Volume 6 – Chapter 12 – Part 2 – The Sacred Beasts and The Connected Harmony

Jin Skyward's Soliloquy

…

Apparently getting irritated, by her comrades' actions, Wu Song grabbed her cheek and squeezed it hard.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!! I'm sowwy!!" cried Zhang Mei.

I took this time to check her with [Observe] and to my surprise she was half Chinese and Japanese. Her Chinese name she gave herself was Zhang Mei, while her original name was Shizuna Rem Misurugi. She's also apparently part of a group called [The 8 Divas] and one of her monikers was [Silver Princess of The Blade].

"Please excuse her behavior," she said and bowed. "I would also like to apologize, but since you came here on short notice, the current leaders aren't here at the moment and they won't be able to meet with you—at the latest, the meeting can happen tomorrow," she told me.

I stared at her and sighed. "It would benefit the entire realm if you could gather them up very quickly," I told her.

"Why?" she asked and squinted her eyes at me.

"Because we learned a few things a few months ago and the Sacred Beasts as well as your pantheon may be attacked. That's one of the reasons I'm here, the alliance…as of now is secondary. I have my own selfish reasons of protecting the Sacred Beasts," I explained to her.

Both Zhang Mei and Wu Song froze and stared at me. I was hoping that someone from the alliance would have told them about this, but I guess not. That's my fault.

"With that said, Vali told us we would need permission to move around this realm? So I'd like to meet with this Ningguang person." I held my hand up and showed her my conversation with Vali.

"…I will contact the other Divas so we can gather the leaders of our realm in our main city. However, by my estimation that may take until tonight at best," she explained.

"That's fine. I just need them to get here, so I can explain the situation to them and hand over the documents for the alliance. In the meantime—"

"I can secure the documents for you to freely travel around our realm!" shouted Zhang Mei. "I can do it, right?!" she asked Wu Song excitedly.

"…Fine. Go get the documents for them, make sure to at least set it for at least one week just in case of anything that happens. I will go inform the rest and contact the leader of our group," said Wu Song.

"Woooo~!" cheered Zhang Mei. She then blew a kiss to my direction, winked and left.

"She has never acted like that before. I don't understand why she started now," said Wu Song. "Please wait by that tree in the city and she will deliver the documents to you as soon as possible."

She pointed at a large pink tree in the middle of the city. "Alright, we'll do that. Thank you in advance," I said and she left. "Let's get going then." I tried to move on but…I felt a few angry arms holding me back.

To my left, Lavinia. To my right, Suzaku, behind me were Natsume, Kanami, Fusae, Shigune, Raynare and Gabriel, and to my surprise, also Le Fay had grabbed the back of my shirt. They were annoyed and triggered by what Zhang Mei did.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, feigning ignorance. They stared at me silently and I smiled back. "Let's leave then." I started walking away and towards the pink tree. Everyone followed after, and Le Fay began telling us about the places they saw, and it wasn't much since Vali was here for a specific reason.

"Do you want to meet the Vermillion bird?" I asked Suzaku.

"…If it's possible, then yes," she replied.

I nodded and looked at the ground. "The Yellow Dragon, Huanglong is beneath this city. I can feel his aura and my shadow soldiers are all around him," I told them. Maybe I should have brought Ryuuta with us…maybe even Tia too.

Before we entered the city, a certain individual appeared in front of us. He stared at me with a confident smile. He radiated divine aura, elegance, and dignity. This man in front of me had short black hair with black horns with yellow tips. He had red eyes and slit-like pupils. He wore a black and golden Tangzhuang suit, black gloves and black boots and a single sword on his hip.

When I checked with [Observe], it was Longwang, the Dragon King.

"Dual Dragon Emperor and Middleman. So you finally came to our realm," Longwang said and smiled at me.

"I have. You must be the Dragon King Longwang, Ddraig and Albion have told me about you," I greeted him and we shook hands. I lied. Those two had not told me anything about him.

"So the alliance is finally upon us…" he said and looked at the rest of my group. His eyes stopped at both Lavinia and Suzaku. "These two…they're tied to you—however, it's something beyond than 'fate'. Also, you are the inheritor of the Vermillion bird, are you not?" he asked Suzaku.

He's pretty perceptive. I didn't think he'd somehow reach a conclusion like that.

"Yes I am. I'm Suzaku Himejima, the inheritor of the Vermillion bird and current clan head of the Himejima clan," replied Suzaku. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dragon King Longwang."

"Hmm. I have spoken many times to Zhuque and she has given you a lot of praise," he said and turned his attention to Lavinia. "Good luck," he simply said to her. "I will get going then. We will meet again in a few hours," he told me and vanished.

"What was that about? And he's a Dragon King?" asked Kanami.

"There's a lot written about him, but he's also considered a Dragon God, but his power says otherwise. However, he was definitely at least on par with some combat-oriented God-class beings. Anyway, he's also apparently a water and weather god. One of his monikers was [Dragon King of Wells and Springs]."

"History-Nut-Toole-sama strikes again!" shouted Kanami as she saluted me.

I shook my head and added, "Anyway, let's just get to that tree before we do or say anything else. The permits, then—" before I could finish, Shigune's stomach growled, followed by Poh's and Natsume's and Meruem's. The two girls blushed and my 'son' tilted his head, silently asking if we would eat soon.

"…Lunch, I guess. I did pick a bad time in going on this visit, so after we get our permit, we'll go have lunch, you know a place, right, Le Fay?" I asked the female magician.

"Yes I do!" She tilted her head and asked, "We went to a rather cheap one before. Perhaps we should pick one that is more appropriate this time around?'".

"Yeah, we can ask Zhang Mei if we need to," I replied and we finally continued walking. I glanced at Lavinia as she had been pretty silent since we got here. She's definitely bothered by the 'good luck' comment by the Dragon King.

When we crossed the bridge of the city, many of its houses resembled ancient China as it had the same architecture here. I wonder if they have 'Cultivation' here like in those Chinese novels, or do they use the same magic system as the rest of the Draconic Deus?

As we passed a large building, many of the residents here were staring at us. I can't blame them. We're a pretty large group and the things I did this past Halloween were probably still fresh in all their minds. We finally arrived at the tree and Zhang Mei wasn't there yet, so we began to wait underneath it.

"Good luck…what did he mean by that?" Lavinia asked us.

"Maybe in your relationship?" Kanami asked her.

"Maybe…" replied Lavinia. The group then started to put out their own theories on what Longwang meant and we passed time like that. However, Suzaku was the one that had turned silent this time around.

She may be thinking about the Vermillion bird, and why Hanezu was targeting them. According to Vali, if the Sacred Beast is killed, the current wielder will also die. However, the Sacred Beast can also come back to life after a set amount of time. But if the wielder dies, the Sacred Beast will live.

I don't think that's a fair tradeoff if I'm being honest. Perhaps I can do something about it? I don't know which Sacred Beast will be willing to speak to me, and let me make changes. However, according to Vali, the Azure Dragon wants to meet me. Also, potentially the Vermillion bird will be more lenient since I'm Suzaku's lover?

I'll just need to find out in the future—or in a few hours. But I think our next stop after having lunch is the Yellow Dragon of the Nakiri clan, Huanglong. To inform the dragon about the future attack and have him be ready for it. He probably also knows about my shadow soldiers so I won't bother mentioning that.

I turned my attention to my right side and saw tall mountains, but…I also felt someone from one of those peaks looking at me, so I stared back. However, after I did so, the feeling of being watched vanished.

[Well, it won't be strange if someone wants to look at you, right?] asked Elsha.

'No, but watching from that far away? You'd be very suspicious, but I didn't feel any ill-will so I didn't do anything…maybe I should have?' I asked her.

