POV: Haruki
I was flying at maximum speed toward my home. The city stretched ahead like a silent accusation. I could only think of my mediocrity on the way.
What an idiot I am. What the hell was I thinking?
Why did I not do anything when I called her?
What indeed?
I had believed it was just the usual nightmares she used to have as a child, that at least it could wait for a bit.
What an idiot.
So busy playing house with devils, that I would forget my family?
Please let my sister be safe. Please ignore my stupidity, let her not suffer for it.
I could see my home city in the distance. I flew above it, descending directly toward my home. What I saw there chilled me. Police cars. Sirens. Flashing red and blue slicing through the dark. Our neighbors, horrified, were gathered in clusters. An ambulance. The sterile scent of antiseptic even from above.
I landed. Walked in.
There they were.
My parents, cut to pieces. Their bodies being lifted into the ambulance, covered in white sheets. White sheets used for corpses.
I moved through it all numbly.
Why are the police here already? It shouldn't have happened more than ten minutes ago, right?
I approached an officer. Told him they were my parents. He tried to calm me, voice neutral, unsure how to say it. I insisted.
"We got a call about 30 minutes ago about a scream being heard from the house. The neighbor saw a girl running away screaming in terror shortly. When we arrived there, the owners of the house, your parents, were dead."
I heard no more. I had already flown into the sky.
My parents are dead.
I cannot mourn them yet.
I must save my one remaining family member.
It has been thirty minutes since she apparently fled from home. Yet I was only called ten minutes ago. Did she try to call when I was in the underworld and she couldn't reach me?
I was ranting about inane matters while my sister looked for me for comfort.
Another failure. I am so pathetic.
No. I need to find my sister. I must do it quickly.
I must use the Domain of Dread to extend my demonic energy as a detection field. But I can't cover the whole city with my current high-class energy reserves. The city is simply too large.
I will need to use Sacramentum to temporarily increase my demonic energy output, in order to be able to cover the whole city.
I had used it once before, against the Fallen, when I was a mid-class devil. Then, I had sacrificed a hundred years of lifespan.
Now that I am high-class, the price is much higher.
How much would I need to cover the entire city?
I began calculating.
The answer: at least ten times my current output.
The cost: 3,200 years of lifespan.
A steep price.
I accepted it.
I gathered my demonic energy and released it through the city. The reaction was immediate. Overwhelming. I could feel every person within range, their heartbeats, their footfalls. Even the animals: the skitter of rats, the shifting of insects. The overload stunned me.
I steadied myself. Focused. Searched for one presence only.
I found her.
She was unconscious, lying at the outskirts of the city, in an abandoned warehouse.
She was not alone.
I launched forward at full speed.
I shattered the glass upon entering the vast, empty hall. I sprinted toward my sister, motionless on the floor.
I did not make it halfway.
"Stop."
The command settled like iron in my bones.
My body froze mid-step. Muscles locked, limbs unresponsive. A forced paralysis. Not one of brute power, but of will. My own will, twisted, compressed beneath the authority of another. I strained, silently, trying to force circulation through my demonic energy. It was sluggish, bound as if by invisible chains.
A man stepped forward. Blonde hair, elegant stance, sword in hand. His voice was soft, almost disarming in its calmness. But everything about him, his posture, his eyes, his control, reeked of something dangerous: authority sharpened by conviction.
"It was your demonic energy we felt in the city, wasn't it?" the man asked, voice still calm.
I wanted to move. Willed it. Still nothing.
I hated how powerless I felt.
"Who are you?" I said, trying again to circulate power.
Another voice spoke. A young man, black hair and piercing blue eyes, his tone sharp and contemptuous. "There is no mistake about it. It was him."
The dark-haired youth regarded me like I was an infestation.
"Did you know your little outburst with demonic energy is going to make thousands of normal people suffer nightmares for the next few days?" he said, his words like thorns.
Of course I knew. Demonic energy was not meant for the human world in such volume. It would disrupt the minds of the weak, fracture the dreams of the innocent. But I had to find Hikaru.
"Guys, I think we shouldn't jump to conclusions," said a girl in a sorceress-like outfit, her voice far more cautious than the others. Her blue hat shimmered with star patterns. A matching cape hung from her shoulders, its interior white and its edges lined with delicate pink. "I'm Le Fay Pendragon. Who are you? And why are you here?" she asked.
