Our lives, our choices. That is what humanity always believes.

But is it the truth?

Do we truly have a choice?

Or are we just simply dancing along the tune of Fate?

Curiosity is the motivation for those who have to know,

But can you find the truth and understand/accept it?

Or will you go insane trying?

Chapter 10:

"Yodaka-san? Yodaka-san!"

Huh? What? Oh right...

"Are you okay, Yodaka-san?" asked Asia in concern as she put her chopsticks down. At least her clumsiness didn't affect her when she ate, and for that, he was grateful. "You seem... out of it."

He did? Well, in his defense, he had just lost his first kiss to an unknown girl this very early morning. While he admittedly didn't mind losing his first kiss to a beautiful girl like that, the fact that he had lost it to an unknown girl instead of Rei was still... kind of sad.

With a tired sigh, he couldn't help but shaking his head. What was he thinking? She was out of his reach now. What was the point? What was he expecting anyway?

"I'm fine." He shook his head a little bit. "Just... a little lack of sleep. Don't worry."

For some unknown reasons, his instinct decided that telling his blond housemate that he had (unintentionally) kissed an unknown girl was not a good idea. At all.

"Then you should get some more rest, Yodaka-san. Today is a day off, right?" Asia seemed to accept his reason as her worry went away, albeit only a little bit. "Just let me handle the dishes myself..."

With a nod of acceptance, he got up after finishing his breakfast and started gathering the dishes while ignoring Asia's protests. While he appreciated her good intention, having the clumsy blond former-nun broken a few more of his plastic utensils was the last thing he wanted to see in a new day (How in the world she managed to do that, he still had no idea.). No offense, but sometimes he wondered whether or not the church was willing to kick the blond nun with such a valuable Sacred Gear out was because of her clumsiness, not just because she had unknowingly healed a devil.

Hmm, the image of Catholic Church being destroyed by the clumsiness of Asia Argento would be quite a ridiculous yet humorous scene to watch, he must admitted.

Oh right, he did have an important thing to do. He guessed he should...

*DING DONG!*

Huh, a guest? Now that was unusual. He wondered who was that.

Yep, super unusual. After all, it was not everyday that his guests consisted of Kuoh's Two Great Onee-sama, the student council's president and her vice-president (Shinra Tsubaki if his memory served him correctly), the current 'Lucifer' and a silver- haired woman in a maid uniform that felt, much to his confusion, oddly familiar. And the same kind of familiarity that he had felt about the unknown girl clad in black in this early morning, he might add.

"Sorry for the poor condition and the lack of refreshment. This is all I can offer." He said dryly as he put six glasses of water on the table. He hadn't have guests for quite a long time, and so had no reason to restock his tea, especially when having three meals a day had been way more important back at that time.

"That's okay, Kashitarou-san." Said the redhead man in a friendly manner as his classmates and the two student council's members were looking around his home with a look of surprise. For some unknown reasons, the current 'Lucifer' seemed pretty nervous if his eyes indicated anything. Meanwhile, the silver hair woman's gaze was literally glued to himself as her eyes held a mixture of emotions that he couldn't make head or tail of except for the longing.

Strange.

"Anyway," the redheaded man cleared his throat "I'm Sirzechs Lucifer, though I believe you already know me..."

He nodded his head slightly, inspecting the devil carefully. It was clear as day that Amaterasu hated this devil, though he didn't know why as he doubted Sirzechs's childishness was the main reason. Perhaps this sudden meeting might give him some answers?

"... And this is my Queen, Grayfia Lucifuge..." The older Gremory indicated the silver hair woman as the memory of what the mysterious girl had told him resurfaced.

"Grayfia Lucifuge? Do you know that name?"

For a moment, the feeling of surprise mixed with wariness hit him full force. A few hours ago he heard an unfamiliar name and now, the person carried that name stood only two meters away from his position. Quite a massive string of coincidence created by fate, huh?

"And why do you wish to meet me, Gremory-san?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrow. One thing he didn't like about the four satans was the fact that they took up the four former satans' name. While they had done it to honor the names, the fact that the Old Four's side had lost in the civil war and the New Four had done it without permission from those Old Four still remained, thus making their act became more like a very subtle insult in his view. And potentially, the pillars supporting the old faction.

