Disclaimer: No, I still don't own anything.

Well, last chapter was a trip, some people like it and the others, just like my parents, were disappointed. But like always I will make my excuses for being a bad writer at the end of the chapter.

Also now I apologize if my depiction of love or/and grief isn't very realistic, I know next to nothing about them except for things I have read on books, games, anime and the likes.

Thank you for you support, like always I apologize in advance for any eye bleeding or any injury produced by my bad grammar.

(No one POV)

11:00 AM

Underworld, Azazel Office

Almost Seven Years after the Incident

Azazel was sitting in his desk revising some of the most recent informs, since he knew the existence of a traitor in his ranks he has been following the investigation closely, sadly there hasn't been much of a progress.

The day after the incident they discovered that several members of the researcher team had been stealing objects of the department and selling them on a smuggling ring of the Underworld, sadly after a little investigation and Shizuya confirmation, discovered that they had nothing to do with the incident, and entering the smuggling ring itself was impossible for the Grigori due that they acted mainly on Devil territory. Shizuya also had inspected every Fallen Angel yet none of them were the traitor, it was like it had vanished into the air.

Also about Shizuya, since he got the Laboratory he has been mostly secluded only coming out when he has to do "normal life" in Kuoh or when he has things to discuss with Azazel on the Headquarters, according to him is due that he is too absorbed in his research to do a certain weapon, while also trying to recreate a sacred gear, the only reason why he left the Lab instead using a magic circle to communicate is that he feared that someone could track the magic into the lab, the only ones who knew about the location were Azazel, Shizuya and the assistant that Shizuya himself picked up.

Yes he got himself an assistant, Yoshimasa Kiryu, a reincarnated devil that went stray after the death of his master, when Shizuya was only 10 he found him while he wandering now that he didn't have a master then he took him as his assistant and since then Yoshimasa has been at Shizuya side, or that was the story that was told to him, Azazel has some serious doubts about all this, mainly that it's strange that Shizuya took somebody that he barely know into the laboratory to be his assistant, especially after the incident when Shizuya grow paranoid of everything including his own Clairvoyance that started to suspect that was not infallible after his failure at finding the traitor. But it has been almost six years since then and Yoshimasa has been loyal to Shizuya, not once giving a reason to doubt about it, he even knew how to party with Azazel, but he still found it strange.

A knock on the door made him get out of his thoughts, he left the informs on the desk.

"Come in." said Azazel as he got up.

As the door opened a now teenager Shizuya entered, he looked like he hadn't sleep in days and was wearing a pure white robe with golden and black details, it's has been his clothes for everything except when he was in his "normal life" he called it his "Work Attire", that along the fact that he has now a pure white hair and that doesn't come often to the headquarters, more than once some members have mistook him for a Pure Angel instead of a Fallen.

"Shizuya, I know the job it important and all but, how much time have been without sleep?" said the Governor General noticing the face of the researcher.

"A week." plainly answered Shizuya.

Azazel looked dumbfounded for a second.

"How did you even manged to stay awake and come here?"

"Coffee, lots of Coffee."

"It's that even healthy?"

"I am not here to talk about my health."

"It's still important." continued Azazel with a worried tone

"Anyways, I've come to inform you that I am going for a time to Europe." said Shizuya trying to change the subject of his health.

"Any specific reason for this trip? You haven't gotten into trouble with the new Devil in town, right?"

"The Gremory heir? I haven't even met her."

Azazel stood a second in silence staring at his face, a ritual that everyone he knows since his childhood does to know if he's lying.

Shizuya simply sighed.

"I will go to Europe on a search of Holy and Demonic Swords and if I am lucky a Sacred Gear."

"You realize that stealing them will cause several politic issues with the factions that owns them right?"

"Azazel, you seem to forget that I only need to see them and I can replicate them."

"I will change the question then. Do you realize that mostly of the weapons and artifacts in Museums and Temples are just replicas made by the factions so no one steals them right?"

"Yes I know that, but no every single one of them are replic-."

"You just want to go out of town for a time, don't you?" interjected Azazel

"I have no idea what are you talking about."

Now here is a little thing that Shizuya doesn't know and no one has ever told him, the reason why everyone stares at his face to see if he lies, is that when he does, he adverts his gaze in a exaggerate manner and somehow he doesn't realize it.

And he had just did it.

"What have you done?" said Azazel now with a more serious tone.

"Nothing, I swear!"

"Then, is there an actual reason or suddenly you just want to go on a vacation? If it is the later I could understand it." Azazel tone now was more Jovial, probably remembering all the times he has done it.

Shizuya sighed.

"It's true that I want to go out of town and I have a reason for it, but it's also true what I told you about my objective in Europe, but as I was going to say, not every single one is a replica, some are real, and I wasn't planning to go just to tourist spots, I know some artifacts are still hidden to even the factions they belong, but after all this time reading different documents, journals and legends, I was able to more or less pinpoint the locations of said artifacts."

"And what are you going to about your presence? You can't still hide it, even if you could, when you enter places like the Vatican they are gonna detect you anyway, trust me, I know from experience." Azazel now seemed more interested on how Shizuya planned all this.

"It wasn't in my plans to go to the Vatican, in fact just to be sure I didn't plan to go near Rome, but you're correct about my presence, but there is where I planned to use this." Shizuya took out a ring, the ring was a simple one it wasn't made out any precious metal and didn't have any gems or engravings. "This ring, is the closest thing I have made to a Sacred Gear, once I wear the ring it should conceal my presence."

"I sense that there is a "But" there."

