After a while, here's an update. For some reason, this is getting harder and harder to write. Anyways, enjoy!

The way Judai's group operated was far too sterile for her tastes; far too efficient and orderly to be human-made. In fact, Rias found that their rather questionable antics irritated her to a great deal as she watched them: first out of curiosity, and then out of boredom.

To her, it was all wrong. From the plotting to the armory, everything was all messed up. Nothing about them seemed as exciting as they ought to be. They weren't scheming gamblers, fast and furious, nor were they sophisticated gentlemen, using high-tech gadgetry to capture fantastical villains. Instead, they were tame, like corporate slaves that slaved away for "the greater good". If they really were working in dangerous locales, like the man named Johan had claimed, how had they managed to stay alive for so long? One person was constantly on the computer while the other did whatever he did best: absolutely nothing. It didn't help that, when they first returned, she'd been told to sit tight until something came up. But she doubted they'd actually let her know. If anything, they'd probably grab their things and leave her hanging, off to their next great adventure in whatever god-forsaken, war-torn hell that tickled their fancies.

But it wasn't for naught, she supposed. Even though it annoyed her, Rias had managed learned something new about the boy she added to her collection. He was a good student, quick-witted and observant. He was able to draw conclusions more quickly than most strategists, then plan accordingly. Not only that, but his memory was brilliant, photographic even. It wouldn't have been far off to say that he'd been artificially lowering his scores to keep a low profile… a shame his looks couldn't do the same; not with that brown hair and the perpetual frown that made him the ideal drama actor.

That day was the first time she had seen Judai study anything other than the pages of a manga. The sight of his nose buried in a dusty, leather-bound tome the size of a cinder block was refreshing, enjoyable, and cute, all rolled into a small, skinny package. She watched as he chewed absently at the end of his pen, jotting and scribbling notes on scraps of paper as he paced back and forth before the miniature library in the far corner of the room. Every now and then, he would stop and look up, browse the library for another volume with a slender finger brushing their bindings, then turn back to the book in his grasp and continue reading, as if he were absorbing every piece of information it provided. The character gap was too great. With any less self-control, she would have devoured him right then and there.

It was a shame that that had been all she'd learned in three days. Three days… The length of time made her want to beat her fist into a pillow or Judai's face, face preferred. For three days they'd been holed up in the warehouse as Judai and Johan repeated the same routine over and over again. Rias missed school. She missed her uniform, which was hung on a wall as she lounged about in Judai's slightly small, old tracksuit. She missed Akeno, Koneko, Kiba and Asia. She missed class and the normalcy of her life as a high class devil, however normal that was by anyone's standards. Judai's life was supposed to be exciting and full of explosions and running from the law, not riding out the proverbial storm in a big metal box lined with concrete.

She sighed as she flipped through the channels on the television for the umpteenth time. Drama. Drama. News. Game show. News. Anime. For a little while, she'd experimented with the wide variety of game consoles attached to the screen, but soon became frustrated. When that didn't work, she tried to read a book from Judai's collection, but he prevented her, saying that some of the books were still laden with secret curses, and that they needed to be dispelled first. Oh, how she wanted to throttle him for that.

But, in the end, nothing interested her and she didn't want to be caught observing Judai, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to be useful to him, perhaps to change her opinion of herself to him. She wanted him to see her as an individual who could stand beside him rather the loud, pretty girl who got in the way of his work. In the end, she found herself peering over the top of her cell phone as her thumb scrolled through the news feed giving "wall-to-wall" coverage of the action movie firefight on the expressway three days ago. Her aquamarine eyes traced him as he continued to pace back and forth, slowly and methodically. She took in his shape while thinking herself a voyeur. She was mesmerized, but she didn't know why.

