? The younger Glasya-Labolas is the weakest. She may be the only High-class here, not including the [Evil Pieces] they have. Latia is the strongest and…the Mammon woman seems to be around Ultimate-class to…around my former husband's level of power.
From what I previously heard, Serafall, Grayfia, Asteri, and Roygun were the strongest female devils currently. This was not including the new generation like Rias Gremory and Latia. She hadn't had any meaningful interactions with Aaron so far, so she reached that level of power by herself, didn't she? Another abnormality was born in this era…how terrifying.
"I see. I'm the Mother of Devils, Lilith. You may have heard of me in various text books in both the Underworld and the human realm. So, what did you need me for? To test my current demonic powers and abilities?" I asked.
"Yes, that's essentially, I wanted to do, and also…speak about something else. Jin is already aware of it, and everyone here is a member, including both of you. The current Satans managed to set it up as such," said Latia.
[Testing my powers, huh? It's been a while since I could let loose. I did die during the war though, hahaha!] bellowed Rubicante.
"Hmm. Then let us start," she said and created a powerful barrier around us.
"This is…Latia-chan, did you know how to make the barriers Jin makes?" Serafall asked with a bit of shock.
"Seekvaira Agares could make something similar, however, anyone stronger than her could destroy it, since the Agares did have [Time] as their clan trait. While mine isn't as efficient as Jin's…it will do for this. Now then," she said and clapped her hands.
I heard that Latia was both a devil from the Agares and Astaroth. Both families joining together and birthing her…what an interesting woman. With Aaron's help, she's definitely stronger than her uncle, the current Satan Ajuka. However, she has yet to find her own specialty or even mimic her uncle's powers. If she can…she would be a force to be reckoned with. Though she already is, but even more so if she does replicate it.
She's a smart girl—it wouldn't be beyond her to do such a thing, especially with the time given to them in that place.
The first test was physical tests. Rubicante blew them out of the water, and destroyed most of them, but it seems that she's numb to such things now. Perhaps something similar has happened with Aaron in the past?
Following that, he was tested on his demonic power, which was also quite high. It was around God-class and beyond. Rubicante was definitely a powerful individual. After his show of power, it was my turn.
I have trained in Aaron's [Training Facility] and I have grown stronger. However, I do not know if I could take on my former husband, or the current Khaos Order. But I think I can safely battle Ultimate to Satan-class devils and individuals. I did struggle to eliminate many enemies during the war that were above my own, but Rubicante, along with the others with us made it easier.
Though I also died during it so…
"Lilith-sama, it's your turn now," said Serafall.
I nodded and went to this…what is this? Sideways jumping? Whac-A-Mole? Punching machine? I know that this is supposed to be the physical test, but…some of them were strange, especially the Whac-A-Mole, and the highest score was some absurd number too.
Once I was done with the physical test part, I asked Latia, "Who was responsible for the high score…?"
Latia showed us a bitter smile and said, "Jin. It was also when I first requested for him, at the time I compared him to a cheat-like character in video games…and now I know the truth, he really is one."
"Eh? What do you mean, Latia?" Iryuka asked.
"…It's nothing. You'll learn about it when the next school year starts in Kuoh again. You'll probably learn the truth soon enough," she said and Iryuka tilted her head. "Let's start with the magic power portion then."
When it was done, Latia nodded and said, "Rubicante can be considered at least God-class, while Lilith-sama is around Satan-class. It seems your training in Jin's home did wonders. Now then, shall we discuss the next half in a more private room?"
Everyone agreed and we left for a different room. It resembled an office and Latia sat at her desk while the rest of us sat on the sofas and couches around the room. After a few maids came with drinks and snacks, Latia started.
"This is a discussion on the future organization that may become a reality soon. —Organization [EXE] (Eguze). As some of you know, Jin will be the leader of that two, it's comparable to the American CIA and the British MI6. My uncle wishes to set it up along with the other pantheon leaders and Satans."