"As I said, it is the closest thing I have made to a Sacred Gear, but still very far. If this were a true Sacred Gear it would conceal my presence without any flaw, in the other hand this ring conceals my presence unless someone is in a radius of 2 meters (6ft) of me in that case, if they are able they can sense my presence, asides from that the obvious things like if I make any kind of magic or summon my wings will also cancel the concealment for a time between five and seven minutes."

"In other words, it's only useful to you." Azazel said almost laughing. "So, when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning, I will take a plane to Budapest, from there I will move around Europe."

"Oh, you're going by plane? You could simply go by magic circl-"

Shizuya only showed the ring again.

"Right, sorry. What about Yoshimasa? Will he accompany you?"

"He will stay here guarding the Lab, also because he said that "he didn't want that his first journey to Europe to be on business"" said Shizuya while making quotation marks with his fingers.

"That actually sounds like Yoshimasa" was Azazel thoughts

"Anyways, during the journey my assistant will come to inform about my progress and if I actually find and an artifact."

"Okay, but try to sleep before the journey, you're half-Fallen Angel, but I don't think it's good to have been awake a whole week by only drinking cof-."

A magic circle of communication appeared besides Azazel cutting him.

"One moment." Azazel put his hand in the circle and brought it to his ear "Vali, yes I hear you."

"If there's nothing else, I will be on my way." said Shizuya reaching for the door.

"Wait Shizuya." said Azazel making stop Shizuya in his tracks as he looked at Azazel.

"What it's the matter?"

"Vali has something to ask of you."

In that moment a teleportation magic circle appeared on the ground.

"So, he can teleport directly but the rest of us must follow protocol and make our way here, you spoil him too much."

Then Azazel seemed like he was about to burst laughing, which Shizuya realized.

"Did I said something funny?"

"No, is that now I realize how much time have you been secluded in the Lab."

"What does that mea-"

Shizuya was interrupted when from the circle appeared a girl in his teens, she had long white hair that reached her back, she was wearing a green shirt with a open black jacket that revealed her assets and gray pants with black combat boots.

Shizuya was dumbfounded and lost for words, the girl that was just standing in front of him it was supposed to be Vali, and if that was right that would be a mayor change on everything he knows about this world.

Azazel in the other hand seeing the face of Shizuya he couldn't control himself anymore and burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing about Azazel?" asked Vali to the Governor General.

"Sorry, but the expression in Shizuya face is priceless." said Azazel while still laughing.

Vali looked at his expression, and indeed, he looked astonished.

"Has something happened?" asked Vali to no one specifically

Shizuya finally snapped out of his trance.

"Well, you see..." said Shizuya trying to find the specific words.

"He didn't know you were a girl." answered Azazel for him as he stopped laughing.

Vali looked surprised for moment, but then she simply smirked.

"Well, I suppose it's also my fault, as back then I introduced myself using my diminutive." she then looked directely at Shizuya. "My full name is Valina Lucifer, but you can still calling me Vali if you want."

Shizuya after the initial shock of that change of everything he knew about this world, he regained his composure.

"Well, I suppose that you didn't wanted to tell me only that, as this situation has been because of my ignorance. What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh right, let's go outside." she said as reaching for the door.

Shizuya puzzled simply followed her, Azazel probably knowing what was to happen sat down again in his desk and looked outside from his window. As Shizuya followed her, they arrived at the training field, it has been several years since Shizuya didn't set foot in here, not since before his failure that summer.

Shizuya sigheded knowing that only one thing could be done here.

"We don't see each other for a long time and the first things you want from me is to face me in combat. You haven't changed."

"I wanted to do this for years, but you've been secluded for several years."

"Years it's a lot of time. Has something happened to make you so eager to face me?"

"I know it was you the one from all those years ago, I want to face that kind of power."

Shizuya stared at Vali, he knew that she meant his sudden attack that it was felt everywhere, he assumed that people eventually would know that it was him, but didn't expect that somebody asides from Azazel would know from the start, and the fact it was Vali made things worse, after all she will eventually join the Khaos Brigade.

"You will have to be more specific, I have done a lot of things in all these years in the pursuit for power."

"So you intend to play the fool." said Vali with a disappointed tone

"Sorry, I have not slept in a week and I am a little dense, I'm not sure what do you mean."

Vali clicked her tongue.

"If you don't intend to show me that power voluntarily."

[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker]

Came out a voice out of nowhere, then in a flash of light Valina was covered in a white armor with several blue gems on it, it was the Divine Dividing Scale Mail, she positioned herself ready to launch at Shizuya.

"I will make you to!"

With those words she leaped at Shizuya direction raising a dust cloud behind her, at great speed she reached him and her fist connected with his face, Shizuya was sent flying as he hit the ground and didn't get up.

This could be considered an overwhelming victory for Valina, after she has been always superior in hand to hand combat compared to him, but she knew something was off, even if the previous statement was true he always lasted at least a few seconds dodging her first attacks especially those as obvious as this attack. The answer was simple, he didn't even try to dodge.

"What are you playing at!" she yelled as she angrily approached him.

"Nothing, I have plainly lost against you." he said while still on the ground.

Valina grabbed him by the collar of his robes lifting him off the ground, she hide her helmet revealing her angry face.

"Don't mess with me! I know that you're better than this, I can feel your power inside of you, yet chose to not fight. Why?! It's because you learned that I am girl and suddenly you lost the motivation to fight me?!" she angrily yelled at him while staring fiercely at his eyes.

Shizuya slowly closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

"It's seems that I have the bad habit of disappoint my friends." said out loud to mostly himself.

He opened again his eyes. He was planing to play the fool until she tired out of the matter, but in his passive resistance, he made Valina believe that he wasn't taking her seriously hurting her in the process.

"First off, I couldn't care less if your are a girl or a boy my reason are different." he said calmly.

