In case you haven't noticed(not that it matters for newcomers), Sylvia's character is fixed to fer normal self. Or as normal as I can make her. Another note: Strays are former devils, monsters, and intelligent all at once. No matter how high or low their class is, and no matter how monster-like they are, they are former devils, monsters, and intelligent.

Oh, did I mention they can breed? Yeah, you'll be seeing a lot of stray slaying throughout the "slice of life" parts. Why? Stray devils are fucking useless in DxD. I'm making them more deadly, and have some form of entertainment purposes rather than a three minute screen time(looking at you, spider bitch in Excalibur arc. Useless shit, why didn't you have a better role than highlighting Kiba's emo phase?)

Review section - Ascending Order(Thank you all for them by the way!):

Guest: Short and simple. I like!

Parker(Guest): Understood, although I may like a harem, would agree a story can be ruined if the writer doesn't focus on character development, it'll fall apart quickly, especially if there are characters in the harem, but never used nor mentioned until...they die or something. And the readers won't be getting any grief because that member isn't mentioned!

blackdragonemperorz: Heh, you'll be dreaming if I use overused characters fir pairings. That is if I create a harem that is. Although I would like to appeal to everyone, I realized that this story will be short and maybe-not-so sweet. I may not have the time to create and develop a harem well. And, AND I don't have the patience to set up 9876+ chapters. My set most will be 30. 20 even.

DerpUSniper: Is it? It is! Maybe? Maybe not! Although I intend to avoid generic themes from many stories in DxD!

Chapter Two: You Experience the Most Exotic Things by Being an Exorcist

"Just carry this gun, you'll even get paid."

...

"I said, 'That sounds pretty good.'"

Issei stirred awake at the insistent rapping of knuckles on wood. He covered his ears and sighed into the pillow before getting up, rotating his shoulder painfully, recalling the mild success of yesterday's sparring match.

Issei did fairly well, landing a good amount of hits to the chest and face, but in the end, Ethan simply subdued him by parrying an opening to Issei's chest and struck his diaphragm before moving to twist his arm behind his back and planting a knee into his spine.

Smacking his lips, Issei groggily strode over to the bathroom door and pulled it open. He heard a surprised gasp and yelp before Issei found himself on the carpet of his room, a heavy weight on top of him.

"Oh..." He found Irina staring at him, heart pounding his chest. Or maybe it was his on her chest.

"S-Sorry!"

"Didn't Ethan tell you I was inside?" Irina questioned and the morning memory kicked it.

"Get your ass up, and wait until Irina comes out."

"O-Oh...yeah? But...no?" Issei had her climb off him and pulled her up, hearing a sigh from the doorway.

Ethan was shaking his head miserably, "Issei, Issei, Issei...We'll need to work on getting up alert in the morning."

He scoffed and shrugged. "At least you didn't walk in on a girl showering."

Issei perked up, "What?"

Ethan jerked a thumb to the main bathroom, "Went in for a piss and...you get the idea...Walk in if you want Sylvia to kill you."

He gave a lion's yawn and turned away. "Wait."

Ethan turned, "Yeah?"

"You came in for a piss? You didn't get any sleep?"

Ethan shrugged, "I'll live."

Issei frowned, "Not to be nagging, but you said two weeks of not even a wink. Do you really want to risk your life?"

Irina put her hand on Issei's shoulder." I agree. Besides, today's a Sunday. Doubt anything would happen, so we can do some work and you get some rest. You deserve it."

"I second that, you shouldn't wear yourself out, Ethan." Sylvia added over Ethan's shoulder, dressed in a tank top and shorts.

"What about Brunhilde?" Ethan asked.

Issei chuckled, "You think she'd force you to work?"

Ethan rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Fine. I'll do some paperwork in your room, Issei. Then crash on your bed later."

Issei spread his arms and smiled, "Knock yourself out!"

"One day I will," Ethan shook his head. "And it isn't because of the jobs."

"Us?"Sylvia sidled up to him and he shrugged. He accidentally felt his hand brush hers and she held it, causing him to glance at her. Their gazes held for a second before Ethan looked away, reaching into his shirt pocket and opening a log.