That name, yes, from the Arthurian legends.
"Please forgive the intrusion," I said, masking my agitation with formal civility. "My name is Haruki Yamashiro. That girl on the ground, she is my sister. I am here for her."
"Your sister? So you are a reincarnated devil, who sold his humanity. Pathetic." The black-haired boy again. Disdain unchanged.
"I would consider it a great favor if you could release me to check on my sister," I said, keeping my tone measured.
"You keep saying she is your sister. But you are a devil. She is human. That's quite the discrepancy." countered the boy.
"If you release me, I can put your doubts to rest," I said. "She is my sister. You have my word."
"What is the word of a devil worth?"
I said nothing. Nothing that would convince him.
Le Fay spoke again, trying to mediate. "Perhaps we shouldn't be too hasty in judgment, Cao Cao. He could really be her brother."
But the black-haired boy, Cao Cao, refused to soften."Then where was he? Where was this loving brother when she awakened her Sacred Gear? Strange, isn't it? That he arrives only now."
I swallowed the bitterness crawling up my throat.
"She called me ten minutes ago," I said. "I came as fast as I could. I… failed to understand the severity at first. That is my failing."
He was not convinced.
"Look man, this is quite the awkward time. My sister believes she killed our parents. I can prove she is my sister, if you release me,"I said, trying not to sound frustrated.
"So you weren't here when she murdered your parents, then?" he said, eyes narrowing.
The words struck like a knife. But I had no energy left for grief. Not yet. I focused instead on restraint.
"I was not," I said simply.
"Exactly. You come now, coincidentally, as soon as she awakens her Sacred Gear. How convenient. You're just here to take her to your master, aren't you? Another devil conscripted into the system."
"I would never turn my sister into a slave," I replied, voice sharp enough to cut steel. "I am here because she is my family. Not for anyone else."
He looked at me sceptically.
"I am sure you all have compelling reasons for your disdain," I said, voice taut with effort. "But right now, my sister is unconscious. Can we not postpone this trial until she is safe?"
He did not budge.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"From you? Nothing," he said. "What could I want from a person who sold his soul to a devil? We are here for the girl, whom you claim is your sister. We were able to detect the awakening of her Sacred Gear."
"What do you want her Sacred Gear for?" I asked.
"Why, of course – to use it as it was meant to be," said cao cao casually.
"And that is?"
"To protect humanity from those who would harm us."
"A fascinating goal, one you can tell my sister when she awakens. But I would like to make sure she is safe first."
"Oh, we are not asking for permission. You have given up your right as her brother the moment you joined with the enemies of humanity. She belongs with her people. With us."
"She belongs with herself," I corrected him coldly. "Not to devils. Not to humans. Not to you."
"You don't get to say that. You chose your side."
"And she will choose hers," I said. "Not you."
"She is our kind," he replied. "A human with a Sacred Gear. Her place is with her people."
"Her people? I am her brother."
"Not anymore. You gave that up when you became a devil."
"And who are you to decide that?"
"Oh, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Cao Cao, the descendant of the famous Cao Cao, Cao Mengde, who was recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms." He gestured.
"My companions are: George, the descendant of Johann Georg Faust." He gestured to a black-haired young man with spectacles. "Heracles, the inheritor of the spirit of the Greek mythological hero." He gestured to a towering man with shoulder-length gray hair.
"Arthur Pendragon, descendant of King Arthur." He nodded to the blonde man who had paralyzed me. "And Le Fay, though she has already introduced herself."
"We are those who have raised their weapons to protect humanity from the tyranny of the supernatural. People with the power and will to fight monsters. People who see others suffer, and instead of closing their eyes, wish to do something about it. We recruit possessors of Sacred Gears for this purpose," he declared with passion.
"A noble goal," I said. "And I am sure we could talk about it in detail at another time. For now, I would like to check on my sister."
I looked at the blonde man. He was holding a sword. Something about it—
Arthur noticed my gaze."This is the fragment of the original Excalibur: Excalibur Ruler."
So that was it.
Excalibur Ruler, strongest among the seven fragments. It grants its wielder power to manipulate the will of others. Complete subjugation of any living thing.
"Talk about it at a later time? You are a funny guy. Tell us another joke," said Heracles, speaking for the first time.
The others chuckled. All but Le Fay.
They will not listen to me.