Maybe was because of his calm tone or because she saw that he was saying the truth in that his reasons were others, but she actually calmed down relaxing her expression and her grip.

"Second off, would you kindly put me on the ground? I have already wings to make my fly."

She sighed and let him go making him touch the ground again with his feet.

"So, why is the reason for you to refuse to fight?" she demanded still in her armor.

"Summarizing it? I am a coward."

Valina raised an eyebrow while looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"For more context first I want to explain a certain problem that I have more or less solved this week. As you know for some reason my presence it can't be hided, my aura and presence are intertwined and are always active even while I am unconscious making it very easy to track me down, that also applies to my abilities as the minimum of energy I use has a high presence making it very detectable."

"Your point? In the past you didn't a problem with using your abilities."

"A few years ago, I realized something, I can't do everything. Before realizing that, I had grown overconfident in my abilities and power, so much that I thought I didn't need help or extended planing for some small flies, but as the day came I hit myself with the reality. I may be powerful but if I tried to everything on my own or without planning things properly I fail on my objective. And so, after failing I got angry, so much that I thought that I would be a good idea to make a message to everyone showing off how powerful I am."

"So, it was really you then." said Valina with a self-indulgent smile.

"Yes, it was me. But short after I realized that it was a bad idea, making people noticing how powerful you are is inviting them to attack you, and like I said, that day I realized that I couldn't do everything, they could attack me and would never achieve killing me, but what about my father? He is a simply mortal, he doesn't know how to fend off against the supernatural, and I couldn't be always there to protect him. So I choose to lay down, I would never use my energy outside the Lab as it was designed to hide my presence, as using it outside could mean to be track down."

"So, if I have understood correctly, you have choose to don't fight me because you fear that you could be track down and try to kill or your father."

"Yes."

Valina stood for a moment thinking, but after a few seconds of complete silence she started laughing.

"Are you an idiot?" asked while still laughing.

"Wha-" before Shizuya could finish the sentence Valina fist met with his face making him fall again to the ground.

Now she stopped laughing and looked at Shizuya with a serious expression.

"For what you have said, I assume that "The failure" is that you have failed to save somebody, I understand that you fear that it would happen to your father or those close to you. But get off your high horse."

"Huh?" is the only reaction that Shizuya could make.

"You're certainly powerful, but so are Azazel, Michael, the four Maou, any God of any other faction or even me, but that doesn't mean that because of our power somebody is going to come from one the opposite faction and try to kill us, in any case the ones that tries to kill any of them is because of political reasons, and even if they had reasons as you probably know Azazel has been several times in problems with the other biblical factions and they let him go free with a slap on his wrist."

Upon hearing Valina words and giving it a thought, Shizuya put himself in a fetal position as he came into the realization that she was right and that during all these years he had plainly overreacted, even if somebody wanted him dead because being a Singularity the one responsible was a traitor inside the Grigori, he would definitely know where he lived and if he didn't attack until now, definitely wouldn't attack after him using his abilities.

Then Valina extended her hand to him, which after a deep breath Shizuya took helping him stand again.

"Also, even if they attack you, because you are part of the Grigori and a Fallen Angel that would make a severe fissure in the politics of the factions."

"Please, stop rubbing salt on the wound." said Shizuya now shaming himself for his behavior.

Valina simply chuckled as he let his hand go.

"Then stop being a coward, it certainly doesn't suit you." in that moment Shizuya saw in her face something he actually didn't expect to see, a earnest gentle smile that was highlighted by her more delicate features and her white long hair.

In that moment Shizuya had to quickly look to other side as the heat rose up on his cheeks and felt his heart racing.

While looking to other side he heard a metallic sound coming from Valina, when he looked again he saw her helmet appeared again.

"Now, if you out of excuses prepare yourself and fight, I want to see for myself that kind of power." said as she positioned herself in combat stance.

Shizuya smiled confidently and prepared for combat the tension grew, both of them waited for their opponent to do the first move.

"Why are you so eager to see all of my power?" Shizuya asked breaking the silence.

"Like you said, you are powerful and so are a lot of beings, if I want to be stronger than anyone else and become the True White Dragon Goddess Empress I must see for myself how tall is the wall I must climb."

A short silence followed, Shizuya closed his eyes.

"I still have my doubts of using it all of it, but if you really want to see it because you believe it will help to achieve your dream. I owe you as much."

He relaxed his stance, at first sight it may seem that he was going to loose on purpose again, but as he opened his eyes she could feel how his presence was starting to get heavy then a flash of light coming out from Shizuya blinded her for a second, when she regained her sight before her was Shizuya floating in the air with twelve black wings on his back, the white robe laid on the ground revealing a black armor that covered his torso and legs, his presence was much heavier than before in fact his presence now was something more akin to a devil than a Fallen Angel, until now Valina had never felt or seen nothing similar.

Until now she was confident in her power and abilities, but upon seeing this kind of power at close she was starting to doubt.

[Do no try to use the Divide on him, partner.] came a voice inside Valina head that made her snap out of her trance, it was the voice of Vanishing Dragon, Albion the one who is sealed in the Sacred Gear Divine Divine.

[He has to much power, in your current state with only one Divide the excess of power will overwhelm the Scale Mail.]

"What do you suggest then Albion?" she though as both of them could make a conversation in her mind, making that Shizuya could no hear their plans

[The only thing we can do for now it's attack directly and dodging his attacks.]

"A little too simple don't you think?"

[After all is the first time you face somebody like him.]

"What happened to your overconfidence? Why you don't attack me?" teased Shizuya soaring in the air, it didn't seem like he had the intention to make the opening move.

In response to his provocation from Valina back appeared two wings of light, and without saying a word she launched herself into the air targeting Shizuya, this time also planned to start with a direct hit to the face, him trying to dodge it would leave him open for her second attack.