"So we're all members? What will happen to Team [DxD]?" I asked. If Aaron leads both, will he be fine? He's taken on a lot of jobs and responsibilities, so it's not like he can't handle this…
"It's separate, and also, Jin can manage both. Anyway, Serafall-sama is part of it too, along with various leaders from the alliance. As I said earlier, it's comparable with the MI6 and CIA, so we'll be conducting various operations in lieu of [DxD]. Of course, the leaders will tell us in advance, and [DxD] won't be informed, or will be told that it's being taken care of," explained Latia.
"Is there an upcoming operation then? Usually, you wouldn't mention its existence unless something is happening," I said.
"No, however, more people from all factions and pantheons are being recruited now. With the heavy loss of the Khaos Order, along with the possibility of 'that' happening soon, it is unlikely that we will expect them to attack any time soon. But there might be other groups that might pop up in our world," said Latia as she summoned a magic circle.
It had various images and names of groups (?). I hadn't seen them before, so I can only assume. However, there was a group called [Vortex Bunch], [Tiles of Dog City], [Z-Team], and various others. None of them sounded threatening, but I shouldn't judge them by their group's names.
"The group called [Vortex Bunch] seems to be causing small disturbances across Japan. However, since they aren't that threatening, we haven't done anything about them. The worst they could do is expose the supernatural, but they're so…wacky, I guess? That most people won't take their group seriously."
Latia summoned another circle, and it was of Jin. It seemed to be a recording, and someone shouted about being part of the [Vortex Bunch] and fired water from their mouth. Aaron looked confused and back handed the monster/youkai-thing? And defeated it instantly. He shook his head and sealed his powers and handed them to a small group that was part of the alliance.
"As you can see…their combat prowess isn't anything noteworthy. Anyway, our next one is…[Tiles of Dog City]. This group is based in China, and they mostly live in mountainous regions, or large open fields where they can create their own sub-space."
"As for how powerful they are…it varies. According to the Chinese Pantheon, they're a medium level threat. There are some who are High-class in power and a few who are Ultimate-class. But that's the extent of their powers. Well, that was one of the initial investigations done on them. We plan on sending some [DxD] groups there to deal with them."
"Finally…" she dismissed the rest and made new magic circles that showed a new group. "The [Z-Team]. They're not an organization, but more of a group or team, just as the name suggests. They're like vigilantes doing…strange things. The most accurate way I can describe them is a mix of the Vali Team and the Slash/Dog Team."
She showed various images of the members, but most of them were blurry, or obstructed with various objects like a part of a building, planet or debris dust.
"In total, the [Z-Team] has twelve members. And as far as we know, they have four Sacred Gear wielders, the leader has one, and he's dangerous. Just like Vali Lucifer, he's a hybrid. Born from a human with bad intentions and Evil God, as for the evil god? We're not sure, but the god was from the Greek realm."
"Greeks? So someone related to Hades and the Alliance of the Evil Gods?" asked Vanaria.
"Yes. There is speculation from the Greeks that it may be Eris, the Goddess of Strife and Discord. The human was just one she had a one-night stand with, and for some unknown reason, gave birth to the child. Perhaps it was just a whim of the goddess? Either way, he was born with an unknown Sacred Gear."
"Jin speculates it can be considered the [New Longinus] that he and Azazel plan to identify it as. As far as he could tell it controls darkness, shadows and wind. It's quite versatile," explained Latia while showing various images and clips of the leader.
"The others…are just powerful humans and other races from the supernatural. As you can see there are some youkais, monster and even…a fallen angel and devil. As to who they are, we aren't sure. They may just be a stray devil and a rogue fallen angel, but that's only speculation," she added.
"The three others with Sacred Gear are two humans and another hybrid. This time they're a human and monster hybrid, so their base specs are already quite high. But their Sacred Gears are unknown, so…"
"We know nothing about their Sacred Gears. But it wouldn't be strange if they were also near 'Longinus-level', or at least a rare or unique type of Sacred Gear. For now, we will keep an eye on them, and the next time they attack, we'll send the main groups of [DxD] to confront them," she said.
"It would be safe to assume the devil we saw may be an Artificial Super Devil, right?" Serafall asked.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea to assume that, Serafall-sama. Aaron also said he went to Heaven, and modified God's system again, and allowed Fallen Angels to reach the ranks of power that's comparable to 'Super Devils' since he did it for angels back during their summer break."
"Eh?"
