Chapter 23: Reviews and Some Revelations

Chapter 23: Reviews and Some Revelations

Been a while, folks! Enjoy another update!

On the couch in the center of the Occult Research Club Room, the creature sat, still and motionless like a statue.

The two main Peerages of Kuoh High were in the room, both parties inspecting the infamous demon dwarf after the Ball Tournament. As Sona and Rias gave cursory assessments closest to it, Saji walked up and waved a hand before the creature's blackened eyes.

"Yo? Coach Black? You in there?" Saji called out to the toy-like thing, curious of its response.

"Give it up, Saji. He still looks like that even after a few face punches." Issei called out as Saji pursed his lips as he backed off, joining the rest of the curious student council members on standby.

"The sight of his deformity is oddly pleasing." Muramasa grinned at Black's abused state from behind Yuuto.

Yuuto was sporting a black eye. Asia was told not to heal him as part of his ongoing penance, thus Yuuto had to hold an ice pack over his blackened eye.

"So, you're saying that he's been like this since the Ball Tournament?" Sona asked Issei as she leaned forward, pushing up her glasses with curiosity, and pulled open Black's left eye to inspect his pupil.

"Yeah, no reaction." Issei replied. "He just. Froze. Now he's just like a doll."

Honestly, it was weird, like he was stuck in time in that one show Black loved to watch, involving a vampire with the Italian name meaning God, all in capital letters. Only this time Black was stuck in that pose in real time.

"If I'm to be honest, the symptoms are kind of similar to those struck by Gasper's Forbidden Balor View" Rias gave her input.

"A what?" Issei did not catch that eight-grader-like phrase that reminded him of a certain edgelord.

"Hm?" Rias blinked before she placed her knuckle on her palm. "Oh, that's right. I haven't told you yet. Issei, do you recall Gasper's sudden 'vanishing act'?"

How could he forget? The sight of Black molesting a real life girl-boy was impossible to forget.

"...Yeah, what about it?"

"The power is from Gasper's Sacred Gear known as The Evil Eye That Stops The World. It's ability is to freeze everything within his line of sight, as if time is stopped in his gaze."

"So he is basically an upgraded Medusa without the turning-to-stone schtick?" Issei summarized.

"You understood that very well. Only he just needs his eyes to freeze everything within his line of sight," Akeno interjected.

"And you think Black is stuck in time or something?" Issei really hoped it was not. He definitely has no countermeasures against anyone that can stop time. Time Manipulation is very OP, and he didn't learn how to deal with it yet.

"The more correct term is in 'stasis,' and no, he is not." Sona gave her opinion. "You said you punched him repetitively, correct? He is sporting two blackened eyes and blood is flowing out of his mouth. I doubt those stopped in time or something similar would show these effects if their biological functions aren't on pause."

Her astute observation deducted that it was something else, prompting hums of contemplation from the more intelligent Devils.

"Alright, but the real question is can you fix him?" Issei asked, wanting to move to the point.

"That is not an easy question to answer." Sona sighed, "I have some contacts in the Underworld I can consult with, but it will take time since we do not know what your friend is. I'm not sure if his condition is biological or magical."

"Definitely magic. Aren't you rich girls supposed to be magic experts?" As far as he knew, Black never spoke of monsters obtaining illnesses - they are monsters for crying out loud.

"Aren't you, the one who has been living with him the most, should know more about his needs and wants?" Sona fired back.

"He told me everything he knew about his kind, and he's the toughest when it comes to survival. Black never needed to visit the vet, like ever. Hell, he can eat garbage for months and still be fine."The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

All so he could stock up lives. Black still preferred the cleaner stuff, though. Sona and the others did not look convinced by his argument.

"Are you sure that it isn't some part of his I don't know, hibernation cycle or something?" Sona asked, quirking a brow.

"Nope. Besides, I called mom after the match to check a hunch. The Black at home is stuck in the same manner stealing from the fridge. Diseases don't work long distances like that. Hell, I called some contacts I know and every clone back at Grigori is stuck in limbo, minus the big bads."

Saji blinked, "Wait, what do you mean 'big bads'?"

"Not important." Issei easily dismissed Saji.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Saji's rant was still ignored in favour of the current problem.

"If that is true then there's nothing much that we can do." Rias then concluded, "Our hands are occupied with the Church and their problems. We might be able to call some outside expert help, but the Church could view this as an act of potential hostility."

In other words, more annoying politics.