Or she thought.

When she was close enough Shizuya raised his arm and quickly made a vertical motion trying to hit her, the movement was slow so she could dodge it easily moving to a side, the strength of the attack was strong that when hit the air it made a shock wave that collided with the ground shattering it.

Valina didn't stop to observe the sheer potency of his attack, taking advantage of her movement to dodge she made a round kick targeting his head. It connected, but this time it didn't even made him flinch.

"If this is all the strength you can muster it will be impossible for you to damage me."

Quickly Valina unleashed a series of punches and kicks with the same result.

"I think I finally got used to this level of power."

After saying those words Shizuya caught Valina leg before she could connect another kick, that caught her by surprise and before she could react Shizuya launched her against the ground with extreme force, so much that could not stop herself before hitting the ground. She quickly reincorporate herself but without given her time to react Shizuya was already in front of her, she quickly tried to step back to create space between them, but punch to her stomach send her flying backwards.

Valina managed to land on her feet but had to put a knee to the ground immediately due to the pain, but tried to stand but it was difficult for her to stand, that single punch managed to break the scale mail and almost leaved her unconscious, it was not the first time he managed to do it, but in the past he had to use his energy based attacks to do the deed, that by the way he still hasn't used.

It was clear that like this she wasn't going anywhere no matter how hard she hit him, he didn't even flinch, using the Divide will put her body into too much strain due his ridiculous power, she started to think on using the Juggernaut Overdrive, but seeing that it seemed that he was restraining himself quickly disregarded the idea. At the beginning of the match when Shizuya revealed his twelve wings she believed that even if it was little she had a possibility, but now, while fighting to not loose consciousness, she realized that with her current power she couldn't defeat him.

She laughed sorrowfully as the Scale Mail vanished.

"It seems that the wall it's still too high."

And with those words Valina loose consciousness.

…

When Valina opened her eyes again she was laying down on a couch in Azazel office, she quickly got up not knowing her situation.

"That was fast." came out Azazel voice.

Valina looked to the side, Azazel was sitting in his desk.

"It seems that you tried to chew more than you can bite out there."

"Azazel, how much time has passed?" she asked ignoring completely what Azazel said.

"Not much, hasn't even been five minutes before he entered here carrying you, leave you in that couch and then leaving before I could tell him that this isn't the infirmary."

"Where is he now?"

"Probably in the Lab."

Valina sighed she thought it was the case, she got up and reached for the door.

"Before you leave, he left two messages for when you wake up."

Valina stood looking at Azazel waiting.

"Well the first one is "thank you" don't know why, but I suppose that it had to do that know looked more alive. The second one..." Azazel took out an envelope and sighed "This kid is really making strange decisions" Azazel muttered to himself before throwing the envelope at Valina.

Valina caught it in the air.

"What is this?" asked while looking it closer it didn't haven nothing written on it.

"When the secret Lab was created, he made me sworn that neither of us would never tell the location out loud, so his idea to tell somebody the location was to write it down on paper."

When Valina opened the envelope inside there was indeed a paper with a location written on it.

"Tomorrow he going to Europe for a time, if you need something Yoshimasa will be there to contact him."

"He's going to Europe? What a paradoxical plan." Valina said to herself while remembering about the previous fear that Shizuya had about that somebody will attack his father.

"What?"

"Nothing important. Who's Yoshimasa?"

"He's Shizuya assistant he comes to the Headquarters more often than his boss, I am surprised that you haven't met him yet."

"I will leave then." said as she summoned a magic circle below her.

"Vali, could you use the door-" before Azazel could finish Valina had already vanished in the magic circle

"Maybe it's true that I spoiled her too much." said Azazel as he returned to his documents.

...

Shizuya Laboratory

Shizuya was laying down on a couch inside the Laboratory, he for once was heeding to Azazel's advice and was trying to sleep, after all the Laboratory was basically his second home, in fact asides from some white boards with notes looked like as such, it was built inside of a mountain so it was very spacious and there wasn't any windows, the walls were white and on them had several shelves with books, there were several furnitures like tables, chairs and couches it had even it's own kitchen and TV, there was a loft that was basically Yoshimasa's room.

"I have drank too much coffee." he said out loud to no one in specific seeing his poor results trying to sleep.

But nonetheless he kept trying too sleep, after all he didn't have anything to do in that moment, he had planned the journey and route he would follow in Europe, his prototype of the Concealing Ring was done and had already given an excuse to his father of why he would go to Europe, but he had the feeling that he was forgetting something.

"Maybe I'm worried because I have given the location of this place to Vali? Nonsense, It seemed that she tried to contact in the past several times without success due that I was here, so to not repeat that situation I had given her the location, there was time before she joins the Khaos Brigade, and anyways she couldn't do nothing with anything that was here, it wasn't like she has some friends with the capacity of making sense of all this or that she is a genius capable of doing it by herself."

Shizuya stopped his train of thoughts.

"I have made a terrible mistake." Shizuya said out loud remembering that Valina was indeed a genius and the existence of Le Fay Pendragon. Probably Hormones had the fault

Shizuya tried to sleep to forget about his mistakes in this life, but there were too many.

Then he started to hear some footsteps, he opened his eyes, there was a man in his twenties with brown hair and red eyes, he was wearing a white uniform with golden and black details similar to the robe of Shizuya the difference being that he had in his right shoulder a black shoulder pad with golden details along with a red scarf.

This man was Yoshimasa Kiryu, Shizuya's researcher adjutant.

"This is strange Shi-san, you, trying to sleep?" said Yoshimasa with a smile.

"I have nothing to do until tomorrow and you were not here so I while I waited I tried to sleep."