We all turned to…Iryuka as she stared at us in confusion. I then looked at Latia as she rubbed her forehead.
"That was my oversight," she said and walked over to Iryuka before whispering something.
"Eeeeh…?! He—you mean, is already—?!" Iryuka sounded shock. She may have heard that the God of the Bible is dead. However, knowing about that was essential to being in this new organization.
"I found out about it from Serafall Leviathan-sama, so I'm all good! Though, I was also pretty shocked, you know? Ah, Koharu also knows since I told her. It's fortunate that your [Knights] aren't here though. They're outside, right?" asked Vanaria.
"Yes. It wouldn't be wise to let them know of such things, anyway, with that…our meeting is finished. I will inform the future members of this again. I along with Fusae will assist Jin when the time comes. Of course, if there's anyone else that wishes to do it—you will be assessed," she added and we all got up.
[Ah, so…I've spoken to Jin before, and he wants to capture all the [Malebranche] and have them on our side too. He believes that having the [Evil Claws] part of the alliance will be a good thing. Though whether or not they'll be compliant will be something else entirely,] said Rubicante. He had stayed silent the entire time and listened in.
"That's a good point, actually," muttered Vanaria.
"It's fine, Jin knows how to deal with them. But I am curious as to whom he'll 'give' the [Malebranche] to in the future? Are you assigned to anyone yet, Rubicante?" asked Serafall.
He shook his head. [No. For now, I'm independent, and the current government wishes for me to join a peerage in the future, so the devil's side's power will also increase, but I'm also essentially part of Jin's subordinates, so I'm unsure on that.]
"Even if you're part his subordinates, it doesn't mean you can't join another group. There are many who wish to be under his leadership and are part of other groups too, you know? I heard the heir to the Nakiri is one of them," I told him.
"Right, he wants to be [Dual Dragon Emperor's Fist], and he's even training today in his home, though he can only do it for a few hours at most," said Latia.
I heard that Aurelia was in the talks with the Blazing Meteor Dragon Tannin. She wants to recruit his unruly son, Bova into her team, and like Ouryuu Nakiri, he wishes to be a subordinate to Aaron. However, I do not know if he wishes for a title like the young Ouryuu.
[Well, I guess you have a point,] grumbled Rubicante.
"Well, you're all dismissed. If you want, I can teleport you back to his home, Lilith-sama," offered Latia.
"I'm fine, I can get back on my own, thank you," I replied and left the room. I wanted to roam around this new capital for a bit. I hadn't done it before and Serafall decided to accompany me since she had time, and so did Rubicante.
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Timeline – Volume 6
A Timeless Karma
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Jin Skyward's Soliloquy
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By chance, and I mean this literally—by chance, on one of Mitsuya's reports, I asked those two where they kept Momiji Nakiri and they told me. She was being kept in a different space, just like Ajuka's and was put to sleep. I was going to wait until I evolved to look for her. However, I guess…this also works, though it did occur to me to ask them, but some other thing happened that made me ask about that instead.
Today, even though I was also stressed, I managed to ask this and…I plan on retrieving her. I'm not going to inform Ouryuu (Ryuuta) or anyone from the Nakiri clan since I wanted it to be a surprise.
I also asked why they kidnapped Momiji Nakiri, but I received a vague reply of 'She was necessary in keeping this place from pure destruction'. Momiji was the original owner of the Sacred Gear, [Telos Karma] and then Mitsuya somehow stole it for himself.
[Telos Karma], [Ultimate Karma] and…[History Breaker]. I personally believe it's one of the strongest since it can force or create options and choices for people. Not much is known about the Balance Breaker either. I can only speculate that it's broken too.
An example of its ability is…let say…I'm walking down the road. There are various instances that nothing would happen, but it can also influence me in a way that I would…trip and fall, or I would trip and stumble onto the road, and I would get hit by a car.
Though, if I base Mitsuya's Balance Breaker [Transcendental Arrival], then [Telos Karma] can straight up make an outcome happen from nowhere. How would you die from poison if you didn't take any? [Telos Karma] says fuck you, that's reality now. Well, that's in Mitsuya's case.