"Ugh But I must digress, incapacitating our coach is clever." Yuuto groaned, hissing from the pulsing pain under the ice pack. "Taking his boasts seriously, he can cover the entire town unnoticed in broad daylight. Whoever the enemy is, they know our cards"

"...And do not forget the traitor amongst the Church." Muramasa chimed.

The room grew silent. There was so much going on they did not have much options to take without potential risk.

"What do we do with this Black anyways?" Tsubasa asked as she walked up to Black and picked him up by the tentacle. She shook him up and down a little, watching him wobble with the motions.

"Best to keep him in the house and make sure they're fed or something, assuming they get hungry." Issei wasn't sure if Black could go hungry in this condition. "And leave the diagnosis to actual magic experts since the rich girls can't help us."

"Oh? And who's this 'magic experts' you have in mind?" Sona asked, frowning at Issei's implicit insult.

"Hey, I may not look like it, but I do have pretty good connections." Issei turned his phone on. "The one I'm going to call now is a part of Grauzauberer if you're wondering."

Both Rias and Sona flinched at the name.

"Grauzauberer? You even have acquaintances from that Grauzauberer?" Rias asked with curiosity in her tone as Tsubasa let Black down on the couch.

"Only one there, and she's also working with Grigori from time to time." Issei said as he scrolled through his contact list.

"Wait, one sec." Saji interrupted, "Sorry, but what's this about that Gra- Graza?"

"Grauzauberer." It was Reya, a Bishop of Sona and the treasurer of the Student Council, who replied to Saji's question, "It is one of the leading mage associations in the supernatural world. Found by Johann Georg Faust, and centuries later, Sir Mephisto Pheles of Extra Devil clans took the role of leadership until now."

Her answer had drawn eyes from all in the room, from Issei to Sona, all not expecting the reserved girl to vocalize the exposition. Feeling self-conscious about the attention, Reya bashfully continued, "...My grandmother is a witch. She regaled me the tales when I was little."

"Ah. Thank you for the explanation, Reya. Well done." Sona quipped with a small, yet proud smile at her Bishop. "As my Bishop explained, Grauzauberer possesses many famous and powerful magicians who have made contracts with 72 Pillars throughout generations." She then turned to Issei, "...And dare I ask if your contact is reliable?"

"Dare away," Issei scoffed slightly, "As far as I know, she's one of the best of the current generation. She's the one who taught me to cover the basics of magic in Azazel's place sometimes."

The mention of magic sparked a mischievous flame within the girls close to Issei.

"Issei if she is as good as you say, then how come you still need magic lessons?" Tsubasa pointed out with an impish smile.

"Shut up, it's a work in progress." Issei frowned. "She can't be there all the time. She has her own things to do and stuff."

"She said that you should focus more on martial arts or something, right?" Tsubasa cheekily asked.

Issei did not answer, prompting amused smiles from Akeno, Rias and Sona when Issei's frown deepened to a funny degree.

Issei looked back to his phone and tapped the call icon, then pressed the phone against his ear.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Sis-Lavinia." Issei called out with a familial tone. The people could barely hear the speaker even with their devil senses. "Sorry, sorry for ringing you so suddenly. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Issei's face then broke into a smile, "My mom's doing fine, thanks for asking No, no, Vali hasn't come around yet. Is he with you? How's he doing?"

Issei remained silent as the others heard quiet chatter from the other side.

"Yeah, I expected as much. You got the vids? Sweet, send me them later. Right now I need your help on something. It's about Black"

Then Issei blinked as he paused on his sentence.

"Wait, you know? Oh, there's a clone at your place, too? Yeah, he's been like that on my side as well. He's in. Uh, 'stasis' literally everywhere. No, not everyone. The Big Bads are still up and running."

"Seriously, what are the Big Bads-ow?!"

"Shhh! Quiet, Saji" Sona slapped the back of his head.

"Yeah, they're that tough. You got an idea of what's happening to Black? Oh, you're currently running a diagnosis? Well, what do you have? The gals on my side found nothing."

The two female Kings tapped their foot, miffed by Issei's challenging their expertise in the field of magic.

"...Geass? He's in a Geass? Wait, what is a Geass?" Issei asked.

The devils and Asia blinked at the 'G' word.

"How am I supposed to know if Black made a pact with something dark and dangerous? Okay, I admit it's something he would do for fun since he can screw a lot of people over, but seriously. He is the guy that could trick even Vali's special skill into hitting his weakest self and then beat the crap out of him to the point of him crying for mercy. He has quadrillions of lives for gods' sakes!"