"How cute Shi-san, you've waited for me. But you forgot to welcome me home and ask me if I wanted to take a bath." said Yoshimasa teasingly.

Shizuya took a deep breath, this was something that Yoshimasa liked to do, not only to Shizuya but to everyone he met, usually using vulgar tones and metaphors, Azazel finds it funny, to Shizuya after almost six whole years was starting to get used to it.

"So, any news?" asked Shizuya ignoring completely the previous sentence.

"I found the Gremory heiress on the streets and she didn't even realize that I was there so the ring works perfectly." Yoshimasa tone now was more serious after his boss asked him about work.

"What about the smuggling ring?"

"There still no news about a Fallen Angel since Azazel caught the members of the research team."

"Well, after all we're being a little too obvious, a devil that appears out of nowhere with the weapons that where out of commission for years, they would be fools if they appear immediately, but in time they will appear or your network will find them."

In all these years Yoshimasa didn't only helped in the research, taking advantage of him being a devil he has infiltrated the devils part of the underworld and has made a contact network of servants that are not happy with their master, forced reincarnated devil, nobility that hit rock bottom all people that was willing to talk for favors or incentives, it has take five years until he had reached the smuggling ring.

Normally it would be almost impossible for a stray devil to move around the Devil territory with so much freedom for so long without being caught.

And indeed it is impossible, the thing about Yoshimasa is that he isn't actually a stray devil, he's not a even devil to begin with. He's the first living being that Shizuya has created using Lucilius memories for the purpose of having someone infiltrate the devil territory, he has a core of the dark element making him exude a presence that resembles enough of that of a devil. This is a secret that not even Azazel knows, mainly for the reason that he would disapprove this operations.

"But Shi-san, are you sure about selling your weapons? Last time they were used against you."

And that was another reason, to gain the trust of the smugglers, Shizuya has created several weapons to sell them using Yoshimasa as intermediary, they were the ones who financed Shizuya trip to Europe. Obviously Shizuya didn't use his true name, he had to use name of the one he was based on, Lucilius, making that the smuggling ring and those who bought them started calling the weapons "Lucilius weapons", demonic weapons that didn't appear in any record yet they weren't fake weapons that empowered those who wield them.

"It doesn't matter, according to you this weapons are mainly bough by nobles to show off. Even if I faced one of them, it wouldn't be enough to take me down."

"Oooh? This is a surprise." said Yoshimasa with a smile.

"What's the matter?"

"Suddenly today you seem more determined. Did something happen at the headquarters?"

Shizuya sat down on the couch instead of being laid down while he wondered for a moment.

"Probably it's because Vali has helped me realized the errors of my way of thinking, I got over paranoid thinking that my power would make people target me."

There was an awkard silence for a moment, Yoshimasa's face for a second his ever present smile was replaced with a confused look.

"It... It was just that?"

"Yes?" answered Shizuya confused by the question.

Yoshimasa without saying anything went in front of a number of white boards, on them it was was written by Shizuya notes about the nature of the elements and how to properly integrate them into his creations.

"There is something wrong on the notes?" asked Shizuya.

"Oh no, I was just cheeking if the same person who wrote this is the same person who can't realize something as obvious that people usually don't target brings more powerful than themselves."

"Why people must rub salt on that wound?"

"Shi-san if you talked to me about it, even I could told you that. We should talk more about your feelings and worries."

"Never." answered Shizuya jokingly.

Yoshisamasa chuckled then he realized that a white board was blank.

"What happened on the notes about causality?"

"Oh that, I have discovered a change on this world that has messed with everything I know about causality."

"Oh? A big change caused by your presence?" asked Yoshimasa as he interested himself.

"No, this change makes no sense at all and it can't be explain by my presence in this world."

"Stop teasing me and tell me already."

"Vali is a girl."

A silence followed, Yoshimasa was smiling, maybe waiting to Shizuya telling him it was joke, but it never came, then he realized that Shizuya was serious and it wasn't a joke, for a fraction of second Yoshimasa face had a expression of surprise.

"Oy oy, that makes no sense, it wasn't that according to the laws of causality-"

"Yes, it has no meaning, that why I erased the white board. It's like all these years has been for nothing." interjected Shizuya to reaffirm his statement.

"Well, its a big change comparing it to the original "work", but it shouldn't change the "plot" unless you have done something else."

A silence followed with Shizuya face that looked like a kid that has been caught with the hand inside the cookie jar.

Yoshimasa sighed.

"Okay. What have you done?"

"I fought against her with my twelve wings out and gave her the location of this place." confessed Shizuya.

"So the girl takes your first time in a long time and you give her the location of your second home, at least you're a gentleman." teased Yoshimasa

Shizuya only sighed

"I gave her the location because apparently she tried to contact me several times but I was secluded here, so I suppose that I took pity and gave her the location in case that she wanted to contact me again."

"So basically from tomorrow until you return I will be your secretary taking calls."

"Basically, yes."

Yoshimasa only chuckled as response, then a red light swallowed the place as a tiny magic circle appeared at the ear of both Shizuya and Yoshimasa.

"Intruder alert at the main gate." said an almost robotic voice from the circles.

It was the alarm of the Laboratory, when somebody no recognized was to close to the entrance automatically a silent alarm will trigger and it will warn both of the researchers, the entrance itself was concealed, but anyone with a little of understanding of magic could reveal it with the enough time.

Yoshimasa quickly opened a magic circle that showed what was in front of the entrance, but only revealed that it was Valina, she seemed to be searching for the entrance.

"I am going to assume that this girl is Vali and that you have left her unsatisfied." said Yoshimasa.

"Yes its her, and I too don't understand why is she here, I didn't expect her to come until a few weeks." said Shizuya while wondering why Valina was here.