"Like what you see?" The question startled her as cold, smooth glass pressed against her cheek, an imported beer with condensation dripping from the green colored bottle. She turned around and swung at the man named Johan, who jumped back quickly, fumbling clumsily with the other bottle in his hand. Some spilled on the carpet and he shrugged, but paid it no attention otherwise. She watched the bubbles disappear on the textile before settling with an angry scowl, daring him to try again and test his luck. Instead, he laughed weakly with an expression uncannily similar to Judai's. "You're a lot more jumpy than I expected, aren't ya, Miss Gremory? Is it alright to call you Rias?"

"I can see why Judai doesn't like you," she quipped, crossing her arms as she resumed her observation. She bounced on the plush couch as Johan sat at the other end, popping the cap off the second bottle. The sound of carbonation rushing through the neck cut through the awkward atmosphere between them. In the next instant, half its contents disappeared before Johan sighed contentedly. She growled, barring her teeth like a bulldog. He blinked for a moment before taking another swig. "Is this really a good time for you to relax like that?"

"I guess that's a 'no'," the blue haired man chuckled, coughing a little as he produced a third unopened bottle from under the table, a water. He spread out his hand, cracking the joints in his fingers with a small grin of satisfaction. He made a gesture, offering her one but she declined, fully attentive of him now. "Nothing's really sinking into that thick skull of his, if that's what you're thinking," Johan explained. He threw a dart at the brunette who caught the sharp tip between his index and middle fingers before stabbing it into the faux mahogany wood on the side of the bookshelf. His eyes remained trained to the book, his pacing uninterrupted. "We aren't going to get anywhere either, not with all the media chatter happening over the airwaves. So we've gotta lay low until everything blows off. He's just trying to occupy himself until Asuka wakes up. Don't really know when he picked up that habit…" his voice trailed, as if Johan were reminiscing. He laughed again, shaking his head slowly. "…but 'lot changes when you go missing for two years."

"Two years?" she asked, a little more enthusiastic than she'd intended. She quickly cursed herself, hoping Johan hadn't caught it.

"That's how long it took us to find him. Should've seen how the group was without him…" Johan trailed again. "Stupid sonuva-"

"He was missing?"

Johan blinked. She was at the edge of her seat now, her pristinely manicured hands pressed on her knees. Her eyes were bright and shining as she waited for his response. Was she trustworthy? Judai had a track record for hanging with the wrong crowds. Was this another case of that? He chuckled, waving away his suspicions. It was the look of a girl infatuated with their group's biggest idiot. Now, it was his turn to play matchmaker after the surprisingly successful fiasco the idiot made with Kujaku and Jounouchi. He'd definitely find a proper girl for Judai before Fubuki did. "Not exactly… Just out of range of cellular service, I guess."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly how much of Judai's past do you know?" he asked almost immediately after she'd finished. He seemed irritated in the manner that he'd asked. His brow twitched slightly. His fingers rapped against the armrest impatiently as his left foot beat against the woolen carpet in time to an imaginary metronome. "Rather, what has he told you?" It was odd that he made an effort to make the two questions distinct. His tone had completely changed. Perhaps there were two different sides to the story, not that she knew either one. Was he testing her? How much did they trust her? He was just like Judai. She couldn't read a single word of his language. 'Fuck matchmaking,' he thought to himself. She didn't seem to know lick about him.

Rather than answer, she stayed silent and turned back to Judai, who was still pacing. Rias remained calm, waiting for Johan to make the first move and, hopefully, a mistake. Depending on the story, she would know whether or not Judai and Johan were truly allies, or if there was something else between them. More importantly, she'd find out whether or not Judai had been telling her the truth. The board was laid out, but there were too many traps for her to trigger. It was bad enough she'd already set off a few.

"So you know that he's not exactly human, right? Even before this whole demon reincarnation thing he performed with you," he asked curiously. Rias nodded. It wasn't like he tried to hide it, nor did he act like a typical high school boy, if that even really existed. Johan rubbed his chin while making humming noises. They continued for a while with basic questions about Judai: his personality, habits, and family. She didn't know if any of her responses were correct. The man named Johan simply continued to the next question as if they were printed on a checklist. "Do you know about Yubel?" She nodded again. She thought about it for a moment, wondering if there was something deeper to that spirit, but then again, Judai's demon guardian never really tried to hide herself either. "Haou?"