I need to buy time. Enough to break out of Excalibur Ruler's control.
"And how do you plan to achieve your goal?" I asked Cao Cao.
"Simple. Eliminate all those who threaten us. All who prey on mankind."
I chuckled. Looked at him directly. "That's a bit vague though. Who decides what counts as a threat? What about beings with power to threaten humanity but no ill intent?"
"Intent is fleeting," Cao Cao replied. "Power is constant. If someone holds the power to enslave or kill millions, they are a threat, intentional or not."
So an extremist. Great, I thought.
"That kind of generalization," I said dryly, "is usually what leads to massacres. I'm sure there's a proverb somewhere about rushing in too fast."
All the while, I was subtly trying to move my demonic energy. To think I'd find a holy sword user out here, talk about bad timing.
"And inaction leads to the same ruin," Cao Cao replied, his voice sharpening. "Every century, every decade, we repeat the same words. 'Wait. Hope. Endure.' But how many humans have died while others stood idle? How many children have vanished into the dark? How many cities have become feeding grounds? How many sacred lives were stolen—while the world simply looked away?"
He wasn't just talking to me anymore. His voice had risen, pitched to reach the others. A speech practiced, maybe even rehearsed.
He was right that there needs to be a solution, but I doubt genocide is a good solution.
"So what?" I asked, casually, to keep him talking. "Are you planning to massacre the entire supernatural world? Commit genocide?"
He didn't even blink.
"Genocide? No. I call it what it is, defense. A necessary stand by a race long betrayed. Humanity can never be free while it's bound by chains, not of iron, but of fear. Chains forged by devils who govern fate. By yokai who manipulate and consume. By gods who toy with us from their thrones. And by angels, who let us suffer while singing hymns of mercy. The supernatural is Cain, reborn again and again in a thousand guises. And we, humanity, are Abel, doomed to die unless we rise. This time, Abel must lift the stone. This time, he must strike first… or perish, forgotten and broken. If we do not fight, we remain slaves. If we do not resist, we remain prey."
He spoke with a conviction that might have swayed me, had he not been advocating for an ideological purge.
I looked him over.
"Humans hurt each other all the time. We lie, kill, destroy. Are humans not also monsters? Are we not a threat to ourselves?"
I wasn't trying to win. I just wanted to keep him talking. To get a fuller picture.
Cao Cao paused. When he spoke again, his tone was almost gentle.
"We are flawed," he admitted. "Yes. We lie, we steal, we kill. But we are human. And when we hurt one another, it is a tragedy within the family. A wound from within. We can judge it, understand it, heal from it. But when the supernatural kills us, it's domination. The powerful lording over the powerless. A lion devouring a sheep. That's not a tragedy. That's tyranny. We can change ourselves. But we cannot change those who see us as tools, food, or entertainment. The difference is intent. Perspective. The moment a being sees a human as lesser, the crime becomes subjugation."
He was immovable. Set in stone.
That's when another voice joined the fire.
"We humans are destined to inherit the stars," George said, speaking for the first time. "These creatures of myth and magic fear us—and so they keep us down. But we will rise. And when we do, they will fall. Only then will we be suzerain of the Earth."
"I see," I murmured. "Just one small problem. The supernatural is absurdly powerful."
I wasn't exaggerating. Just off the top of my head—Godkings, dragons, Seraphs, Satans, transcendent gods like Shiva and Indra.
"That's true," Cao Cao said. "But so what? Must we bow just because they are mighty? I refuse. I will not kneel. If I cannot tear down the architects of our pain, then I will at least hurt them so badly that even the heroes of old will hear of it and wonder. And perhaps, in the end… they'll follow me."
He looked almost serene as he said it. As though he'd made peace with the destruction he was about to unleash.
I have kept him talking long enough.
I released my demonic energy and broke Arthur's control. I lunged towards Arthur to knock him out first.
But before I could reach him, Heracles appeared before me and punched me in the gut. As soon as his fist connected to my belly, an explosion occurred which left me flying into the wall.
I was surprised by his speed and strength.
I slowly got up. I held my stomach. It still hurts.
I used my demonic energy to protect myself from the explosion, but it still hurts.
"Did you think we wouldn't notice you were trying to buy time? How cute," said Heracles.
"Oh well. It could have worked," I said casually. Internally, I was panicking. They are more powerful than I thought.
