Chapter 45: Negotiations

Chapter 45: Negotiations

We are entering Spring! ^_^ Per usual, the next chapter can be found in you-know-where, along with some arts of an OC's base appearance!

"This is what I found from the last reports."

Raphael distributed several folders and files to everyone inside the living room after breakfast, everyone kneeling around the table.

Griselda was present though her current attire was yet another sight to behold. A sexy military outfit that exudes a dominant persona, a military white cap, a window-boob blouse and tight corset, a short-sleeved jacket, and thigh high heel leather boots. Issei and Vali tried their best not to glance in her direction every now and then.

Even Irina, Xenovi, Asia and Teodoro were doing everything they could to focus on Raphael instead of the woman.

"Sorry, one second. Why is Griselda wearing. That?" Issei asked.

"She's still on her shift." Black smiled evilly, earning frowns from the Church boys and girls.

Raphael then cleared his throat to keep the conversation from straying away, "Ahem. From what I gathered, I can determine the remaining locations the prisoner mentioned where they might gather the children. I do not know how the report was tampered with, but at least I confirmed that the angels managing these regions are clear."

Raphael rolled a map and pointed out crossed marks on it.

"There are. Four suspected locations in the countryside not far from Rome, including the one the prisoner mentioned."

"What's the plan? Split up and strike them while the iron is hot?" Issei proposed, looking at the map, "These places are quite far from each other."

"I am rather against a brash approach, but considering the deadline we have here, we cannot afford to delay either. So, while we can, as you said, strike while the iron is hot, this needs to be done carefully." Raphael commented.

"We have an army of Blacks." Issei pointed out. "How many lives do you have here?"

"Thirty-nine trillion." Black answered while eating a bag of chips.

The girls, Teodoro, Touji and Raphael blinked at the numbers that surpassed the seven digits.

"What I" Touji was overwhelmed.

"I can split into literally thirty nine trillion of mes. And we have the Big Bad among us. So to say, we got this." Black assured. "Unless you want to take some things into account? I can sneak in while you guys do the heavy lifting to make sure we don't have a hostage situation."

Raphael then cleared his throat, "...We don't really have enough information on the enemy's tactics and arsenal. Despite our superiority, the matter is delicate."

"It'll be too late if we do it your way!" Issei argued. "We are on a timetable here! Is there anything we can take and use against them? Dossiers, paper trails, anything?!"

"...None of worth in that regard." Raphael shook his head, "Careful observation and patience is crucial in our position. One wrong step and we'll-"

"Ahem. Hello? Guy that can be everywhere at once? The math isn't hard, people!" Black said as if it was obvious as he popped another chip in his mouth.

"...Hah, right." Raphael nodded, "Mr. Black's talents, we can use to handle reconnaissance for intelligence on all matters. On to the next subject, I have to deliver bad news."

The seraph then placed a piece of paper with the seal of the Vatican printed on.

"...The Vatican has issued a warrant for a man-hunt against Sister Griselda." Upon the surprised looks from Irina and Xenovia, the Seraph proceeded, "Two days ago, the guards in charge of watching Griselda's domicile were found dead inside her house, with Griselda herself was deemed missing. Reports stated that Sister Griselda has fled after murdering the guards."

"Well, good thing that we've learned of what actually happened, right?" Issei quipped, pointing to the Sister in question across the table, "We even have the victim safe and sound here."

"We should tell the Vatican the truth!" Xenovia interjected.

"...And allow Griselda to go back to her house-arrest?" Vali quipped, "Black said that the corrupt officials believed that the Triads had dealt with her, right? I say we keep it that way for the time being. Let those officials think they have the upper-hand."

"Which correlates with possibly good news I have." Genos then interjected, "Thanks to the location of the Triads our prisoners provided, I was able to tap into their communication line. Last night, I learned that the Triads and the Vatican were having.. Arguments."

Black started to cackle, causing all eyes turned to the creature with trillions of lives.

"They actually bought the dummy corpse!"

Everyone stared at him before they turned to Genos.

"Playing the recorded lines."

Genos said as something clicked from his body

[Like I told you, I did not abscond with your men! They did their jobs perfectly!]

Everyone listened to the recording as Vali started slurping his bottle of soda.

[We picked up your precious woman, yes. They sent us the coordinates to transport her, but then an unknown entity absconded with the strike team I sent in front of my retrievers' eyes. It left the package, however. We confirmed that it is indeed the woman, but she's dead.]

[What do you mean dead? I don't]

[Now, let me repeat myself. What did you get us into?]

[I don't follow. Don't you have them by your side?]

[If you don't have them, or at least know where they are, then I believe we need to re-discuss our terms of agreement. Three were abducted, screaming through the radio, left without a trace, the other three KIA by Griselda. We cannot track them with their equipment. I am going to make you and your cabal of pedophiles pay with your bones if you do not explain yourself. We have your Exorcist. Imagine what we do when we show your people the corpse?]

[...Allow me to remind you that you are in our territory. Our people will not believe you. Showing her corpse will only be seen as an act of crime.]

[You have no power in your current state, don't pretend that you aren't caught under the dragon's eyes. I will not say this again. Remember your place. You will come and see us tomorrow or else we will leave, no, throw you to the hands of fate. No discussion.]