"Well, don't keep the lady waiting." said Yoshimasa as he patted Shizuya back.

"You talk like I am going to be alone with her."

"Well you technically will, if she has come so quickly it means that she has something to tell only to you, I don't think she would appreciate my presence."

Shizuya kept silent for a moment, but then nodded, one of the qualities of Yoshimasa is that, although he didn't looked like, he had a good discerning eye quickly understanding situations and details that Shizuya would normally struggle to notice.

…

Shizuya POV

I went to the entrance leaving behind Yoshimasa probably with his usual smile, as I reached it I made a single movement with my hand then a metal door appeared, as I opened and stepped outside Valina was there, she seemed surprised at the sudden appearance of the door.

The laboratory was on the mountains range outside Kuoh, built inside near a peak, the door itself was normal size which it was tiny compared with the inside, even if it wasn't magically concealed, the trees and the bushes hided it at plain sight, so it was understandably surprising see a door appeared out of nowhere.

"That was quick, I expected that you would to come after a few days." I said while closing the door behind me.

"You leaved before I could ask you something else."

"Let's hear it then." I had an idea of what could it be, but I wasn't sure, maybe she wanted me to teach her magic or something.

Valina looked behind me as the door disappeared again.

"I heard that you have an assistant, is he inside?"

"Yoshimasa, yes he's inside."

She seemed annoyed for a moment.

"Let's go another place, I'd rather he didn't listen to this." she said with a serious tone, I was about to tell her that he probably heard that, and now he would definitely want to listen our conversation, he said that it was better if I was alone with talking with her, but he didn't say anything about him eavesdropping.

"After you then." but then again, even if we postpone this conversation he would definitely be there to eavesdrop, so it was like delaying the inevitable, so I plainly gave up.

She gave signs to follow her, so I did.

We been walking for a time now, Valina seemed hellbent on that Yoshimasa didn't listened to whatever she had to tell me. But after all this time following her I felt two emotions.

The first one being guilt, following her through the woods reminded me of the times when I was a kid and on every holiday I was dragged to the woods by Akeno, reminding me of my failure on that day, it was true that a lot of unexpected elements took place: A traitor that apparently doesn't exist told the leader of the attack about my existence turning the few people that originally would attack to a whole army, then said traitor using the smuggling ring gave one of my weapons to leader empowering him, and when suddenly everything seemed that would end well, the traitor "killed" me.

But then again, a lot of those things I could have predicted them if I planned better, or even if checked up the day before, so it was hard not to blame myself for everything that happened. That reminds me that since the day that everyone, even Kokabiel, tested out negative in the traitor test I have been not using the clairvoyance much, I no longer trust clairvoyance since then.

The second emotion that I felt, actually made me stop thinking about my failures and almost depression, due the anxiety that produced me.

It was nervousness. While I was trying to get the depressing thoughts out of my head, my gaze fell upon Valina and I saw how the wind flew her hair, reminding me how previously my heart raced when I looked at her smile as her hair flew or when I was carrying her to Azazel office, making me feel the heat in my cheeks rise and automatically adverting my gaze from her.

Probably was the hormones kicking in, this was not a situation I had lived before and I didn't know what to do, I didn't live enough in my previous life to reach this age and definitely not this situation, so basically I spent the rest of the way trying to not look at her.

After a while we reached a glade that was mostly covered by the shadows of the trees, thankfully I could calm myself before reaching here.

"I think this is far enough." she said as she stopped and faced me.

"So, what did want to tell me?"

"I am not going to beat around the bush so I am going to be as direct as possible, I am making my own group, I want you to join me." Well, she wasn't kidding about being direct.

I actually expected this when she wanted to talk in a secluded place.

"Then, any specific reason why do you want me to join or just my powers?"

"Mainly yes, it's because of your powers, but I also I think I could use your other abilities, Lucilius." and just like that she dropped that bomb.

"It seems that you go to questionable places, if you know that." I said with a more serious tone.

"Not as much as you think, in the Devil's territories they have more legal facade, or do you believed that the Nobles would risk their image buying a sword from a some criminals."

"I suppose that you're right." that was a question I was actually asking myself if they were active so many years the devils could have made efforts to eliminate the ring, but I shrugged it off once Yoshimasa entered the ring.

"I must say, you're being quite paradoxical, you feared being discovered and that they will target you for your power and therefore putting your father in danger, yet you have been involved in this operation in the devil territory and planned a journey to Europe."

"Let's just say that I had contentions plans for those matters. But returning to the matter at hand, you say that you want me to join you, but what it's in for me? I'm going to assume that you're going to help me in my objective, but in return I would have to follow you without question, that could lead in a conflict with my own interests."

I may or not have developed a crush on her, that's something I would have to ask somebody who knows about this, but that didn't mean I was just going to accept everything she offered without question, I still had my own interests, and that in time I would become enemy of the three factions definitely wasn't in them.

Valina seemed surprise, it seemed that she didn't expect a denial, in that moment felt other two presences near, one of them I didn't recognized it, but she wasn't combat ready, so probably recognized it. The the other presence I knew was Yoshimasa, it wasn't something weird, even I or he had the ring I created we could sense each other, leading to some delays in the fabrications of the Concealment Ring as even if it worked we sensed each other, probably was because I created him or something along those lines.

"Well, I can't force you to join, but please, take this in consideration. I am not offering this to you only because you're powerful, but also because I trust you and I truly would need your help."

Her tone was more calm her gaze stopped being determinate, if I didn't know her better I would thought that she was pleading, I started thinking, her objective asides from becoming the most powerful was killing her grandfather, Rezivim Livan Lucifer, I remember him being pretty powerful and that he had an ability to nullify Sacred Gears.

I sighed.