[If you come into a new Pantheon all guns blazing, and start accusing people here of being part of the Khaos Order then you'd be starting unnecessary trouble,] she told me.

'Yeah…that's why I was hesitant. Unnecessary trouble because of your own ego being hurt, it's a waste of energy and resources.'

[…I've been meaning to ask, most of them time when people insult you or try to intimidate you…you never react, why is that?] asked Elsha.

…I'm also curious. But I have my own theories about that. It probably has to do something with my dad and my time at school. That's the only logical conclusion I reached. If I was verbally and mentally abused by my dad and then the school populace because of Aoife's death, then I'd probably just become numb to all and any kinds of insults…maybe that's why I don't react…

[Hello?]

'Ah, sorry…well, this is my theory, so—' I told Elsha my thoughts and she listened to them carefully.

[If that's the case, then I can understand why you barely react to them, but it's the total opposite if it's towards your friends and lovers, you know?]

'Yeah, I noticed…' I was about to continue my conversation with her when Zhang Mei showed up waving a large piece of paper with a big goofy smile on her face.

"I got it!!" she shouted and walked towards me. Both Lavinia and Suzaku's hold on both my arms tightened when Zhang Mei came back.

Upon reading it, I was surprised to see that it was signed by Ningguang and allowed us to go anywhere in the realm, including restricted areas. So she's probably here, huh? Then she's just waiting for the rest of the members of her alliance to arrive…

"Lady Ningguang is here, along with Ganyu and Keqing, but the rest of the leaders and subordinates are yet to arrive. Estimated time of arrival is around eight tonight, so…it's currently one in the afternoon. You have seven hours until then," said Zhang Mei. "Sooo~!"

"Lunch!" Kanami shouted which startled Zhang Mei, then her stomach growled.

"Ah, you guys didn't eat yet? Follow me then!" said Zhang Mei and she began walking away. The rest were quite eager to follow her.

I wasn't sure why, but she just felt weird. I had just gone with the flow earlier, but she's way too friendly and…the 'marry me' thing was also suspicious. Cúntóir wasn't done with analyzing the crystal yet either, so I won't get an answer from her either. So for now, I'll be cautious about her.

Zhang Mei brought us to a different part of the city. We had to walk through several alleyways and streets, but the restaurant she brought us to looked quite lavish. Even looking inside through the windows, everyone in there were dressed quite extravagantly, so we already felt out of place.

But Zhang Mei just barged right in and all eyes turned to us. She walked up to what looked like a waiter, pointed to us and they nodded. She gestured for us to join her and we did. We were then brought to the VIP section and were quickly seated.

"So fancy…" mumbled Natsume. "I feel so out of place…ugh…"

"Who cares, we get to eat good food…!" said Kouki excitedly.

"Is it on par with Grayfia, Raiko or Aaron's though? That's the question…!" said Kanami. They started talking about what kind of food we'd be served when the waiter came back and gave us all menus. With Zhang Mei's help we ordered our food.

"Hey, Zhang Mei, right? Why do you work for that Lady Ningguang?" asked Kanami. She was then smacked by Natsume and the two sisters started to fight.

It was a bit of an insensitive question, but…Kanami's just like that and I kind of like it. Just saying whatever the hell's on her mind and not caring too much about consequences. Though, that's just on whatever doesn't involve her personally. She can get a bit shy or indecisive when it comes to our relationship sometimes.

"I don't mind. Lady Ningguang was the one who took me in and gave me a chance after I came here. Everyone else was pretty mistrusting of me at the time—when I say 'here', I mean our old 'faction' or 'realm', okay? Anyway, it took me a long time to gain their trust, but I slowly did and now I'm here! I'm a part of the Divas!" she said happily.

"The what?" asked Mittelt.

"The Divas, or the 8 Divas. They're personal guards for Lady Ningguang. We saw Wu Song earlier and she's second in command. Their leader is someone called Rixia Mao," explained Le Fay.

"Very knowledgeable, Le Fay-san! That's right, we're the 8 Divas, and we serve Lady Ningguang for one reason or another," she explained and crossed her arms proudly.

The group spoke to one another for the next few minutes until our food came. Most of the questions were aimed at Zhang Mei. I noticed that Lavinia and Suzaku didn't speak much, but they weren't hostile towards her, just…I guess they're unsure of the situation.

We began eating our food while still making the occasional chatter, but it ended in a normal manner.

…

"I'll have to go now, thank you for humoring me! I'll probably see you all again tonight—or whoever chooses to come to the meeting! Bye!" Zhang Mei waved at us as she disappeared.

The final bill for our lunch came out to be around 221,618 yen or 1500 euros. It was quite hefty, but it was fine since everyone enjoyed it, so I didn't mind. Our next stop was the Yellow Dragon, so…we travelled to a certain section of the city. It was a restricted area.

It was in a secluded corner of the city and it didn't stand out much. In a corner, there was a small magic circle. However, due to it being a restricted area, there were some guards. However, once I showed them the permit and my [Boosted Gear] they let us through.

I let everyone take the magic teleportation circle down first and went last. When I reached the area, it was a cave-like area with lights above us with various seals and defensive magic circles all around this place.

"It feels like they're trying to keep something from leaving this place," remarked Raynare.

"Or keep something in," said Kalawarna.

They kept looking around the place until I started taking the lead and thus began our long walk. I felt my brow twitch since it was a stony spiral staircase that was moving down.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Mittelt. Lavinia giggled and explained why I was slightly irritated. "…Hmm. Well, I kinda get it," she mumbled.

"You know, I like the fact that we can speak normally to each other, Mittelt. You know, without you accusing me of something or just cursing me out," I said to her. When I glanced back at her, she was completely red and looked away from me.

That's where the conversation ended. There were a few quiet ones being said, but…the most significant thing that happened was that Gabriel joined me at the front as she was getting even more jealous.

We eventually arrived at a large opening and in the middle was a young man around his mid-twenties. He had blue eyes and thick, messy yellow hair. He wore an orange overcoat with diamond patterns on top of a white robe with brown hemlines. He had a fastened green scarf around his neck, and donned brown short boots.

"Hey~ the earth informed me that you were coming, Dual Dragon Emperor-kun, and his lively companions," said the young man. "May I know why you came here?" he asked and grinned at us while he sat on the ground cross-legged.

I told him about the recent events and that the Khaos Order may be targeting him and the other Sacred Beasts, so I'm just checking up on all of them today personally. "Did you know about my shadow soldiers?" I asked and he nodded.

"Hmm-hmm. I was cautious of them at first, but then remembered that the famous Middleman had an army of them, so I quickly calmed down and got along splendidly with them~!" he exclaimed and clapped his hands.

The Yellow Dragon, Huanglong seemed like an easygoing and friendly person. Even in his human form, he didn't look that intimidating. However, his eye sometimes did the same thing as mine from time to time, so maybe people felt intimidated by that?

"In any case, I want to thank you in advance for your help. Ryuuta told me quite a bit about you, so I look forward to meeting you. Ah, that International Rating Game is going to take place, right? He said you gave him a spot on one of your teams," he asked.

"Yeah, he's on Aurelia's team. I look forward to seeing him fight. By the way, have you seen anything…strange lately?" I asked.

"Strange…" he repeated and closed his eyes, then started rocking from side-to-side thinking about it until he opened his eyes back up. "Ah there were a few strange people sneaking around our realm. Though your shadow soldiers got rid of them, I take it they reported it back to you?"

"Yeah…so nothing else apart from that?"

"Not that I know of~ but if you ask the others then you may get answers. We may be able to speak to each other respectfully, but we don't intermingle that much," he explained. "Ah, though if it's you, then you may have an easier time approaching them. I mean, you're already widely known, and our inheritors have already informed us of you after all."