[...Bring Griselda's corpse with you, I want to confirm her with my own eyes.]

The transmission then was cut there. Everyone had listened to every word spoken in the recording.

"...I recognize that voice. It's Archbishop Crayford Ladora." Teodoro noted.

"Who?" Issei asked.

"One of the many archbishops in the church." Raphael answered.

"How many archbishops are there?" Issei asked.

"More than thirty four, but let's not assume that they're all guilty." Touji advised.

"But he mentioned 'us', that means we are looking for more than one person." Xenovia pointed.

"Do you think we can capture evidence of the archbishop mingling with a criminal?" Irina suggested.

"We can, but if Ladora were to come alone, bagging him in will alert the rest." Issei reasoned

"Hello? Everywhere." Black gestured to himself. "Just use the bastard as bait for the rest. It's what I did."

"What if the others chose to cut him off? Disavow him?" Issei then asked.

"Why not use a truth serum on him to spill his guts?" Black mentioned.

"There's no such thing as a truth serum. You've been watching too much TV." Genos retorted.

"But we have a truth-angel." Black pointed at Raphael. "Use him as a viable witness. He can't lie, you know?"

Issei and the others stared at Raphael as if they were struck by the lightning of logic.

"This can actually work. Accusing Raphael of lying is the same as admitting to treason." Vali pieced together.

"Black's deceptive brilliance allowed us a window of opportunity. I might have a plan on how to obtain new direct evidence, but I am going to need some materials to ensure they cannot slander our findings." Genos followed.

"What do you need?" Black asked.

"...I need some cameras."

"...I do not know what is going through your head." Crayford Ladora said as he sat before the desk. "We had a deal, Ludun. Our transaction is complete. You know better than to welch on us after getting this far."

The room was underground, heavily refurbished, lion statues standing guard by the only entrance inside with two men in zhi fu attire, military kung fu clothes standing by the side of one of the council leaders of the triads.

"...When you came to us begging for aid, out of nowhere, we weren't sure how to respond." Ludun, the asian man with sharp mustache whiskers, donned in a kesi dragon robe, his hair tied into a braided ponytail as his narrowly sharp eyes stared at the fat man in priest robes.

"Our relationship is mutual, but not personal. We are not as involved in Supernatural like your organization. You want us to delve into a world in a level where we cannot yet map or thrive."

Lundun said as he placed his hand on a jade dragon orb on his desk, caressing it.

"Then, a day later, you arrived with strange materials, claiming that pieces of meat can give us power to reign over lesser men."

"You accepted it yourself. I saw you ate it. The power is genuine, so-"

"I have a son." Lundun said as he nodded. "A year ago, we discovered he had cancer. Terminal. I gave one of those flesh-balls to him with hopes that it'll cure him. His health did improve greatly, but not before he killed my wife in his rampage."

The atmosphere was suddenly filled with the weight of mortal danger as Crayford was silenced.

"Tell me. What else have you kept from us? Oh, poor fat man that whined about treachery to the cheated? Did you throw red paint on our backs while we weren't looking?" Lundun asked.

"We did no such thing. Our research showed that the test-subjects have gone beyond the current mankind." Crayford defended.

"Then your research was done by short-sighted fools." the Triad leader scoffed. "My wife's blood is on my son's hands. Through my hands. So tell me. What did you drag us into?"

A tense silence sparked. Crawford swallowed a lump.

The doors closed behind him. Crawford looked back, seeing two more of his elite bodyguards standing guard by the lion turtle statues.

He realized that Lundun called him here not because, or not only because, of his mens' disappearances, but to personally quarantine him like a fish lured by the light of an angler.

"I believe we don't need to resort to any violence. We will compensate for our short-sightedness with your son is he still alive? Or mentally well?"

"He regained his senses after we tranquilized him. He is grieving. He still refuses to speak to me"

"What do you want from us?" Crawford asked, wanting to get this uncomfortable discussion over with.

"The truth. You bought our silence and consent with this power. Now you incurred a debt. Start with, what devil did you bargain with?"

Crayford remained silent as their gazes refused to leave each other, "...I am afraid the word no longer applies here."

Suddenly, the doors slammed open. All in the room, bodyguards and leaders, turned to see one of the Triad's men sliding towards Crayford's chair. The man's head bonked against the leg of Crayford's chair.

"...And you brought your misfortune with you." Lundun gazed at the approaching intruder with squinting eyes.

"Y-You!?" Crayford squawked at the sight of Issei Hyoudou, The Son of the Strongest Man.

"Me." Issei's eyes jumped to the men in the room.

Six people, four bodyguards, one leader of the Triad, and a fat piece of shit. Issei seriously wondered if all corrupt priests are fat bastards. Issei then smiled, particularly at the leader of the Triads.

"Ni hao ma?"

Lundun raised his eyebrows at his native language that came out from the boy's mouth.

"W jio Issei Hyoudou, zu qing zh de rzi. W sh li shush zh wny de*." Issei glared at Crayford. "And I want to talk with the man that agreed with Griselda's capture you do not look like what I imagined, honestly."

"...Interesting. N li do w de zhch, rnwi n ky tch yoqi?**" Lundun said as the bodyguards approached.

"Dngrn, w ky***, because I am the Son of the Strongest Man. And I don't want to hear it from someone that breaks into homes for a living."