"That's the name of his power, right?" she asked. He paused at her response. His eyes glazed for a moment. Perhaps it brought about bad memories, but it was clearly a different reaction to the previous questions.

"That's close enough to the truth," he shrugged, cutting her off before she could press any further. The contrasting finality and hesitation in his response made her want to question it, making her think that there was more than what she was seeing. She wanted terribly to ask, but decided against it. Instead, they remained in a state of awkward silence. He shuffled his feet and she returned to minding Judai, who remained completely oblivious to their chat. Conversation over. Finally, Johan sighed and stood up, clasping his hands on his thighs. She watched as he turned to Judai and took a deep breath.

"Hey, Judai," he bellowed. Rias jumped. The brunette turned to him, slightly irritated. She noticed his gaze turn to her at the corner of his eye as he cocked his head backward, back still facing them. Johan flung something at her pawn, which he snatched from the air with a smooth, sweeping motion. A ring of keys jingled on his index finger as he spun it round and round. There was an element of confusion across Judai's features. "Let's take a break and do something. Asuka's not going to wake up anytime soon. But if you're waiting for your chance to be her 'Prince Charming'…"

Judai set the book down on the table and marked his page. She hadn't noticed the thin reading glasses propped on his nose until he pulled them off and set them on top of the leather cover. Slowly, he heaved a sigh, forced and unnatural. "Who's going to watch her? How do we know someone's not going to come after her here?" he asked. She noted the concern in his voice. It was tender and warm, but there was a slight tone of regret to it, as if he'd lost confidence in himself and his own ability.

"Take her to your parents' place?" Johan suggested as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh yeah," Judai snorted. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head before starting a one-man skit. "'Hey, Mom, Dad, I know I've brought two girls home with me in the last month, but can you keep an eye on this unconscious one until she wakes up?'" He chuckled uncomfortably. "Don't think it'll go down well."

"Then leave her here. The place is safe enough."

"Absolutely not."

Johan sighed, muttering something insulting under his breath. Rias thought she'd heard him say something about high school and Asuka before pulling his phone from his pocket. There was a message notification on the lock screen. He turned around and blocked her view. "Looks like Fubuki's just canceled his concert tour in Europe because of this and Manjoume's just retired from the World Championships. Kaiser's already said that having her stay with you would be the best option, so we're keeping her with you. Can you handle that?"

He didn't answer, choosing to use an incredulous expression to prove his point, as if to say "isn't it obvious?" His legs brought him to the couch, where he sat beside Rias. She watched carefully until he flopped on his side, head perfectly placed in her lap. It was as if she had a lazy, irritable, headstrong cat, stretching out its back as it yawned loudly. "What?" he asked when he caught wind of their stares. "I haven't slept well these last few days, so let me be."

Johan shrugged while Rias remained as stiff as a board. Judai seemed comfortable enough as his breathing evened out and his mind seemed to be at peace. He was fast asleep, coiled like a pet. "Make sure you take care of him," Johan said softly. Her eyes shifted to him. "He trusts you, even if he doesn't act like it. Probably the first time in a while he's been this relaxed too."

Judai's habit of disappearing into thin air was beginning to annoy Rias. Even storms gave warning before they appeared and disappeared. In the beginning of the afternoon, Johan had left them, saying that he had errands to complete as he gathered his things into an aging leather messenger bag. It seemed that between the time she began to doze and waking, her Pawn had disappeared without as much as a note, but his duel disk was still there plugged into the wall. 'Certainly, he couldn't have gone far, right?' she asked herself as she rubbed the lingering sleep from her crystalline green eyes.

