Kaleid Liner Lias' Pawn
by Lunar Wave

Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD. Wonder if it'll do better. I don't own Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya either for that matter. The Nasuverse in general is not in my ownership so… well, good for everyone, eh?

P.S. I might have abbreviated this story KLLS for a long time and only recently remembered that it should be KLLP. Sorry, my bad.

Find Us Where We Stand

Heroic Spirits: spirits of those who has achieved great deeds in life, becoming known enough that, upon their deaths, became objects of worship. Their very names are power in and of itself, and their abilities surpass most humans. They reside upon the Throne of Heroes, a place existing outside both the world and the time axis. Therefore, even heroes from the future or a parallel world are potential Heroic Spirits.

Because their name is representative of their power, the more well-known a Hero, the more powerful they become. Well-known heroes like King Arthur all have some form of renown in the entire world and benefit greatly from this fact. Not to say that they were weak originally, but this fact simply pushes them further on the scale of power. A hero who doesn't have any recognition can only stand on their actual skill to win their battles.

And, of course, there is one trump card that a hero has that could just as easily tip the scales of power, regardless of renown. These are the objects representing their power and legend called Noble Phantasms. The power of the Noble Phantasm holds varies. They can be really strong like Excalibur, or quite weak, or they can be completely conditional. Normally, a Heroic Spirit only has one Noble Phantasm, but there are exceptions that carry more than one.

"And these Heroic Spirits are the source of every one of these strange disturbances?"

[Not exactly, but that's a good assumption, Minora-san~]

The above explanation was given by Ruby, and Illya didn't really understand a lot of it. They were currently inside a hotel room that Minora had been staying in.

[The ones inside the disturbance are not the Heroic Spirits themselves. The actual Heroic Spirits are in the Throne of Heroes and the ones in the disturbance are copies from the ones that are there.]

The blonde teenager (well, she looks around the same age as Rias-senpai, but Illya wasn't all too sure) looked at her and nodded, "And you two have the task of gathering these spirits in the form of cards, referred to as Class Cards, before they cause too much damage upon the world if they get out."

"Yeah." Illya nodded absentmindedly.

"So what does this have to do with the Grim Reapers? I'd think that they'd either help or just be indifferent to the whole incident. Why would they be hunting you specifically?"

"Well… This has nothing to do with the Grim Reapers." Illya confessed. "This is more… my job…" Illya shuffled awkwardly. "As for why I'm getting chased by Grim Reapers… I might have done something Hades didn't really like." Illya replied with a small smile.

"… Must be quite extreme if he's specifically hunting you down with Grim Reapers." Minora remarked. "Well, not that it matters. What those in the Realm of the Dead do doesn't mean much to someone like me." Minora shrugged.

"Oh yeah, you are an Exorcist, right?" Illya remarked, "the last Exorcist I met was kind of… evil." Yeah, Freed Sellzen was another whole world of bad that it took an arrow in the shoulder to get him running.

Minora winced at this remark, and straightened her back slightly, "well… every organization has its bad eggs. The Church also has quite a number."

[You don't deny the corruption?] Ruby replied, interested. [Most clergymen would vehemently deny it.]

Minora's face turned stony for a second before she smiled once more, "I'm no fanatic. I know that the Church is not infallible." Minora replied with a sigh, "There are quite a few questionable decisions that the Church has done that I don't agree with. What's worse is when Heaven agrees with those decisions."

[Wait, Heaven and the Church are different factions?]

Minora was quiet once more, and she bit her lip a little bit before opening it. "Do I have to talk about that too?"

Illya thought about it. On one hand, knowing how the church works sounds slightly interesting, emphasis on slightly. On the other, it's really none of her business. "… You don't need to, Minora-san." Illya replied, "I think it's best if you ignore Ruby for the rest of the time we're going to be working together."

Minora nodded, and smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

[No, please don't! It'll be lonely speaking with only Master!] But it appears that Minora has taken the suggestion to heart and did not even look in the object's direction.

"By the way, what have you been doing all this time, Shiro?" Illya had been using quite a bit of magic for a while now, touching her body here and there.

It took a while for Illya to realize that Minora had been addressing her. "Nothing." Illya replied. Illya wasn't entirely sure why she was using a pseudonym, in all honesty. Was she afraid she would be found? Her real name is registered at Kuoh Academy after all, and there was always the chance that people might hunt her down. She hoped Rias-se… not senpai since she's not going to school anymore… Rias-san would find an excuse for her.

But all the same, she was preparing to fight a Heroic Spirit, and taking along someone who doesn't know any more than what they told her. And did Minora understand everything Ruby said? She wasn't entirely sure.

"Minora-san, are you sure about this?" Illya asked as she stood up from her place on the ground and collapsed on the bed. "This will be really dangerous."

"Don't worry, Shiro." The teenager smiled. "I won't hold you back. Now, I think it's about lunchtime." She stood up, "I'll get the food."

"… She's really strong-willed." Illya muttered. "She instantly wanted to help out without being forced to." She can't say the same for herself. She tried to run away when the going got tough. When she was afraid of her own power she even stopped. She needed to be dragged into the situations to get her to do action.

[Don't put yourself down, Illya-san. You decided to run around hunting Heroic Spirits because you felt responsible for it when you could've just as easily cowered away in a room, with Jack the Ripper Install in a warded room like this one to win Hades' Challenge. Speaking of Hades' Challenge, I guess that is a good way for you to figure out how to do the Third Sorcery, alright. Asking Death himself to give you tips. Why the only other better thing you can do is ask us for help.]

"… Ruby. You and Sapphire said you won't help with directly accessing Third Sorcery." Illya looked at the stick with a blank look, "If I can't get your help, then I need someone else's."

[We're tools for Second Sorcery, not Third Sorcery.] Ruby replied in a sing-song voice, [We're not going to give free handouts! Regardless what anyone says! We do what we want when we want! And we're sure you can find a way to get Miyu out eventually, even without our help~! So, we won't help you with anything beyond Magical Girl stuff! Anything relating to fighting as a Magical Girl is ay-okay!] In other words, they're fine with helping her in Magecraft. Just not Sorceries. They did help with learning how to activate Magic Crests after all.

"… I feel like you're just making life harder for me intentionally." Illya muttered.

[Well, some things don't work the same between worlds. The Third Sorcery that is possible in the Original World might be only possible in a different way in this World.]

"Fine, fine I get it!" Illya replied, "You're just trying to convince me to find out my own way."

[Of course! I could be lying through my teeth as well, if I even had teeth!]

"… Why are we even friends?"

[Because I'm cheerful, spunky, and the best wand a Magical Girl would ever want!]