"I see. Thank you for the information…why do you…live down here?" I asked and gestured to the cave-like place.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I asked to be put down here, I mean, I can just change it like this!" he said and snapped his fingers. The entire cave was transformed into a very luxurious looking room filled with gold and other expensive items. "I just chose to make it look like a cave…maybe because I'm a dragon?" he said and tilted his head.

Why do you sound unsure…? Kouki walked over to one of the giant gold piles and poked it. To his surprise he could touch it. "T-these are real?" he asked surprised.

"Yes. Would you like some? If so, go ahead and take some!" he said happily. Kouki was about to take some when Kalawarna stopped him, the glared that she gave him would have killed him if she had the power, so Kouki stopped.

Huanglong laughed at the scene and nodded. "I truly wouldn't have mind, but only if you took a certain amount. Be thankful to your lover, boy," he said seriously. Kouki shivered after hearing that. "Well, here!" he made a couple of gold coins float towards everyone including me. "Don't spend it all in one day~!"

Reluctantly, everyone accepted the gift and then a short awkward silence came. That was until Huanglong spoke up again. "Middleman, are you trying to become the king of the world?" he suddenly asked me.

"King of the world?" I repeated in a questioning manner and he nodded.

"The things you're doing, most people wouldn't bother with them, you know? Humans…no, most creatures are selfish beings, we do what want and find some kind of benefit from it, I'm no exception either. So are you really doing this for the greater good of the supernatural world or…?"

"It started out as me just wanting a harem—I still do, though I'm quite comfortable with my life. But…yeah. I selfishly want peace, even if I know some disapprove of it. I am breaking the 'status quo' after all. There will be pushback from some," I told him.

"Haha, I see. I guess Ryuuta was right about you," he said cheerfully. I tried to press him about that, but he said he won't tell me, so I had to talk to Ouryuu (Ryuuta) Nakiri about it. "I shouldn't keep you here for too long. You still have the others to visit, you know? Who knows what others you might meet today~! Off you go now~" he said and we were suddenly teleported back to the surface.

"He was…interesting," said Natsume.

"It's better that they're friendly rather than being hostile toward us," said Griselda.

"Mmm-mmm! He's a good person!" Gabriel added and hugged Griselda.

I was about to say something when a stone tablet shot up from the ground and floated in front of me. It was from Huanglong and it simply said:

White Tiger – West

Azure Dragon – East

Vermillion Bird – South

Black Tortoise – North

These were the locations of the other Sacred Beasts. Le Fay did tell us that the Vermillion Bird was to the south, and the Azure Dragon was to the east. However, we didn't know about the White Tiger or the Black Tortoise. I was going to ask Huanglong about it before we left but he kicked us out before I could.

"Where to next?" asked Lavinia.

"We should—"

"Are you the Middleman?" asked a female's voice. We all turned towards it, and it was a purple haired woman who had cat ears…no, those were just her hair styled to look like cat ears. She's like…

"I'm Keqing. Lady Ningguang wishes to speak with you right now," she said.

…

We were led through the streets of Jiaochun. The person named Keqing didn't speak to us after that. However, if we asked her a question, she would answer it in a 'matter of fact' kind of way, leaving no way of continuing the conversation.

We saw various buildings here, and a few areas that looked like training grounds for their realm. I scanned the area for a suitable place for the [Hyper Regenerative Chambers], but found most of them to be inadequate, so I'll ask this Ningguang person instead.

We were led into a large castle, walked through several hallways and ascended numerous stairs until we arrived in front of a door. Keqing pushed them open with no hesitation and we were greeted by a very fancy room.

There was a lady in the middle with a blue-haired…youkai beside her? Keqing quickly joined them and we walked further into the room. I stood at the opposite end of the table, and the three who had been clinging to me let go of me.

"Jin Skyward, Middleman, Dual Dragon Emperor and Lewd Dragon. We finally meet," the lady said. Ningguang is a tall and very elegant young woman with fair skin and red eyes. She has long straight hair.

"You must be Ningguang then, how can I help you? Also, thank you for the permit," I greeted her and she smiled at us.

"Fufu. No need to thank me, Jin. A person of your status deserves as much, though if I'm being truthful, I would have done more, but you came here on short notice. Let's get to why I called you here. I have heard certain rumors that the Khaos Order may attack the Sacred Beasts that reside here?" she asked.

'Wu Song or Zhang Mei probably told her,' I thought and nodded. "Yes. There is a chance that they may attack, though I'm not entirely sure when, since they never specified any dates. In light of this, I came here today to form an alliance and share our information with you," I said to her.

"I see. So the DxD Alliance is aware of this…"

"Yeah. Though I thought someone would have informed you, that's the impression I got, but I may be wrong," I said.

"Oh, no, I wasn't trying to blame you or anything like that. However, yes…your timing is rather impeccable, may I see those documents then?" she asked.

"They're a lot, you'll also need the others to agree with them, you know?" I said and summoned them. Several large stacks slammed against the table and the two ladies beside her took a step back at seeing them.

"S-s-s-s-s-so many…!" said the blue-haired goat youkai.

"…We don't get this much paperwork on a regular basis, so seeing this much is quite intimidating," added Keqing.

"Geh…they have to put themselves through that much?" asked Kouki.

"Well, at the start, there wasn't much to read through since there were only a few in the alliance. However, since it's increasing…the more that join, the more that this increases. So…"

"It's better to join early than late," Raynare concluded for me and I nodded.

"Exactly. Though, I do try to cut these documents down, so you would have more to go through if I didn't, I left the essentials and some summarized versions of them," I explained and Ningguang took a single piece and read through it. "If you want, I can provide extra help later," I offered.

She stopped reading the document and looked back up at us. A smirk donned her face. "A late-night rendezvous? Fufu, I certainly wouldn't mind, Jin," she said and smiled at me.

"That's not what I meant…" I replied as I felt Lavinia hug my arm again. When I glanced at her, she didn't look too happy about what Ningguang had said. When she saw this, Ningguang laughed.

"It seems I made one of your women jealous…no, perhaps more? Well, I simply wanted to confirm that. We may continue this later on tonight. I will leave these documents here for the time being. I do have something else to finish. How does ten tonight sound? Everyone should be here too, including other gods…"

"Like?"

"Yuhuang Shangdi and Nuwa," said Ningguang.

"The Jade Emperor and the Mother Goddess of the Chinese mythology." Ningguang smiled at me before she left with the youkai and Keqing. "It seems like we're going to be meeting some pretty interesting people tonight…or I will. You guys don't need to come since it's pretty late," I told them.

Most of them thought about it, but didn't give me an immediate answer. We finally left the place with Le Fay's help.

…

West, that was the direction we were heading to. We were in Kaisel's back as we flew over to that area. During the 100 years, Kaisel himself approached me about making him larger since he wanted that change. I saw the benefits and took action. So his size was comparable to Irene's at 100 meters.

Since we had a lot of space on his back, my group were doing their thing. On his back, some people were playing cards, and others were sleeping. To my surprise, Kouki and Kalawarna were acting like a normal couple, Mittelt and Meruem were near Kaisel's tail as they spoke about various topics. In a way, she's like a teacher to Meruem about acting 'normal'.

Mittelt herself has also calmed down as I noted earlier. The rest were…well—Gabriel was trying to feed me snacks from my lap, Lavinia had fallen asleep on my other, Suzaku was to my left with her eyes closed. Raynare was leading against my back and Griselda was to my right.

Le Fay and Fusae were reading books and chatting to each other just in front of us. According to them: 'Since there's no space, we'll just be here then'. I didn't ask them about it as I more or less knew what they meant.