"...Eh?" Saji stiffened at the ridiculous number slapping his ears.

"At least that is the last time I heard it several years ago. Yeah, it is definitely higher than before I am pretty damn sure that a pact is between a person and person, not-wait, you know what, let me ask them." Issei turned to the Devils and covered phone.

"Guys, help me out here. What's a Geass? I remember Muramasa being under one but seriously, what is it?" Issei asked.

Rias and Sona glanced at each other for a brief moment.

"Weren't you educated in the matters of magic?" Rias asked.

"They glued me to the kiddy section. They probably didn't bother telling me since they don't expect me to make a deal with God or something."

The two heiresses could not argue with that logic. Sona decided to step forth, clearing her throat before she began the exposition.

"To enlighten you, a Geass is like an eccentric vow in a magical pact. In other cases, it is a curse that prohibits or commands the victim, or contractee, from performing any action, or sometimes coerces them into certain actions. The types of it vary, from those made of contracts to involuntary ones forced upon others. We Devils use them in our pacts to prevent our summoners from abusing the boons we bestow, or for our own safety I assume that your friend is?"

"Under a geass. She said she is shocked that every Black in the world is on a Geass, something that is unheard of. She told me that what we're seeing is the largest record-breaking number of Geasses made in history, and that is saying something if we include the other Blacks hiding within the Blacks stuck in limbo. She said it's a 'magical discovery of the ages' for magicians since usually Geasses are imposed one by one."

"But the idea of inflicting multiple Geasses across the globe? It is original, but to do it" Rias muttered the second sentence in a hushed but impressed tone unlike the first.

"It is indeed a unique feat. I have never heard or read any records of such," Tsubaki commented with a hum of respect.

"Is it really that impressive?" Tsubasa asked, chiming in.

"Uhhh, judging by her tone, it kinda is. She told me it's unlikely for a single mage pulling this off." Issei spoke, with his phone pointed at them and turned on speaker mode.

"And may I ask why that is?" Rias asked with a curious tone.

[To answer your question, there is not a single mage that has the range or ability to target many specific individuals across the globe.]

The woman from the other side of the line spoke. Her voice was slightly mired in static but the tone behind it was serene, melodically soothing to the ear. They could picture the type of person on the other side from hearing alone, a caring motherly figure with a strong maternal charm.

[Or to be more specific, the accuracy, magic power, and precision to handle the strain of overlooking such a vast surface area, even more so when looking into other realms. They would have to account for multiple factors, distinguish the target across a large area under a very special microscopic lens, and just knowing where to look is a nightmare to overcome. However, even if one could bypass those obstacles, they have to take into account that the magic of such a scope could be detected and traced back to its origin, yet this one is very subtle astonishingly. Not even I could notice it when it happened, which speaks much for itself. Not only that, it is impossible for multiple mages to perform without extremely specialized knowledge and practice of the art which is unheard of and it requires delving into a field of magic that borders on the realm of absurdity and I apologies for the late introduction. My name is Lavinia Reni, one of the Grey Wizards. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am happy to speak with little Ise's new friends.]

The Devils smiled in return at the phone. They could tell how much she cared for the boy holding the phone.

"Ahem... It is a pleasure to meet you as well. But I do not believe we have the luxury of formalities at this moment." Sona greeted back as she pushed up her glasses.

[Indeed. I am very curious who could do this. Someone able to incapacitate all the clones simultaneously at the drop of a hat it inspires human curiosity.]

"And yeah, that's the gist of it." Issei nodded. "Any questions in your heads you want to spill?"

The girls looked at each other while the other two males stared at the phone with a clueless gaze.

"Is there a chance that a god could perform such a feat?" Rias asked with curiosity as a few individuals ran across her mind.

[Hmmm. A god is complicated. It is within the realm of possibility, but Maybe over a large area but not around the world. It truly depends on their authorities and the powers they represent. Other than that, it is hard to determine since I have no connections to any gods. As for those residing among the top ten, I do not think it is in their power. Maybe The Infinite Dragon, but so far little is known about that one. I cannot imagine a reasonable motive for them to do this, too, unless he antagonized one of them, but I don't think he is that brazen.]

"Hmmm, about a Youkai? Onmyouji?" Sona followed.