"Son of the Strongest Man? Zh sh yg omn de biot****."

"T shyng y nxi b cny chozrn shji de rn*****. You have no idea how hard you stepped on the dragon's tail, do you?"

Lundun cast a glance at Crayford.

"W-What are you doing?! Kill him!" Crayford squawked.

Lundun gazed back at Issei. He raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. The bodyguards nodded as they turned to Issei and they started changing.

Issei blinked as he stared at the men transforming into

"...Wow."

One of them was a green cyclops at human size, with a horn sticking up from his head. Two blades of metal extended from the dorsal of his hands. It honestly reminded him of Baraka from Mortal Kombat.

Another was a bird man, a graceful crane with long legs, a spear-like beak and two wide wings of blue and white.

Issei looked behind him, seeing a monster man with four eyes, two on each side where his eyes would be, as bone pikes grew from his shoulders as he yanked them, now holding two weapons of bone in his hand.

The last one beside the lion turtle statue was fat, like very fat. It was a large man-panda thing only there was a line of teeth across his stomach left and right. It opened, revealing a large tongue where the mouth was.

"Let's see if you are worthy of that title, boy. Destroy him." Lundun ordered.

The stomach-mouth panda roared with both mouths as he stampeded towards Issei first. The others moved in, all ready to destroy the intruder.

They were Lundun's finest warriors hand-picked and trained under his tutelage, now enhanced by the power of the supernatural, no lesser man could defeat them.

However, the boy proved not to be a lesser man.

Pow!

The one with the arm-blades screamed as he flew over Lundun's head. The others immediately flew the moment they entered his range, the giant panda bouncing off the ceiling as the other two flew into the mouths of the lion turtle statues by the entrance.

As the giant panda landed back with a disgraceful thud, Issei quirked a brow at Lundun.

"What? That's all you have?" Issei taunted, gesturing to the fallen warriors.

Seeing his best men were easily dispatched, Lundun narrowed his eyes at Issei.

He could sense that his men were near unconscious, unable to fight further.

Lundun slowly rose from his seat. Issei watched carefully at the man as Crayford immediately ran away to the door. The boy paid the cowardly, snot dribbling man no mind as he and the older man locked gazes.

The desk suddenly flew, being kicked and sliding towards him.

Issei stopped it with his foot as he saw Lundun land atop the desk, something sharp flying towards his eye.

Issei caught it, seeing a spike dripping a dangerously colored purple liquid in that split second before he kicked the table out from under him and tripped the man before he pushed Lundun back.

Lundun tumbled before he rolled back to his feet. There was no pain, only a strong shove.

"...Witness my new power."

Suddenly, Lundun's form was clad in touki as he transformed.

His form was a bit unique, Issei admitted as his human form was slowly casted away.

Issee saw an armored hybrid of a black scorpion and a man, his face covered with sharp, black beady eyes, two crushing pincers added to his clawed arms, his braided tail turned into a vicious scorpion stinger while the area below his neck was heavily armored in natural chitin.

He looked very badass, Issei admitted.

It was even more impressive that the man was suddenly clad in touki.

"You don't seem surprised that I can transform." Lundun's voice chittered, sounding more like three same voices trying to speak over the other.

"I am saving my questions for when we talk." Issei answered honestly as he and Lundun started circling each other like two lions that met in the fields.

The panda man groaned while the two martial artists appraised each other, before they stopped.

"Lundun Si Lam. Master of the Black Scorpion Style." Lundun held his fist against his palm before his chest.

"Issei Hyoudou. Disciple of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist." Issei returned the gesture.

After introducing each other, they then put on their stances.

His stance was surprisingly gentle considering his show of might. Lundun shifted his weight forward.

Issei had an idea what his fighting style was like, but he had no experience against it.

Breaking the silence, Lundun sprinted, throwing himself forward like an arrow. Issei moved in, past the long pincers' range. Lundun threw a point strike for his eyes but the boy's hand veered his thrust with unexpected gentleness.

Even without the power, Lundun was one of the top masters of the Triad.

He was one of those that could use the power of Ki, the ability to perform feats beyond human limits.

Yet this youth demonstrated superior ability beyond his comprehension as he ducked just when he flicked his scorpion tail, failing to inject his venom, and blocked his knee strike with gentle ease.

Lundun jumped back, spinning as he swung his pincers, the boy grabbed his second pincer arm and crouched, pulling him off his balance with him as he fell to a knee.

Pow!

Lundun's touki shattered.

He stumbled back, holding his face, his mind slipping his hold as his vision blurred to three for a second.

He absentmindedly stared at the boy's fist as the boy slowly rose to his feet. He then looked at his palm, seeing the dark-green blood.

The boy was smirking.

"You gonna go serious now?"

He had the audacity to flick his hand to gesture 'come at me'.

Wiping the blood off his nose, Lundun flicked it off. He had judged the boy enough.

Issei flinched when he sensed Ki flowing into his hands and pincers. He flinched because the ki felt off, nauseating, wreathed in lethal purple.

"Don't die on me now, boy." Lundun's touki re-emerged as he dashed.

Issei raised his hand and deflected a falling pincer to his right, the floor cracking as the energy reached the wall beside the lion statue.