Westward was the White Tiger, Baihu. The current inheritor was Byakko Shinra. I hadn't spoken to the guy much, but he seemed pretty wild. But I did promise the current head, Rakko Shinra that I'd bring those exiled members back, and I plan on keeping it.

Because of that, like the others, they've slowly been integrating Suzaku's new systems, according to her at least. Ryuuta, since he's the inheritor of the Yellow Dragon, has been quite vocal because of it, so he's also trying his best.

"What do you think the White Tiger will be like?" asked Gabriel.

"…Well, if I base his personality with his current inheritor, then…wild?" I said and chuckled.

"Tiger…wild…they're soft and fluffy right? If I ask nicely, will he let me pet him?" asked Gabriel, slowly getting excited about the thought.

I'm pretty sure we watched a bunch of videos about animals around the world, so she should know not to ask if we can pet wild animals. Also, this is the legendary Sacred Beast. I imagine he'd be insulted…

"…Let's see how he is first before we ask him to do that kind of thing, okay?" Gabriel agreed to my suggestion, thankfully. We stayed like this, occasionally chatting to each other until we arrived at the White Tiger's abode.

On the way here, there were various small villages and towns as well as a lot of mountains, forests, and gorges. There weren't too many flat lands to my surprise, they were only seen at small villages or towns since they usually flattened some to grow crops on.

We also felt a variety of auras, as well as seeing certain youkai and monsters that can only be seen in this realm. Most were near lakes or rivers, sometimes the occasional forest or cave ones, though they didn't try to attack us.

The home of the White Tiger was located on top of a mountain range. There was a clear starting point on where we're supposed to land at. A large flat opening. There were various smaller buildings that the path to the main building was built upon since it's the largest one there.

They had brown tiled roofs with white and red walls. In the main building felt hundreds to even thousands of auras, and then a few distinct ones. I don't know why there were, but…if Baihu is anything like Byakko, then it may be a training ground…

"Just hover above that platform, Kaisel," I told the large wyvern. Of course, he couldn't land, so he got as close as he could and we jumped down. I had to wake up the sleeping ones before we did.

Once we were on the platform, Kaisel returned to my shadow and we looked towards the large building.

"Did they inform you about any of this, Le Fay?" I asked.

"No, we didn't come here, only to the Azure Dragon and to one of the Vermillion Birds' homes. I don't know anything about this, but I can feel powerful spells surrounding the castle, so we may need to go through the intended path and not fly directly to it," she said.

Yeah. I could also feel a powerful barrier and spells surrounding it. I guess they set it up like this, huh? "You guys better be ready then, we might go through some kind of trials here," I said and chuckled.

Kouki punched his palm and grinned. "Finally, some action! Let's goooo!" he shouted and ran ahead of us. He ran past the wooden bridge that wobbled like crazy, past the gate and we saw him enter the first building.

Kalawarna sighed and followed after him, and so did the rest of us. The girls freaked out about the wobbling bridge, took photos of the wooden gate and then we finally passed a small rocky area and entered the building.

Upon entering the place, Kouki was fighting some kind of mechanical wooden doll. He wasn't using his Sacred Gear, so he fought it using hand-to-hand combat. He looked like he was enjoying himself. The interior wasn't anything special. It resembled a dojo, so there were a few places to sit down, mirrors, weapon racks and wooden floors, walls, and ceilings.

Kouki punched the wooden doll in the chest and forced it outside of the square ring they were in and it stopped moving. Suddenly above its head the words 'Pass' appeared and he pumped his fist.

"So all of us have to do this, huh?" asked Raynare. "It seems like it, at least the majority of us had some kind of hand-to-hand combat training, right?" she said and turned to everyone else.

Some excelled at it, while some had the basics down. I think Le Fay and Fusae were the most inexperienced with it, but they can probably hold themselves against this thing. So all of us took turns. I decided to go last and watch everyone beat the wooden doll.

For some, it was easy. Others decided to get a bit of training in. Both Le Fay and Fusae struggled the most, though it was mostly them tripping on themselves, but they eventually won. When it was my turn, I dodged its punch and flicked it on the forehead, forcing it out of the square, and with that…

"To the next area!" shouted Kouki and then he ran off. However, this time there was a long hallway so we walked through that instead of heading back outside. Again, Kouki reached the new building first and when we walked in, this time it was magic or at least the use of your presumed 'unique' ability.

He had Byakusa on his shoulder and had his arm covered in his lightning spear. The match ended after one strike, and it worked the same as the last one, except this time the mechanical thing was made out of some kind of metal. After Kouki the others departed and I was the last to leave.

This time, Fusae and Le Fay didn't have any problems, and I ended my turn quickly, because our next one is…

"It looks like there's only one more and then we're finally in the main building. I wonder if this was made to deter anyone weak?" asked Griselda.

"It makes sense. I had my suspicions but it seems like the White Tiger Baihu may be looking for disciples or is training people here," I added. Even if it's not the strongest Sacred Beast, it's still quite prideful after all.

We quickly chased after Kouki and when we arrived at the last building, we saw that it wasn't anything like the others. There was someone standing there waiting for us, as well as Kouki.

"Ah, finally. You guys are way too slow. This guy won't let me pass until everyone else in my group got here," he explained and then grabbed my arm. "Here, bro's the leader," he said and put me in front of the man.

He was bald and had a yellow, red and white uniform with a symbol of a tiger near his heart.

"The Middleman…I see, so you are here to see our master, the White Tiger Baihu," he said and nodded. He finally stepped back and let us through. "Follow me," he said and walked away.

We followed him and he led us through the various levels of the castle. Each one had large groups of people seemingly training. Each level that went higher got progressively harder and of course, there were only a handful of people in each one. We finally reached the summit and stood in front of a door with a large carved tiger design on it.

The bald man pushed it open and we were inside some kind of throne room like usual… The man sitting on the throne looked quite young. He had short gray hair, blue eyes, he wore a black skintight shirt, with a white coat over it. He had what seemed to be white leather armor that covered his legs and thighs and had white shoes. He also wore a very large overexaggerated brown belt.

"Dual Dragon Emperor…I've been waiting for you. Huanglong informed the rest of us that you may be visiting us today," said Baihu as he got up. He suddenly appeared in front of me and our fists collided.

A small shockwave destroyed the pillars around the room shocking everyone. His serious expression turned into a grin. "I like you, kuku. I only heard a few things about you from Byakko, but it did enough to peak my interests," he explained and brought his fist down.

"…No pets then…!" Gabriel sulked beside me and I patted her on the head. Baihu gave us a confused look, but I shook my head.

"So, why have you visited me, Dual Dragon Emperor?" he asked and I fixed the pillars around the room. I told him about an upcoming attack and that he would be targeted along with the other Sacred Beasts.

"Hmm. I welcome it then! They can try to take my life if they can!" he shouted and then laughed. He stopped then stared at us before a powerful aura covered his body. "You say they may have something that can kill us, or overpower us? Perfect. I haven't found a worthy opponent in four years!"

Four years, huh? So the events of Slash/Dog was the last time you fought something worth your while, eh?

"Well, it would be better if you didn't underestimate them, because if you die…"

"I am aware Byakko Shinra's life will also be lost, but I can still return after I die, but he cannot. Hmph. He's an amusing brat, arrogant when he first became the inheritor, but after what happened four years ago, he became a bit humble," he said and turned around. "Very well, I will trust those shadow soldiers of yours. Feel free to look around my home if you want."

"Thank you, and we'll probably leave soon since I still have three others to go and check," I told him and he nodded. We quickly left the room and I let them all loose. They had a thirty-minute time limit since we still had to meet the Vermillion Bird, Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise and night was slowly approaching us.