[There are none that I know of, and the Geass we see defies the principles of Sage Arts minus some curse techniques but I don't know if there is any potent enough for a monster of his level. There should be some resistance or signs of a struggle at least. The Big Bads didn't feel a thing surprisingly, and Sage Arts are more useful for combat and utility rituals.]

It was true, obnoxious as he came to, Black was never the type who would go down without one helluva fight - that was what ran through Issei's mind as he processed Lavinia's words. Excalibur fragments in the town, a group that was also hiding with the swords in the same town, then Black's sudden incapacitation

Issei's brows scrunched up as he did not like the possibility he was approaching - someone who knew about Kuoh and its denizen, including Issei's family, had been orchestrating behind the shadows.

"Uhh, what about dragons?" Saji asked, rubbing his head.

[The abilities of dragons are more compact. Their powers are not versatile, meaning their skill sets are limited yet extremely powerful, but depending on their abilities, they can be versatile in a unique way. However, we have yet to find a dragon whose power is specifically designed for the sake of pacts or mind control entirely, and I am pretty sure that there won't be one for many lifetimes. Not only that, dragons are creatures that desire the pleasures of the flesh, combat, sex, and violence being their main diets in life, so no, very unlikely.]

Saji hung his head a little at the answer.

"U-Um W-What about Sacred Gears?" Asia asked, meekly raising her hand.

[...That is an interesting question.]

The magician on the other end paused.

[But something like that would have to be a Longinus. There is one with such potential, but we would've noticed something of that power. While within the realm of possibility, it is still too early to make conclusions.]

"Hmmm I believe we have exhausted all of our questions. Your insight is very helpful for us, Ms. Lavinia. I hope we can meet face to face someday." Rias concluded their inquiries with a warm smile.

[Oh, I am sad that I couldn't provide the answer, however. But of course, I'm looking forward to seeing little Ise's new friends! Ise, I need to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?]

"Yeah, sorry for the trouble, sis. I'll see you later." Issei replied before he ended the line.

When he returned to address the others, he noticed Tsubasa smiling impishly at him - her expression was also shared with Akeno and Rias.

"...What? Why are you giving me that look?" Issei asked.

Tsubasa's smile widened a bit, "So 'Little Ise', huh?"

Ise sighed, somehow not surprised at the development against him.

"Are you serious? Are we really doing this?" Issei lopsided his lips at the three girls' shared desire to tease him using that leverage.

"Oh, we are doing this." Tsubasa snickered with growing enthusiasm.

"...Just because I have a cute nickname doesn't mean you can tease the hell out of me for it."

"Oh, I think we can." Akeno giggled. "Should I start calling you 'Little Ise' from now on?"

"Har har, hell no." One busty mature type female was enough.

"Oh? Is it because she's older than you? If so, then shouldn't I be qualified for that privilege?"

"Uh, nope. If you want a cruel refresher, the fact that I had to help you get over your issues back at training camp Kind of redacts your score in the big-sister department."

Issei's retort turned Akeno's perpetual smile upside-down while pulling up a few smiles from the others, like Rias'.

"What? You look mature, no offence, but you sure don't play the role that well. Hell, Tsubasa is even more mature than you, and she isn't even pretending," Issei scoffed.

Akeno leered at Issei as she glanced at Tsubasa. Tsubasa was waving at her with that wide, shit-eating grin. Akeno flashed a notice of challenge at Tsubasa with her gaze before Sona interjected with a cough.

"May we return to the topic, please?"

"Alright moving on, to summarize everything - someone took out our best card in ending the investigation without giving us the time to use him right." Issei concluded as he dropped down onto the couch next to the Black doll.

They could have used Black as an asset to find the swords along with Rover earlier, but considering the political circumstance with the Vatican, using Black carelessly would add oil to the dim fire. In short, they lost their opportunity before his time to shine arrived. They severely underestimated the opposition. No one would predict that someone could incapacitate all the Blacks in the world, minus the Big Bads.

"...And the timing is too coincidental." Rias mused, coincidentally having a similar thought as Issei earlier.

"Is there anyone else aware of Black's existence?" Sona brought her next question.

The Heiresses completely doubted anyone among the Devils and the Church would know about the existence of this alien creature with too many lives.

"Well" Issei ruminated on the candidates. "Some leaders in Grigori. Black takes over a lot of grunt work so most of the Fallen Angels don't know him that well. My family, you guys, the Gremory Folks and yeah, think that's it. That is not accounting for the people Black met under our noses. Hard to keep track of a guy that can be everywhere."