"You can say that. I'll bet that one day, you'll be fighting some Maou and telling me to relax." He flipped through the pages, "Now...Monster74...Didn't speak, B-class..."

Break

Issei breathed calmly as he saw something skitter across the sewers. Okay, he was doing his best holding his breath and trying not to gag at each inhale.

Luckily, Irina was doing the same, "I never liked sewer missions...It's so unhealthy for you."

"And for anyone else that walks by you," Issei added, gaining a sigh from Irina, who pushed him, leaving him flailing for balance to keep from swimming in the sewage.

"Stop reminding me!" Irina pouted.

When they first set on the mission, Issei had climbed down first, waiting minutes for Irina to prepare herself. However dull, Irina was climbing down the ladder when the stray struck, bringing her off the ladder and into the water before it fled, leaving her to drown.

Fortunately, Irina could swim. Unfortunately, both Irina and Issei got the muck on themselves, now having to deal with a stray, stench, and discomfort.

They heard clicks of claws on stone, but with the echo the confined walls made, it seemed to be surrounding them. Not even from one side. Irina and Issei glanced at each other and watched a side.

They heard more claws clicking.

When something hit the water without a break in the clicks and clacks, it hit both of them at the same time. There's a whole group of them.

Eyes peered from the darkness and Issei watched them warily. Irina brought out her sword whip, silently murmuring, "Excalibur Mimic..."

Issei tensed when the stray crouched and heard a voice pipe up in his ear.

[Irina, Issei. We have a small nest. Lots of the strays went your way, almost ten. They're fairly weak save for one. Do whatever you can to keep them occupied while we torch this nest.]

"Understood," Issei replied and Irina gave a nod. She struck quickly, the whip snapping at the stray in front of her, cutting a gash in its flank. It immediately started screeching and trashing as the wound started smoking and the devil was consumed.

Issei saw his stray flinch and hatred filled its eyes. Three more strays appeared on the walls and ceiling, all hissing in disgust. Two climbed up from the water and peered cautiously before diving under again.

He drew his exorcist sword, believing that despite his novice experience, it would probably be a better choice to accidentally kill a stray with holy weapons than beat down a stray for hours to no avail.

The beast launched itself and Issei stabbed, however realizing his mistake.

He wasn't the target. Irina was.

By moving forward, the stray moved quicker than the eye can follow, landing just in front of the tip, jumping to the walls, and knocking Irina into the water.

The three strays that were in front of her immediately moved to prevent Issei from giving aid. They stayed a distance away from his blade and struck cautiously. Patience running short and worries worsening, Issei quickly thought of a plan. He lunged at one stray, giving another an opening to his spine, but whirled around and dragged a long gash across its abdomen, spilling entrails before it screeched in pain and collapsed into a disappearing pile of ash.

Issei readied his sword when the remaining two stepped back and glanced into the water, seeing Irina swimming up. She gasped for breath and three heads appeared around her, but a quick strike beheaded one. It was now two groups of two devils against one exorcist.

Well...that was if the fight went fairly. One devil launched itself out of the water rather than at Irina and tackled Issei down, another joining hoping to be fed. Weaponless that one devil disarmed him, Issei headbutted one in the face with little effect and it but at his head, sending pain and blood down his face. Irina managed to kill the one with her and screamed for Issei. That was when he felt something slap at him from between the devils legs.

Time to hope.

And with much hesitation, squeezed. The stray released it's bite and screeched, Issei grabbing at his dropped sword and swung an upward slash, cutting the leg of the assisting stray and then stabbed the one on top of him in the stomach. Both would disintegrate in due time, leaving only one left.

Now alone, it warily backed up and hissed at Issei and Irina before scampering into the darkness. Issei wiped the blood pouring down his head and Irina climbed out of the sewage, "How bad are your injuries?"

He heard her beyond concerned tone and smiled. "As long as it doesn't get infected, I'll live," he joked.

"Let's find Sylvia and Brunhil-" The two exorcists saw a brief, dull flash then covered their ears when their eardrums burst at the sound of a tremendous explosion moments later. "An explosion? Let's investigate!"

They ran down the path, putting strays squirming in pain from overloaded eyes and destroyed hearing out of their misery along the way.