Not to mention his other Sacred Gear, [Innovate Clear]. Both combined, it makes the guy a literal god, though one of his monikers also helps with that fact. [The Man Who Impersonates God].
"Is something wrong, Aaron?"
I heard Suzaku's voice and I looked up. I had been in my office and had already let both Mitsuya and Kirino go, so I was alone. I hadn't heard her come in since I was so preoccupied. I smiled tiredly and sighed.
"Nah, I'm fine. I just have…something in mind, that's all. I'll be busy today—well, hopefully it won't be too long…this little self-contained adventure," I replied.
Suzaku tilted her head and walked over to me. "Care to share?" she asked and looked at my lap. I nodded and turned to my right and she sat on my lap.
"Well—" I told her about what I did with Mitsuya Kanzaki and his partner Shizuka Kirino. Then how I also asked them that question today, and my plans. "If I do find her…"
"I'll come with you," she said.
"You don't—"
"I want to," she said again, interrupting me.
"You've been quite aggressive lately. What's up with that?" I asked. Instead of answering me, she sighed and buried her face in my neck. Without saying a thing, I kind of understood her answer.
"…Alright, let's go together. We'll disguise it as a date," I told her.
"…Just a disguise…?" she asked cutely.
This woman…I swear to God…! She rarely showed anyone this side of her, and when she does…it's insanely adorable.
"…If we have time, we can go on a date," I added and she gave me a few kisses on my neck. I guess Suzaku and Akeno aren't that far off from each other once they're like this.
♦♦♦♦
Suzaku and I sneaked out of my home. Lavinia's strange 'senses' tingled and she tried to come with us, but…Shuri (mom) came in an (accidental) clutch and asked for her, Akeno and Asia to visit Grigori, and they did. Lavinia was a bit upset, but…accepted it in the end.
Since the place we were traveling to was outside this universe's boundary, I had Cúntóir help me locate it and of course, we disabled the security systems they had there. While they were quite advance, it wasn't anything to Cúntóir and we teleported there safely.
"…It's the same technology used by Ajuka; they really are collaborating. But by how much…I have no idea," I muttered to myself.
The place we arrived at was futuristic-looking. Most of the walls, floor, and ceiling were white with various lines that were blue and green in color. There were also various tubes that went into the walls, and a desk and some pillars that attached themselves from the ground to the ceiling.
I didn't know Momiji Nakiri's aura, but I also felt a human's aura here, so I started walking in that direction. The initial place we arrived at was a square room with a total of four walls around us, a square you could say, and each side had a corridor we could walk down through. I picked the one that was west because that's where I felt it the most.
As we walked down the corridor, there were various complicated-looking things everywhere. The walls on either of our sides were glass, and we could see various machinery and other items that probably held this place up, like wiring, the security system and other things pertaining to it.
"…It's like those movies, it feels quite surreal," said Suzaku as she held onto my sleeve.
"Yeah, if we took someone here, they'd probably say that we brought them to a movie set or something. —Ah, we're at another crossroads again," I said and Suzaku looked forward and saw three more doors.
"Which way?" she asked and I pointed at the left one.
"That one, her aura is leaking out of that one…" Looking further into it, it was a long journey down. Around 25 levels down. "I'll carry you, and speed up. It'll take us a while if we continue at this pace."
"But…"
She tried to protest, but I shook my head. "I also want to go on our date, you know? We'll be in Kyoto, but…we can just have one there, Suzaku."
She stared at me with a sparkle in her eyes, and then she nodded. I carried her (bridal-style) and ran through the door; the corridor wasn't that long and I saw another…
"Ugh, another spiral staircase…what the hell is wrong with everyone…?" I asked and heard Suzaku giggle. Jumping down would take longer, so I'm just going to run down. "Hold on tight."
In a flash, we reached the bottom. But as I ran down, I saw various other rooms, levels and hallways. They were all empty, no other life was here, and it made me wonder…why did they make this place this big? There were only two of them, or did this plan on bringing more into this timeline?
If they did, they surely would have done it already, right? Well, hopefully I can find answers once I find Momiji Nakiri. I put Suzaku down and I forced the door open in front of us. We stepped into some kind of decontamination chamber, but as Cúntóir and I disabled many of the security measures already it didn't activate.