The panda man that was unconscious stirred as he got up, but Issei kicked the panda out of the door like a soccer ball.

Lundun hummed at the boy's quick thinking to evacuate his men as he engaged the boy in high speed combat.

Issei let himself smirk a little as his Water Stream clashed with the scorpion's martial arts, gentle curving streams blocking and deflecting lightning fast devastating strikes before they immediately danced around the room, never straying too far from the borders marked by the other three men still in the room.

His pincers were sharp and continued to snap at Issei's arms, but the way he used them was slightly clumsy, though compensated by his supernatural strength that could cleave through stone like paper.

However, his usage of the extra arms grew cleaner and more graceful with each swing. His arms were like talons, Issei wasn't sure what kind of Ki this man was using but the Water Stream was enough to bounce it off.

Issei evaded the fierce martial combination of the man's seven limbs, from his legs to his hands to his scorpion tail hair. This man was strong enough to give Koneko a run for her money if they fought.

In the climax, Lundun stomped his feet, his stance sturdy with purchase in the earth he threw an unrelenting fury of strikes, swinging claws, his fists, and even his scorpion stinger rapidly fusillading him in a barrage that could overwhelm many two-armed foes as Issei deflected and dodged them all with the defensive style.

His scorpion claws were easy to avoid since they were only effective in a certain range, ineffective one Issei moved in past the dangerous pincers as he caught the scorpion stinger between his teeth to Lundun's shock as Issei pulled back and down with all of his weight and struck the scorpion solar plexus, shattering his touki again and then his carapace while earning a exorbitant cough of blood from the man, then followed up with another strong strike intended to finish him off while sending him flying.

But Lundun possessed a rare tenacity that caught even Issei as he held into his second punch as if he was holding a lifeline while his stinger weaved through the air and plunged right into his wrist, in his vein

Though his counter was not without consequence as he earned retribution via a kick to his face, sending Lundun to the far wall as he violently and explosively became one with the architecture.

Lundun coughed as his exoskeleton shattered like glass, falling off his frame, his insides reeling from the power, stuck to the wall, but he cackled.

"Hahahaha" Lundun's chittering laughter was interrupted as he coughed blood.

He could no longer fight with this level of injuries.

"It's too late. The poison inside can kill an elephant instantly. Not even another leader survived when he challenged me with our new powers." Despite his coughing fit, Lundun still had the capacity to give a speech. "Such a shame augh, there's no antidote. You might as well give in and pray to your gods-"

Lundun's next words died in his mouth as Issei took several deep breaths, moving his hands in tandem between his chest and stomach. His skin showed some discoloration, his veins bulge with poisonous energy coursing him.

"Nnngh!"

Then, as if the Gods spat on Lundun's confidence and pride, the poison squirted out of the puncture.

All of the discoloration left him, only the healthy tone of beige as Issei exhaled. He was covered in sweat from exertion, but all signs of poisoning were gone.

"Whew. Alright, is that all?" Issei asked as he flexed the numbness of his arm.

Lundun's mien was stoic. Issei and the scorpion man continued staring at each other in silence, until the latter bowed his head.

"I concede to the victor."

Crayford ran past another unconscious guard.

What was happening? Why was the son of the strongest man here?! They could not have gone this far with their investigation!

"Damn it!" Oily sweat ran down his fat cheeks as he huffed with exhaustion already nipping at his heels.

He needed to get away. He needed to warn the others. He reached out for his cellphone, but the whole running made it hard for him to dial on the line. Not to mention, his poor constitution made it hard for him to talk between his breaths. As much as he wanted to make the phone-call, he had to wait until he himself was in the clear.

They needed to send out more of the assassins as soon as possible.

As Crayford ran to the parking lot where his vehicle was

He stopped, speechless, at the sight of his car between the teeth of a giant black dog with six red eyes.

"...Eh?" He and the dog stared at each other for a moment. The dog dropped the mangled vehicle from his jaw, the remains leaking oil and scrap.

Crayford's blood went cold as the dog began to make its way towards him. He wanted to book it, but the exhaustion and fear froze his legs from moving. Sweating buckets, Crayford could only helplessly stand and watch as the dog gradually loomed over him.

The dog had its maws hanging open, secreting large drools that dropped to the ground. Crayford could feel and was shameful to admit that he was wetting his pants by this point.

The dog then lowered its head, as if it was appraising its new meal. A few seconds later, the dog snorted; Crayford's face was hit by a gust of wind coming from its nose.

As if on cue, Crayford's mind could not take it anymore and the corrupt archbishop fainted on the spot, his sweaty, oily body splatting like a disgusting sack of filth.

XoX

Then Crayford woke up, only to find himself tied in a chair.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

"H-Huh? Where am I?" Crayford looked around. He was in a dark place, pure pitch black surrounding him save for the spotlight hanging above his head.

"...Crayford. You have a lot of nerve trying whatever you're going to do to my daughter."

The archbishop blinked and found someone walked into the light - someone familiar.

"You Touji Shidou!" Crayford then hardened his expression in the last second, "W-what is happening here? Release me at once! I demand an explanat-!"

He stopped when Touji pulled out a light pistol and shot it close to his face, the bullet singing his hair.

"Eek!"

"Don't you dare pretend to be my superior. I'm going to kill you and the rest of your accomplices in the name of justice."