"I think I'd like Nanoha-chan's Raising Heart better." Illya muttered. "At least she listens to her master."

[AH! Illya-san referenced a non-canon crossover! Emergency, emergency!] Ruby wailed, [Only Kaleidosticks are allowed to talk about things that should not be true!]

"Shut up! What are you talking about, non-canon?" Illya scowled. "Why did we even bother to get you back after that incident?"

Illya meant the question to be rhetorical, but Ruby just pestered on, [Because you missed me?]

"No. I think it was because Raising Heart wanted to go back to Nanoha-chan." Illya held her palm to her head as she felt a headache coming through.

[You are so mean, Illya-san. For that, I'll make you do MORE embarrassing stuff!]

"… You're not even going to deny that you do make me do embarrassing stuff."

[I thought it was common knowledge by now; don't tell me you didn't know?] Ruby asked, with amusement clear in her tone.

No, she's not going to answer that. That was a loaded question and Illya was not about to get scammed into that. "… We're getting really off topic now." Illya then decided to broach the topic that had been disturbing her for quite a while. "… By the way… it looks like Hades had somehow sealed my Evil Piece…"

[I don't think he needed to do anything that complicated.] Ruby remarked. [When you shook his hand, you were essentially put under a geis. Oh, a geis is a binding promise that has really bad consequences for anyone who breaks them. Case and point: Cu Chulainn. But in your case, it should be safe to assume that you are now completely incapable of contacting Devils for the duration of the challenge, rather than having any adverse consequences at all. That doesn't stop me, but you probably won't be able to talk at all even if I do.]

"… This is so complicated…" Illya sighed. So Hades ensured that she can't contact any Devils. Well, that makes sense. "Ruby, can you get the files on my dad's magic crest from Sapphire. If I manage to learn Reinforcement and Tracing, I'll start on learning how to use his crest."

[Roger that! I'll get the files~]

"I'm back, Shiro~ Can you open the door? It's kind of hard to open anything with both my hands like this~" Again, it took quite a while before she realized that it was Minora calling her. Illya jumped up and opened the door and smiled.

"Welcome back, Minora-san." Minora was carrying a tray of food that has two full meals on the table.

"They tried to tell me not to eat up here, but I was able to convince them to do it~ It would be a bit of a bother if the Grim Reapers managed to track you, right~?" Oh yeah, the room is warded by Minora-san to make sure no one can use any tracking spells to locate them.

[This place was already warded before you invited us here.] Ruby cheerfully pointed out. [It's doing a doozy on my downloads.] And by downloads, she definitely meant the files that Illya just asked her to get… right? Illya certainly hoped that Ruby is not getting anything that she'll regret later.

"We won't be staying long here though~." Minora replied with a sing-song voice. "I already informed the Hotel that we'll be leaving soon. I think I spotted a few Grim Reapers prowling around town. They haven't gotten near the hotel yet, but they are here."

"Then we need to stop the Heroic Spirit tonight." Illya nodded, as she took the plate offered by Minora. "… Also, thank you for being willing to spend money for me." Minora had agreed to be the primary source of any of their needs.

"Hebrews Chapter 13 Verse 16 [And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased]." Minora's voice turned solemn as she recited those words.

Illya can't help but feel like she has entered some sort of very sacred place as the girl recited the Bible Verse. Then again, she also felt a bit suffocated…

Minora smiled slightly, "I have quite enough funds to survive the next few months, even with an extra mouth to feed. Although, I'll also be the one to budget the money, okay~?"

"That's fine." Illya nodded, "It's yours anyway."

[I think we should invest in tents and sleeping bags in case we can't get a hotel.] Ruby noted.

"I guess we know what we'll be doing for the afternoon." Minora nodded, "Let's go shopping, Shiro~."

"Eh? But we might get spotted by…"

"Yeah… they might risk causing trouble… Alright, I'll handle everything. Just be careful, okay, Shiro? Keep the doors and windows locked and the curtains closed." Minora stood up, "You just rest here."

[You are a real convenient person, Minora-san.] Ruby noted, [What was your position back in the church?]

"I used to be a field agent, I suppose, but then they put me on deskwork."

"Were you good?"

"… Hmm… I had the Power of God flowing through me. How could I be anything but the best?" Minora replied with a sad smile. And with that she left.

…

…

[I think it's too much of a coincidence, Illya-san. She just happens to be at where you collapsed, and she can provide you everything you can't handle?] Ruby noted merrily.

"She said it was a mission from her god. So it had nothing to do with us." Illya shook her head before walking over to the bedside table. No, she's not going to let Ruby rile her up. "I'll just be practicing magic for a while so… just… don't disturb me too much." She already knows that Ruby would disturb her regardless, so this is the best compromise she can come up with.

[But that's boooooooooooriiiiiiing.]

But it was already too late; Illya had already begun the long training. 'Trace Begin.'

[By the way, Illya-san. Why do you call her Minora? I mean… that didn't seem to be what I heard, but then again, I'm using a translator for you to understand what others are saying and all when you're in Magical Girl form, but… you're not even listening to me, are you? Illya-san!] But Illya did not hear her, already concentrating quietly, already used to tuning out the Kaleidostick.

This is the path she chose and she'll bear with it till the end, regardless of the what if's and the what else's. Little did she know that the path she chose is making numerous waves across the world.

Khaos Brigade: a collection of individuals that stand under the banner of the Ouroboros Dragon. On the surface their main and clear goal is to find a way to the Dimensional Gap. But in reality, the only real thing that could describe them was that they are just a collection of individual factions. None of them truly believed in what they did, and there was no synergy in their group, all wanting to do their own thing. The Dragon God is, in reality, only a figurehead. Thus their name fits them so well; Khaos Brigade, the brigade whose existence is only to sow chaos across the various worlds.

Among these disjointed groups of individuals, there was one Faction in particular that stood out for one thing: they are a collection of humans with extraordinary abilities. They aren't all Magicians like the other human members; most of them don't even use Magic. One common factor among the group is their desire to be heroes. They all wish to have the ability to save humanity from the forces that could try and disturb their peaceful lives, and in fact this is their main goal. And at the core of these self-proclaimed "defenders of humanity" are the descendants of heroes of ancient times. These are the elites of their group, bearing the names of their vaunted ancestors and the voice of the defenseless.