"Okay, I will join your team."

I could see her eyes spark, did she really wanted me that much in her team?

"But I must warn you of one thing, like a I said I have my own interests, if your decisions enter in conflict with them, without hesitation I will leave."

"Hey hey hey! What kind of deal is that?" came a masculine voice out of nowhere, probably belonged to the unknown presence I felt.

Then in the air a crack appeared, followed by the sound of glass shattering and a hole in the appeared, from it a man with short black hair with an ancient Chinese red armor and staff in his hand emerged, landing on the ground between Valina and me.

Well, it was Bikou, and seemed angry.

But before he could say anything, the hole in the sky continued to crack the air around it, until it broke entirely, revealing a group of people with their hands in their respective foreheads, it was the entirety of the Vali Team, Kuroka with Arthur and Le Fay Pendragon, and apparently they were observing all this, meaning that this place wasn't random, it was predimitated.

"Didn't you just say that you trusted me?" I said to Valina, who also was with her hand in the forehead upon this event.

"The boss trusts you, but we wanted to be sure so we convinced her to let us hear the conversation."

"And you can't talk much about it taking in consideration your little friend over there eavesdropping." said Kuroka pointing behind me.

I was surprised that she could sense him, Yoshimasa was wearing the ring other wise Valina would have detecting him long time ago, and he certainly wasn't at the distance to be detected. Then I remembered about Senjutsu, if I remembered correctly the users could read more easily presences and auras, probably a simple concealment wasn't enough to avoid being detected. It seems that I still had much to improve about the ring.

When I looked behind me, Yoshimasa was revealing himself from the shadows, still smiling as always.

"Impressive, I didn't thought that you would detect me, at least not with the ring on." said Yoshimasa as he came to my side.

"And who are you exactly." Said Bikou prepared to jump into combat, but he wasn't nervous, it was like he was expecting to actually fight.

"Didn't your mother teach you manners Monkey-san? When you ask somebody name you introduce yourself first."

Bikou seemed angry before, but now was starting to relax himself and form a smile.

"The name's Bikou, current Monkey King." introduced happily Bikou, it seems that he had forgotten that he was angry.

"See? It wasn't that difficult. My name is Yoshimasa Kyriu, researcher adjutant of Shi-san. Basically I am saying that if Shi-san join your team I am coming along."

"Well now that we are all friends, what did you mean before Bikou?" I asked, before the topic could rail off more."

"Hey, we haven't introduced yet nya." whined Kuroka.

I sighed.

"Kuroka, Arthur Pendragon and Le Fay Pendragon" I said as I pointed them respectively. "If you wondering how I know it, I am psychic, now let's return to the matter at hand." I said while leaving them dumbfounded.

"Oh that's right" said Bikou with a calm face "What kind of deal is that!?" and in a second his face turned one of indignation again.

"You're basically saying that you will betray us you once you don't like it anymore, you haven't even hearing what's the objective." said Bikou,

Oh that's right I didn't ask what was her objective, the lack of sleep was taking its toll.

"Valina, I agree with Bikou, having somebody that's his loyalties with us aren't whole could endanger us." said the until now silent Arthur.

"That's right he accepted without hearing your objective first, probably he's planing something nya."

Did they forgot I am here?

"It true that he didn't heard my objective, but he doesn't need to." interjected Valina making that everyone except Yoshimasa and I looked at her with a puzzled look.

"He wasn't kidding when he said he was psychic, well not entirely, he can analyze everything even people to the point where he can see their Future, past or even present, if you were paying attention before accepting he gazed at me, that was him probably searching for his own answers."

Now everyone was dumbfounded, even me, it was the first time that I saw somebody other than Yoshimasa bullshit my way for me.

"The fact that he said he will help me until I do something that goes against his interests, means that he will help me but he warns me to watch my decisions because in the future I will do something that he won't like, I just need to be careful and he will be on our side for a long time." finished Valina to explain with a confident smile in her face while looking at me, like she was saying that she undertood my message.

I plainly gave her a thumps up, because I was too admonished to think of words, I mean she was technically right, if she evaded making herself enemy of the three factions I had no reason to leave the team, althought if Arthur and Le Fay are here means she's already in the Khaos Brigade, but until she announces it while backstabbing Azazel there's still time.

The rest of the team, at first was skeptic, but after a time of thinking they nodded at Valina, probably meaning that they accepted me.

"Let me see if I got this right, he's a psychic and has already seen our plans, and he has agreed to help until we do something that pisses him off." said Bikou while he was thinking. "Okay I can go behind that, we only have to avoid that thing."

Well even Bikou has accepted me, now I just need to return to the lab and-

"Buuuut!" interrupted Bikou "I heard you are powerful enough to defeat the boss, I want to see it for myself!" he proclaimed while pointing his staff at me.

I stood still for a second, I was not sure if he was kidding, but then I understood that he was serious.

I took a deep breath and I looked at Yoshimasa and Valina.

"You two were saying something along the lines of that I didn't need to be too paranoid because people usually don't challenge those above their league." said with a sarcastic tone.

"Also people usually have brain nya." said Kuroka.

Bikou didn't bother to respond to Kuroka, only smiled at me confidently, it could seen in his eyes the anticipation to fight me.

To be honest, right now, I didn't want to fight and less in my full power, it was a nuisance that of calculate how much strength you have to use in order to not kill the person and if I didn't fight without my wings I could probably win, but it would take to long, in other words, in these moments I was lazy.

"You know Bikou, let's make a deal." I put a hand on Yoshimasa shoulder. "If you can defeat my adjutant here, I will fight you."

"Shi-san, are you seriously using me as foreplay?"

"Did I already mention that I haven't sleep in a week and would prefer not to deal with this kind of thing?"