"Father Shidou."

Touji paused, turning slightly to allow another voice to chip in. Crayford, however, had his face paling when the room was illuminated, literally, by the said newcomer.

"L-L-Lord Raphael?"

"While I understand your anger, we need him alive. He is not innocent, but we need proof of his deed." He placed his hand on Touji's shoulder.

"Y-Y-Y-Yes, hahahaha! Just as Lord Raphael said - you can't do anything if you don't have proof! You have nothing on me!" Crayford immediately regained his confidence. "Even if you do somehow know of our sins, what of it?! My friends will keep sending assassins after your daughter no matter what! You may as give up-!"

He stopped when Touji aimed his light pistol at him.

"Not another word, you piece of filth. You're going to tell us everything you know this instant. There will be no leniency, only truth. Or we're going to do unspeakable things to you. But first where is Griselda? I know you hired the Triads to make her disappear, our greatest female exorcist and role model. How could you do such a thing?"

Crayford grimaced as his eyes darted between him and Raphael.

"A-And what if I did? You think you can still save Sister Griselda? You think I'm going to tell you if I did?"

"We can ask the Triads we captured about Griselda. Apparently, we already agreed to his initial condition to let him kill you himself if you don't confess first." Touji warned.

Crayford paled a little at Lundun's betrayal. There was only one reason why he would side with them, and that was if he was defeated.

He clenched his teeth.

Issei and Asia - plus Rover panting in Asia's arms, just finished their shopping date, walking hand-in-hand with the girl smiling radiantly while the boy smiling in content. They did not buy much, and all of their bags were stored inside Issei's dimensional inventory.

As happy as Asia was, it was now time to go to one of the locations where Raphael marked.

"Say, Asia, what is the difference between a Pastor and a Reverend now that I wonder? There's all these church titles that I'm kinda lost on the meaning of them."

Asia and Issei already left the train and entered the village on the outskirts of Italy.

The homes were all made of stone, though Issei did not know what to call that kind of architecture where everything was white stone and made by hand.

"Ummm A reverend is a pastor that has served many years, Issei. Their roles are still the same, spreading the word of God, but a Reverend is more of an honorary title."

"Oh." Issei and Asia stood before the building, the orphanage, a humble building beside the Church of God.

"Looks nice so far." Issei hummed as he scanned the building before him.

"Shall we head inside for now?" Asia asked.

"Think we should meet up with Black for a bit Nah, I'm not gonna let him do everything." Issei decided against it.

The two then walked towards the door and Issei knocked a few times.

A few moments later, the door was opened, revealing a young girl; her clothes were plain - there were signs of re-stitching but still decent to wear. Her hair was dirty blonde tied in low twin-tails.

"Um" the child looked fearful for a second, "Can I help you?"

Issei blinked at the reaction, but smiled nonetheless, "Good afternoon, err Can we see the Pastor in charge here?"

"...Do you mean Reverend Sangril?"

"Uh, yeah. We would like to speak with him." Issei nodded.

The girl fidgeted, even biting her lower lip for a little before she nodded, opening the door wider so the visitors could step in.

"P-please wait for a moment, I will call Reverend Sangril."

Once the girl was out of sight, Asia commented, "...She looks scared. Did we come here on a bad time?"

"Might be just nerves. She looks shy as hell. We're probably asking a lot out of her out of nowhere."

Issei and Asia waited for a moment, until the girl returned with a man.

Issei and Asia were a bit surprised, he looked very gentle, glasses on his eyes with short gray hair with black clergy robes on his person.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but you caught us at a bad time. How may I help you two young lovers?" The reverend asked, looking at Issei and Asia.

Issei blinked as his mind went to a halt - now that he thought about it, what should he say about themselves crap, he did not think this one through.

"Errr, we would like um uhhhhhhh" Issei started to sweat. He was definitely sure that he looked like a dunce at this moment.

He looked at Asia for wait, she's an angel. She could not lie. Crap.

The reverend stared at the young couple, as if trying to read them. When Issei and Asia's eyes darted around between the building and the girl next to him, he spoke.

"Perhaps you two would like to adopt a child?"

Issei remained silent as he looked at Asia. Asia was fuming with a color so red it threatened to permanently dye her face.

"...Yes." Issei admitted with a blush of his own.

"Aren't you two a little young to be parents?" The Reverend asked with equal awkwardness.

"My brother owns a hotel." Issei did not completely lie on that part. "We, err, we'd been set up to marry each other.. For business expansions."

"Oh, really?" The Reverend looked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. We are very wealthy. We would like to raise a child to have early experience in being a parent." Issei managed to weave an excuse though he was not sure if he would actually adopt someone. Actually, would he even keep one? His mother would definitely raise the children for them.

"I see, very well." The Reverend nodded with a smile, "I have quite a few children who would be thrilled to be adopted by a big family like yours. Please, follow me."

"One more thing, can we bring pets inside?" Issei asked, gesturing at Rover, who had been cradled in Asia's arms.

The Reverend stared at the odd-looking dog carried by the girl for a few seconds before he nodded, "We usually don't allow pets inside, but I guess I can be lenient for a visitor today. Can I ask you to ensure that will your dog behave?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely." Issei and Asia nodded with a smile as Rover barked, wagging his tail.