And at the very head is Cao Cao, descendant of the Cao Cao of legend, and also the wielder of the strongest of the God Slayer Sacred Gears, the True Longinus. Standing as his right hand is Georg, descendant of Johann Georg Faust, and wielder of the Dimension Lost, another High Tier Longinus. Within his inner circle are other descendants of well-known people: the carrier of the spirit of the Standard Bearer of the army of France: Jeanne, the descendant of Greece's Greatest Hero: Heracles, the Demon Sword Wielder Siegfried, and the Holy Sword Wielder Arthur Pendragon as well as his sister who inherited the magical prowess of the Great Witch Morgan Le Fay, Le Fay Pendragon. Of course, it's not just people descended from Great Heroes who stand in the inner circle; there's also another member, Leonardo, the wielder of Annihilation Maker, another of the Sacred Gears capable of slaying gods.

Le Fay privately wondered if the kid was possibly related to Leonardo da Vinci, but there was no confirmation to be found. She amused herself with this thought as she leaned her broom near the entrance of the room and walked on over to the meeting table. Well, it WAS possible.

"Cao Cao, why have you called for a meeting?" Jeanne asked, as she placed her sheathed blade on the table and sat. The other sword wielders followed suit. Le Fay just placed her hat on the table. Heracles shrugged and placed a bow on the table in front of him.

"Our… allies… in the Devil's group have sent us footage of something very intriguing." Cao Cao said, as he nodded for Georg to prepare the projector. Le Fay quickly deduced that the slight hesitation that Cao Cao had in saying "allies" must mean that the source of this information is the Old Satan Faction. None of them really liked the Old Satan Faction. Too stuck in the past and did not have the capacity to move on. They went around throwing their own weight and names as though they meant anything anymore. But none of the others said anything and so she too kept her mouth shut.

"Watch this." An image appeared in front of them. A video of what appears to be an arena, where a bunch of people were quietly moving around, separating into two groups. Two of them were moving to the one end, and the other, larger, group strolled over to the other. "This is one of those Rating Games that the Underworld's Devils love so much."

"Why is this relevant to us?" Sieg asked, although he is interested. He was, after all, one of the members still undercover as an agent for the Church. The actions of the enemies of the Church are probably very valuable information for him. Furthermore, he was the strongest demon sword wielder so Le Fay supposed these things were very interesting to him.

"Just watch it." Cao Cao replied, "Georg and I could hardly believe what we saw, and we'd rather it if you made your own opinion on the matter."

"… Two against sixteen? Hardly sporting." Jeanne glared. "How detestable can these Devils be?" She's normally more amiable than that, but these were Devils after all. All of them don't like Devils to some degree, but someone who inherited the spirit of one of the most pious heroes in history would definitely not be pleased with them.

"Keep it down, Jeanne. All reactions after the video."

And so they watched the video. And when it was over, all those in the audience could not help but slack their jaws. The rule of keeping their reactions after the video was the only reason why they were able to keep their voices down.

"… First of all…" There are way too many things that they can react to. Siegfried decided to focus on the one most clearest to his mind at the moment, "is that a Variation of a Balance Breaker… of a Longinus?" Siegfried sharply looked at the two Longinus wielders who helmed their Faction.

"Not quite. This is still the Overbooster, not the Balance Breaker of the Boosted Gear. But regardless of that fact, the two of us are both lost on how he was able to do such an achievement." Georg shrugged, his own face in thought, "We asked to review any other battles or [Rating Games] involving the boy, and they said that the boy had only been in one other recorded battle, which was a battle only the day before He didn't display the skill to even use the Overbooster during this initial battle, so we have to assume that he learned it in the one day intermission between that first Rating Game and the Rating Game we witnessed. And not only that: he didn't use this Overbooster Variant until he was already losing the battle." They nodded, understanding what Georg was trying to say.

"I see." Siegfried nodded, "The Overbooster Variant might have been something he discovered only at that very instant. He was already intent on using Overbooster throughout the Rating Game from what we could tell of that battle and he seemed to only tap into that power during a moment of greatest need… Are we sure that it wasn't a Balance Breaker though?"

"If it isn't then we can only fear the power the Balance Breaker does have." Cao Cao sighed, "But let us discuss a few things first." A picture flashed onto the screen. It was of a hand covered in Boosted Gear holding a strange tarot-like Card. A knight head was poking out. Those looked just like the cards that the white-haired child carried. "During the last moments of the first battle, this was clenched in the Boosted Gear of Hyoudou Issei before his master's surrender." Le Fay looked on intently. She probably is the only one who is aware of exactly what the object is. After all, when she first spotted those cards, she was practically glued to the screen. It took Hyoudou Issei's charge during the final moments of the battle to make her turn away from the albino child, and it was mostly because the screen decided to focus on him more. "We believe this to be the reason for the strange mutation in the Boosted Gear, which only made itself known in the boy's time of great stress."

"Why?" Heracles asked.

"… We'll get back to that later." Cao Cao shook his head. "Let's discuss something else first." Georg pressed on with the slideshow. The image being projected changed to display the boy. Side by side are pictures of the Boosted Gear, him in the original Overbooster and the form he takes in the Variant Overbooster.

Georg looked at Cao Cao for permission before beginning, "Let's discuss the boy then since he is the freshest in our minds after that stunning display." Le Fay nodded mutely, as she stared at the face of the boy. "He is Hyoudou Issei and a Reincarnated Devil." No, duh. They looked at him with a blank expression. Only humans or descendants of humans can have Sacred Gears. So he must've either been originally a human or a half human. "Born the only son to an ordinary pair of Japanese parents, he was only reincarnated around two months ago and is in the service of Rias Gremory as her Pawn. There is nothing noteworthy about him, except for his Sacred Gear."

Cao Cao nodded, "It's a shame that he had been born so deep within Devil Territory. He would've made a fine addition to our side. But the fact that he is in the Gremory Family means that he would be quite unwilling to see the world our way. The Gremory are too much of a white sheep in a field of black sheep."

"Don't easily include all of us with your twisted sense of the world. I only agree with some of your sentiments, not all of them." Arthur said impatiently.

"Now, now, we don't need another verbal battle between you two." Le Fay calmed her brother down. If she doesn't then she won't be able to hear the rest of the story. And there was still something that she direly needed to know.

"Thank you, Le Fay." Cao Cao nodded, "In all honesty, the boy is quite unremarkable and some have started labelling him as the weakest of Boosted Gear Wielders." He snorted. "Obviously they've never been in a battle of attrition with a wielder. Their weakest is still ridiculously strong. And the battle we've seen is proof. The girl had bought the boy enough time to make himself strong enough to match up with a High Class Devil without even the Promotion that is characteristic of the Pawn. If Raiser Phenex had not been functionally immortal, he would've been dead the moment that first hit struck." Cao Cao laughed, "But like I said: the boy was deemed quite unremarkable. And yet he brought about a miracle in the form of Heavenly Dragon King Overbooster. He declared himself King of Heavenly Dragons. Isn't he quite interesting now?"