She spent the better part of the hour searching for him, trying to track the energy he'd scattered across the vast expanse of the complex. When she finally found him, he was on the roof of an adjacent building, watching the ships dock on the other side of the harbor as the sun cast its orange glow over the shimmering Tokyo Bay. He was deep in thought when she found him, something that didn't go unnoticed as she sat beside him, the cold metal sheeting causing goosebumps to form on her legs. When she touched his hands, they were as cold as the air, almost icy to the touch.

"So you woke up," he said softly. She nodded, half-expecting him to pull his hands away from hers, but he didn't. His body seemed to cry out for warmth, his rosy red cheeks showing the effects of the evening's strong waterfront breeze. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than you, looks like," she chuckled as she leaned against him. His heart was beating slowly and his body was oddly relaxed. There was a certain serenity she felt from Judai whenever he watched a scenic picture. For a city kid, it didn't seem that he'd be all that out of place in the countryside with nothing but rolling golden hills for miles around. "There isn't one day that you don't have some sort of problem on your mind."

She could see him shift an eyebrow. When he turned to her, his expression was gentle and relaxed. His soft brown eyes stared at her, as if he were taking in her beauty. For some reason, she shivered from fear. It was almost as if he had accepted death, and was simply waiting for its cold, lifeless call. Even if they'd only been together for a month, it felt as if he completed her, irrational behavior and all. He seemed to possess what she lacked and vice versa. In his eyes, she was just another person that he happened to respect a little.. She didn't want to go back to what she was before, the days of being worshiped seemed more frightening now. He was the first: the first to see her as someone capable, rather than a pretty face. To him, talk was cheap. "Johan said you changed. He thinks you lost your soul."

"Hm…"

"What is it exactly that you're after? You've been chasing something the entire time you've been here, yet nothing's come up."

He sighed. She watched as he fished through his shirt and grabbed the gold chain hanging around his neck. On it, she found an hourglass clouded with ancient dust. Her gaze shifted to him, confused. A small smile formed on his face as he wrapped her hands around the pendant, then his around them.

She gasped as his eyes began to glow golden. His power began to radiate from his body in waves as the last rays of sunlight receded along the horizon, gulls harkening the end of another summer's day. All around them, the faint lights of the city began to brighten, just like Judai's eyes. He remained silent and kept his gaze locked on her as the rest of his body began to glow, until he was too bright for her to look at. Suddenly, all was quiet and the world was still. Rias slowly opened her eyes, taken aback by the world surrounding her.

Judai smiled as he stood up and helped her to her feet. She could hardly believe it, as huge amounts of power poured out of her pawn. The strong evening breeze had disappeared as the gulls flying about were frozen in time, their wings spread as far as they would go. Nothing. In a world full of sights and sounds, there was an eerie void, as if they were in a dream. For the first time in a long time, Rias was at a loss for words as he led her by hand back down to a pier, where the spray of the rising tide was suspended in the air, like snowflakes during a blizzard.

"Take a bit of it," he told her. His smile was gentle and reassuring, his gestures telling her that it was alright to do so. Slowly, she stretched out her palm and grabbed a few of the droplets. They were solid, clear gems, smooth to the touch and clinked together like pieces of tin. "Amazing, isn't it?" She nodded, speechless. The energy radiating from Judai disappeared. The gems in her hand melted as the waves splashed against her face. The sounds of the world continued, as if nothing happened. It took her a moment, but the gravity of the situation hit her like a truck. He'd taken her to a secret realm, one that only he had a key to. For the first time in a lifetime, she feared the boy before her.

Her amazement shifted. Blind fury swelled just as quickly as the fear before it. "You've been hiding something like this from me?" she asked. Her hand wriggled free of his before she used it to jab her finger into his chest. He flinched. Her eyes dared him to lie, but they didn't hold the same intensity he was used to. Instead, she was hurt that he still didn't trust her. "Something like this… Why didn't you use this for Asia!? Why didn't you use this during the games!? Are these powers of yours just for show!?"