"Then please, follow me."

Issei and Asia sighed with relief that they made it as they followed the man. Issei and Asia cast glances at each other.

Asia's cheeks were turning red again when they realized that they were going to adopt a kid as she immediately looked away and focused on the ground before her. Issei's face was not as red, though the anxiety was there.

They could leave the child in the hotel to be with the Blacks where they could receive ample education assuming that Black knows how to raise a kid well, and would not try to corrupt them.

Again, IF they ended up taking one no, they would. Issei was sure that they could not fake adoption, and abandoning the kid would be way too cruel.

They soon arrived in some kind of mess hall, where the children were gathering, long tables where children of many hair styles and colors were eating amongst each other.

They looked pretty cute now that he thought about it as Issei tilted his head to get a better look at them. They were all wearing accessories, though every single one of them were crosses.

"You caught us right at lunch. Please, feel free to look around and see if anyone catches your eyes.

A few of the children noticed their gaze, seeing new faces.

"...Father Sangril?" A girl with messy red hair asked, pointing at them. "Are they?"

"No, dear. We have someone that would like to adopt one of you. They look young, but they seem adamant in being parents."

The children clamored as they all looked at the two. Issei and Asia paid attention at their reactions, they looked doubtful, yet some of them also looked hopeful.

The older kids, however, looked a bit despondent their gloom was so apparent they practically wore it on their skin.

Soon, they stopped eating as they walked out of the tables and lined up against the wall, each standing shoulder-stiff as they adorably waited for them to appraise them.

"Okay huh." Some of them were too on guard. The others were anticipating a better life.

He should look into this, though he did not think that anyone would be that dumb to let a potential witness leave like that. He should check on some things first, though.

"Well? Go on." The reverend urged them to take a gander.

Issei and Asia felt their hearts pumping in their chests. Good thing he brought Gold's personal credit card with him, unlimited spending limit, the best bastard brother he could ask for.

Issei and Asia walked towards them as they took deep breaths, trying to compose themselves as they were about to kind of reach adulthood. Issei and Asia appraised them one by one, looking at them.

The younger ones looked nervous, jittery, and cute, even. The older ones looked downcast, depressed. Issei was not sure if it was because they thought they were too old for adoption or something else, it looked weird.

"Asia, who do you think we should take?" Issei asked.

"Ummm" Asia nervously looked around as she hugged Rover tighter to her chest.

"...W-What about her?" She pointed at the older girl. She looked older than Asia, though it might be the case since Asia was shorter than most girls her age.

The young woman had chocolate-colored skin. Her hair was white, her face was very pretty, Issei admitted.

She looked up, when she knew that the visitors had picked her. Her eyes bore a sense of self-abandonment that Issei could not help but worry for her.

"...We'll take her." Issei pointed at the girl.

"I strongly advise you to reconsider." The reverend suddenly spoke out.

"...What?" Issei looked back at the man. "Why?"

"She is not well. She has Terminal illness." He answered. Issei blinked as he looked at the girl, the girl flinched.

"She looks pretty healthy to me No matter. I think my family can whip something up for her." Issei shrugged, knowing that whatever magic items and techniques out there could cure something so menial.

"But"

"I said we'll take her. If she does have something like cancer, then she should be able to live the rest of her life happily." Issei declared with resolution.

The children looked up at the boy, all of them completely surprised, and caught off guard, his words.

"I" The reverend looked perturbed, disturbed even. It seemed he could not wring out an excuse to keep her here.

"...Will" The girl spoke out as she looked him in the eyes. "...Will you take my sister, too?"

Her voice was disturbingly weak, like she almost never used it most of her life.

"You have a sister?" Issei asked - when the girl nodded, he looked around, "...Well, where is she?"

The girl slowly pointed a finger at the right. Issei and Asia followed her direction, seeing a younger-looking girl with similar chocolate skin, though her hair was black.

"...Is that her?" Issei asked, pointing at the chocolate girl.

She nodded.

"We'll take them." Issei said.

"B-But-"

"I said we'll take them." Issei firmly repeated.

The reverend remained silent for a moment.

"...Very well Please, follow me." He sounded defeated for a moment.

Issei and Asia followed the man to the front. Issei looked back, seeing the same girl showing a small smile on her face.

"Alright"

Sitting in chairs, Issei and Asia signed the papers the best they could, insurance forms and otherwise.

"Are we set?" Issei asked the reverend.

"Please, wait here for a moment. The children must say their farewells to the others before they leave with their new families, after all." The reverend answered.

On cue, a couple of more men entered the room, clad in a similar clerical clothing as Father Sangril. The orphanage's manager nodded at them, and they walked away, heading towards the left. Issei suspected the living quarters since the other direction led to the mess hall.

"Who are they?" Issei asked, pointing at the men.

"Please, don't mind them." Sangril gave a disarming smile, "They are simply to help young Vincenza and Jonelle to pack their belongings, preparing them for the new life awaiting them."

"...Do they even have much on them?" Issei asked. "Why not have the kids or nuns here help? They don't look like they belong here."

"I assure you, we are short on staff at the moment." Sangril assured.

As if to disagree, Rover, perched on Asia's lap, suddenly perked up and sniffed the air, his ears twitching back and forth. He hopped to the floor, directing his attention towards the direction where the two men disappeared.