In this room there were various holes protruding from the ceiling, walls and floor. There were also two small glass windows in which I would assume people looked through. However, there were also cameras at the four corner points in the ceiling, so they probably also looked through them.
Finally, we reached the door and I opened it. Just in case, I also 'decontaminated' us using magic before we entered since it looked like the place where she was being kept at was highly secure. Although to what extent, I have no idea since I disabled everything.
In the room was a singular bed that looked like a capsule, and in it was a female who I assumed was Momiji Nakiri. Connected to the capsule were various wires and equipment that beeped every few seconds. I didn't sense that her life was in danger, so I didn't understand the whole set-up.
Cúntóir: Answer: This…seems to be some kind of machine that can simulate reality.
'A machine that simulates reality? Like VR or something? Or like Aži Dahāka's spell for putting people into that fake world?' I asked Cúntóir.
Cúntóir: Answer: Yes, a combination of those two. Right now, Momiji Nakiri is having a very nice dream, an ideal world that she can live in, and I doubt she would want to leave it. But…I can sense two souls in her.
'Two souls…wait, don't tell me—'
Cúntóir: Answer: It's as you suspect, but I suggest you enter her dream-like world and speak to her—well, both of them. She needs to come back and not stay there, but it will be up to you to convince her, Aaron.
I glanced at Suzaku who was curiously looking around the room then back at Momiji. So these guys were definitely from a far future and a different timeline. They came here to try to stop whatever tragedy happened in theirs, but I doubt they would have expected me to be here instead of Issei Hyoudou. I tapped Suzaku on the shoulder and told her what this was and my plan.
"…I'll keep watch then, please be careful," she told me.
"Yeah," I replied and walked up to the capsule and touched it. I closed my eyes and aimed to go into Momiji's consciousness.
♦♦♦♦
The place I arrived at was…a replica of Kuoh from the looks of things. Everything looked normal and there were even people here, even looking at them, they felt real. This place was interesting. Perhaps I can recreate it and sell it as some kind of VRMMORPG in the future? It would certainly make me a lot of money.
'Do I have any power in this place?' I asked Cúntóir.
Cúntóir: Answer: Yes.
I nodded to myself, stepped into an alley and turned myself invisible. Once that was done, I decided to use Momiji's aura that I felt earlier to look for her in this world. As I did, I saw many of my friends and lovers here. It seemed like this place was already far into the timeline, or even far into the future?
When I looked up, I saw some flying cars and other vehicles. I guess this was part of 'that' Momiji's timeline and future. The buildings also looked a bit more futuristic, but the same architectural style of the Japanese could still be seen in them.
When I found Momiji Nakiri…there were two of them. One looked like she was having fun while another looked like they were on high alert. She must have probably noticed me entering this place, as expected of someone who probably lived through hell—she's still alert even in this calm world.
I sighed and apologized in advance to Momiji. I held my hand up and destroyed the perfect world she had. Everything around her began to crumble and the Momiji that was having fun and smiling began to panic. She looked to her friends for help, but they also crumbled away.
I cancelled my invisibility and jumped down and behind them. The more serious Momiji glared at me. I'll call her Momiji-S (serious) and I'll refer to the original like normal.
"W-who are you?" Momiji asked in a panic.
"…Why did you do that?" asked Momiji-S. I glanced at both before putting illusion magic on the original Momiji and she sat down. She began smiling, laughing and talking to herself.
"I have both Mitsuya and Kirino under my control, and I know of your circumstances. Why did you put Momiji in this place?" I asked.
She was furious, that much was obvious, but she heard what I said and sighed in the end. "Our future…we came from a future that was 60 years from now, and we lost the war—we lost everything."
"The Five Principal Clans, the Underworld, the Human World, and every other faction, pantheon and realm were all destroyed—including everyone in them. There were very few survivors—I was one of them, along with Mitsuya Kanzaki and Shizuka Kirino."
"The ones that caused this were the Evie faction from the Evie Etoulde universe. Great Red perished first…then everyone else after. That woman—Sefaira Seraselbes, the one that came from Fadir Ferdora. She was the one who caused it all…! I hate her! I detest her! If she didn't come…that invasion would have happened 30 years later…"
Momiji-S began to cry, but she also looked furious.