"Get it over with, Cao Cao." Once again, Le Fay's brother interrupted Cao Cao's spiel. "What is your point? The fighters that were in front of us are Devils. They are likely going to be our enemies at one point. All of them, up to the little albino child." Cao Cao's smile broadened. And Le Fay sighed, knowing that Arthur's face grew more and more annoyed with that condescending smile. She patted her brother's shoulder and smiled. Arthur looked back and gave back a small smile before returning to the frown he constantly wears in Cao Cao's presence.

Cao Cao nodded to his second in command, "Georg, go on." A picture of the young girl appeared before their eyes. The only pictures they have are of the Rating Game so it was a little low resolution compared to Hyoudou Issei's. "The Magical Girl, Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya. Illyasviel von Einzbern. According to the files we were able to procure, she is half-Japanese, half-German. She's turning eleven this upcoming summer. Despite this, she shows incredible skill and reflex in battle, capable of matching up to 15 Devils and defeating 13 of them. Of note is that general consensus is that she was winning her bout against the two that were left, despite the disadvantage of fighting the combined power of a Middle Class Level Phenex and the oh-so-powerful Bomb Queen."

"… A true hero." Jeanne nodded with a small grimace and a slight tone of envy in her voice, "Unlike us, whose achievements are being born in the right family, she is a child who was given power beyond belief and can change the world with it."

"I haven't heard of her before." Heracles snorted, "Not much of a hero there."

"Not all heroes are known, Heracles." Cao Cao shook his head, "She is probably one of those heroes who go about their lives normally and keeping their adventures a secret. There is no shortage of those kinds of heroes in the world. There are many whose legends only start appearing after their deaths."

"Did you see how she fought, Heracles?" Jeanne looked at the man in disdain, "Those are movements of a well-trained fighter. You don't just decide to jump on someone's fist just to fling yourself away from your opponent. She can create barriers, so why not shield herself? And not to mention her sword handling is certainly better than yours."

"Yeah. She's clearly an expert at wielding an invisible sword." Heracles replied dryly.

"An invisible True Holy Sword." Arthur corrected.

Siegfried nodded, "And wielding swords are hard enough when they are visible. I can imagine it's only more difficult when you don't have any visual cues of where your blade goes. You have to be well versed on the length and shape of the sword." Siegfried looked at Heracles meaningfully. Considering that these were powerful sword users speaking, Heracles had to concede. They probably have a point. When Siegfried saw that Heracles conceded, he turned his attention back to Georg, "Georg, do you know which sword was that?" A picture of the semi-revealed form of the sword beneath the winds was flashed onto the screen.

"She referred to it as Invisible Air, but we do not know if that is the true name of the blade." Georg shrugged, "But from what we can tell, it's a sword that is covered in wind that turns it invisible, so it seems to be an accurate translation of the weapon."

"I see." Arthur nodded. "Looking at the design of her clothes… is she really a Devil? How can she handle those cross designs on her cape?" Now everyone was looking for the crosses and found them there. That's right; there are crosses on her clothes. Even her wand has a cross design just at the end. Devils just don't wear those kinds of clothes. Magicians don't either. They tend to wear something more pagan in nature, as the Church does discriminate against most Magicians. "Are those clothes remnants from her time as a human hero?"

"That's the interesting part." Cao Cao smiled, "She's not a Devil." This bombshell broke down the room. Everyone started asking questions. Everyone started questioning what he meant. But because of all the conflicting voices they can't come out with anything. Cao Cao sighed and raised his hand and slammed it on the table. "Quiet. One at a time."

Jeanne raised the question first, "But aren't Rating Games battles between devils? How can she not be a Devil and participate in one?"

"First, let's introduce the girl more properly." Cao Cao nodded, "Illyasviel von Einzbern, or Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya according to her announcement. She appeared all of a sudden in Gremory territory, and no one knew how she got there, except maybe herself. She was reincarnated at the same time as Hyoudou Issei. The standard dying and being reincarnated way the Devils reincarnate people." They all had their opinions on that topic. "Except… she did not become a Devil."

"She was reincarnated by those Evil Thingies and she didn't become a Devil?" Now actual respect was in the eyes of Heracles. The others already respected the girl in some way.

"Correct. While we don't know how Illyasviel avoided the demonization, we do know that she is the main reason for the mutation of the Boosted Gear's Overbooster." Georg then pulled up a picture. To show a picture of the girl in her magical girl outfit, holding a card with the symbol of a knight on it. Le Fay inched forward, wanting to understand the card better. "Yes, that is the same card that was being carried by Hyoudou Issei in the previous battle. And this is the same card that Illyasviel uses to change into this." Georg changes the image into what is dubbed as Invisible Sword Wielder Mode in their minds. "Heavenly Dragon King Overbooster has Holy elements, and this form turns Illyasviel into a Holy Sword Wielder. While this could just be a coincidence, this can certainly be considered a viable theory."

"So why are we discussing this in the first place?" Heracles asked almost impatiently, "She might not be a devil, but she's definitely a devil ally. She fought for that boy."

"Not definitely." Cao Cao shook his head with an ever growing smile. "According to information I've managed to gather, since this fight," He indicated the screen, "the girl has not been seen in the Gremory Territory, despite her known residency there. And we do know that she should live there; after all, there is the local gossip of a Magical Girl in the area which started just a week prior. Furthermore… have you heard of the breakout at the Realm of the Dead? The Grim Reapers are still looking for the one that got away. And these Grim Reapers are using this…" a picture appeared on the screen. A picture of Illyasviel von Einzbern appeared on the screen. "… as a means to track her down."

"Are you saying this girl is on the run from Grim Reapers… and has not returned to the Devils for sanctuary?" Siegfried asked. "That could indicate that she doesn't trust the Devils at all, doesn't it?"

"Likely, but that still remains to be seen. And if that is the case, then that means she can be swayed to see our point of view." Cao Cao finished. "It's a shame about Hyoudou Issei, but Illyasviel von Einzbern will be a powerful ally. And so we must find her before the Grim Reapers do. All those in favour say aye." Everyone said aye, even Leonardo who had not spoken up but listened attentively. "Looks like the decision is unanimous. Very well. I will have our members keep their ears on the ground for any information about the girl. Who wants to be in charge of contacting the girl once we manage to track her down?"

"I'll do it." Le Fay offered, quickly. "I'm a girl myself and the closest to her age, so I should be able to speak to her easily." Jeanne looked slightly ticked at being indirectly referred to as old but she agreed that the closer age gap would make her a very good negotiator in this case.