"Any suspects that come to mind?" Sona asked as Issei paused.

"...The Church." Issei widened his eyes.

Rias and Sona quirked a brow. The Church knew about Black?

"At least the guys running the Church knows."

The girls and two boys looked at Issei with their full attention. Their curiosity was now peaked, Tsubasa's especially as now was most likely the time for that overdue talk.

"Can you elaborate in detail? I recalled that Black mentioned his running into Sister Quarta once in the past," Sona asked.

"Did he?" Issei grimaced as he looked at Yuuto who shrugged in return. His eyes turned to Tsubasa for a moment before he later looked up at the ceiling.

"It isn't a story that you can just show and tell. You're touching some serious weight here."

"...And yet, is it heavier than the weight of our dilemma?"

"...Well, it's not as important, but still, it's a different kind of baggage." Issei reluctantly admitted.

"...Fine. I'll spill. It isn't something I can keep forever, anyways. But you better get comfortable. This ain't your usual can of worms." Issei sighed as he grimaced, eyes still fixed to the ceiling.

The devils glanced at one another before they situated themselves at the nearest available seats while the others stood close within ear distance.

"I've been hoping to avoid this for a bit longer, but damn, where should I start?" Issei hung his head, eyes lowering to the table in his pause. "Alright, eight years ago, a massive fire engulfed my neighborhood; from city block to block, yet it became an urban legend amongst the neighbors. That was around the time I moved out of Kuoh for the first time."

"I've heard about it" Tsubasa spoke up in realization. "I heard from a neighbor when we moved in that it was about several chains of explosions that turned several blocks into a sea of flames. Many houses were supposedly destroyed but there wasn't evidence of a fire" Her eyes then narrowed when she remembered something that could do something similar. "...Wait"

"Yeah, that was from Rover." Issei answered.

The Devils widened their eyes, Rias, Akeno, Yuuto, and Tsubasa picturing the destruction, a fiery hellscape of explosions riddling the land.

"What?!" Tsubasa shot to her feet. "What were you doing there?! I mean explain!"

Her volume filled the room with tension, the bluenette overly familiar with the nuke-breathing dog staring at her boyfriend in the eyes.

"Whoa, Tsubasa, chill. It's not that simple."

"How is burning a suburb to a crisp not simple?" Tsubasa retorted.

Issei sat on the sofa with Irina next to him while Xenovia sat a little further away from Issei on the same sofa.

"Now, to begin today's discussion."

Valper handed Issei the clipboard. On it were some images of men with notes printed down.

"I have reviewed the result of your investigation so far. This is the information I have cultivated with what little we have." The Archbishop said.

Issei accepted the intel and gave it a quick read, flipping through the pages while muttering the details he could pick on.

"Are you seriously asking us to investigate every single one of these guys?" Issei asked with a skeptical tone. "With the shitshow last night, I'm pretty sure we don't have much time left. The perp would be long gone by the time we flush him out."

There were like four missing exorcists that the fat man wanted them to probe, four out of twelve.

"You are correct. Time has become the essence even more than ever. However, I have eliminated those which are more likely to be irrelevant in this mission."

"Um... I agree with Issei." Irina raised her hand. "Investigating Father Pudrin lasted us an entire day, and we were tired in the end. While I do pray to the lord that we have enough time and strength to continue this, I do not think we can investigate all of them one by one."

"Oh, do not worry my dear." Valper kindly chuckled. "The hotel address you graciously brought back was a meeting point between several exorcists, all of which I have listed here. You will be able to find more clues today if you journey there."

"And if we find zilch?" Issei asked.

"Well, I doubt the Lord would let this sacred task bear the fruit of an unjust end," Valper chortled.

"I am tempted to say something smarmy, but I'll let it go. For now." Issei sighed as he looked at the priests again.

These were the names that he would definitely forget in the first hour or so, so he didn't bother to remember them. He handed the clipboard to Xenovia and Irina as he proceeded to enjoy the plate of snacks he picked up from downstairs, throwing a slice of hash browns into his mouth.

"We'll get to work as soon as we are good. Anything else we should know before we do?" Issei asked the oldest two in the room with his mouth full.

"I can only ask you to tread more carefully, sir Hyoudou. We don't want any repeat of what took place last night." Griselda said, whose point everyone was aware of.

"Relax. Yuuto's on a VERY tight leash this time." Probably literally this time.

Issei could imagine Akeno holding said leash, honestly. She definitely looked like that kind of person.

