Sam's apartment smelled faintly of plaster dust and scorched wood. The fight had left his kitchen half-destroyed, the hallway scarred with burn marks, and the bedroom patched up with sheets nailed over the hole in the wall. The living room was the least damaged, though cluttered with debris and scorch marks at the edges.
Sam moved quietly through the mess, stacking broken wood in one corner, sweeping shattered glass into a dustpan. His body wasn't exhausted — Enhanced Vitality and Enhanced Stamina kept him going without complaint — but he still felt drained. His energy reserves, his mana and the flickers of holy light he had pulled on in the fight, hadn't fully recovered. It wasn't something that healed with just muscle or willpower.
On the balcony, the cold night air shifted. Sam straightened immediately, instincts sharpened from the earlier ambush. Someone was there — not hostile, but present. His senses had learned to pay attention after almost dying once already.
Koneko landed lightly on the railing, her white hair catching the moonlight. She stepped inside without asking, her expression unreadable as her golden eyes swept across the wreckage.
"…Your place is a mess," she said.
"Yeah," Sam muttered, setting the dustpan aside. "Had some company. Didn't go well."
Her gaze flicked briefly toward the bedroom door, as if she could smell what he already knew she could — another scent lingering inside. Not his. Not Tiche's.
"Someone else was here," she said.
Sam didn't bother hiding it. "Yeah. Her name's Asia. Long story, but she looked lost. I offered help. Then some psycho with a sword decided to pay me a visit."
Koneko's eyes narrowed. "A psycho? Name?"
Sam hesitated, remembering the man's manic introduction. "Freed," he said finally.
She didn't recognize it, but the way Sam said it — sharp, certain, edged with disdain — made her file it away.
Her gaze shifted toward the wall, where the jagged, lightning-shaped sword leaned, humming faintly with holy energy.
"That," Sam said. "Weird thing. Felt like it was fighting when I picked it up."
Koneko stepped closer, the faint pressure of the weapon's aura brushing against her skin. Holy. Rare. Important. She didn't know exactly what it was, but she knew enough to understand someone would want it back.
"Keeping something like that here is dangerous," she said flatly. "You shouldn't be the one holding onto it."
Sam straightened, his tone hardening. "Better with me than with that lunatic."
Koneko studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "…Still. At least hide it."
Sam grunted. "Yeah. I will."
She hesitated then, her eyes flicking once more around the wreckage. "…I should report this. I'm on patrol. That's what I'm supposed to do."
Sam glanced at her, brow furrowed. "Then why haven't you?"
Koneko met his gaze, quiet and steady. "…Because you're still standing." A beat. "And because I trust you."
Sam's shoulders eased slightly at that. He sighed, returning to his cleanup. "Don't worry. I'll figure out what to do with it. Just not tonight."
For a moment, Koneko said nothing. Then, with a small huff, she crouched down and started gathering scattered books and papers into a neat pile.
"…I'll help," she murmured.
Sam blinked at her, surprised, but didn't argue. For a while, the only sound in the wrecked apartment was the quiet rhythm of the two of them cleaning side by side.
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Asia's POV
Asia woke slowly, her eyes fluttering open to a ceiling she didn't recognize. For a moment she simply lay there, the quiet hum of the apartment wrapping around her like a blanket. Then memory returned: Sam, the dinner, the decision to stay the night.
She sat up, realizing she was in his room. The sheets smelled faintly of him—clean, steady, oddly comforting. Perfumer at work, though she couldn't know that.
Her gaze shifted to the corner. Tiche sat there, dressed casually, her posture relaxed but presence sharp. Not the threatening shadow from last night—just quiet, steady watchfulness.
Asia hesitated, speaking in English. "Um… Miss Tiche? What happened? The air feels… different." Her Japanese was poor, something she only used when she had no other choice.
Tiche's expression stayed calm. "Sam will explain. It's his story."
Asia lowered her gaze, fingers curling against the blanket. She didn't press, but unease stirred in her chest.