Cao Cao nodded. "That's probably correct. We'll call you once we have a clearer picture of her whereabouts. Any questions?"

"You don't expect me to find her myself?" Le Fay asked.

"That's grunt work. They need something to do, after all." Cao Cao chuckled, "You can do better than that by continuing your studies in magic." Le Fay nodded. No matter how talented at magic she is, studying the skill is crucial if she wants to keep ahead of her peers. "Any other questions? From anyone?"

Siegfried raised his hand. Cao Cao acknowledged it with a nod in his direction. "If she does join us, what position would she be given?"

Jeanne followed, "She's an actual hero so we can't just put her with the new recruits that are trying to join the main force. Placing her just below us is just as insulting to someone of her position, considering that what everyone's goal here is to become a hero. But placing her in the inner circle so easily will give many members pause."

"Also, there is no guarantee that she will choose to join us." Arthur sharply said. "In fact, your ideals could just as easily slight her instead of make her trust you."

"Yes. You're right." Cao Cao shrugged, "she might not easily choose to follow us. But she's also only ten, turning eleven. She's still quite young and impressionable. And don't forget, Arthur; it's our ideals, not just mine." Before Arthur can argue, Cao Cao quickly started talking again. "And yes, Siegfried, Jeanne, if she does choose to join us, then it is likely that I will place her in the inner circle as soon as possible. Any dissenters can fight her in battle like Leonardo before her." Jeanne and Siegfried nodded, satisfied with the answer. Cao Cao waited a bit, waiting for someone to ask another question. When there was none, he nodded. "And so, if that is all, this meeting is adjourned."

They all stood up. The ones who placed their sheathed swords on the table quickly replaced them on their belts. Le Fay adjusted her hat on top of her head. She wordlessly followed her brother and they were soon walking away from the meeting place. They soon arrived at the Magic Circle teleportation 'hub', which essentially is where the various magicians among the Hero Faction (basically boils down to just her and Georg though; magicians allied with the terrorist group tend to make their own faction) set up as many Teleportation Circles as they could to various countries. While efficient, the moment that Khaos Brigade and their affiliation to the terrorist group are revealed, they would have to discard this base. Too much is at risk to just keep meeting in one place, after all. Supposedly, Georg and Cao Cao has another place set up but, according to them, only inner circle members will get access to it when it becomes necessary.

The two of them stepped onto Magic Circle to transport them to somewhere in London. Le Fay shrugged as she placed a small glamour on the two of them so that people won't stare too much, her for her clothes and her brother for the sword. They moved in relative silence, content to just watch the world shift as they move. Le Fay watched her brother from behind, knowing the man is just trying to escort her back. He should still have a few things that he has to do for the church.

Arthur was the one who broke the silence first, "You don't normally volunteer for anything that man says."

Le Fay nodded, shrugging slightly. She knows that it is strange. She normally just goes with what her brother does. "Meeting her sounds interesting. She's a Magical Girl too so maybe she has some type of magic that is unique to her." Le Fay replied with a smile. "And, even though he told me that he'll handle the information gathering, I think I should see if I can find out anything on my own."

"I just don't like the fact that you're doing what he wants…" Arthur grumbled, "He's been a bit more… annoying… recently."

"You just don't like him bossing you around because your namesake is a King." Le Fay chided.

"Hah! Maybe you're right. I guess I might have a few issues with authority figures." Arthur nodded and the two of them continued walking on. "But in that case, I need to find someone else to join up with rather than Cao Cao. He likes bossing people around too much."

"Join up? Not planning on making your own group?" Le Fay chuckled, "You'd at least have one other member if you do, you know?"

"… You really do plan on following me in anything I do, huh?"

"Of course. Otherwise, you won't even bother cooking for yourself. Especially once you're on the run, where are you going to get your meals?"

"Well, don't have to have that issue if you are going to insist on that." Arthur shrugged, "And yes, I don't plan on making a new group. I'm not a king, after all. I'm still just named after one."

"Whatever you say, brother mine."

"Think you can make it back home from here? Need to get back to the Church soon." Arthur grunted out the last bit, clearly unhappy to leaving her behind. They were only a few blocks away from the nearest Church, and they might not take kindly to a Magician who insists on wearing witch-like clothes. Of course, Arthur did not have the heart to try and convince her sister to wear anything otherwise, and neither of them really paid any attention to it.

Le Fay rolled her eyes a bit in response to his question; home is just a magic circle away. "I'm not a little kid that you need to coddle. I can handle myself." Le Fay chuckled and then added with a teasing tone, "In fact, shouldn't I be the one saying that to you? You're the one who'll need to ride a train to get home."

Arthur laughed, "Point taken." And with words of goodbye, she watched as her brother walked away. In the meantime, Le Fay walked on, with a small smile on her face. This was her chance. She hasn't told anyone about the card she had but… Berserker… the strange card she found was the same as Illyasviel's. Not completely though; hers show a mad beast with a butcher's knife, befitting the name "berserker", but the two cards still had the same shape, colour, and border. Le Fay softly wondered if the girl knew what it can do. Were only Magical Girls capable of wielding its powers? And… just what is the difference between a Magical Girl and a Magician? Le Fay smiled as she walked on, eager to soon start her mission. But first she'll need a sort of lead and the Golden Dawn Magic Cabal probably has some of the better information on anything supernatural happening in the world. If anything particularly interesting happens, she'll find out soon enough.

Le Fay just wished that these peaceful days will just continue on forever.

On another end of the spectrum, in the depths of the Underworld, Serafall Leviathan looked at her director in shock. She has just been informed of a strange development that has occurred in the world.

"Umm… Director… can you repeat what you just said?" Serafall asked, with a small voice, she asked with a small voice. No one can identify what the emotion that was bubbling in the Great Satan, but most people are wondering what their director is thinking when doing what is clearly a very dangerous decision. Then again, this is the director… He's known for doing crazy stuff like these a lot.

Anyway, every single person on the set is staying in the farthest corner as possible from the potential explosion of emotion that would inevitably appear. The director just smiled at her with a cheerful smile.

"A true Magical Girl has appeared in the world." The Director smiled, and pulled out a sheaf of papers, "These are documents that were compiled on the new Magical Girl."

'Why, director, why!?' were the internal screams of the various staff members as Serafall's hands snatched the notes. The woman scanned each sheet of paper with unparalleled reading speeds, reading over every line with the speed of a monster. As expected of the Leviathan. Regardless of how much she doesn't like to work, she sure is going through papers with incredible speed. If only it wasn't about something that would definitely bring grief to the world in general, they would easily be impressed. But then again, these reading speeds probably only showed up when she is incredibly interested in what she's doing so it's unlikely that this is normal, sadly enough.