As they ran further closer to their destination, they found strays in worse conditions until they started finding torched corpses. Issei stared in horror as they passed by groups and manage to sputter out, "This amount is a small nest?!"

Irina seemed uncomfortable and nodded, "This amount is very little compared to the higher classified threats I've seen."

They ran deeped into the sewers, Irina directing him into a tunnel trailing downwards. The first thing he noticed was the humidity and the dense air, the next was Brunhilde trying her best to blast through rubble, Sylvia absent, "I need help you guys!"

Issei saw sweat roll down the entirety of her pale and neck, "Where's Sylvia?"

"Other side," Brunhilde blasted through another layer of rock and fell to her knees, "I barely had time to set up a barrier surrounding us both from the explosion. I was disorientated and told her to go forward."

Irina widened her eyes, "So she's trapped between this and the nest?!"

"Yes," panted Brunhilde, getting up and firing at a corner of the rubble, "It'll be too late if we go back around to her. Fastest way is to use this."

[What the hell are you guys doing? I was getting some fine rest until I feel some sort of DAMN EARTHQUAKE and the next thing I know, the one abandoned warehouse within the sewer pathways collapsed. I mean EVERYTHING, five stories and all.]

Brunhilde leaned onto the rubble for support, nearly losing consciousness and Issei took charge, "Long story."

[Then give me the short version. DON'T WASTE MY TIME!]

"We tried to blow up the nest, but collapsed the warehouse and trapped Sylvia to fight against the nest."

[...On my way now...Can't you guys do anything without me? Dig through the rubble, but stay away from the center, I'm charging the nest head on, so I'll want to bust through it all and not crush any of you.]

"Got it."

Point of View Change: Sylvia

Sylvia panted and vomited into the floor as the air grew even thicker than before.

Devil ashes lay all around her and she kicked at them. It seemed as if the explosion did nothing to the nest, and now that her way out was blocked, the only way was to go back in. She didn't blame Brunhilde for accidentally sending her in. Sylvia was already running that way when she realized she was running into more devils.

That was when the entire ceiling started to collapse. Sylvia wanted to leap forward, but judging from the measurements of the rubble, she had a better chance of living against the strays then being under a few tons of stone.

She definitely didn't look forward to it, especially considering the fact that she was alone.

And that she couldn't see in the dark while the devils could.

Did she mention it was hard to breathe?

Sylvia laid against a wall and felt a crevice in the stone. She ducked into the crack and felt a pocket of fresh air. She inhaled them greedily and felt consciousness and clear thoughts return. A few more turns and I'll be there. Left...right...down...right...right? No...right, left, down, left is right.

She laughed to herself and closed her eyes clearing her lungs as much as she could. Although in a minute, another stray snuffed her out. It peered in and its superior eyes saw her. It started screeching and reaching for her, but Sylvia stabbed forward, grazing her arms on the stone and claws. She felt a muggy breath and dying bile spray at her and now the only place she found for solace was contaminated. "Damn it all," she muttered.

Sylvia crawled out and started moving. She encountered nothing throught the way and was glad for it.

She covered her face with the hem of her dress and felt the heat brush her legs. Stalking into The Room, she found the pulsing heart of the nest beat slowly. Three meters tall, from a foot below her feet to two meters above her head. Black sinewy thin bodies hung from the ceiling, spinning in threads of ligaments and tendons. The room itself was almost two by two meters. Large, but this was small-scale compared to ones Brunhilde and Ethan fought in on their own.

Back to the egg...Although the front was entirely black, a closer inspection showed it didn't entirely harm the egg except burn off a few inches of the 'shell' while the back of the egg was unharmed.

"Wirbcgh? Frichchjgkerrtk."

Sylvia realized something was speaking and stepped into a corner, "I cannot understand you."

Her sharp eyes scanned the room but found nothing.

"Hekekekekek~ Yukukigouip..."

"I thought devils were supposed to have everything naturally translated."

"That's what you were led to believe. If we tried...we can work around that, little exorcist~ At least you aren't working for a rival sect of devils."

Sylvia tightened the grip on her sword and removed her improvised mask, but immediately regretted it, coughing and heaving before she was flung into the far wall.

She felt immediate pain in her left cheek, feeling the flesh torn off before she heard chewing and a hum of satisfaction.