Trying not to shake his head, his mind returned to the present. Where was he... oh right. Anyway, unless it was something very important, a satan wouldn't personally come to see it and...

"Huh?" Apparently, his red hair classmate thought that his question was direct at her though he decided not to correct her, given that he would have eventually ask anyway "Well, since Sona and I are in charge of this town, we are requested to come along."

"And Buchou wants to see the place where her target of obsession lives." Added Akeno with a mischievous smile.

"I do not!" Huffed the red hair girl with a tint of pink on her face as he resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. He really should have corrected her.

"May I ask you a question, Kashitarou-san?" asked Sona after taking a sip of her water "Why didn't you notify me or Rias about your role as the Shinto representative?"

The first question had been asked by the Sitri heiress. Not like what he had expected but it wasn't a surprise to him anyway.

"Without your attention, my job would be easier. And I assumed you already knew at that time." He said neutrally as he glanced at her older brother. "Also, Amaterasu-sama had said she had informed the 'Lucifer' about my presence. Shouldn't he inform you two?"

Hearing that made the red hair satan in his question let out a laugh of embarrassment.

"Ahahaha... it was my fault actually since I... 'accidentally' destroyed the notification... "

But before he could finish, the woman named Grayfia cut him off in an icy tone.

"... along with the paperwork that you should have taken a look at and done instead of destroying them." For a moment, her gaze was turned to the 'Lucifer' before turning to him and giving him a deep bow "Please accept my apology for the failure of my King, Kashitarou-sama."

While he could understand her reason to call him '-sama', the fact that she stared at him most of the time made him feel a little bit uncomfortable with the way she referred to him.

"Ah yeah. I'm sorry, too." Sirzechs scratched his head slightly before bowing deeply.

Nodding his head slightly as he subtly glanced at the four remaining guests, he could see quite a... weird expression of surprise plastering on their face. Was the scene of a satan apologized for a small mistake that said satan had made rare enough to make them have such an expression like that?

"So... why do you wish to meet me, Sirzechs-san?" he decided to use the satan's first name this time in order to not confuse the person his question addressed to as another surprising expression appeared on the four younger devils. Probably because he called Rias's older brother by his first name, which he admitted could be a little impolite since this was the first time he met Sirzechs face-to-face.

Not to mention the redhead man held a much higher position comparing to him.

"To meet you face-to-face and apologize for my mistake, of course. And to see whether you require any help." Clearing his throat again, Sirzechs spoke in a somewhat... restrained cheerful tone before it turned curious. "And to be honest, I didn't expect you to live in such a... Spartan abode like this. No offense, of course."

He raised his eyebrows briefly until he understood what the red satan meant and his curiosity was understandable. Greed and Pride were two very usual traits devils possessed and in their mind, a place where the representative of the Shinto Faction lived would be a traditional Japanese-styled mansion or at least a modest but comfortable house.

Not a small bare three-room apartment with the most basic furniture a person would require, with the bookshelf served as the only source of entertainment.

That aside, were those all Sirzechs wanted to know? He had expected him to mention Asia since said girl, who was shifting nervously beside him, held a very valuable healing Sacred Gear. Perhaps Amaterasu hadn't informed Sirzechs about her Twilight Healing? But if that was the case, he would have known regardless since Rias along with her peerage had met both Asia and Freed before, and Asia had told him that she had healed the maniac in front of their eyes. Or...

Ugh, he would worry about it later. Time to get back to the red satan's question...

"... None taken., as I have... personal reasons to live like this. And I don't need any help for now..." He said neutrally "... Though I do have a question for Lucifuge-san. And no '-sama', please."

Despite her cold and emotionless facade, the mixture of emotions in her eyes was becoming more noticeable to the point he doubted his four schoolmates wouldn't notice.

"What do you want to know, Kashitarou-san?" asked the silver haired maid carefully.

Well, here went nothing.

"... Do you know any person named Kayoda?"

(Chapter end)

Author's note: Nier: Automata is such as BLAST! Anyway, I know this is a rather short update but mostly because I want to finish the 'building up more tension' stuff and move to the next arc. Anyway, I want to send my most sincere thanks to Solita Belle for putting up with me and stopping me from abusing Engrish. Finally, please read and review!