But there was no way that could happen, right?

oXo

"Yuuto~."

Akeno giggled as she held something tight and leathery in her hand, pulling it and the person at the other end it held onto. Yuuto grimaced at Akeno tugging at something he never thought he would see in this Peerage - a leash attached to his neck.

"Akeno-sempai please." Yuuto begged as he looked at Rias. His King also had Akeno's sadistic eyes, relishing his indignity and internal suffering. "Not like this."

It was even more demeaning being forced to crawl on all fours like this. His situation was the most emasculating he had ever faced in his life as Rias' Knight.

"Fufufufu, my, I believe we can get along quite nicely, won't we, ladies?"

Muramasa was also not helping the situation. She was seated on the couch, sipping a cup of tea while savoring Yuuto's emasculation.

"Oh, no no no. I can't have you wandering off on your own again. You left us a very big mess to clean up, and it is quite insulting, having your owners clean up after you like this," Rias smiled as she took out her phone and took a picture of Yuuto's sorry state. "And don't bother cutting that collar. It is something that I brought from home. The highest grade class collar nobles use to tame the strongest of monsters. Even a dragon can't break it, sooooo~ stay inside like the good puppy you are, won't you?"

"Bark, puppy." Akeno ordered.

In return, the Knight could only whimper at his diminishing dignity.

oXo

Evening had fallen upon the town, the last orange glimmers of the sun covered under the horizon. Issei, Irina and Xenovia arrived at an old studio apartment where Father Pudruin used to live in Kuoh.

Currently, the trio were standing in front of the door leading to the deceased's home; Irina could be seen kneeling, tinkering and tweaking hard wires inside a keyhole, with Xenovia watching her and Issei scanning around nonchalantly.

"The landlord was more cautious than I expected, despite how old this place appears." Xenovia mused.

The trio had previously attempted to civilly ask the landlord for the spare key for Father Pudruin's apartment, but the landlord had a policy not to hand over a crucial item over strangers without the tenant's consent, even when Issei claimed that they were related.

They did attempt to bribe him, but the landlord still refused to budge, saying that it was the priest's personal request not to let any outsiders in.

"I can't find it in me to blame him." Irina replied as she kept tweaking and turning the wires around. "In fact, I really respect his integrity. It is what makes people like him worth saving."

"On another note, when did you learn how to pick locks?" Issei asked as his eyes kept scanning around. All he saw was the empty crossroad, concrete lit up by the street lights, and the shadowy alleys peeking back at him.

Irina paused.

"Well. I never actually learned how to do this I just got some ideas from books and tv shows."

Issei and Xenovia threw their eyes at Irina.

"...What?" The boy asked. "Are you telling me that you're trying to copy the stuff in the movies? Without any guaranteed success?"

Irina bit her lower lip as she resumed her novice, unreliable, lock-picking.

"No, I know what I'm doing, it's just I can't guarantee a hundred percent that I can get us in anytime sooner. So"

Issei and Xenovia were in silence, swallowing Irina's undependable words of encouragement. The two exchanged glances, Xenovia jerked her head in gesture, and then Issei replied with a nod before he stepped forward.

"Alright. Irina, move." The boy then grabbed his childhood friend's shoulder, pulling her away.

"Hey, wha-!?"

Issei rammed his foot right at the door handle, smashing the lock and knob along with a chunk of the door.

The sound of impact was loud enough for Irina to cringe and shut her ears. Issei and Xenovia casually walked in through the ruined entrance unperturbed at the forceful entry.

Irina sighed as she followed suit, "Sheesh, just ruin my moment, will you?"

Issei and Xenovia ignored Irina's complaint as they made their way deeper into the shoddy demesne.

When they stepped into the living area, Issei had to snort and waved his hand around to dismiss the dust off his face. Even Xenovia and Irina had to cover their mouths and noses.

"Oof, smells like something died wrong here. I hope there's not another corpse..." Issei remarked, "Actually, when was the last time he cleaned this place?"

Irina managed to find a light switch and turn the power on.

It was a small living room with simplistic design - a tea-table, a couch, some cushions on the floor, and television. Going in a bit further, the living room was adjacent with a small dining table and kitchen. There was a small makeshift shrine, a figurine of Jesus and a basin of water in front of it, probably holy water.

Now that Issei looked around the room, the room was probably baptized against Devils. Issei wasn't sure what the priest used, but judging by the smell and the discoloration around the edges of the floor, it was probably baptized salt mixed with holy oil for effect.