"This...is...unbelievable flavor! I should turn you into one of us to regenerate that precious flesh~ Let's start with your vitals...or maybe let's make a new hybrid, you're a beautiful specimen."

She saw the devil materialize and tucked up her knees, bringing out her backup weapon and swiping at its face. The devil saw this long before she even brought out the knife and jumped back, vanishing into the shadows.

Sylvia brought her dress to her face and breathed for air. This will be the last time she will ever work in the sewers.

If she even lived.

"Still have fight in you? Good...good. Will be much more enjoyable, now spread those thighs for me~"

Sylvia drew her body closer in on itself and the devil laughed, seemingly to taunt her. Which would obviously make sense.

Bodies fell from the ceiling and Sylvia realized why they were even there. Unfortunate victims or newly bred strays to do their Master's bidding. Sylvia stood hesitantly and faced the five 'newborn' devils. They smelt her flesh and blood, leaping at her without hesitation.

They stood no chance, but as the fifth one was killed, the Master leaped onto her back, trailing a finger down her uninjured cheek. Extra arms pinned her own and she felt a pole poking at her backside. Sylvia bit her tongue and closed her eyes, tears starting to fall when she realized her legs were free. She immediately forced them away and kicked back eliciting a satisfying hiss of pain and spun, stabbing at its chest.

It sunk in, but didn't affect him. On the other hand, a pore on the egg burst, filling the room with bile and made the air even more unbearable.

"Kekeke, that's why you can't damage the egg. You must target me~" Tendrils wrapped around Sylvia's neck and tightened its grip on her. She started to panic but the stray didn't crush her throat, rather kept it enough to cut off blood and air to her brain. "If I can't have my way while you're awake, then I'll have you unconscious."

More tendrils wrapped her ankles and chest before lifting her into the air, the ones at her legs spreading them apart as she felt them tighten with anticipated.

Sylvia cut at the them with her free arms, but they simply regrew until they trapped her arms too. Until she saw a sword lop all of it off from the shoulders of the devil as blinding light lit up the gory room.

"Damn it all. I did all that blasting through rubble, only to find out nobody on Earth knew where you are and only because you decided it was suuuuch a SMART IDEA to head right into the lion's den." Relief burst from Sylvia's heart as she vomited onto the floor, "You saw the difficulty I had with bigger nests and their Bosses. Do you have a death wish?"

The devil hissed, "An Angel? You have nerve coming here."

"Well yeah, considering this place smells worse than...than..." Ethan gave a moment of thought, which the devil took as an opening and lunged.

Which was Ethan's purpose.

He cleaved with his sword, chopping the devil in two and bursting another pore in the egg. Ethan ran over to Sylvia and quickly picked her up. Sylvia felt immense relief when she entered the boundaries of the barrier. He widened his eyes when he caught sight of her left cheek, "That's a lot of bone."

He quickly shifted her around and held onto her with his left arm, "There. If you're tired, rest your head on my shoulder. It shouldn't hurt and I definitely don't need to see your jaw."

Sylvia desperately clung onto his neck and closed her eyes as she felt Ethan stab the sword into the floor, seemingly observing the place. "The longer I stand here, the more disgusted I get."

Sylvia glanced at Ethan, who was watching all sides cautiously, rubbing his chin. Inside the barrier, where she was safer Sylvia realized that the surroundings were made purposefully to allow the Master stray to stay 'hidden' due to the lack of focus.

Sylvia felt it situated at the top of the egg, tiny, alien-like head grotesquely twitching from side to side as it watched Ethan with amusement.

"The barrier of yours is a bother to me, Angel."

"Exactly why I use it," Ethan replied. Sylvia couldn't help but smile at the retort and winced when the fresh, exposed flesh throbbed and stopped smiling.

He summoned a lightspear in his palm and caused the sword to vanish in particles of light. Ethan threw the spear and immediately moved when the stray scuttled their way quicker than expected from a...thing using four legs.

"E-Ethan?" Sylvia sputtered and winced at the pain from her mouth, "If you have a barrier, why is he still trying?"