"Not even the one who kept creating miracles, Hyoudou Issei-san could stop them. Not in his Diabolos Dragon God armor, or his new AxA (Apocalypse AnswerArms) could defeat the stronger gods of the Evie's. He was nearly killed and even his familiar, Ryuuteimaru was nearly destroyed. He couldn't achieve the new form the Etoulde wanted either…"
"The rest of Team [DxD] did not fare well either. They were all severely injured, many were close to death, and even when that young boy Leonardo joined us with his stable Balance Breaker, he could only do so much before being defeated too. Those Evie Gods were beyond comprehension…"
She then looked at me, with the same rage but also some hope. "But…who the heck are you…? What happened to Hyoudou Issei-san? The Dual Dragon Emperor? Are you someone from another timeline here to help?"
"…I'm someone that wasn't meant to exist, yet here I am. But that also meant Issei had to stop existing. In a way, I replaced his existence and yes, I have an idea of the future. However, due to the things I've changed, a lot of butterfly effects have happened, and the timeline is beyond screwed up and saving. But…I'm also going to prevent whatever happened in your timeline from happening here," I told her.
She shook her head. "That fact that many things that Mitsuya and Shizuka told me were very different is already telling. The Phantasma? That never existed in our timeline, but from the sound of things they're as powerful as the Evie Gods, and now this world has to fight them too. Will you be able to defeat them? Along with everyone here? If not, we will—"
"I'll stop them and once I do, I'll go and repair and reverse everything they did in your timeline," I declared.
Momiji-S seemed taken aback and stared at me. "That's impossible, anything they touch can't be restored, they cannot be killed either since they can transfer their consciousness into their alternate timelines self and keep on living from there, or their leader can simply warp reality making it so that they never lost!"
"I will and I'll show you very soon. Please trust me. I know that you have little trust in me, but for whatever else that remains, please entrust it to me. I haven't gotten anything about your timeline from those two since there seemed to be failsafe implanted in them, so you providing me with this information is useful."
Momiji-S fell silent for two minutes. I stood there waiting for her answer. I can't pretend to know that I know what she has suffered through. That's just impossible, and from the sound of things, Team [DxD] may have already been eliminated along with Issei, their one and only savior.
"How did both of your souls merge?" I asked.
She looked back at me and said, "Before we came here, I was very close to death. So I decided to abandon my physical body. Thanks to the Etoulde Gods, we were able to create a machine that could transfer and merge souls, so when we arrived here six years ago, we planned on taking the Momiji of this world and merging my and her souls together, and I would end up controlling her."
"While the Momiji of this world could experience this fake world and have endless happiness. I didn't want her to experience the things I did, but at the same time I knew that it wasn't helping her. We also had technology that could remove Sacred Gears from people and give them to someone else, although the Grigori already had something like this," she explained.
"I was already doubtful of this plan. Even if we helped with this timeline, we would then ask all of you to help with ours, but…there is barely anything left there. Perhaps we would have asked the gods of time to reverse the world? But we're not sure if they were capable of that…"
A lot of uncertainty was in her eyes and body language, and the Evie Gods of their timeline, or perhaps the Evie Gods of this universe were already the same ones? I'm sure, but if they both exist then I need to destroy both in the future. I didn't reply and just waited for her answer.
I walked over to the original Momiji and put my hand on her head and cancelled the illusion. She seemed confused, but I gave her a bit of information about the place and what's been happening. After I did that, silent tears began flowing from her eyes. She then got up and hugged her other self which surprised Momiji-S.
"I want to fight with Ryuuta and everyone else. Also, the Oppai Dragon of our universe will beat them! Please put your trust in him! I saw it, Ryuuta trusts him too like many others, so…please let me wake up and leave. I want to become strong and fight!" she told her other half while crying, but her words held a lot of determination.
"…You haven't even known him, nor have you spent time with him, so why do you have that trust in him?" Momiji-S asked.
"I showed her everything that's happened since her 'kidnapping'. She probably saw my interactions with the current heads, heirs and other people from the Five Principal Clans," I told her. "…Also, Suzaku is outside since I brought her with me."