Almost everyone scattered, but…a few of the girls stayed with me. It was…blonde-hair heaven, Nia, Gabriel and Le Fay. Suzaku and Griselda joined us. We walked around checking the place out, but as mentioned earlier, it was mostly a bunch of people screaming words and grunting loudly. The smell of sweat also permeated through the walls and floors. It wasn't exactly…a 'touristy' place to be in.

"It's stinky here…" complained the Seraph.

"…You're not used to it yet, Gabriel-sama?" asked Griselda.

"…I'm used to Aaron's smell, but…not strangers," she corrected herself and buried her head on my back and started sniffing me. I wanted to ask why they're always doing that, but at this point I've kind of given up.

There wasn't really anything here since it's mostly an enormous Dojo from what we saw, and so thirty minutes passed quickly and I teleported us back to the main city, Jiaochun. From there I summoned Kaisel again and we flew north to meet up with the Black Tortoise. Baihu informed us that Huanglong had told the rest about us, so it's good to know that they're expecting us. I don't need to go into a long-winded explanation for them.

…

Again, the journey there took around half an hour as Kaisel flew at a moderate speed. Right now, it was around three in the afternoon. We were only a few hours away from meeting the leaders of the new Chinese alliance.

On the way to the Black Tortoise's home, the terrain mainly consisted of mountains, waterfalls, and lakes. There weren't too many forests or dry land here. There were some forests, but they were few and far between. This place really gave the ambiance of old era China, especially in those wuxia or xianxia stories.

"There!" shouted Natsume as she sat on top of Kaisel's head with me and Kanami. She pointed to a small area with a building and a small tower behind it. Behind it was a small hill with a small building on it too.

They were green tiled roofs, and the walls were painted red. However, nearly every roof had very sharp tips, almost like horns.

There were only a few auras that I could feel from here, so that probably meant that the Black Tortoise was a recluse or something…or only accepted a few followers? Well, whatever the case may be, we landed in the center of the area and there were some people there.

They stared at us curiously, but only one approached us. It was an elderly woman. She appeared to be in her late seventies. "Middleman, Xuanwu is waiting for you. Please follow me," she said and walked away towards the large building.

I glanced at everyone, and I gave them the signal that they could explore since I doubt that they would want to be crowded in a small room again. This time only Lavinia and Suzaku came with me as the rest left to explore. We followed the older woman and we ascended a few flights of stairs until we reached the highest one and entered into a not-so-lavish room.

In there was the Black Tortoise. She had white hair with a long ponytail at the back of her head. This ponytail was surrounded by the tail of a little black snake with red eyes representing a bow attached to her hair. She also wore the shell of a black tortoise on top of her head that looked like a hat. She owned a black leather jacket with full-length sleeves and a shawl encircling her neck in the same color.

She also wore gradient gloves with black fur cuffs. She wore a skirt similar to a black tortoise shell and knee-high boots. She bore a long, reptilian tail resembling of one's Snapping Turtle by the upper black plating's, and under them a soft, grayish-white scaled segments similar to a serpent's belly, reflecting her entity nature of being a tortoise and a snake simultaneously.

However, beside her was someone else, a young lady. She was a teenage woman who had dark brown hair and had green eyes. Her hair was in a tail-like fashion. She wore a black and gold Chinese outfit that was fit for combat.

"Miss Xuanwu, I have brought the Middleman," said the older lady. She then bowed and left.

"Oh! So that's him in the flesh, huh?!" said the smaller brown-haired girl. She ran over to us and started to walk around me and look at me. "Hmm-hmm. I'm Shi Jin! Part of the 8 Divas. Nice to meetcha!" she said with a grin.

"She has Jin in her name, Jin," said Lavinia as she poked me on the cheek.

"Jin-ception," added Suzaku who also poked my cheek, making me even more confused. She wasn't one to go along with jokes like that…

"Ahem…anyway, the reason for my visit is…" I told her about the targeted attacks on her and the other Sacred Beasts and that's why I put a bunch of my subordinates here. However, after I told her that, she didn't answer, instead she walked over to us and stood in front of me.

"…Do you like ice cream?" she asked.

…What? How's that relevant to anything I said…? No, I've met plenty of weirdos over the short time I've been in this world. Let's just take this in stride. Maybe we can get her to acknowledge what I said in a few more sentences…

"Yeah I do. Why do you ask, Xuanwu?" I asked the girl.

She put her hand behind her back and produced an ice cream cone. From a glance I could tell that it was the cookies and cream flavor. She offered it to me and I took it, I licked it and said, "It's good." I then offered it to Lavinia and Suzaku who also took a lick, though Nia unintentionally did it erotically.

"…You guys sure are gutsy to do that nonchalantly," said Shi Jin.

"Once you're far enough into a relationship, you don't really think much about your actions—especially those kinds, so it just becomes natural," I replied and she nodded like what I just said were words of wisdom.

"…Do you like that flavor?" Xuanwu asked.

"I like most ice cream flavors, but yeah I do like this one quite a bit."

She nodded and stared at me for a few more seconds. Lavinia had taken the ice cream and finished it herself.

"…Why did you visit?" she asked. So, I told her about the reason again and she nodded. "I accept the help, thank you," she said and bowed. "Will you be leaving now?" she asked, looking a little sad.

"Yeah…I still need to see the Azure Dragon and Vermillion Bird, but I can visit you another time when I find time," I replied and she seemed to perk up when she heard that. I don't understand this Sacred Beast. She's like…

[A Kuudere.]

'Where in the world did you hear that from?' I asked Elsha.

[We are forced to spend a lot of time with Ddraig. He watches a lot of 'meme videos' from your memories and also makes a lot of references while in here. His favorites are 'Yeet', 'Oh mah gawd', and something about 'Rizz',] she explained.

'…I'm so sorry.'

[You better be, it's exhausting at times, you know?]

I apologized again for the birth of the Meme Dragon. The three of us left with me promising again to visit Xuanwu and we waited in the middle of the place for everyone to come back when—

"Uwaaaa, Aaron~!" Gabriel's cries alerted us. We turned to our right and saw the Seraph flying towards us while crying. I caught her as she started to sob into my chest. I was confused and worried about her.

"Gabriel, what's—"

"You're a Seraph and dress like that?! Have you no shame?!" a voice of an older woman boomed throughout the area.

Raynare and Griselda were not too far behind Gabriel as they also appeared not too long after. However, they were also followed by an old woman, who I would describe as an ancient China Karen. She had the hairstyle and face…

Gabriel looked up at me, tear-eyed and asked, "Am I…a slut?"

I looked up at the woman, full of hostility and said, "Okay, let's kill her!"

"Eh?!" both Lavinia and Suzaku sounded shocked by what I said.

"Calm down…!" Lavinia tightened her grip on my arm and so did Suzaku.

"I understand why you're mad, but if you do kill her that will only make the alliance with the Chinese Pantheon harder…," said Suzaku.

…I know that, but it really pissed me off. Gabriel wasn't wearing anything too revealing, honestly, it was quite modest if I was honest. It was like Michael's clothing, but it showed a bit of her shoulders, hips and legs, but that's it!

"Okay, let's cripple—"

Bonk!

"Stop!" said by both of them. Finally, both Raynare and Griselda joined us and explained what had happened.

"We were enjoying the views here and also walked up to that small building at the top of the hill, but then that woman showed up…she started lecturing us about our clothing? I-I don't think we were wearing anything too provocative …" explained Griselda as she looked uncomfortable.

"Eh, screw her. I'm not even wearing anything that bad, she should have seen me a few months ago!" said Raynare dismissively. "Gabriel-sama, ignore that bitc—ignorant woman, she's probably obsessed with tradition this, tradition that," added Raynare.