He kept the stray at bay, studiously watching the head and eyes of the bald black, emaciated monster. The meter long limbs fidgeting and feigning, "The barrier is only a filter. A thin film to let us survive here for as long as I can pay attention You really didn't notice?"

"N-no..."

The stray lunged, and Ethan thrust with a battle cry, only to curse at another shout when the stray spun in midair and twirled at Sylvia.

She heard a loud tear and a grunt before a screech and pop, fluid gushing from another destroyed pore. "You know little devil, the most annoying thing about you is that your damn egg has many pores left and I knew your kind. I can't do anything until you've fully regenerated."

"You seem informed, Angel, kekeke..." The corpse fitfully twitched on the ground as it's limbs jerked.

"Your type is...the spartoi, the origins of the Greek undead soldiers," Ethan said in awe, "To think I am facing one of the legendary kinds of stray that are actually a race rather than unnamed single devil."

"So knowledgable!" The corpse shuddered and stood, head leaning over to the side, "I suppose it will do me no harm as you're quite skilled while my own lethality has dulled..."

The emaciated stray shambled closer, within visible sight, but not attacking distance, his figure flickered and Sylvia saw a proud looking devil with a high chest and clean suit before it vanished, "The original spartoi, Spartacus, at your service."

"The first?" Ethan smiled slyly, "I doubt it from how easy you've been."

"Granted," the stray spread his arms, "I'm weak now, but surely I can prove it...remember that battle at Scheldt?"

Sylvia saw Ethan's face change and he seemed to relax. "I'm on the last vestiges of my nest. If I were to succumb in battle, at least let it be you, young soldier."

Ethan sidestepped a slash and parried a swing from the clawed hands before kicking up and snapping the stray's head to leave it hanging behind the back. A whip struck from the darkness and beheaded the stray, Sylvia turned to quickly hide her face and Ethan glanced at Irina who was carrying Brunhilde with Issei, "Glad we made it!"

"A little late, I'll say," Sylvia replied and gingerly poked at her cheek with her tongue.

"Not yet," Ethan replied as the egg exploded, showing him with acidic liquids as he covered Sylvia. He hissed as his back stung from his earlier wounds being showered with the purple black bile. He approached the corpse twitching slightly as it floated in ankle high fluids and raised a light spear, "May mercy be on your side in your afterlife, Spartacus."

"You blessings will be well received," the stray laughed, "You, I hope you will get even more formidable, soldier. I hope if I do get a new life that I can see how far you have gotten...Unlike myself, who has only fallen..."

The stray stood and gave Ethan a sly smile before toppling over heavily. It splashed up sludge and acid, which Ethan stumbled back from.

"Now, how about we get out of here?" Ethan asked as Sylvia felt his arm tighten protectively. A magic circle surrounded the five and they were in a clinic's lobby. An Angel who was studiously staring at the screen was rapt at their disheveled look. Or...at least Ethan's.

Break

"Oh! It's you, Michalis!" She said that name as if it was a nickname, and it seemed to be. Sylvia noticed that she seemed infatuated with him and was already calling for multiple rooms to be used.

"My, are you sure you don't have a harem?" Sylvia asked, ignoring the searing pain on her face. Ethan chuckled and shrugged. "You seem to get many women's attention, you may even make a few fall~"

Ethan only smirked and replied, "If I get enough to fall, I'll do so too and have a great time."

They were led to their rooms and when Ethan finally set down Sylvia, who reluctantly released her hold on him, he ordered her to stay and keep the wound untouched.

Minutes passed and Sylvia started to close her eyes when she sat up at someone's entrance.

She saw Ethan folding up his wings, his face paler than usual and a sheen of sweat on his forehead, "What did you do?"

"Transferred pretty much all the energy I could to Brunhilde while keeping me safe...that was when the wounds on my back started reacting crazily. The nurses were literally having heart attacks as they skimmed all the ancient books for treating wounds caused by the Spartoi. Turns out Spartois have an inherent curse to keep people from healing themselves. You must find someone to treat you first."

He held up a ball of cloth. Sylvia took it and started to unroll it when Ethan put his hands on hers. "Put that in your mouth. I have a technique I've picked up from skimming myself and want to try it. It will work better than healing, but it multiplies any pain felt by both parties by...a lot to say the least."