Momiji-S looked at me then back to Momiji. She then sighed and said, "…Alright, I'll put the remaining faith I have in you. But after we separate, I will fade away and join everyone else who lost their lives. The original plan was for me to take over after all."
"Momiji Nakiri. Please keep your word and save my timeline and yours," said Momiji-S and hugged her younger self.
"I will. I'll keep this promise," she told her older counterpart.
In the end, it took her younger self to convince her. I had a minor impact on their decision, but…I think it's a good thing, I basically don't exist in her timeline.
"…Red Dra—no, Dual Dragon Emperor of another world…please save us. I miss my family and friends," she said as tears fell from her eyes.
"I will. I'll reunite all of you in the future. You have my word on that," I replied. She finally smiled, nodded and started to fade away. "Momiji, let's take you back home."
"Mmm…I want to see everyone again. I want to join Team [DxD] too when I'm finally back to full strength, and…I want to fight to protect our world and save theirs," she told me while staring at me with determined eyes.
I saw some of Ouryuu (Ryuuta) in her when she looked at me like that. "Alright, since I'm the leader, I'll definitely think about it, but make sure you're up to strength, otherwise I won't send you on missions."
"Yes sir!" she shouted. I chuckled and finally left the place.
♦♦♦♦
"Aaron…?"
Once I was out, I saw Suzaku right in front of me and I sighed. Quickly looking around, there weren't any changes that I could feel, so nothing happened while I was gone.
"I'm fine, how long was I gone for?"
"Just ten minutes. What happened?" she asked. I told her about our conversation and the plans for the future.
"She may need time to fully recover, unless you plan on healing her yourself?"
"I'll just give her a small regeneration ability so she can help up faster. However, I think the clan and Ryuuta would want her in this home to watch over her for a while," I replied.
"…Yes, that makes sense. I believe Ouryuu will do a fine job. All that's left is…"
"Yeah, the previous Ouryuu, Nakagami, and he was known as the strongest Ouryuu in history, right?"
"Yes, his control over Huanglong, the Yellow Dragon was next to none, and his touki was also quite dense. His martial arts were also top-notch…he even caused Tobio trouble when they fought back then."
Before Suzaku could continue, the capsule made a noise and began to vibrate. Seconds later, it opened and Momiji's eyes opened. We walked over to her and stood over her. When she saw us, she smiled.
"…Himejima Suzaku-san…Oppai Dragon-san…" she said tiredly.
"Welcome back, Momiji. Let's get you back home, shall we?" I asked, and her smile only brightened at my words.
♦♦♦♦
As we approached the Nakiri territory, I had Suzaku contact them and have them meet us in the courtyard, and I specifically asked for as many higher-ups and prominent people to be in attendance, especially those closest to Momiji. I wanted to surprise them after all.
"Suzaku."
"Mmm. I'll go ahead," she replied and increased her pace.
Momiji, who I carried in my arms had been looking around her surroundings nonstop. She had been missing for a bit of time after all, and I doubt this place had changed that much, but who knows? I wasn't here four/five years ago.
"Do you have a smartphone?" I asked.
"…Smartphone? Ah, those things where you tap on the screen? I think Nakagami-kun had one of those, he was the heir after all…" she replied.
"I'll take that as a no then. Don't worry, I have one for you so you can catch up with everything, so just ask Ryuuta to teach you, alright? Or anyone else for that matter," I told her.
"It sounded revolutionary a few years ago, and I guess a lot of advancements have happened since then, huh?" she asked with a bit of excitement in her voice.
Even if she was still tired, she tried to be upbeat and excited. I wanted to tell her not to be, but I guess that's just her personality, so I would be fighting a losing battle from the very start. So I let her be. We finally arrived near to the gate as we could see it in the distance, I could tell that Momiji was excited since she started to fidget a little.
So I picked up my pace and began to jog there, and it didn't take us long to arrive. Suzaku was keeping everyone busy while talking to them.
"Suzaku Himejima-san, why did you call us out here…?" Ouryuu asked, sounding confused.
"Yes, we have various things we need to do. If you came here for—"
"For this," I said, stopping the elder from complaining at Suzaku. They all turned around and Momiji waved at all of them.