The woman finally arrived in front of us and was about to continue when Kouki fell from the sky and landed on top of her…knocking her out. We stared at the situation confused and shocked. Though I wanted to laugh, but I held myself back since the girls might not like it…

"Ugh…shit, what the hell…huh? Who the hell are you?" Kouki asked as he rubbed the back of his head. He looked down at the unconscious woman in confusion, but quickly got up and off her.

The others who were in this little location came to see the commotion, but they simply snickered at the passed-out lady. I guess they didn't like her either, huh? Someone finally walked over to her and dragged her away…not so gently as she hit some stairs and bumps on the ground.

Not too long after, the rest came back, confused by the situation, but I had to comfort Gabriel for the rest of our time here.

…

We teleported back to the city, and made our way east. I had planned on heading to the Vermillion Bird last, though Suzaku was a bit huffy about it since she was really nervous about meeting her Sacred Beast.

Nothing too notable on the way there since Vali told me about it beforehand, so when we arrived in the village that the Azure Dragon resided in, we quickly landed at the entrance of the town. Behind us was a small rice field plot and there were some farmers there tending to them.

"Please follow me, it's this way," said Le Fay and we followed her. Like she said earlier, the villagers here looked at us like they'd seen a ghost. However, it only lasted a few seconds before they scurried back to their daily habits.

We made our way through the village and came to a large temple-like building. We stopped by the entrance, and like earlier, the ones who wanted to explore ran away. The two usual suspects stayed with me, with Gabriel joining us this time. Once we stepped inside it was a barren, a few dragon statues here and stairs that descended down.

After a few minutes of walking, it seemed like it would go on forever, so I picked up all three girls and dashed down the stairs.

"Weeee~"

"My…skirt…" said Suzaku as she tried to stop it from being exposed by the wind. Lavinia giggled the entire time, and with the speed I used, we reached the bottom quite quickly. However, the deeper we delved, the more powerful the aura was that tried to block us.

But we weren't deterred by it. So we pushed on through and arrived at a large entrance, just like Huanglong's from earlier. I put the girls down and, in the middle, sat a woman who had long silver hair, multicolored horns on her head, purple eyes and mostly wore a white dress.

Her eyes opened and glared at us, but she quickly stopped and stared in shock. After a few seconds of staring and blinking, she asked, "D-dual Dragon Emperor?"

"The one and only. Are you the Azure Dragon then? I expected you to be male," I said.

"…Huanglong and Baihu are the only males among the Sacred Beasts," she told us. "I see…so you're finally here," she said, sounding almost relieved.

"You want to meet me? That's what my little brot—that's what Vali told me," I said as she left the rock she was sitting on. She came over to us and stood in front of us while looking at me with uncertainty. "Is something wrong? Why did you want to see me?" I asked.

"I wanted to thank you for helping the Kushihashi Clan during those attacks a few months ago, and also during that other attack. Seiryuu Kushihashi is the first inheritor that I have gotten along with in a long time, so him being alive after those attacks…"

"I see, it's no problem. I just wanted to help," I replied.

"Also, about Tiamat and Ryuuta Nakiri," she said which surprised me. I didn't think she was close to them. "It's not known, but I have met with Tiamat, one of the Five Dragon Kings many times in the past. She told me many things about Ryuuta, or the current Ouryuu. I wanted to thank you for accepting him into your future teams," she said and bowed.

That's…a surprise. I didn't think Tiamat and the Azure Dragon Qinglong had any kind of connection, but it seems like there were two inheritors who connected them to me in one way or another. "I see, well, it's fine. Ouryuu seemed like a pleasant person, so I look forward to speaking more to him in the future."

"U-um…c-can I—"

"Qinglong, I'm back! …Huh? Oh, the Middleman is here. I didn't think I'd come across you this early," said a female's voice behind us.

We turned around to see a woman with pale skin, light emerald-green eyes, and dark blue hair and asymmetrical bangs that are lighter at the tips. Her attire consisted of a blue qipao-like overcoat and a dark bodysuit embellished with silver details.

Her attire is decorated with a number of trinkets and accessories. These include white bracelets on her arms and a number of chokers and necklaces around her neck. From these necklaces, a charm resembling a die hangs.

In addition to this, she kept a furred white coat hanging from the back of her outfit somewhat resembling a cape. She also sports a pair of thigh-high boots that leave a part of her thigh exposed. She also sported a pair of white blue-tipped earrings resembling teardrops.

"Quan Xiuying…you're back already?" Qinglong asked the woman.

"Yeah, I just got the ingredients for tonight's dinner," she replied. "Ah, I'm Quan Xiuying by the way. I work for Lady Ningguang and am also a friend of the Azure Dragon by the way!" she greeted us.

"I'm Jin. This is Suzaku, Lavinia and Gabriel. It's nice to meet you," I greeted her and shook her hand as she arrived beside us.

"You're really tall, huh? A cutie too when I see you this closely," she said and grinned. "Anyway, I'll go back to my home and start cooking these, alright? Just come over when you're ready," Quan Xiuying said to Qinglong and left.

"Oh right, I actually came here too—"

After my explanation, she nodded. "I see…I will appreciate the help then, Jin. I will also keep an eye out for any suspicious activities," she said and turned around.

"We'll get moving then. Thanks for meeting us," I said. She glanced back at us and smiled before she went back to her rock. I was curious about what she wanted to say to me before Quan Xiuying interrupted her, but…I can ask another time.

…

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Get off me, you psychotic child!!" shouted Kouki. He had a child on his shoulders biting his head and trying to pull his hair out. Kalawarna was near them and looked utterly defeated. Around them were also other children laughing and pointing at Kouki.

We walked over to Kalawarna and asked what had happened.

"Kouki…started having a small competition with the local children. He kept winning and…well, rubbing it in their faces, so that little girl finally lost her temper and…well, you're seeing the consequences of his actions," she explained and sighed.

"Thee (You) should have lost on purpose, Kouki," said Ajamu. He had mostly been silent during our trip, but also enjoyed the scenery and food that he got to experience. I should speak to him more, and maybe try to get past our pasts between each other.

"Never change, Kouki…never change," I muttered and watched the scene in front of me in amusement. Kouki finally conceded, and the little girl raised her fist in a victory pose before running away with her friends.

"Are you alright?" I asked and he gave me a thumbs up, albeit tiredly. We waited for everyone else to come back, and…the Minagawa sisters came back with a ton of food along with Gabriel. Raynare and Griselda were helping them carry it all.

Fusae and Le Fay seemed to be getting along well since they're mostly talking to each other. Meruem and Mittelt were (from what I could see) treating this time like they were out on a date. I had seen both of them holding hands from time to time, but I decided not to say anything about it.

"Let's go to the final Sacred Beast then."

"Food!" shouted Kanami which just confused me. "Can we fly from here to the south? I wanna eat the stuff we bought," she asked. The others agreed and I didn't mind, so I summoned Kaisel and ordered him to fly at a moderate speed.

…

On our way there, we began eating the food provided by the sisters. However, since it was a small village there wasn't much variety, but the food itself was good—it had a 'homey' feel to them. On my lap were Gabriel and Lavinia, munching on the food like squirrels. Everyone else was spread around Kaisel's back as they ate.

By my estimation, we were around ten minutes away from the spot that Le Fay described. There were even more waterfalls here and bodies of water. The way we could identify one of her homes was there would be a lot of 'floating' boats docked on a certain island.

When looking around there were a plethora of rock formations that resembled islands, however, Le Fay described it as more of an island with a large castle/mansion and various smaller buildings, so the ones we passed were definitely not them.

"Ah, there! We can see them now…but…before we left, we asked one of the people that lived there and they said that a way to know that the Vermillion Bird is in this home is that the water and the air will feel warm," Le Fay said and summoned a magic circle. She summoned some water beneath us and dipped her finger into it.