Sylvia bit on the ball and looked at him, feeling the pain but ignoring it the best he could. Ethan's fingers crooked into claws and he looked at her in the eyes. He also tied her ankles and wrists and held the rope tightly. "Safety measure as I don't want thrashing, ready?"

Sylvia shook her head and he smiled, that damn contagious smile made her own grin appear. "Good, I'll be surprised if you are. Brunhilde can't heal that, and other Angels don't want to. Just so they have a better chance to win my heart."

He plunged his fingertips into her cheek and Sylvia was glad for the ball. She bit through the entire inch of cloth and shrieked, tears already flowing from her eyes. Sylvia tried to move away from him, but couldn't from the way she was tied up. She opened them and pleaded for him to stop what he was doing. It wasn't helping. She could feel the wound getting worse, she could feel the darkness appearing from the edges of her vision, death from shock threatening her. She tried to spit out the ball but Ethan put his hand in front of her mouth.

She looked at him again, Please, MAKE IT STOP!

And he did. Sylvia gingerly touched the wound and found it fully healed as he said. Glancing at him, she realized he looked worse than she felt. Now impossibly paler than before and crying, he wiped at the tears and smiled before getting up, "I'll have Brunhilde tend to your other wounds."

Reinvigorated, Sylvia quickly got out of the bed and held onto his arm. He turned to her and she saw his bloodshot eyes, hunched figure, and labored breathing. She reached up with the hem of her dress and wiped the sweat off his face, "You don't need to. Get some rest."

"It's fine," he seemed evasive and eager to leave. She realized this and it raised her suspicions and she bet he didn't mean to make it obvious, it was the fatigue and exhaustion that made him readable.

"It's not. Brunhilde is exhausted, you are exhausted, you both get some rest. I can treat the wounds myself or get another Angel."

"Right," he nodded and tried to pull his hand away unsuccessfully, "I'll get another Angel then."

-Different Ways by S.H.E.-

Sylvia nodded and let go, but as he turned, she grabbed his shoulders and forced him to face her. She saw the indentation on his left cheek, where hers once stood. She stared at it and he avoided her gaze, "Explain yourself."

"..."

"Ethan."

He gave a small exhale and spoke, still avoiding her gaze, "You need to understand that Spartoi wounds never heal fully. I lied about what I read. It doesn't reverse the condition, it switches the healer and patient's conditions. I healed it best I could before doing so. Remember the difference between Brunhilde and I as I fill in flesh while Brunhilde is more...'healing' healing? I...did the best I could for you and took your wound."

"Why?"

"You're human. Your life is short. When you are relieved of your duties at around...30? 40 years old? You need to find someone else to stay with for your life if you choose so. Human or exorcist. Hell, I've seen the looks all guys give you." He faced her, his face hardening, "You think they'll look at you the same with this?"

Sylvia held the hand that pointed angrily at the discolored spot. "But...I still don't get it. You...just why?"

He placed both of his hands on her cheeks, "You ever seen an amputee? You ever had a fellow soldier become one? You imagine what you have to do, see, and experience as a combat medic? Have you had a friend die next to you, head taken off by bullets or perforated? Have you had a friend die in your arms as you believed he'll live?"

Sylvia was silent as Ethan knelt down to her short height, "Have you had to deal with your friends who committed suicide due to being tossed aside from being disabled? Marriages broken? Friendships cut? For not being whole anymore? I'm immortal now, all my friends from the First World War are gone, but I will never forget all the grief I had to shoulder when comforting everyone. I won't allow humans close to me or serving with me to suffer from not being whole. I will suffer. Cause I didn't do shit to stop suicides."

She bit her lip and he stood unsteadily, "Imagine walking into a friends house, to see nothing amiss until you walk into his bedroom and see his brain splattered on the walls. What makes it hurt more is that you thought he was fine, after being his psychologist for months. Just imagine walking in, holding a cake to celebrate his birthday, only to see his stump on his arm, the good hand hanging, the pistol on the floor...then the note. Just imagine Sylvia, reading the note..."

He flicked a finger over her forehead and she saw the memory.

~~Flashback~~

[November 14, 1923]

Thirty years old. That's how old he was. It was 1923, five years after the war, five years after the end of the first World War, five years of disbelief at their survival. Hanson would have been thirty-seven.