Rover growled in their direction, sounding extremely agitated.

"Rover?" Issei asked as he and Asia looked at Rover's line of sight.

He knew better than to not trust Rover's senses.

"Mind if I check up on the girls?" Issei asked.

The reverend looked perturbed.

"I-I assure you that-"

"Yeah, I'm gonna check. Rover, look after Asia, alright?" Issei stood up and walked towards that direction.

"Would I have a moment of your time?"

Asia gasped when the reverend approached Issei with a syringe in hand. When Issei turned around, his hand was already swinging for his neck.

However, Issei's hand grabbed the offending syringe before it plunged into his neck.

The reverend stood still as Issei turned around, his eyes lasing at the man with a murderous glare.

For some reason, there was an inexplicable air of dread surrounding the boy as their eyes met. The reverend's face contorted with fear as he shuddered.

"I-I can explain-"

He was cut off by Issei's fist uppercutting his stomach. The reverend's back bended in a sharp angle as his eyes bulged, spittle and blood leaving his lips as he fell from Issei's fist, knocked out.

"Asia, we're going in." Issei ordered.

"Y-yes!" Asia sounded anxious at first, but her face was determined to see things through, as her wings grew on her back.

Rover started sniffing the ground and walked towards the direction the two men went. Issei and Asia followed him, entering a hallway with doors lined on both sides of the hallway.

Rover stopped beside one of the doors and barked at it.

Without questioning it, Issei grabbed the doorknob and tugged. The knob was locked. Issei broke it with a simple twist and forced himself in.

He should have expected it.

The two men were on Vicenza while Jonelle was being held by the arms, kicking and screaming. He expected magic at play.

"H-Help us!" Jonelle shouted with teary eyes.

"H-How did you-"

Issei stomped towards the priests without hesitation.

The one holding Vicenza down pulled out a lightsword at Issei.

"Don't you dare-"

Issei grabbed it and crushed the hand holding it, forcing the man to buckle and wail with pain before Issei punched him in the jaw so hard his head flew to the ceiling.

Jonelle and Vicenza stared at him with dumbfoundment as Issei dashed towards the man holding Jonelle and immediately punched his face, slamming his head down with his weight and buried his head to the floor with cacophony.

The younger girl immediately scrambled towards her sister, who quickly secured her in her arms as they stared at their newly adoptive father with amazement. They did not even have the urge to cry.

"...Y-You just how did you" Vicenza was speechless. She could not find the right words to express her storm of emotions and confusion.

"No time for that." Issei said as he looked towards their direction. This changed everything now.

"Oi, you idiot!"

Issei looked back to see Black popping into the room from the door.

"The hell are you doing?! I was in the middle of something!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Issei asked back.

"You! Uuuugh!" Black slapped his face and slid it down his chin. "Alright, alright, I can work with this. First, come here. Before you rampage, we need to talk about battle plans."

Issei exhaled but nodded nonetheless, "...Asia, can you stay here and look after these two. Rover, you stay here too for guard duty."

"Yes, I understand!" Asia nodded and began to tend to the girls, who were still stupefied at what transpired, especially at the odd-looking dog who suddenly grew larger and grew more pairs of eyes.

"Alright, what have you found?"

Issei asked as he and the dwarf creature were walking across the hallway.

"You should know that they are very connected. The guy has a phone in his office. He uses that to call his shady friends over like those two scummy bastards when you're about to adopt their favorite girl." Black said as they walked up the stairs. "This place is a huge underground prostitution ring, you know? You don't even know half of the shit that runs through this place."

"Somehow I'm not even surprised. So where are you taking me?" Issei replied with a sigh.

"Some parts before the belly of the beast. Been pondering what I should do with the kids before we wreck the place." Black replied as he led Issei into the prayer room.

It was not that dissimilar to the altar room in St Adonai, stained color glass windows with sunlight peering in and the abstract art of Jesus, and the holy cross with Jesus on it above the altar.

"...You know, you can just adopt them all and give them a place to live in that hotel of yours?" Issei suggested with a widening smile.

Black turned to Issei.

"...Are you serious?" Black asked.

"Can you or can you not?" Issei asked.

"...Are you really expecting to play the parent? Me? You think I can just adopt who knows how many kids here and stuff them in my five star hotel without a care in the world? Do you have any idea how annoying it'll be when someone starts accusing me of kidnapping and child labor?"

"Come on, it'll be fiiiine. Thinking about it, it will help your publicity. Hotel Terra D'oro, cosponsoring the Vatican in dismantling a prostitution ring! It'll make the news in the world and jump your ratings through the roof! Imagine it!" Issei smiled and flashed a thumbs-up.

"Did you forget about the underground nightclub and the dungeon? It ain't a place for kids exactly" Black flatly retorted, "And what the hell am I supposed to do with them? They're not exactly mentally built to deal with stuff like me."

"Come on, man. Black these kids. They deserve to have a good shot at life, like you. They deserve to have a brighter future Hope. Like how dad and mom brought you into our lives and look at you now."

Black stopped as he looked up at the kid. Black's face was contorting with a obvious desire to retort, but his resistances crumbled as he groaned.