"…It's cold? So she may not be here. Shall we go further south then? The man described the other home to be calm and had a large red-leaved tree with a small home on top of large and tall rocks," she said. She came over to me with the water and I also touched it. It was cold, as she said.

"I'll take your word for it, Le Fay. Kaisel, keep moving south until you see a tree with red leaves," I told him and he did just that. We eventually flew past the place that she described and to some of my group's surprise, they saw flying ships and were excited to witness them.

It didn't take us long to arrive at a rocky mountain area. All around us were gorges and crevices as well as long valleys, canyons, and rivers below us. There were various animals here and the area was significantly warmer than the area we passed.

"It's warmer than the ocean-like area we flew over," said Suzaku as she eagerly looked forward. Her grip on my arm was firmer.

"Ah, I see it! It's the tree with red leaves! Oh, and a house is behind it!" shouted Kanami as she pointed at it. Next to the house was a small waterfall. It had a white tiled roof and red walls. Just like Le Fay said, it was positioned on top of a small mountain.

"Kaisel you can stop here," I told him. He stopped just above the tree with red leaves and we all hopped off. He went back into my shadow. To our right was a small wooden bridge that connected to nowhere and behind us was a man-made dirt path.

However, there was no way of reaching the home of the Vermillion Bird—well, you would need some kind of power or be physically fit to reach it in a single jump. But flight was the other option. We didn't see a bridge that connected to her home.

"Let's fly to it then." We were about to do that when a large bird made of flames soared up and above the mountain that the house was situated on. Noticing us, it flew straight towards us and floated just above us.

Suzaku stood there in awe and was clearly nervous. Since she wasn't going to speak, I'll do it…

"Hello, Vermillion Bird. I'm Jin, the Middleman. I'm here for business," I told her. She squinted at me before she transformed into her human form and stood in front of us.

In her human form she had long straight red hair, the top was darker while nearer to her tips were lighter in color. She had crimson eyes and wore a unique red and orange qipao. Under it was a skin-tight black bodysuit with distinctive patterns on them. A red tattoo with a unique swirling design was on her right arm.

She wore long black gloves that covered both her arms and had two gold ornaments on each wrist. On her hip was a large golden accessory that resembled a flower, and she wore a pair of golden-black books to finish her appearance off.

The Vermillion Bird, or Zhuque stared at Suzaku who also stared back at her silently. She then smiled at her and introduced herself. "I'm the Vermillion Bird of the South, Zhuque. It seems my inheritor of the Himejima clan has come here personally along with the Middleman. I take it this is something serious?"

"It is, but I thought Huanglong informed you of our visit?" I asked.

"He is a playful individual, a practical joker—so I or I doubt anyone else believed what he said…well maybe Xuanwu since she's a bit naïve at times," she said. "Please do tell me the reason for your visit."

So I told her what might happen soon and she frowned after hearing it. She probably had the strongest reaction so far. The others were nonchalant about it, or were indifferent, or in Baihu's case, he wanted to fight them.

"So that is why there were such a large number of shadows around both my homes…" she muttered. "I will accept your help, Middleman. This is because my inheritor trusts you," she added.

So it's because of Suzaku, huh? Well, I'm fine with that as long as you accept it and I don't have to force it. I glanced back up at the sky and saw that it was finally setting. We barely managed to visit them all in time and tell them, so I'll take this as a win.

"…The day is ending we should go back and find an Inn or hotel to stay in," I suggested. I completely forgot about that; I should have looked for one before we left Jiaochun for the first time.

"Then I will invite you to my abode, it may not look spacious, but it is in the inside, it also has another section from behind," she said. Everyone turned to me and I agreed.

"I don't see why not, but…I will need to leave around nine since the meeting starts at ten," I told her and she didn't have a problem with that. So, we flew to her house and entered it.

…

Once inside her home, she prepared some tea for us, before Suzaku pulled her away and spoke with her. She left us to our own devices and also told us about a few areas in her home. The most notable (for me) was the open bath that was outside and on the other side of the mountain.

Everyone else walked around her home and explored it. Since it was quite large, almost as large as my own home, they were very curious about it.

"Can I come with you?" asked Lavinia who was still with me.

"Me too," added the Seraph.

"If you two want too then, sure." I didn't mind. Having someone else there with me is better than being alone.

[Ahem?]

'I mean, you guys don't count since you're always with me…' I replied and Elsha just gave me a 'hmph' in response.

…

Suzaku Himejima's Soliloquy

…

The Vermillion Bird. The day that I became its inheritor I was very nervous, but I was also extremely proud of myself. I was given a few titles which I really didn't take notice of since I was just happy that my parents were proud of me. But I quickly realized the responsibilities that I had to shoulder. I also found out that I would become the future head of our clan because of it.

So I started preparing even more. It also happened during a time when Akeno went missing, my auntie being killed and uncle Baraqiel isolating himself in Grigori while doing endless missions. It was a very stressful time in my life. I also had gained a few new comrades, and met my second cousin, Tobio Ikuse who I wanted to bring back into the clan after being exiled along with his grandmother Ageha Ikuse.

I knew it would be a difficult battle to fight, but I was determined to bring them back, along with anyone else that was exiled. I heard a few stories from my auntie about Atsutarou Himejima and how she wanted to get him back, so I also put effort into trying to find him, but he was very elusive.

…But at the time, I even suggested to Tobio that I marry him so that he would be brought back to the clan. However, the uncomfortable look he gave me said otherwise, so I decided not to pursue it, and decided to find another way.

I lied to Aaron about that. I wondered how he would act if he found out—the look of surprise and shock at the time made me reconsider telling him…even though we weren't in a relationship back then. It made me feel nervous and guilty.

Right now…I was finally meeting the Vermillion Bird again. The last time I briefly met her was during the ceremony of me inheriting the Vermillion Bird.

"You wish to speak to me, Suzaku?" she asked.

"Y-yes, I wanted to know—"

"It is," she said, stopping me. I stared at her stunned. When I tried to speak, words wouldn't come out of my mouth.

'How did she know what I was going to say? Do they know to a certain degree depending on how far and strong our bond is?' I thought.

"Do you doubt your own powers, Suzaku? We have performed the Spiritual Synthesis four years ago multiple times, and also…you love him, don't you?" she asked.

The last time I synthesized with the Vermillion Bird was four years ago, before I met Aaron, and when the Slash/Dog Team was first established, while I wasn't an official member, I was an 'honorary' member of sorts.

I first synthesized when I fought one of the witches of the Wizards of Oz. The other times were for other occasions when I needed more power, although now I don't think I would need to use it much because I've reached new levels of strength…

"I-I don't doubt my own powers, and I do love Aaron…" I replied.

"If you do, then why have you approached me?" she asked.

I stared at her, uncertain in how to answer. Maybe I wanted someone to validate the way I feel? I'm confident in my powers. The years I spent in Aaron's [Pocket Dimension] are a testament to that. I also love him, of course I do…I wouldn't be engaged to him otherwise…

I felt her hand on my shoulder and I was brought out of my own world. She smiled at me and said, "It seems you already know the answer to my question then. Be more confident in yourself, Suzaku Himejima…even if I only know a small part of your circumstances, I know you had to shoulder a lot of burdens at an early age. You love him, so tell him about it, show him your vulnerable side. He has shown that to you and his other lovers, has he not?"

...I…I shared some of my burdens with him and my past, but I haven't really told him everything, have I? I wonder if Lavinia has already told him about her own past? Is that why they're so much closer than Aaron and I?

If I was truly honest, I was jealous…I was really jealous. I want to be as close as they are. Even if I'm known as his 'Fated One', those two…their bond is stronger than the one we have. Does that make me selfish? Can I be selfish? If it's just with him…he did say that I could…but I always held myself back.