He carried the cake on one arm as he knocked on the door. He called his name, but Hanson hadn't replied. His wife wasn't home, rather outside shopping for the last four hours. Carefully and meticulously deciding on what to buy, use, bake...the likes.

Ethan called again, still nothing. Hanson's hearing wasn't as excellent as before the war, so was Ethan's, but Hanson knew today was his birthday, he wouldn't be out in the back or out of hearing distance. If he had left, surely Willow would have informed Ethan.

When he cautiously reached for the doorknob and found it unlocked. "Well...I guess he is out back after all."

Ethan entered the house and looked around. Empty.

Confused, Ethan set the homemade cake on the kitchen counter and knocked on the bathroom doors, peered into the basement, the backyard. Only after he scoured the first floor did he go upstairs and that's when dread rolled down his spine. Ethan leapt up the stairs in two steps and frantically kicked in the study doors, library door, and finally, the bedroom.

There he sat, head split open as if a saber had cleaved a watermelon. The bullet had dug right into the wall and the arm holding the M1917 was limp. That was when the paper that was tucked into the closed doorway fell into Ethan's vision.

He picked it up, closing his eyes as he predicted its contents and slowly opened them. The sheet had a crease where the door kept it in place and Ethan bit his tongue at the first words written.

'Hawthorne, you'll be the first man to read this, I'll bet. You sly motherfucker of a fox. Always going to predict and always rushing in. Watch. I'll predict this. You're reading this rather than running after Willow, eh? I am right, aren't I? Sorry, brother. You don't know the looks we get, do you? Actually, you know. We both know. We know that the ladies talk to you about us. About Ulysses, about Trent, Frank, and Joe.

'You were among the lucky ones in the group. It was like you had God on your side, didn't you? Same with Michael, and that so-called man Gabriel, Dwight...You were one lucky bastard. Hearing was messed up, but hell you have all your fingers, both your arms and legs. Not stuck in a wheelchair, not having to stress over fighting. You were born for fighting. And keeping others alive. A machine, they called you. Taking orders most of the time, and did hell of a job completing them. If they told you to run to that tank, you'd do it. And take that fucking thing down.

'You weren't showing off to anyone, everyone who knew you knew that. You just did it for the Allies. For America. It was like God knew, and kept you until his arm...If only I had that. Young, reckless, and invincible. No, not me...I really didn't want to die today. Didn't want to. But I didn't want Willow to walk in on me. I wanted you. YOU. I'm glad to have known you, Hawthorne. Very. The greatest man that walks the Earth. Makes me feel at peace as I look at the barrel now. Until we meet the next time? Maybe under war again. I'd like to take your luck.

-Your greatest brother, Hanson'

There was only silence as he stared at the paper. Until he folded it slowly and neatly. He turned towards the door and sought to find the market and deliver the news to Willow. For the fifth time. Fifth year...fifth death. As if mocking.

Ethan stared at the closed casket as it was lowered. Ulysses, Trent, Frank, and Dwight raised their hands to their heads as their wives bowed their heads. Willow sobbed into a handkerchief as Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Her son buried his head in his legs. Ethan reached down and shuffled his hair affectionately. "It just keeps happening."

"I know," Willow managed to say, "I didn't expect Hans to do it himself...He-He was always taking every situation with a smile and I never saw what lay behind that mask...I never knew...I just keep thinking...just keep thinking of the gratitude I never gave him. We carried on like our dating years, but I never gave him anything for losing what he lost."

Ethan nodded absently and tried his best to crush the tears that threaten to be released. He failed and closed his eyes silently, waiting to deliver the eulogy.

Ethan turned at a presence, "Michael."

The man smiled and nodded, "I think it's time I ask again, would you like to become an Angel?"

Ethan stared at the freshly buried grave for a undetermined length of time, but Michael waited patiently. "You told me that I would be immortal."

"Yes."

"I'll speak to the group first." Michael opened his mouth then closed it, understanding the decision. To see your frienda envy you as you didn't age while you hurt at that one fact can lead to death within a few decades.

"I understand. We can meet again at the usual spot."