"Look, champions of humanity. I have no quarrel with you. I simply want my sister and keep her safe. There is no need to fight," I said, trying to deescalate.
Heracles laughed loudly.
"You are a filthy devil. There will be no negotiation with you. Our own oath compels us to eliminate you," he said coldly.
Oath? I thought.
"Wait," said Le Fay, "he has declared no ill intention towards humanity. Your oath states to kill those who are threats. He is innocent of that crime," spoke Le Fay.
"Yet he is a devil. Sooner or later he will be a threat," spoke Cao Cao.
"You know the angel also poses a threat to humanity. Yet they are defenders of humanity. They will not harm man," I said with certain conviction.
"Oh? And who will make sure they will never be a threat to man?" said Cao Cao with amusement.
"The only one who can: God," I said with conviction.
"Hahahahahahaha!" laughed Cao Cao and Heracles, as if I said the funniest thing ever.
They stopped laughing after a while.
"A devil who believes in God is the funniest thing I have ever heard," said Cao Cao, wiping tears from his face.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"You do not know, do you?" said Cao Cao, amused.
"I don't know what?" I asked.
"No, no. It is better if I show. I wonder how you will react," said Cao Cao.
He summoned a spear from thin air.
"Behold the corpse of God," declared Cao Cao with a thunderous tone.
The moment he spoke, the world fractured. A ringing sound reverberated in the air, like glass shattering across ten thousand dimensions.
My breath caught in my throat.
The air had changed. It tasted like static. It smelled like burning hymnals and dead incense.
Something beyond the veil was stirring.
Cao Cao raised the True Longinus, and light –not light, not even holy energy, something older –spilled from the tip like the scream of an angel whose mouth had been nailed shut.
My body locked up. I could not move. Could not speak. Could barely think.
I was a devil. A creature of sin and shadow.
And this… this was not merely a holy object. This was something that should not exist in a world that still pretended to be sane.
A tear in space opened before me. Not a portal—no magic circle, no dimensional shift. It was as if someone had ripped out the film reel of reality and burned it in front of my eyes.
Behind that rip…
I saw Him.
Or rather, what was left.
It was not a throne. It was not a battlefield. It was not a place at all.
It was a state of unbeing.
And in the center, something hung. Floated. Wept. Rotting and unformed.
The corpse of God.
And it was wrong.
He was not a man, not a deity, not an idea.
He was a paradox made flesh, and now that flesh was dead.
A halo shattered into a spiral.
Wings, too many, too few, folded in impossible directions.
Eyes that no longer blinked stared across time.
Blood, if it was blood, flowed in reverse and evaporated into words that rewrote scripture as I heard them.
I felt my soul invert.
My demonic energy shrieked inside me, recoiling like a child seeing its parent's corpse.
Every cell in my body screamed in heresy.
I could feel the concept of holiness radiating from the image, and it was not love. It was law. Absolute. Indifferent. Crushing.
This wasn't love.
This wasn't mercy.
This was law. Indifferent. Final. Absolute.
And now… it is gone.
I fell to my knees.
My thoughts slowed.
My skin blistered.
My eyes… my eyes began to burn.
I could not look away.
He was beautiful.
He was terrifying.
He was real.
And He was gone.
My mind buckled under the truth. Not a single word of it was spoken, yet I knew—knew—that this was not an illusion. Not a metaphor. Not theology.
God was dead.
And we were alone.
Alone in a universe filled with monsters, ruled by madmen, judged by nothing but the weight of our own ambitions.
The final authority, the source of meaning, had rotted into abstraction.
A cold wail escaped my lips.
Not a scream.
Not a sob.
A wail, the kind that comes when belief dies and nothing replaces it.
And then…
…darkness took me.
-------------------------------
I woke up screaming.
The sound tore through my throat before I even understood why.
My chest heaved. My hands gripped at the sheets—soft, too soft. Not mine. Not my bed.
What happened?
Where am I?
Was that… a dream?
My mind was a fractured mirror, reflecting only slivers of memory. I blinked at the ceiling overhead. It was ornate, carved with delicate spirals and sigils I didn't recognize. The air smelled of lavender and parchment. This wasn't my room.
I sat up too fast. The motion sent a lance of pain through my skull. I groaned.
"You're finally awake," a gentle voice said. "I was beginning to lose hope," it added, with a touch of humor.