"… Looks like a true Rival has appeared for me, Director." No good. This is getting really, really bad.

"Indeed. It's a shame that she is not available at the moment. The Gremory has been keeping quiet on the whole ordeal by quite a bit." Of course, the Director wanted to get the girl on film. A real life Magical Girl vs. the Leviathan Fake Magical Girl. While no one would doubt that Serafall Leviathan would certainly win that kind of battle (or indeed most battles), this is still likely just to put up a show of Devil superiority which they have come to terms with when working with this director.

"… Not to worry. I'm sure I could talk to them about this." The brave few who took the chance to take a peek at the woman's eyes could see a fire burning so bright, it was blinding them. "Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya! I, Magical Girl: Miracle Levia-tan, am going to see just what you are capable of doing! I am going to see if you truly are worthy of the title of true Magical Girl!"

Of course, none of those in the set knew about Illyasviel's disappearance. That was a great secret that the Gremory has been keeping quiet. If Serafall Leviathan had been informed by the other Maous that had attended the event, she would've not decided to, right then and there, visit Kuoh Academy as soon as she could. And the school can only obliviously go about its life, not knowing the eventual catastrophe that would befall it. Well, that's probably an exaggeration, but it would definitely rank up there along with the end of the world for one person in particular.

Sona Sitri shivered. Why did she feel as though the end of the world was drawing ever closer? Does it have anything to do with the fact that Kiba Yuuto, who is normally a model student, had just ransacked the Student Council Office? Why did she feel like the world was already falling out of order?

"… Okay. Let's make this clear again. Kiba-san. Why did you decide to attack the Student Council?" Tsubaki calmly asked, as Kiba refused to make eye contact… with any of them. Including the boy's master who sat just next to him. Kiba opened his mouth. But he immediately closed it.

"… Yuuto?" Rias asked. Why wasn't he replying? What was he hiding? He merely held the wrapped sword (and they know that's definitely a sword) closer to his chest. Rias knew that this was something important, most likely the gift Illya gave him. Illya did mention in her letter that, although they received pendants based on various weapons, Kiba was notably different in that it's a real genuine weapon. But Kiba refused to reveal the identity of the blade. Rias tried to guess, but either it wasn't a very powerful weapon, or the wrapping was able to hide its power very well.

"I apologize for my actions." Kiba said, although the reluctance in his voice is obvious. "I was just trying to find something. I did not mean for my actions to be seen as an assault…" Yeah, in hindsight, he shouldn't have done that. When he went in the Student Council Room to look for the Excalibur Illya had retrieved, he didn't find any sign of it. Because of this, he went berserk; slicing up anything that looks like it might be able to contain the holy blade. He still didn't find it.

"If you lost something, can't you just ask about it?" Sona sighed, "What were you trying to find?"

"… It's alright." Kiba shrugged, not wanting to say anything. There are very few people that he was willing to share his own hatred against Excalibur and Holy Swords in general. His master is one of them, but outsiders can just stay the hell out. "… I'll just take the detention."

The silence was deafening. None of them could say anything, as the boy just gave up so quickly, not even defending himself any more than he already has. Rias looked meaningfully at the boy, but Kiba didn't budge. He is not going to spill his secrets to a bunch of strangers.

Tsubaki decided to break the silence with a sigh, "Very well, Kiba Yuuto-san, we'll decide what the appropriate punishment for this incident is, but we'd prefer that you never do this again."

Kiba looked back with a glare that practically says, 'no promises.' He'd do this again if necessary. Excalibur must be destroyed to pieces. If he's in detention, he'll probably be escorted by the Student Council and so he'll be able to question them on its location. This has nothing to do with his master and so he isn't demanding the issue right now, and he personally didn't want to ask them too demandingly. He'll just quietly go about his own way. When he's somewhat calmer then he'll ask for the sword, but he's fairly sure that he's still slightly hot-headed from earlier.

"There is one idea that we could do." Sona said, "Bennia is a new Knight, and Tomoe doesn't have as much strength or experience compared to Kiba. Perhaps we could borrow your Knight for a bit of training, that will be more than enough for us. This will be in exchange to keeping Kiba's record clean."

Rias looked back at Kiba, who is clearly adamant on not protesting. She'll definitely pester the boy once they were alone. She looked back at Sona and nodded, "You've got yourself a deal."

"This deal can't be extended to Hyoudou, do you understand, Rias?" Sona added sharply, "His crimes are too public. Compared to this more isolated case, Hyoudou Issei had committed too many crimes against womankind."

Rias sighed and shrugged. Why was Sona telling her this? She replied, "I never expected that." She knew just how widespread the reputation of Issei truly was and she didn't expect it to be swept under the rug so easily.

Sona nodded at that reply, and smiled, "Good. I thought your recent fascination with the boy might be clouding your judgment." Kiba made a small chuckle as his master started steaming slightly.

"W-what fascination?" Rias asked, slight confusion in her tone, "I'm just doing my job as his master properly." Were they implying that she was starting to have this small crush on the boy? While he is quite nice and all, and despite his perversion, he's still a likeable personality… did she just think that he was likeable? Did she actually like the boy? She was certain she didn't have this strange feelings a month ago… this is best pondered somewhere else.

"… No. We never asked anything about Hyoudou Issei's training."

"Then what are you trying to say?"

Sona, Tsubaki, and Kiba merely smiled before Sona changed the topic. "Have you heard from Lord Beelzebub about Hyoudou Issei's little incident with Promotion King?"

Rias looked at them with a disturbed look before nodding, "According to Lord Beelzebub, he's still planning on revealing the issue on Devil TV, but because I'm the one who has a peerage who discovered the ability, he gave me a sort of early description on the topic." Rias coughed. "You are aware that Balance Breakers could be referred to as bugs of the Sacred Gears. They are powers beyond the natural and break all the standard rules of the world. Well, the Evil Pieces have their own [bug]. This is the Fairy Piece System."

"Based on that name alone, that means they are based on the Fairy Pieces: chess pieces with non-standard abilities." Sona nodded, "So they are like the analog of Balance Breakers for Evil Pieces… that means anyone with an Evil Piece can have those abilities."

"Yes. Even Kings can have Fairy Piece evolutions." Rias nodded. "Our Queen's ability to tap into the power of a Knight also comes from being tweaked to be wielding some of the Superqueen's abilities." She nodded to Tsubaki who nodded back. "Queens can still become Superqueens if that is how the Evil Piece mutates, but the difference won't be as pronounced."