The trio began to spread out, carefully taking in every detail of the space despite the accumulating dust and unsightly grime on the walls and floor.

Issei inspected the television and picked up a remote. He turned it on, finding it was working, but the channels he flipped through were not worthwhile, so he turned it off.

Irina was looking around the ceiling, the couch, and the window facing outside; which she soon found there was nothing off, aside from how dirty and unkempt they were.

Xenovia was inspecting the dining space and the kitchen; there was nothing much on the obvious spots, thus she proceeded to check through the drawers and cupboards.

"Eeek!" A rat and some cockroaches suddenly scuttled out as soon as she opened the second cupboard, making her jump a little in the process.

Issei and Irina looked up from their task to see Xenovia's stiffening like a deer caught in headlights, a blushing deer.

"... 'Eeek'?" Issei repeated with an amused grin.

Xenovia blubbered her lips for a moment until she scowled at Issei and turned away.

"Alright, did you find anything? There's nothing on my side." Issei asked.

"Hmmm, nope." Irina shook her head.

"...I found nothing of importance." Xenovia gave her report.

"Strange..." Issei rubbed his head.

There should be some clue the priest left behind. What would a Priest on a mission do in case he found himself disappeared? Issei looked at the floorboards and walls.

"I think I have an idea." Issei muttered as he reinspected the room. He rose from the couch and walked around the room, knocking on the walls and tapping on the floors. If his hunch was right, there should be some cavities around here or something, some secret compartment.

Issei came across a carpet. An idea of an old classic crossed his mind as he removed the floor decoration. There were greasy handprints on the floor, faint aroma of the concoction of holy oil and salt and other ingredients filling his nose.

"...Well," Issei kneeled and knocked on the floor. The sound was hollow. Issei smashed his fist through the floor and pulled out something from there.

It was a suitcase.

"Bingo." Issei grinned as he placed the case on the floor, prompting Irina and Xenovia to kneel down by his side to have a closer look.

However, much to everyone's chagrin, the case was locked with the combination number required.

Issei had no patience for puzzle games tonight. He dug his fingers into the case open, but before he could pry it open, his hands were zapped.

"Yack, what the fuck?!" Issei shouted while dropping the case. Issei looked at his hands, seeing his hands were fine, albeit his palms were tingling.

"Ah, Vatican wards." Xenovia noted as she carefully inspected the locks. "Hmm It's not doing anything even when I touch it" She mused as she poked at the lock. "It seems it only responds to violent intent."

"I am not wasting hours trying to figure out the password." Issei commented.

However, a sudden siren blared out the building, interrupting them. The sound made Issei clench his gut with dread as he furtively tiptoed to the window and peeked.

There was a police car parked in front of the building.

"The cops are here," Issei told the exorcists. "...Why are the cops here?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because the neighbours heard us literally breaking and entering?" Irina quipped with a cynical tone.

Frankly, Issei thought no one would hear something this loud this late.

"...Crap, we gotta bail with the goods."

"Now you sound like a burglar." Irina commented.

"The police are already out and talking with the neighbours; front exit isn't an option now." Xenovia noted as she peeked out from the front door.

"This way, then." Issei gestured as he picked the case up, heading out to the opposite direction from where the police were coming, followed by Irina and Xenovia, as they made run for it from behind the apartment.

The same time they could see the flashlight pointing at them.

"Stop! Police!"

Issei sucked his lips in as he vaulted over the wall. Irina and Xenovia joined them as they sprinted down the street with all their might in the night, comically leaving a small trail of dust in their wake. Issei really hoped that Rias could mind wipe the police of today.

Issei's body tumbled as soon as he hit the ground.

"Your footwork is horrendous, kid."

The said kid growled as he got back on his feet, eyes focused at his current opponent/temporary mentor.

At the edge of the clearing where the fight commenced, Rover was lying on the soft grass, yawning while watching the match.

Issei assumed his stance again, but before he could charge, the man raised his hand to stop him.

"Spread your legs a little more apart. Your right arm needs to be lower and more firm, your standing leg needs to be straighter."

Issei blinked at the instruction, looked down at himself. He shifted his limbs to match his instructions, feeling a bit awkward from the unfamiliar stance but bore with it.

The man placed one hand behind his back and beckoned at the boy to come at him with the other.

"Come at me."

Issei grimaced at him looking down on him. He charged at the man, throwing his limbs in an attempt to replicate the sinuous manner the man showed him.