~Flashback End~

"Sometimes, I think my life has no more meaning. Until I remind myself to not be like all of them," Ethan said to nobody in particular. He wiped his eyes and walked out the door without another word. She touched her cheek where the pain no longer stung and stared at the door which swung closed.

-End Song-

Is this why you've sought to always deliver any deaths to the Church personally? And treat all of us with care when things go to shit?

Point of View Shift: Issei

Issei sat up when Ethan knocked on the door. "Hey, you look even worse than before."

"Never felt better," he grinned in reply. "We'll all need to get some rest before we return to Kuoh. But first, I want you to meet Michael and Gabriel."

"Oh, we could just uh...see them like that?" Issei asked. "I mean, I was just recruited yesterday and I'm already meeting the Big Boss himself."

Ethan gave a sly smile, "It's easy when a friend of the 'Big Boss himself' is going to give him a visit."

"Right," Issei gave a chuckle, forgetting that fact. "But...I'm still a lowly exorcist, aren't I?"

"That was able to kill more strays than a somewhat experienced exorcist? That's not too bad, besides, we were handled the wrong info. That wasn't a D rated nest as reported, and you did well in my opinion against a high B+ rating." Ethan slapped his forehead, "Forget it! Just come."

Issei nodded and stood, quickly hurrying out after Ethan, who gave many nods of acknowledgements to Angels flitting about. He noticed that few women gave looks of disgust when Ethan looked away, other women were more excited at the attention. Most of the males were unreadable and returned to their business when Ethan left but always greeted Ethan with a grin and handshake. Issei wasn't exempted and was also given warm welcomes from the men and few women.

Leaving the clinic, Issei stared in awe at the marble stones that run flat in front of the clinic in two directions, his left and his right. Most of the buildings were built out of marble and contained columns, highlighted with gold and the walls held up golden roofs. Strangely, despite the number of buildings, the population seemed...sparse.

Ethan seemed to read his mind, "Ever since the Great War, the Angel population has been struggling."

"Oh...That explains why almost nobody is here."

"Well," Ethan rubbed his chin, "This place is reserved for only the most prominent Angels. Not to mention that these Angels had to go to war. Many died, from what Michael told me. All those that lived through the war decided to leave all the buildings intact, to be kept standing, to be kept how they were before their tenants vanished forever..."

Ethan grew silent and they walked without talking. Eventually, Ethan continued, "However, because of that, this sixth level of Heaven is open for almost all residents of Heaven. Fallen Angels and criminals excluded, obviously."

Issei nodded then looked up, seeing a final cloud above him, orbiting the top of the opulent palace sitting at the top of the winding mountain and as it grew far enough to view the top of the cloud, Issei saw a small, simple building.

But he knew.

He knew it was far from being small at all, he just couldn't place his finger on it.

"What's in that building at the top?" Ethan looked at the building that Issei pointed to before turning back to the path, leaving the question unanswered.

For a bit that is, Ethan started to push open the palace doors when the cloud blew past, the wind picking up their hair and clothes, and he answered, "Gilgamesh. The demi-god hero king himself, guarding the most sacred of all treasure on Earth."

The Sacred Gear System.

Break

[Sewers]

The body rose and flexed its limbs, contorting its body features until it appeared to look more human than beast. "So...I wonder how much of a fight I can get from that Angel...Ethan Hawthorne, huh?"

Oh my, here we go, another chapter done and finished! The Sacred Gear System and GoB is a wink towards one of my final chapters of Mere Mortals. He'll play a role, but much, much later. Towards the end of the story as his vault for all weapons is essentially the place for the angels to make their 'last stand' in Heaven.

Oh, and you thought Spartacus was dead? Oh hohohoho...Hell no. I did mention that strays will serve a much bigger role than their pathetic DxD canon counterparts. You'll be seeing a good arc with a stray to mess with the Raynare arc. Or...somewhat Raynare arc. The not-so-much Raynare arc? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hmm...not sure if there's anything else for me to mention, but if it's there, it's there! Next chapter, be prepared to meet Gabriel, Michael, Rias, and her entire peerage. Excluding Issei, of course!

Until then...be sure to favorite, follow, and review! I'm open to opinions and I'll do my best to create a gem in the midst of the DxD fandom!