I turned toward it. Slowly. Warily.
Le Fay Pendragon stood near the edge of the room, leaning against a bookshelf as if she'd been there the whole time. A book dangled from her hand, unopened. She was smiling, but there was tension behind her eyes, like the calm after a storm that wasn't finished.
I stared at her.
And the memories came rushing back, unbidden, unforgiving.
Hikaru.
"Where is my sister?" I asked, the words breaking from my throat before I could temper them.
Le Fay blinked, then raised an amused brow. "That's your first thought? Not even a 'hello' or a 'thank you'? My, how charming."
I scanned the room again. No one else..
It was just the two of us.
She must have carried me here. Or teleported me.
But why am I still alive?
They should've killed me.
"I am thank—" I began, awkwardly.
Le Fay laughed lightly, cutting me off with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm teasing. Honestly, I think it's... sweet. Your first thought is her. Not yourself. Not even survival." Her smile softened into something distant, wistful. "I'm the same."
She stepped closer. The laughter faded from her tone.
"They took her. Cao Cao and the others," she said, carefully. "There was no stopping them. They didn't listen to me. I was barely able to convince them not to kill you."
I felt cold. "They… took her?"
Le Fay nodded. "She possesses an independent avatar-type Sacred Gear. It's called Tetrakleaver, the Butcher Saint. A vile name, I know. It summons three towering creatures, three meters tall, four arms, wielding chainsaws. Not Longinus-level, but terrifying all the same."
She hesitated, then added quietly, "They think she'll be useful."
Useful.
Like a tool. A weapon.
My mouth was dry. "Where are they?"
Le Fay's face hardened. "I'm not telling you."
Her voice was quiet, but resolute. "I didn't go through the trouble of keeping you alive just so you could throw your life away the first chance you get."
"You think I'm weak?" I asked quietly. I already knew the answer.
Her expression didn't change. "I think you're not ready."
Which was a kinder way of saying yes.
"…I see."
"You're strong. But you are not a match to the likes of Heracles or Jeanne. Much less the others," she said.
"How strong are they?" I asked, not to argue, but because I needed to know the truth.
Le Fay's eyes narrowed. "String enough to defeat you without a problem," she said easily. "Most of them have powerful Sacred Gears, and they wield the highest tier of Sacred Gears. Like you saw with Cao Cao's True Longinus, there are others as well," she said.
Longinus wielders.
God-killing weapons.
I clenched the sheets. My knuckles turned white.
"Then why did you save me?" I asked, voice low.
Le Fay looked at me with a different expression now—measured, searching.
"Because I think we can help each other."
I raised an eyebrow. "Help each other how?"
"You want to save your sister," she said, walking toward the window, the light framing her in pale gold. "And I want to save my brother."
That name dropped like a stone into the silence.
"Arthur," I said.
She nodded. "You've met him."
I remembered him. He paralyzed me with a single command.
"I don't think your brother is in need of saving," I said dryly.
She chuckled. "You are right. My brother is powerful. He wouldn't need me to save him from others," she said. "But I wish to save him from himself," she added with conviction.
"…What does that mean?" I was curious now.
She pulled a chair close to my bedside and sat down. Her voice was quieter now. "Tell me, how long have you been a devil?"
"Two months," I replied.
"Wait, seriously? Then how the hell are you a High-Class already?" she asked, shocked.
I shrugged. "I ate my vegetables."
If you grew this powerful in two months, maybe this isn't hopeless after all…""All right, keep your secrets," said Le Fay laughingly. "But I am even more convinced that it was a good decision to save you. If you grew this powerful in two months, maybe this isn't hopeless after all…" she said. The last part, she said to herself.
"What do you want from me?" I asked.
She folded her hands in her lap, and her voice lowered again. Serious now.
"The reason I asked how long you have been a devil is because it relates to that," she began. "You see, there was an event three years ago. A god tried to ascend, to become a transcendent being," she said, her voice laced with restrained anger. "To do that, he sacrificed thirty thousand human souls in a ritual designed to increase his power," she said, her tone heavy.
Thirty thousand.
The number echoed in my skull.
"We tried to stop him," she said. "Cao Cao, Arthur, the others… We were all there. But we failed. Completely. The ritual succeeded. The souls were devoured, screaming, and we couldn't do a damn thing."