Tiche moved toward the hall. "Come."
Asia followed.
The damage was impossible to miss. Scorched streaks marred the hallway walls, plaster cracked and broken. The kitchen bore the worst of it—shattered tiles, faint burns, a balcony door still cracked from being blown outward.
Yet the living room looked… normal. The couch stood neat, cushions stacked, the floor scrubbed clean. As if someone had fought hard to reclaim a space of calm amidst destruction.
Asia's steps slowed. "This… happened while I was asleep?" she asked in English.
Tiche didn't answer. The silence was answer enough.
The front door slid open then, pulling Asia's attention.
Sam stepped inside, tugging off a cleaning glove. A faint mix of soap and smoke clung to him. His shirt bore faint cuts at the sleeves, and if she looked closely, white bandages peeked from beneath the fabric.
Her chest tightened. "Sam… are you okay?" she asked softly, still in English.
He paused at her voice, then gave a small, reassuring smile. He answered in English, matching her. "I'm fine. Just a scratch or two."
Another figure followed him in. Short, white-haired, golden-eyed. A girl who moved with quiet certainty and settled at Sam's side without hesitation, her presence protective in a way Asia couldn't name.
Asia blinked softly, confused.
Sam exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. Switching to Japanese, he gestured between them. "Right. Introductions. Asia, this is Koneko. She's… a friend."
Then, back in English for Asia: "And before this gets any stranger, yeah—I owe you some explanations. About what happened. About the kind of world you just walked into."
Asia nodded slowly, hands clasping in front of her. "I… would like that."
Sam's expression gentled, though something weightier lingered beneath his eyes. "Then let's start from the beginning."
He didn't get the chance.
A sharp knock rattled the apartment door.
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Sam's POV
Sam froze mid-sentence. Koneko's body tensed, golden eyes narrowing toward the sound.
"…Rias."
Sam exhaled. "Figures." He crossed the room and pulled the door open.
Rias Gremory stood in the hallway, crimson hair cascading like fire. Beside her, Akeno's serene smile curved, violet eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Sam," Rias said evenly. Her gaze lingered on him a heartbeat longer than normal before she masked it with composure.
Akeno's lips tugged higher. "…My, did you change something overnight? You feel different this morning." Her voice was playful, but her eyes lingered too long.
Sam frowned. "What?"
Neither elaborated. They stepped inside, eyes sweeping across scorched walls, shattered plaster, and the half-patched doorway.
Tiche sat quietly at the table, calm but watchful.
Rias's gaze cut toward the couch—toward the blonde girl standing awkwardly beside it.
Asia froze, then pressed closer to Sam, instinctively seeking safety.
"…She's carrying holy power," Rias murmured.
Akeno tilted her head, sly. "Mmm, yes—but not her own. You can feel it leaking from her Sacred Gear. Obvious enough."
Koneko's golden eyes narrowed at Asia's movement. Tiche flicked a glance her way, then turned her sharp gaze back to the devils.
Rias shifted to Koneko. "…You didn't report back last night."
Akeno added, teasing but concerned, "Rias was worried. You never fail to report in, Koneko."
"…I was here," Koneko said simply, gesturing faintly at the ruined walls.
Rias sighed. "…I can see why." Her gaze slid past Koneko and fixed on Sam instead.
He crossed his arms. "Her name's Asia. Some lunatic barged in last night—called himself Freed. Said he was here to take her."
Rias's eyes narrowed. "…Take her?"
Asia's fingers twisted in her skirt. She lowered her gaze, voice halting as she slipped into English.
"…the Church…"
Then softer, almost panicked in Italian: "…non capisco…"
Sam cut in before they pressed further, switching back to Japanese. "She was already here. I gave her food, a place to sit. Then Freed showed up and kicked it all off."
Asia shrank back, not following every word but clinging to him because of his tone.
Tiche's eyes never left Rias and Akeno, calm but unblinking.