It was hard.

It was not like throwing a straight strong punch like his dad or the repetitive shots of a machine gun blow. This one required very precise control over his own movements on an advanced level - from his muscles to the core of his joints; attacks that almost never follow a linear path.

Why did this guy know more about the basics of Water Stream Rock Smashing fist than Uncle Genos, anyways?

It was even annoying that the guy did not bother spilling his name, even more so when the guy was casually fending off his cramping hands with just one hand.

"Your arms' getting cramps."

At the man's bland tone, Issei spat, "Gee, I wonder how you knew!"

Issei jumped and threw a straight punch, unable to stand the cramping movements any longer. However, somehow, the man grabbed his fist and twisted it in a way that flipped Issei off course, making him crash land on the grass supine.

"Ow?!" Issei rubbed the back of his head as he rose on his butt, pouting at the man.

"What? That's what you get for trying a jump attack." The man pointed out as the boy continued pouting at him.

He sighed as he looked down, staring down at his legs.

"...Are you really leaving today?" Issei asked.

This was the man's last day in the woods.

"I don't want to stay in one spot forever, kid." The man confirmed.

"Are you sure you don't wanna to come with me to my home? I think my parents will like you." Issei pleaded.

The man scoffed, "My answer is still the same."

"...What do you plan on doing once you leave, anyway?"

"I'm not the kind of guy that likes to stay in one place. Well, until now that is." The man retorted as he rolled his neck.

"...You didn't answer my question."

"That's because I want to find that part out myself."

The boy did not look convinced or amused.

"Eeehh...? What kind of answer is that?" He asked with squinted eyes.

"You'll understand when you're older, kid. Warm food and company ain't the kind of meals I need right now."

Issei did not say anything in return, as he simply sat on the ground with a pout on his face.

The man regarded the boy for a few more seconds before he sighed, "...Alright, fine. Want to see something cool, then?"

Issei perked his head at the word 'cool.'

"...How 'cool' are we talking about now?" Issei asked.

"Come and find out, then."

He rolled his shoulder and walked towards the cliff and dropped down towards the river at the bottom. Now brimming with curiosity, Issei got up and followed him, sliding down the grassy slope and met up with him the long way around.

When he did, the man assumed a stance, two palms before his chest hovering each other, each parallel to the ground, ten fingers poised at the natural wall of the cliff.

No preparation or warning as he thrusted his hands thrusted their palms into the wall of the cliff. The world exploded, or was crushed.

Issei couldn't describe it other than an extreme fusion of both, the shockwave traveling to his feet, turning everything, stone, wood, and dirt, into absolute dust as if thrown in the world's finest wood chipper.

"...What was that?" Issei could only ask while watching the aftermath.

It was like a drop of water hitting the calm pond, only the ripples turned everything to powder. Dust or sand was falling off stumps of trees that barely survived as the hill before the man turned into a sandy slope, one usually seen in a desert.

"My parting gift to you." The man cryptically replied. "Show me you can do this the next time we meet."

"Huh!? You only showed me this kind of stuff when you're about to leave? How the hell am I supposed to pull off something like that!?" Issei protested.

"Don't know, don't care. You go figure that out." The man said as he climbed the sandy slope he made personally. His backpack was buried in the sands, sliding down to his feet as he grabbed it by the arm strap and hoisted it over his shoulders.

"Want to know something fun? Most of the stuff I learned ain't from a manual or school. Martial arts aren't born from manuals, kid. Manuals are born from martial arts." He said as he continued walking up. "Everyone starts from somewhere, but you gotta know when to walk your own pace. Babies need to leave their cribs at some point, you know?"

In return, Issei could only scowl, unable to come up with a retort.

"You got guts, kid. You don't need me to become a man."

"But" Issei looked left and right. "...It's not cool to ditch me after showing something this awesome!"

The man stopped and gave him a sidelong glance. Issei caught him flashing a small smirk before he faced forward and disappeared after the top of the sandy slope.

"Hey!" Issei shouted with a bigger pout, but the man did not respond. Only the whine of his best friend as Issei caught Rover sliding in the newborn sands, confused with his legs buried in the powder.

"Can you at least tell me what I should call you!?"

The man paused on his tracks, remained on his spot without looking back for some time. Then, still without looking back, the man replied.

"Call me Bang."

Haha! What do you think, folks? Things are finally picking up and the next chapter can be seen in you-know-where website. Cheers!

Next chapter 24: Escalations