"It's complicated… sort of," he dismissed softly. His eyes turned away from her, only serving to inflame her rage.

"Complicated? How? Because it's some random plot device that you'll use at a convenient point in time? You've got the powers of God! You could end all evil and restore balance to the world if you wanted! Stop acting powerless, you son of a bitch!"

"I'm telling you, that's-"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" she screamed, slapping him. Her palm grew warm from the strike as his cheek began to burn. "Are you looking down on me? Are you looking down on everyone because you were blessed with power and a goddamn cheat? How arrogant-"

"It's not that simple, Rias." His voice was meek, like a child's.

"Simple? How is it not? Why are you always so cryptic? Stop trying to be a stage actor!"

"I'm not-"

"Not what? Strong enough? Don't give me that bullshit! Not that same bullshit you say every single time something goes wrong! You've kept me in the dark, then you expect me to be all fine and dandy when you reveal a power that would have stopped our suffering? I'm not a fool!"

"I know."

"Then stop hiding things from me!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?" His eyes began to glow; cold, golden orbs directed at her. Rias let out a squeak as she backed away, aware that she'd crossed a line. His voice had grown soft. Gone was the meek, feeble Judai, replaced with bone-chilling serenity. "You've only known me for a month, and yet, you demand this and that of me, like you own me. I agreed to work under you, not tell you my life's story."

"You think you're special?" she growled, slapping him with her other hand. He staggered backwards, but she didn't care. His attitude pissed her off. Her bearings returned quickly. "You think you're above everyone else, but you're no more than a coward, hiding behind a mask."

"I'm not-"

"Shut up and start answering, before you I really start hitting you," she threatened with her hand raised, surrounded with her power. He sighed, unable to remember the last time someone made him back down so easily.

"A long time ago…" Judai began. His eyes gazed into the distance as he stepped beside her. His hands went into his pockets as he looked for the right words to explain. "A long time ago, my very first incarnation believed that his powers were too strong. After his dimension was created, he felt that he had no place in the world, even as its ruler. People were afraid. Even if he was benevolent, even if he was kind, they feared him more than Gods because he created the Gods. He had no place amongst mortals. They would speak in whispers and bow before him unnecessarily. So, as a gesture of peace, he distributed his powers and knowledge amongst artifacts, hidden deep within the twelve dimensions, and became one of them."

"Twelve dimensions?" she asked. He nodded. "So you're searching for those artifacts?" He nodded again. "Why? If a previous you wanted to hide them, why are you looking for them?"

Judai sighed deeply. His hand combed through his hair as he shifted uncomfortably. "My enemies are looking for them," he explained flatly. The aura of his guardian surrounded them. Yubel phased into reality beside him, her arms crossed. The look of disapproval on her face concerned Rias greatly. "The lore and legends about the Darkness should have been destroyed, but somehow, someone found them. They want endless torture, lawlessness, as generic as it sounds. The most powerful beings would be brought to their knees, so, my group is trying to find the relics before they do: Project 'Osiris'."

"How many have you found?"

"Ten, so far," he replied. "I, myself, am one, so that would make eleven, come to think of it."

"So you're finding the last one? Do you even know what you're searching for?"

"We've got a faint idea, but it didn't come easily…"

"What do you mean?"

"Our knight in shining armor took the job far too zealously. A lot of people got hurt in the process," Yubel explained. Judai grimaced. It seemed that there was something else that they were hiding and Rias knew that, even if they didn't tell her, she'd find out eventually. "He's made a lot of enemies out of friends, and friends out of enemies. Competition in this world isn't lacking, but that's the boy you know and love, right? Prepared to fight the hordes of lovers he never provided closure?"

When her face blossomed like a schoolgirl, he turned the other way and willfully ignored his partner's lack for delicacy. "Not now," he told her. His tone was firm. It crossed her mind that he wasn't as dense as his friends thought he was. Instead, it seemed he wanted to keep whatever status quo amongst them, or he was simply denying his own attraction. Either way, his self-control was something she commended. Most guys she knew would have been jumping for joy with a reaction like hers.