"That does change the way Rating Games are played by quite a bit. But how do you unlock the power of the Fairy Pieces?"

A shake of a head, "Lord Beelzebub is keeping quiet about that. But here's something else he said: each Evil Piece has the ability to potentially become a Fairy Piece." Rias waited for the implications of the statement to sink in into her much smarter childhood friend. Sona's eyes widened soon enough,

"Rias, can people who were revived by multiple Evil Pieces gain different Fairy Pieces?"

"Lord Beelzebub definitely implied such." Rias nodded. "But that's about it when it comes to what I know."

"So one of Hyoudou Issei's Pawns became the Fairy Piece [Pawn of King]." Sona nodded, "But what about Illyasviel's strange ability as a pawn?"

"According to Lord Beelzebub, a Fairy Piece can be things not recognized by the public and can be completely original." Rias whose voice noticeably dropped upon the mention of her wayward servant, "For now, we are referring to Illya's Pawn Piece as a [Subordinate Pawn] or [Sub-Pawn] for short, a pawn whose promotion is based solely on another piece."

"I see… so any Pawn can become a [Pawn of King]?" Sona asked quickly, "Many rules of the Rating Game would change just because of that little tidbit."

"Which is why… Ise's Pawn of King is… a true bug in the Evil Piece system." Rias grimaced, "Lord Beelzebub said that he ensured that the ability to Promote to King is sealed away and cannot be used. The fact that Ise was able to access the Pawn of King implies something else. Furthermore it seems that his Promotion to King is what gave the Heavenly Dragon King Overbooster the Holy Attribute it had."

"… How does a Devil object give someone the Holy Attribute?" Tsubaki asked, confused.

"No one truly knows, but one of Ise's Pawn pieces had the scent of Holy Power within it. It doesn't seem to hurt him, and seems to be healing him quicker." Rias rubbed her temples at the conundrum. "How Ise-kun is not in pain with Holy Power inside him is beyond me, but for now it's a boon rather than a problem."

"If he's being healed quicker, why is he still absent?" Tsubaki asked, confused. "You have something that's healing him from inside and Asia Argento, right?"

"… He's not hurt, he's just excessively tired. Apparently forcing his body to use two consecutive uses of Overbooster would do that to him. And Asia can't cure fatigue." Rias sighed. What she didn't add was the fact that Issei's arms currently have dragon scales all over them, and Akeno is trying to find out a way to fix it back to normal. Although one of Akeno's suggestions was very interesting and if she can't find any other way, they agreed to do it that way… Maybe she is starting to like the boy more than just as a cute little brother… … Okay, alright. She definitely has a crush on the boy. But right now, she'll focus on the present.

"Well, I suppose that's that then. Can't be helped." Sona nodded, "Well, you two are free to go. Kiba, we will be in touch about your training of our new members." Kiba nodded. And the two left the student council room. Sona sighed. Now that was done, but she still can't shake the feeling that she's not going to be getting any peace anytime soon.

Minora hummed softly as she walked out the shopping mall. Yes, she's carrying all these stuff alone. Thank you for offering, but she can handle this on her own. Yes, she's quite certain that she could take care of this by herself. Unfortunately, she won't be around town long enough that she might be able to return the shopping cart the next day so she'll have to politely refuse the offer. As you can see, she's fairly strong on her own. She's certain she will be fine by herself.

"Heroic Spirits… huh?" She mused as she skipped along the road. "… God, is this why you gave me this task?" Well, regardless of the reason, she'll just have to continue doing her best. Fortunately, the ones who gave her the information seem trustworthy. While she can't say much about the automata, Shiro was kind and cheerful. Furthermore, she clearly has the aura of a hero. Someone who's mere existence means great things. If she had to be the supporting character to such a person, then she'll do it.

"I hope she doesn't mind the stuff I bought for her."

But it wasn't for a few more steps that she finally sighed. The wards in the hotel room were meant for her to not be found. She supposed that she spent too much time outside today and her relatively powerful Holy Energy that she had been keeping control had leaked out for a few moments. She knew the feeling of having stepped into a People-Clearing Field, and she can only turn to address the woman who had decided to accost her.

"What do you want, Griselda~?" She asked in her usual sing-song voice, but there was a hint of annoyance in her tone. She had probably been in the area too long.

"… Lady Gabriel, please return to Heaven." The woman in the nun's habit bowed to her. Griselda Quarta: a skilled Holy Swordswoman and among the most powerful Exorcists of the world. Of course they would use this woman to be their representative once they find her. They knew she had a soft spot for the nun.

"How did you find me, Griselda?" Even if they had tracked her powerful Holy Energy to the island chain of Japan, they would still have needed more time to actually spot her. It hasn't been a week since she had arrived in the area and only recently has started up her own activities, generally in silence.

"I do not know the answer to that." Minora sighed. Of course. Regardless of how high up Griselda Quarta is among the Exorcists, the Church is not privy to the knowledge of heaven. Of course she wouldn't know the answer. She had been keeping quiet for so… Keeping quiet… Of course…

"It was Brother Metatron, wasn't it…?" She hummed, keeping the signs of a sigh from forming on her face. Metatron was currently residing in the area of Japan, how could she forget? Granted, the Scribe of Heaven had always been rather quiet, his presence almost unfelt in heaven. "I suppose I should've been more careful~."

"It may be so, but I was sent here to plead with you to return to heaven."

"Is it an order~?" Minora… no. Gabriel replied with a smile. Hesitation flickered in the eyes of the woman. Gabriel chuckled, understanding the reason behind the hesitation. While she may not be in direct command of the Church, the Church has no authority to order her around, not after everything.

"This is Lord Michael's request."

"But I'm here under the orders of God, you know~? And His orders supersede Michael's." Gabriel cheerfully replied. Griselda stiffened at this response.

"Lord Michael said that your presence is necessary to Heaven."

"No." Gabriel shook her head. "Please tell Michael that I'm still cross with him for what he's done, or rather, what he's not done. He'll understand."

"Ephesians Chapter 4 verses 26 to 27 ["In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.]"

"Are you quoting scripture at me?" Gabriel cheerfully said, before turning away, "Then why did the Church ignore scripture when they dealt with Asia Argento's actions?"

"What do you mean?"

"Proverbs 25 verse 21: [If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.] All you saw is that the person she helped was a Devil and that she should be rightfully punished." Gabriel replied, and she knew, her smile was starting to wane ever so slightly. "What I saw was a girl helping someone in need and being wrongfully punished and denied the chance of redemption." Gabriel chuckled. "Now excuse me, I still have a mission from God to fulfill." And with that the girl returned to being just Minora. She quietly left without a single pause. She is only mildly aware of the release of the People Clearing Field that Griselda had set up. Good, that means the woman will not pester her any further.