She looked away, her fists clenched. "It broke us. We escaped the collapsing dimension by a hair's breadth. The god left, satisfied. We were left with the stench of failure."
Her voice trembled, not with fear but memory.
"And then… Cao Cao laughed."
I blinked.
"He laughed like a man possessed," she continued. "Like someone who'd gone too far to ever return. And then… he made a speech. And took that damn oath."
She didn't meet my eyes. She was somewhere else now, watching it unfold all over again.
"'Look at what they've done,'" she said, her voice low. "'First Tezcatlipoca. Then Loki. Before them: every god, every devil, every myth who looked down on humanity. Always above. Always watching. They toy with us. Sacrifice us. Speak of fate, of balance, of divine will. And yet when we die, it is alone. Forgotten. We are the fodder in their wars, the bricks in their towers, the nameless prayers they never answer.'"
She mimicked his motion, lifting an invisible spear. "'Why should we kneel?' he asked. 'Why bow to tyrants who spend our lives like currency? Where's the justice in a world where thirty souls are fed to an evil god,and another god calls it progress?'
I say no more. I say farewell to obedience. Farewell to servitude. Farewell to peace if peace means silence before monsters. We have been used. Again. And again. But let this be the last time. We are not their pawns. Not their cattle. We are human. And there is nothing purer, nothing worthier, than that. We will not be quiet. We will not be afraid. We will fight not for prophecy, not for gods, not for glory but for each other. For the weak, the lost, the innocent. For those who scream and are never heard. For those who died believing someone would save them."
She exhaled sharply. "And then, with the sky still ash and smoke, he swore."
"Be they gods or devils, angels or beasts,
born of heaven or forged in hell,
bright of light or cloaked in shadow,
I name them all foe:
whoever brings harm to humankind.
By this vow I am bound, and bound shall be all who swear it beside me:
Neither law, nor love, nor mercy, nor fear,
neither the swords of kings nor the prayers of saints,
shall shield them from our wrath.
We will hunt them, we will hound them,
to the edge of the stars and beyond the end of time.
Not fate, not heaven, not death itself
shall grant them refuge.
We will raise our blades before the breaking of day
and strike until the last evil is unmade.
This oath we swear:
Death to those who defile mankind.
Vengeance unending upon those who enslave or sacrifice us.
And may the world break and the stars fall
should we betray this vow."
"Witness our oath, O Lord of Hosts, Yahweh,
and you gods of distant lands
Shiva, Vishnu, all who watch from high places:
Remember this oath!
Let no star forget it!
Let no god forgive it!"
Silence.
And I was horrified.
Such an oath… taken in fits of wrath.
I could barely breathe.
"My brother, Arthur, and six others swore the same oath that day, dooming themselves. For I do not believe such an oath can bring anything but doom," said Le Fay. She looked at me.
I said nothing. What could I say?
"Do you understand me now?" she said desperately. "I don't want him to be consumed by it," she added. "By his righteousness. His fury. I want to save him… because I love him."
And I understood her despair.
Trying to save someone who doesn't want to be saved.
Trying to stop someone from burning themselves alive in the name of justice.
"I can't even save my own sister," I said bitterly. "What good am I to you?"
"You're weak now," she said, "but that can change. And it must change. Because she's in their hands. And if we do nothing, they'll turn her into something else. Something monstrous."
She stood, and extended her hand. "Work together with me, in secret, and we will save those dear to us."
I looked at her hand. And took it.
I need all the help I can get now.
I have to depend on others.
Because I had no other choice.
"Won't they find out?" I asked.
Le Fay smiled. "Let them try. I'm sneakier than I look. I'll keep an eye on your sister. Try to keep her from taking that oath." She tightened her grip. "You just get stronger. As fast as you can."
I nodded.
And in that moment, a quiet vow passed between us.
Not as loud or righteous as Cao Cao's.
But desperate.
I thought about my failors, why didnt i take my sister seriously back then? Mom. Dad. They wouldn't have died.
No, I need to focus on what I can change. Not the past, not my failures. The present. My promise.
"How long was I unconscious?" I asked. My voice sounded steadier than I expected. Please, let it not be too late.
"Three days," Le Fay answered.
My fist clenched.
Three days. Then the Rating Game is already over. Finished. Done.
Another name carved into the stone of my failures.
How far have I fallen, that I cannot even keep my word?