"Oh?" the demon smirked. Her eyes met with Rias before she floated over to Judai. "So you're going to leave this beautiful girl high and dry like that? Just like the others?"

"We'll cross that road when we come to it," he countered calmly. Gone was the wavering in his tone, replaced with the stone-cold, emotionless expression he usually displayed. "No use in letting emotions get the best of us."

It was then that his phone rang. The perfectly pitched tone seemed to irritate the demon as much as it irritated her. There was a grin on his face, cunning and startling, and before she could blink, he was pulling her back toward the warehouse at a brisk pace. "C'mon," he told her. "We're going out."

"So, why've you called me here?"

The question stung, but Judai tried to ignore it as he sat across from Kiba, his legs crossed as he reclined in the plush lounge. Rias, who was properly disguised, sat several booths down, eavesdropping on the conversation as Judai had instructed. After listening in on his classmates' conversations, he'd deemed it a fitting place for a "real-lifer" like Kiba. The menu was full of stuff she was sure a simple guy like Judai didn't understand, from the weirdly named pastries to the over-complicated drinks. Social interaction, after all, was higher on the "not to-do" list than his "to-do" one, but the place was busy enough that Kiba wouldn't be irrational, and exclusive enough that he'd see if someone else was trying to listen in.

He offered to pay for the blonde swordsman's drink as the waitress took their order, which was declined. Some girls tried to pick up on the blonde, but Judai remained silent, allowing him to use his charming side to shoo them away. Otherwise, Kiba ignored him, gazing at the people rushing about on the sidewalk, covering their heads to escape the rain. Judai sighed as he stirred the cream into his drink. Their little meeting was going nowhere quickly. "Kiba Yuuto, the lone survivor of a 'Holy Sword Experiment'." He spread his hands above his head, imitating a publisher creating a headline. "High School girls these days love those kinds of things, right? The Handsome Prince's dark, tragic past?"

"So you've come here to mock me?" Kiba growled. Judai's eyes followed his teammate's movements, from the way his hand seemed to glide over the butter knife, to the way they came to rest beside it. Yup, killing intent, he mused. "I've got more important-"

"Last night, you were in contact with Selzan, who was in possession of the stolen Excalibur fragment, right?" Judai interrupted, rummaging through the messages on his phone. Nothing. Johan said he'd let them know when Asuka woke up. It didn't seem Rias noticed anything out of the ordinary. Despite this, he still sought a reaction as discreetly as he could, and the small tightening in Kiba's hand was enough of an answer. A small frown etched its way into his face as he twined his fingers. He was beginning to regret that he hadn't sent Yubel to kill the exorcist during their last meeting. "Tell me. How did your 'revenge' pan out? Did you get any closer to exacting your revenge?" Kiba's jaw tightened as his fingers curled around the knife's cold steel. There were still cuts on his arms, in a screaming, angry red where the Holy Sword's magic had struck, and the dark circles under his eyes were good indicators of the result.

"What does it matter to you?" he spat.

"Part of it involves the reason I'm here," he replied calmly. He could tell that he'd grabbed Kiba's attention, the blonde haired boy angled slightly over the table. If O'Brien or Pegasus found out that he was talking about their objective with someone who wasn't directly involved, he'd be in for an earful later. However, that didn't matter. Information was information, right? As long as they both were under Rias Gremory, they were allies as well.

"And that is?"

"What do you know about these?"

Kiba seemed not to comprehend the question at first, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. The reaction was cliché, so much so that Judai thought he'd repeat the question in case a camera was filming them for a movie. He glanced back at the drawings on the table.

"So you're a treasure hunter?"

Judai shook his head.

"Then what are you after?"