"Wait Miss; would you like some help carrying those?" Well of course, Griselda would say that. Minora sighed; sometimes, she wished she didn't take the form of a weak female teenager. Angels have always historically been able to take a specific form dependent on what God believed to be the form best suited for their task. She didn't know why, but God had given her this form just before the end of the old Heaven. The form of a teenager, barely the size of a regular 18 year-old. It was at that time that He also gave her the task of investigating the strange distortions, even though they would appear only hundreds of years later. For him to give such an important role to her, she swore to fulfill her mission. Little did she know that, soon, the truth that is so hard to swallow, even until this day, happened.

'God's dead.' This unfortunate truth is so strange to her. That shattered so many angels that a not-insignificant number of them fell almost immediately. She managed to retain her faith and will, but only barely. If it wasn't for Michael's quickly taking charge of the situation, there would only be a handful of angels in the Heavens left. He performed admirably and even she confesses that she probably would not have been able to bring the Heavens together so quickly. This gave him the title among the lower ranks of angels: the "Likeness of God". But Michael has his own set of flaws, and, unfortunately, unlike what his new title implies, he is not like God. He can't rule the Heavens as well as God. Michael often mocked the title when they were alone behind closed doors. He would often point out how his own name mocks that title. "Who is like God?", that is what the name Michael means, and even he cannot deny it: not even he, who carries this question as his name, can equal God.

But unlike Michael, whose name is just a mere question representing God's authority above all others, the other Angels, those whose names carried His name, lost a significant portion of their power, her even more so. Her own name signifies God's Power as a whole. God is my hero. God is my power. Her once significant power representative of God himself was now drained to the point of uselessness. Although she is aware of the true power of the Super Satans, Sirzechs Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub, she, who once could be referred to as a Super Angel because of the power bestowed by God, can no longer match that power in her Lord's absence.

She sighed. Maybe that's why she refused to use her true name, even in front of the young Shiro. She felt as though she doesn't deserve the name anymore. And speaking of Young Shiro, she should return soon. It is getting late and she might get worried.

"Please go back home, Griselda, and deliver my message as quickly as possible." But it was clear that Griselda won't budge. She spotted a clothing store nearby. Well, if Griselda won't budge, Minora might as try to lose her. She can't lead the woman to Shiro, after all. That would be a breach of trust that she didn't want to happen. Her mission to investigate these strange phenomena superseded the Church's trust at this moment.

And Shiro probably needed a few more clothes than what she does have.

"Okaa-san, Illya-chan hasn't been to school today! She hasn't been replying to my text messages either! And when I went to her house, the mother said she went to see her relatives."

This was the voice of Kudou Ami as she cried in her mother's lap. Kudou Yumeko smiled at her daughter and patted the girl's head gently. "Calm down, Ami. I'm sure Illya-chan is fine."

"But. But! You don't understand, kaa-san!" Ami seemed to want to say more but Yumeko shook her head and patted the child.

"Tell you what, tomorrow, after school, if she isn't at school, I'll come with you to visit her home and ask a little bit more about it. You do know where that is, right?" Ami nodded vigorously. "Well then, we can go there and ask about her."

Yumeko smiled at her child as the girl wiped her nose. "Finish your homework and go to sleep. You've had a long day." As she watched the young child walk up to her room, she turned to the only other person left.

"What do you think, dear?"

"I suppose I could go confirm her situation with them." Kudou Haruki nodded with a grimace on his face. "You'll stay here and help her out in case she looks for help with her homework."

"Thank you dear…" Kudou Yumeko nodded. A kiss on the lips, and the man was out the door. Kudou Yumeko sighed. When their boss had told them to move into town, they did not expect to be caught up in all these strange happenings. Serial Killers and now, supposedly missing children. But they can't choose to move out. Their job revolves in this supposedly quiet town. All they can do is grin and bear with all the issues that pop up.

It was the moment of truth. The time to test out if everything in the world is okay or not. The magic circle of life or death. The jump that wo-]

"Ruby, don't start narrating for whatever strange reason." Illya muttered, as she and Minora stood in the center of the park. "Just ready the magic circle and let's get this over with."

[You are so stingy, Master.] Ruby sighed theatrically. [The Magic Circle's ready.]

Illya is not certain at all what she is doing. There are so many things that could go wrong with this situation and she couldn't help but worry that this would go horribly wrong. After all, she's preparing to enter a Mirror Dimension and taking along someone who doesn't know any more than what was told her.

"Minora-san, are you sure about this?" Illya asked as she held Ruby, ready to jump. "This will be really dangerous."

"Don't worry, Shiro." The teenager smiled, holding a rapier made of light with one hand, flexing it slightly to see it was working properly and a cup in the other. "I already told you; I won't hold you back."

"… Alright, let's do this." Illya nodded, "Jump."

And with that one word, the world shifted. Everything around them distorted, as though they were going through a mirror. And in front of them stood a single being. Clothed in purple, a very long Japanese blade is drawn from its sheath.

"… A Saber Class…" Illya gulped. This is probably not going to end too easily, isn't it?

That night, Hyoudou Issei dreamed. He watched as they fought against a giant hulk of a monster.

"Kaleid Include"

Six blades, (Excalibur, Issei corrected himself) gathered around him (Illya, he finally realized) and Miyu. Two more similarly shaped Excalibur appeared in their small hands. The brilliant light that emanated from these eight blades. The light of promised victory shone brightly, hiding unmatched strength and purity.

"Kaleidoscope!" Illya and Miyu's voice roared into the world, sending forth the power of the blade, to obliterate the monster in front of them.

A blinding light covered his sight…And then he woke up.

Chapter End

Beta Read by: Arrixam, L33t Horo

Sorry for not posting this chapter for a long time.

Dammit. Why doesn't this website support the Star symbols for Levia-tan. Ah well.

Well… that's about it. Originally, I planned the [Minora is Gabriel] reveal at the arc climax, whatever chapter that might be, but considering how prominent Minora is going to be throughout this arc, people might start accusing me of the story becoming OC-Centric. I don't plan this story to be OC centric. Any OCs I actually do create will generally be side characters. Generally. But… unfortunately Gabriel's character is not really something that really… sticks out to me, so well… DxD!Gabriel in Name Only? Honestly, Heaven's Faction is a little bit too shafted in characterization that I don't see my interpretation of them as anyway non-canon.