"Wha—M-Momiji?!" Ouryuu (Ryuuta) shouted. The rest of the higher-ups and elders were also shocked by this.
"Yo, Ouryuu. I embarked on a bit of adventure and found Momiji. I thought I might as well bring her back," I said and grinned at him. I let her down but also supported her since she couldn't stand by herself yet.
Ryuuta, along with (I assume her parents) came rushing towards her and embraced her. A small emotional family reunion happened between them. Suzaku also joined me once her role was done.
"So…"
"Yeah, we'll go after this. There's still a lot of time left after all," I said to Suzaku. She was happy with this and hugged my arm.
Ryuuta wiped his own tears away and looked at me, but I put my hand up to stop him. "I can't tell you how or why, but…what Mitsuya and his partner are doing is for the betterment of the future. While they're doing it in a roundabout way, it's probably the only way they know how to," I told him.
He didn't answer and had a complicated expression on his face. So I continued. "We're not in an alliance, more like…we're helping each other for our own benefits (lie), but I can persuade him to return the Sacred Gear to Momiji when the time comes."
"…Actually, Momiji, can you come here for a second?" I asked. She nodded and with the help of her relatives, she came over to me and I put my hand on her head.
It slipped my mind when I was speaking to Momiji-S, but hopefully I'll find something in Momiji's memories. After a few seconds of reading her memories, I smiled and thanked her. "Thank you, you were very helpful. Anyway, we'll take our leave here and I'll come by another time to check up on her, and if anything comes up, just notify me, alright?"
"T-thank you again, Jin-san!" said Ryuuta as Suzaku and I left the Nakiri territory.
The elders also thanked us. I didn't think they would, but I guess they liked her even more—I'm surprised they didn't exile her when they found out…perhaps Nakagami Ouryuu fought for her to stay? Along with Ryuuta maybe?
"You read her memories?" Suzaku asked as we passed by the gate.
"Yeah. So—" I told her about what I had found.
In short, she heard some of the conversations that Shizuka and Mitsuya had, as well as the memories of Momiji-S from her own timeline still lingered in Momiji, but were also sealed by her, so she didn't need to know the horrors that happened.
But in short, Heaven's system and the Sacred Gear system were destroyed in their timeline. This meant all Sacred Gears were lost in their universe and everything fell into disarray. Mitsuya came here to temporarily borrow two Sacred Gears that he believed to be powerful and make him impersonate God. [Telos Karma] and [Innovate Clear].
Apart from the systems being destroyed, Melvazoa also destroyed the Sacred Gears themselves, so they wouldn't be able to be given to anyone else. There were some left over Sacred Gears, but they were the common ones, but he believed that they posed a threat, so he destroyed them too. I don't know if the Melvazoa in our universe shared the same feelings, but I'll just assume that he does.
Apart from that, they wanted to wait for a certain event in the future to happen. However, most of their plans fell through because of my existence and that Issei didn't exist here. In short, they had to come up with a new one. However, they were also hesitant since I was already doing what they wanted to happen, which was to unite all the supernatural.
The other thing was that…as mentioned earlier, they found a way to remove Sacred Gears even with the limited amount of people left in their world. In the original timeline or universe, Mitsuya didn't take the Sacred Gear from Momiji. He had found a way to access those Sacred Gears by using his terminals and those bracelets. However, in this universe it was different, the same as in their timeline.
Even now, I'm finding out new things about this world. It also made me think, what else is left? Maybe something with the Rating Game World Tournament?
"Will you fulfill that promise then?" she asked after hearing all of that.
"Yeah. Their resolution is strong—they've come here, and even stole Sacred Gears to help us even if their own timeline is beyond saving. Although she did admit that they may ask the gods of our timeline to help restore their world, if it's possible."
"Will you help reverse the damage?" she asked and tightened her grip on my arm.
"Yeah, of course. There's been plenty of movies about time traveling right? Going to the past to help stop a terrible future from happening. I see this situation like that, so I'll help when I can," I replied.
Suzaku didn't reply, but she put her head on my shoulder as we kept walking.
"Anyway, it's time for that date, right? Since it's close to lunch, let's go eat first." She didn't have any problems with that so we made our way into Kyoto to start our date.
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