"That's not something you need to know," was the simple, eloquent response he supplied as he stuffed his mobile back into his jean pocket.

"Then why should I help you?"

"Because I'm your best shot at destroying the people who made you suffer."

Kiba snorted, standing up immediately after that. Judai remained seated, turning his attention to the weird, orange concoction with black orbs resting at the bottom. He poked the plastic lid with the straw. When he took a sip, it was sweet, with an odd, spicy taste to it. Kiba muttered something as he made his way to leave. "A friend of mine told me where Selzan's located," he said suddenly, loud enough for Kiba to hear, "in case I felt like going out for a relaxing midnight brawl."

The blonde man turned long enough to see Judai produce a tablet from his bag with a map of the city on its screen. His eyes narrowed on the red dot on the far corner of the screen. The video feed that played in the opposite corner seemed to be live footage. "This was his last known location. You're not the only one who wants heads to roll," Judai explained, taking a photograph of the cross street. Intrigued, Kiba returned to the seat in front of him. "My –associates- have been monitoring the people I've encountered since I got here, you included. This Selzan isn't alone, so you'll likely need backup."

"And you're offering your help?"

"For a price," Judai replied with a smirk. This time, Kiba returned it. "I'm a mercenary, after all."

The corridor was dark and damp, more fitting for a horror movie or a sewer than an abandoned ground floor. With strangled breath, Judai pushed forward through the darkness in front of Kiba, their flashlights being their only sources of light. Every now and then, some rodent would scamper by, leaving ripples in the pungent water at their feet. They would stop, then Judai's powers would flare and fade. It happened several times, but they couldn't sense human lives. Odd, considering it didn't look abandoned. O'Brien had told them that Selzan and a wanted criminal were hiding there. For a while, it seemed that they had been kidnapping people from off the street and bringing them into that building. The victims never left.

They found an open room at some place in the labyrinth. It was cold and dark, filled with the smell of rotting flesh. Judai could feel the bile rise in his stomach at the sight. The missing persons he'd been searching for were in there, dismembered and gutted, as he'd predicted. Entrails were tossed about without regard as browning blood painted the concrete walls in religious symbols. 'I guess we can close that case,' he thought to himself as he slowly drew his gun, creeping into the room. 'This is just like that house.'

There was something even more disturbing about the room as they entered, careful of the corpses. Despite the death, there was a vibrant spiritual aura. It wasn't at all dangerous in its nature. Rather, it was extremely calm, exuding a holy presence, creating extreme unease for both Judai and Kiba as they scouted passed the door on the other side. Both of them jumped when the ceiling exploded, raining concrete and debris onto them.

Kiba was the first to be attacked, guarding with an iron rod he'd pulled from the ground. The pressure surrounding them became immense, its weight enough to physically crush him. With all the dust floating around, he could hardly see his attacker: only the faint glimmering of steel whenever a katana came within a hair's breadth of his body. The feeling was familiar to him, bringing memories of his pain and anger.

Any time he wasted was another second that could lead to his death. Blade Blacksmith was like second nature to him. With his Sacred Gear, he called upon two of the most powerful in his arsenal and took great, mighty swings. He didn't connect, cutting through enough of the dust that he wasn't completely blind. If it were the holy sword he was facing, a normal, disposable weapon wasn't going to suffice. His first objective was the dust and, with the dark winds being generated, it seemed to be Judai's intentions as well. All things accounted for, it wasn't Selzan attacking them, of that he was sure.

Kiba crossed his dominant arm, blocking the long katana with the back of his blade before it exploded like a magical grenade. He was barely able to dodge the second one aimed at his waist until Judai attacked with a loud, intimidating battle cry. They were on the ground for a moment before he retreated, placing himself between their assailants and him. His eyes were the oddly coloured ones his master favored, their glow bright and powerful. The two leapt up and surrounded them. It was serious.

"Pay attention, Kiba!" he shouted angrily as he tried to disarm one of the figures. Gunshots echoed as nine millimeter rounds bounced off concrete walls. "I'm shooting to kill!"