No. I need to find out what happened. If Rias lost–I will not let her down as well. I couldn't save my sister. I was too weak. But Rias… I must try.
If I cannot save my sister because I am too weak, then I must at least try to save Rias.
Le Fay studied me carefully. "Are you okay?" she asked, hesitant, concerned.
"I need to keep my word," I said. A touch of conviction. It was all I had left.
She looked confused, but didn't press me.
Enough misery. So what if God is dead. The world didn't stop for Him. It won't stop for me either.
I remembered my parents' corpses: cold, pale, broken because of my attitude. No. Don't think about it. Not now. Stop being so pathetic.
I need to keep my own principles. Not ideals stolen from corpses. My promise. That is what I will build upon. I will help Rias.
I turned to her.
"Le Fay. Thank you for your help. I will do my best to repay you." I bowed, and I meant every word.
"Repay me by becoming stronger. Quickly," she said softly.
I nodded. "I must go now. I have something important to do. I hope I am not too late."
Le Fay paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, go. I'll contact you. We'll need to keep things discreet."
I thanked her again and left.
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And then I flew. Back to Kuoh. Maximum speed.
The wind tore past me like it wanted to scold me for my delay. I didn't care. I arrived after what felt like forever.
Kuoh Academy stood under the quiet sky. The school day was ending. Students scattered from the buildings like ants, oblivious.
I went to the Occult Research Club room.
Empty.
No sign of anyone. I feared the worst.
I went to the student council room next. I knocked once, then entered.
Sona and Tsubaki were inside.
"Haruki? You're here?" Sona said, as if she were seeing a ghost.
"Hello, Sona. Tsubaki." I greeted them first, then went straight to the point. "Can you tell me what happened at the match?"
Both of them stared at me. Sona's expression simmered with restrained anger. Tsubaki looked uncertain, concerned.
"You have the gall to ask that, after what you just pulled?" Sona's voice was sharp, controlled, venom barely restrained.
I didn't defend myself. I had no defense. I simply looked at her.
"You abandoned Rias," she said. "She waited for you, hopefully, until the very last moment." Her gaze burned through me. "Go on. Say something clever," she mocked.
I sighed. There was nothing clever left in me.
"Look, Sona… I fucked up, okay?" My voice was quiet. "I was a dismissive, selfish asshole who bought into his own hype."
My parents' corpses. My sister's terrified voice echoed in my mind. Her eyes. Her screams. My failure.
"But I want to at least try to make things right, if possible. I'm sorry that I was a narcissistic bastard."
She stared at me, as if trying to gauge whether this was some elaborate lie.
Tsubaki finally stepped forward. "Haruki… What happened to you? You look pale."
She cupped my cheeks in her hands and stared into my eyes. I gently took her hands away.
"I'm fine. It doesn't matter."
There's no need to turn this into a tragedy. I just need to do better. That's all.
Tsubaki sighed. A soft, defeated sound.
Sona spoke next.
"Rias lost the match." Her tone was flat. Bitter. "They fought valiantly. But they were too inexperienced. And too few."
As I feared.
"Where are they now?" I asked, careful not to let my tone betray anything.
"In the Underworld. Rias is marrying Riser—as was agreed. It's happening today."
A quiet fury curled in her words.
"I need your help," I said.
Asking for help has always been… difficult.
She looked at me with an unreadable expression.
"I promised Rias that I would help her. I will keep my word. I beg you, Sona. Please help me."
There was nothing dramatic in my tone. Just sincerity.
Sona stared at me neutrally, then sighed. "What do you need from me?"
"I need help getting into the Underworld. Into the palace where the marriage is taking place."
Sona studied me in silence. Then nodded faintly. "I see."
Then, slowly, she reached into a drawer and pulled out two sheets of paper inscribed with magic circles. "These are invitation circles. It is a one-use item. Quite expensive to make. I was sent two, one for me, and the other for my plus one. I was going to take Tsubaki with me, but…"
She trailed off, looking at Tsubaki.
"Don't worry about me," said Tsubaki. "Have fun."
She sounded almost relieved. I nodded and bowed. "Thank you."
Sona looked at me, expression unreadable. "We'll need to do something about your wardrobe."
I glanced down. My shirt was torn. Dirt. Blood. It was hardly formalwear.
I do have a tuxedo.
AN: the oath is directly inspired by the oath of feanor.