"…Then Freed wasn't here by chance," Rias said firmly.
Akeno's smile curved toward Sam. "…From the Church to a boy's apartment overnight. Quite the fall from grace, don't you think?"
Asia flushed scarlet, not understanding the words but hearing the lilt, and pressed into Sam's back, mortified.
Sam sighed. "…You're not helping."
Koneko's unimpressed stare cut toward Akeno. Tiche's eyes cooled, silent warning in their gaze.
But both Rias and Akeno suddenly fixed on the pantry.
"…What are you hiding in there?" Rias asked flatly.
Sam glanced at Koneko. "…Hiding it didn't work very well."
He crossed to the pantry, pushed aside a cereal box, and lifted out a jagged, lightning-bolt-shaped sword, its blade crackling faintly with holy energy. He set it on the counter. The air prickled instantly.
Koneko flinched but steadied herself. Tiche's gaze sharpened, calculating.
Rias's composure cracked. "…Excalibur."
Sam blinked. "Wait—Excalibur? Like Arthur's sword? Doesn't look like the stories."
Akeno's smile curved sharper. "Because it's one of the Excalibur Fragments—reforged as its own sword. The original was shattered long ago." Her eyes lingered on Sam, sparks of amusement glinting. "And fitting, don't you think? A lightning-shaped sword in the hands of someone who can already call lightning into his hands. Almost makes me wonder if you're trying to rival me."
Sam grimaced. "Tore it out of Freed's hands. Had to pick it up again just to stash it. Haven't touched it since—and I'd rather not. Thing feels like it's fighting me every time I get near it."
Fighting me, he thought. If I'm supposed to be a hero… something doesn't add up.
Rias's eyes sharpened. "…Even for trained exorcists, wielding an Excalibur fragment means enduring its rejection. For you to take it… improbable."
Akeno smirked. "Mmm. Not normal, but very you—forcing something that didn't want to be held."
Sam shook his head. "Rejection? No… that's not what it felt like. It wasn't pushing me away. It was fighting me. Like it knew giving in meant losing itself."
Koneko tilted her head slightly, silent but thoughtful.
Rias and Akeno exchanged a glance, filing it away.
They think it's rejection, Sam thought grimly. But I know what I felt. That thing was scared of me.
"If he came here for her, this isn't random," Rias said. "Other hands are moving pieces in Kuoh."
Akeno's violet eyes glinted slyly. "If I had to bet, I'd say the Fallen. They're already sniffing around, and they'd love to meddle in something like this."
Rias didn't answer, but her silence was weight enough.
The kettle whistled, sharp against the tension. Tiche rose calmly, finishing the tea with quiet precision.
When she placed the cups out, Rias's gaze hadn't left Sam.
"Do you understand what you've brought into my territory? Whoever Freed is—rogue, Fallen, or still tied to the Church—the result is the same. The Church will notice. If he's theirs, they will want answers for how he lost it. If he isn't, they are already looking for him… and for this."
Sam's jaw tightened. His gut twisted—some part of him knew they were treating him as more than just a pawn. But the old defenses snapped back anyway.
"…Friend, huh?" he muttered, sardonic. "That's a new one. Thought I was just the headache you've been putting up with."
The silence that followed was thick. Rias's eyes narrowed. Akeno's smile faltered. Koneko stiffened. Asia blinked, confused.
Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "…Yeah. Bad timing. My mistake."
Asia whispered in Italian, voice trembling. "…che cosa sta succedendo…"
Sam recognized enough of it to get the gist, but didn't answer.
Tiche set her cup down with deliberate care, eyes sharp, her body language plain: she'd take his side if this escalated.
The sword hummed faintly on the counter, a reminder that the battle here wasn't about blades or walls anymore. It was about trust.
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Its ya boi, Alex, Things haven't changed much since the the update i gave, just that i found slightly more free time for a few chapters. I'll be updating like 4 chapters in the coming days.