The dust had been cleared, two girls in black spandex facing both of them as they stood back to back. Kiba crafted another sword and lowered himself. He recognized the swords as he tried to remember his master's teachings. His targets had fallen straight into his lap, just as Judai had promised. "Clear mind," he told himself. They weren't going to beat him again. "Don't let emotion get in the way."

He lunged forward, first, feinting to the right. The blonde-haired katana wielder swung wide, spinning her slender body with the momentum of her sword. His first sword missed, the second exploding on contact with the fragment of Excalibur. Quickly, Kiba crafted his third sword, swinging his entire body clockwise with both swords parallel to each other. She parried, blasting both swords with skillful strikes as he bounced backward several metres, resetting his stance. The other swordswoman took the opportunity the moment it arose, blasting his footing with a single strike. He stumbled forward, rolling onto his knees. The katana was making its way toward him again, intense pressure weighing on him. She was moving far too quickly for him to react, until bullets wound off her sword, stopping her advance.

"Hey, hey, don't forget about me now," Judai teased, waving his gun around. The one in his left hand fired, forcing her to duck. They focused on him, coming at him from both sides. Kiba watched as he struck out his left foot, pivoting as he took aim with the gun. His finger twitched, the recoil from fire echoing through every muscle of his body. "Are you gonna make me do all the damn work here?"

The question brought him back to the situation, as he crafted more swords. His gaze focused on the blue haired woman, whose movements were slower than the katana wielder. Her attacks were wide and wasteful, focusing on maximizing the destruction she was inflicting. His stance tightened as his grip strengthened on his weapons. He'd start with her while Judai handled the other. They would have to drop their guard eventually, and when it happened, he'd take the chance.

Judai retreated several paces, creating a smoke screen with his aura. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Kiba charging in the direction of the two-handed sword while she was still focused on him. He fired at her the moment Kiba was upon her, forcing her into a defensive position with her sword guarding her face. The katana-wielder noticed, aiming to disarm him before attacking the swordsman. Instead, fire exploded beside her, blasting her into the concrete wall clear across the room. He smirked as the Flame Wingman faded from reality.

"Not so cool now, are ya?" he cackled from the distance as she gathered herself, clearly enjoying the role of the villain. The wall behind her was splintered from the impact, like a vertical crater. Bits of concrete and sheet rock fell as she landed on the cold, wet ground. Her fighting gear was scorched. Her vision blurred as she tried to focus. The girl's stance wavered. Pain blossomed through every part of her body as she collected herself. Her grip on her weapon wavered. Judai smiled as Yubel appeared beside him with her arms crossed.

"You really don't learn, do you?" the blonde, twin-tailed woman muttered. Her sword began melting, transforming into fine silk that bent to her will. It spun and weaved about both her hands, hardening into two identical katanas while she recovered her bearing. She wouldn't lose, not to him. Not ever to him. She would exorcise the world's evil and save him. The girl barred her teeth. The one the church called the "Stronger than Satan himself" disappeared from his side the moment he dropped his guns. "Aren't there still rounds in those magazines?"

The smirk on his face disrupted her concentration as he disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Her eyes moved behind her as he appeared above her head, forcing her to dodge. When his foot made impact with the ground, the concrete shattered below them. She parried his other foot with the tip of the blade, attempting to cut into his aura, but Excalibur's power seemed to wane. He disappeared again, positioned to fire the discarded guns from range. "Judai!" she shouted. "Wake up! Don't let the devil take over!"

"So you do know one of them," Yubel laughed. She waved her hand and the ground crumbled in an arc before her, forcing the blonde to stop her advance as the concrete became a jagged barricade. Her broad smile was laced with hostility as she towered over the humans, her grand wings spread like a shadow over the earth. "Should I introduce myself?"

Judai smirked, his eyes glowing even brighter. "Most definitely."