I had to take care of others. I had to show them that I could be reliable—that I wouldn't be a damsel in distress. It has always been like this, even when I was younger…

"Suzaku, I think you should be more honest with your feelings towards him," she told me and gently pushed me towards them. Aaron, Lavinia and Gabriel were chatting to each other on one of her couches. They looked very comfortable there.

But…if I share my own burdens with him, doesn't that mean Aaron will have to take even more one? I wanted to relieve him of those burdens and not add to them, but…I hadn't noticed that I was already in front of them.

"Oh, Suzaku. Welcome back, is everything okay?" he asked. The other two women with him looked at me with worry too. Did I look stressed? I…

…

Jin Skyward's Soliloquy

…

When Suzaku came back to us, she looked…I guess unsure of something? It looked like she wanted to say something to us or me, but her mouth hung open when she attempted to speak.

"Su—"

Multiple loud explosions and powerful tremors occurred all around us. Everyone became aware of the situation and quickly gathered in the living room.

[Aaron! Multiple stone giants appeared in Takamagahara! The Valkyrie Squad, and Raiko-san's group are going to be facing them,] said Rose through the [Communication Function].

'My liege, it appears that Kyoto is also under attack. All clans are currently under attack by multiple parties and giant stone creatures,' a shadow told me. 'In the Nakiri clan, a man appeared saying they want to see Lavinia Reni, one of your lovers…'

"…It started; we already discussed our plan of action! Get ready!" I shouted at them and they all gathered in their groups. Five Sacred Beasts, five groups. I wanted to meet the leaders in this realm before this started, but I guess they weren't waiting for us.

"The Five Principal Clans and the Shinto realm are also under attack, Suzaku. Do you want to go back there?" I asked her.

"…I…" she looked at me, then to the Vermillion Bird, Zhuque.

"Why not go with her?" I suggested to the both of them.

"A fine idea, Suzaku. Let us go back to your clan," said Zhuque.

"Lavinia…it seems like someone from your past is looking for you. They're from the Nakiri clan apparently," I told her and her eyes widened in surprise.

"I'll go…I think I know who it is. I'll go support Ryuu-kun. We'll be done in a jiffy~!" she cheered and kissed me on the cheek.

I nodded and teleported everyone away. Those left with me were the angels—Griselda, Raynare and Gabriel. "Let's keep those Sacred Beasts safe!" I shouted and they cheered with me.

…

Third Person Point of View

…

Aaron and his group left Zhuque's and were greeted to a sight of two large stone warriors. Their bodies were made out of enchanted obsidian and they held weapons in their hands. The one on the left had a large battle axe, and the one on the right had a halberd. Both had long white hair and horns on their heads. Around them were hybrids with various types of wings that protruded from their backs.

"This feeling…are you guys from the Himejima clan?!" Aaron shouted at the floating hybrids.

"Fufu, of course we are, we're here to take the life of the Vermillion Bird!" one of the shouted. "Go!"

Hundreds of magic circles appeared all around them and fired at the Vermillion Bird's home. Raynare created hundreds of light spears in response and intercepted them. She looked at Aaron asking what he wanted to do.

"…Capture a few, we can kill the rest." Aaron didn't want to, but he could tell from a distance that trying to convince these exiled members was a lost cause. Some of them were far too deep into their hatred and obsession with destroying the Sacred Beasts and the Five Principal Clans.

Aaron flicked his wrist and marked five of them not to kill. He informed the girls about this and they made quick work of the exiled members, but…

Aaron looked at the two giants and used [Observe] on them. He found out that they were known as the [Battle Gods], but were prototypes. He found it ironic since he had called a subgroup of his Electas the [Goddess of Battle]. He mused that they may have called these things that to mock him.

The two battle gods pulled their weapons back and swung down towards Aaron's group. In response to the powerful attack destroying their surroundings, he quickly jumped in front of it and blocked it. He then redirected the attack into the sky which made a powerful shockwave and a thunderous boom was heard throughout the valley.

'Does this mean this is happening all around the realm, Kyoto, and even Takamagahara? If so, they should be fine. Rose and Raiko are there, and the Norse group with the Valkyrie squad are pretty powerful too. These things are just Low-Tier God-class, so they can be dealt with,' he thought and flew towards the battle gods.

"You should try to get along with each other…" said Gabriel as she dodged numerous attacks from the exiled Himejima's.

"Is this bitch really a Seraph? She's like a clueless child," asked the female Himejima.

"That's what she gets after being coddled for a long time. That dumb God of the Bible is such a stupid god," said another.

"Don't bad mouth my father like that!" Gabriel said angrily. She appeared in front of the two and slapped them on the face. She had put moderate strength into it and they became dazed. "Apolo—"

Raynare fired two light attacks through their heads and killed them. Gabriel was shocked and looked at the fallen angel in confusion. "They weren't marked, Gabriel-sama. If you truly cared for our departed father, then honor his name by killing those who sullied his name like that," she said seriously.

Gabriel looked troubled but agreed in the end, albeit reluctantly. All three of them had silently agreed to leave the last five alive and dispose of the rest while Aaron took care of the battle gods.

"Hmph. He may be the Middleman, but even as prototypes they cannot be—"

A loud boom and shockwave was heard by all of them. When they turned to look at the two battle gods, both of them were in the sky.

"Wha—"

They then saw a powerful white and gold breath attack leave from Aaron and the two battle gods were incinerated by the breath attack. The night sky of Nanzendu was briefly turned into a white-golden glow as it illuminated the entire realm. Once the attack was finished the two battle gods were no more.

"You were saying something about prototypes? Did you seriously forget about what had happened during Halloween?" asked Raynare smugly. She appeared in front of the man who tried to say something about Aaron and grinned. "You know nothing, it shows how naïve and stupid you are." She then blasted him away with a powerful light attack that also killed more around them.

The rest of them killed the rest and captured the remaining five who were terrified of the three females. Aaron returned to them and glanced at the five captured. He quickly read their memories, but most of them were just self-contained meetings about what they would do if they were to kill the Vermillion Bird and if they seized the past and current head of the Himejima clan.

Even though Suzaku had nothing to do with their exile, they still wanted to target her. In their own words, it was to 'teach the naïve girl a lesson', which pissed off Aaron.

"Hey, were you really intending to target Suzaku?" he asked and grabbed one of their heads, squeezing it.

"Suou Himejima was our prime target. We would torture him and kill him over and over again, because we have the technology and ability to resurrect him! …Suzaku Himejima did not try hard enough to change the rules of those old fucks! She deserves as much—"

Aaron crushed his head and sighed. "Yeah, you're all beyond saving…how about the rest of you? Do you feel the same way?" he asked coldly. They didn't answer him, so he began counting down. Which made them scream 'no' out of desperation. Aaron shook his head again and stared them straight in the eyes and put his hand out, "Liars."

Their heads exploded after he closed his hand. He turned his attention back to the main city Jiaochun. "Let's go, we can't let the rest of this realm be destroyed because of this selfishness." The girls with him said nothing but quietly followed him. As they left the area, they saw various parts of the home of the Vermillion Bird start to slowly repair itself.

Griselda flew beside Aaron and called out his name. "Aaron."

"I'm fine, Grisel—" He didn't finish his sentence as Griselda stopped him and kissed him, which surprised him.

She smiled at him and said, "I know you're worried about her, but Suzaku-san is powerful. Please believe in her, your soldiers and Electa's abilities. We're not like we were a few months ago."

Aaron stared at him and nodded. "I'm sorry, you're right." He closed his eyes and exhaled. "Let's stop them then, and destroy another faction in the Khaos Order."

Griselda smiled and they increased their speed and arrived in the main city a few seconds later.

…