"Aaaauuuuugh, damn it! Damn it! You're really doing this to me? I bah fine, fine. I'll see what I can do. Gonna need some major pull for this to work"

Issei smiled. Now he did not have to bring Asia and use her against him.

"Alright, alright. There." Black pointed at the altar. "There's a secret passageway there. Couldn't get in sneakily since I can't find the secret lever for this but before you do this, you do know that the other orphanages will react violently, right? Worst case scenario?" Black reminded.

"We can't let them operate like this anymore. Tell everyone to immediately move in and take them down before they can react through your clones."

"Already am already discussing things with them. They are quickly planning an assault with my clones getting into position. I already sent a bunch of mes to the reverend's room to steal everything juicy. And another thing; we are not exactly alone in this."

"Meaning?" Issei raised an eyebrow.

"One of me ran into this guy called.. Diethelm? He's working for Raphael. Working on a separate case involving the mind-control machine he ran into trouble."

"And that is...?"

"Mind-controlled exorcist trainees. He was looking into one of the exorcist training institutions."

Issei grimaced at the mention of the mind-controlled exorcist trainees.

"Is?"

"The guy? He'll live. The girls are a work in progress. Come on, man. We're moving in." Black waddled towards the altar. His body transformed into a giant, muscular arm with two stubby legs and a white face and grabbed the altar, ripping it from the foundations as he threw it aside.

"Anything else I should know about this place?" Issei asked.

"Gonna show you more after this. The guy keeps a special place for the children that are old enough to 'work' if you catch my drift. It is underground outside through a cellar across the playground. Not sure what this one is for though"

Black said as he returned to his imp size as Issei looked at the secret passageway, ancient stone stairs leading into the darkness. There was an ominous aura emanating from it.

It instilled a different sense of unease, not like facing a dangerous foe, but the danger of encountering a form of evil that should not exist or be learned.

Issei and Black entered the small underground passageway.

The first thing that greeted them was a thick scent of musk emanating the air, and much to Issei's chagrin as he and Black delved further, there was also the scent of sex mixed in.

Issei grimaced when the scent of acrid iron greeted his nose.

Blood.

"This is new." Black commented as they reached the end of the stairs and

They stopped at the sight of something that should only exist in horror films.

It was like they stumbled upon a satanic cult room no, it definitely was one.

Issei and Black stared at the array of skulls lined up around the perimeter of a magic circle with another altar at the very epicenter, splattered with dried blood and other fluids while skeletons were shackled to the walls. All of the skeletons were small as if they belonged to children.

There was even a bloody athame on the altar.

"What the fuck" Issei cursed with genuine disbelief at the scene.

"Holy shit, I haven't seen something this fucked up since the old days." Black followed with a hung jaw.

This went beyond the level of scandal, a new word must be made to accurately describe the horror before them.

Black slowly took out a camera and took a picture of the scene. It was a traditional photograph camera as the photo rolled out of the device.

"You should go to Asia, kid." Black suggested. "This shit is too high level for you."

"Yeah I'll leave things here to you." Issei said with a low tone before he left the room.

To be Continued.

OMAKE

In the Underworld - in Sitri Main Household, in particular, the Student Council girls were spending time together in the mansion's luxurious hot spring bath after strenuous training given by their new advisor - Fallen Angel Governor Azazel.

Sona Sitri just finished washing her body off the sweat and grime, and entered the hotspring to relax herself when she noticed her Rook sporting a small frown on her face.

"Tough day, Tsubasa?" Sona began a small talk as she stretched her body in the steaming water.

"Uh, no, not really." Tsubasa seemingly snapped out of it when her King addressed her. "Honestly, compared to the training Ise and Gold beat into me, the training from Azazel-sensei felt. Kind of easier. You get what I mean?"

Sona only stared at her Rook, mulling over her answer. Then, her Bishop - Momo Hanakai, who had been dipping herself in the hotspring for sometime before her, spoke up.

"You know, I ran into Gen-chan earlier. I was honestly expecting him to be more worn out, since he had to train with Lord Tannin. You know what he said? He said fighting Lord Tannin was like fighting flying Rover, which according to him, was not actually surprising. What do you think?"

Tsubaki, who was also in the spring, remarked, "I believe - suffice to say, Ise's training has broken some of us. Still, back to the President's question" She then glanced at Tsubasa, "If your training wasn't that hard, then what's with the long face?"

Tsubasa's face contorted again, as if she tried to come up with an answer.

"...Do you think I am crazy to feel this sudden, irresistible urge to fly all the way to Rome so I can punch Ise in the face?"

Everyone - including Meguri who was still in the middle of shampooing her hair, Reya who just finished rinsing her locks, and Ruruko who was in the middle of scrubbing her prosthetic legs; stared at Tsubasa with some odd looks for a few seconds, until they shrugged and shook their heads.

"...Nah."

"No, not really."

"I don't think so."

"Yeah, I don't think that's weird."

"What you said kind of makes sense, actually."

"This is Ise we are talking about, after all."

Tsubasa then snorted while sporting a small smile, "Oh, cool, then."

Sorry about the Chinese lines. Here are the translations:

*My name is Issei Hyoudou, the Son of the Strongest Man. I have come for this piece of shit.

**You come in my abode and think you can make demands?

***Of course I can.

****That is an arrogant title.

*****It is to people who aren't involved in the supernatural world.