"Okay~" said Yoshimasa as he stepped forward. "Okay, Monkey-san because its our first time together I will be gentle."

"Not need to! I prefer if you go all out against me."

"So like it rough eh?"

I sighed, I don't know if Bikou doesn't realize it or if he's just playing along. I stepped out as I intended to return to the laboratory.

"Those who aren't going to be murdered, follow me."

"What happens?" Asked Valina.

"Asides that here you could become collateral damage. Now that I am part of your team I suppose you could use the Laboratory as base, but before that I must register you so I don't have an alarm in my ear every time you go near it."

"I am thankful for your offer, but why should be using a Laboratory as base?"

"Well, you will see once there that the word "Laboratory" its just a pretty word."

The rest gave a puzzled look, but followed me nonetheless.

Ah almost forgot, I stopped and looked back.

"Yoshimasa, I know what I said, but if you are going all out, try to not actually murder him."

"Okay~" as he said that in Yoshimasa back appeared six wings like those of a bat, and two energy sword floating above him.

"Now, time to start the hedonism." said Yoshimasa followed by his laugh.

As we walked away from the glade direction to the Lab, behind us sounded a explosion followed by Bikou war cry

...

Once inside the laboratory, the rest of the Vali team looked the insides, it's seems that they were surprised, after all this place looked more like a house than a Laboratory.

I left them at their own while I went to the basement, there is where is all the system of the laboratory and where I store the prototypes, also where is "The Recognizer" it was a small metallic box with a little screen on the top and a button to the side, yeah, I wasn't very inspired when I created it.

When I returned, Le Fay apparently was curious about my notes written and went to read them, Kuroka was casually laid on the couch while watching the TV, I know I said "Like you were at home" but I didn't expect her to be this quick, Valina and Arthur were simply standing still with, Arthur was given Kuroka a disappointed look.

As I was about to tell them to line up, but in that moment Yoshimasa entered followed by Bikou.

"That was quick. Did you win or tonight I dine on monkey soup?" I said as the entered, it was kinda rhetorical, as I was expecting only one answer, Yoshimasa wasn't as strong as me, but at the current time I don't actually expect anyone of the Vali Team to defeat him.

"What happened to not actually murder him?" asked Yoshimasa

"Being honest, I would find a nuisance have to fight him, so I would go all out and in my impatience probably would accidentally Paradise Lost him into oblivion."

"Paradise Lost, like the book?" asked Arthur

"It's the name of his attack, according to this notes is an attack that concentrate great amounts of energy of all elements to unleashed into an area." said Le Fay while pointing one of my white boards.

"Why do you have in notes your own attacks?" asked Valina while looking at me with a puzzled look.

"It's have been almost seven years, I feared that someday I would forget how its done, but returning to the matter at hand..." I looked at Yoshimasa.

"Don't worry I won, I was planing to lengthen the encounter, but while flying I saw something and Monkey-san here didn't want to stop so I finished it quickly."

Explained Yoshimasa, I kept shut while giving him the sign to continue explaining what he saw.

"You see Shi-san, we have seasonal neighbors. Volume 2, training part."

I let out "The Recognizer" hitting the ground, while looking at Yoshimasa with my mouth wide open.

A little of backstory, after starting to forget about the events of this world I started to write down everything I remembered as in each volume, basically I write down the Light Novels, Yoshimasa read them making him also learning about the events that were to transpire.

Volume 2 training part, was when Rias peerage was training in Rias summer home for the rating game against Riser Phenex.

"How close?"

"A few meters from the glade we were a few moments ago, don't worry, there wasn't anyone, I checked."

That would be around 20 minutes walking, I knew that the house was also in this mountain range, but I absolutely didn't expect that they were to build it so close to the Laboratory, I calmed down once I heard that there wasn't anyone in the house, it would have been problematic.

"What's the matter? What does that mean?" asked Valina.

"It means that in summer a high class devil comes to a house near here, but considering that right now there's no one at home, it isn't a problem." I said while I grabbed again The Recognizer.

"Okay line up, with this, the system will recognize you and the alarm won't trigger once you're near the laboratory, also it would reveal its entrance automatically to you."

"Why it hasn't been triggered yet?"

"Because I momentarily deactivated it, now line up." I said while I pressed the button, a little spike came out on the top of the machine.

Kuroka jumped back upon the reveal.

"Why does have a spike?" asked Kuroka while trembling.

"In order that the system recognizes you, it needs to analyze you, and the best way we discovered it was by blood." explained Yoshimasa for me.

"Nooo! I don't like needles!" said Kuroka as she tried to escape.

I was going to let her go, I mean, it isn't something obligatory that she used the Lab as the base, but as far I remember by how she was, probably she was going to come anyway triggering the alarm, and I definitely wasn't going to pass the rest of the years hearing the alarm triggering.

So with great speed I reached to her and grabbed her hand.

"Thank you for volunteering to be the first in be recognized by the system." I said while stabbed a little her index finger the enough to shed a few drops of blood.

After that the machine made a sound while on the screen appeared the message "Person recognized" after that I let go her hand.

"It hasn't been that bad hasn't it? Now, who's next?" I said while I looked a them to see that everyone except Valina and Yoshimasa was surprised, then I remembered that I had just go at great speeds just to vaccinate a cat.

...

After a while everyone was recognized by the system, so they spent the rest of their times here, Kuroka like before was laying on the couch while watching TV, she was angry that I forced her to be "Recognized" in order to maker her stop looking at me while pouting she made me promise that I would make for it, jokes on her tomorrow I go to Europe for a time, also she said that she still has to think about it.

Also Yoshimasa, Valina and I agreed that we should remodel the laboratory in order to accommodate the whole team, after all this was just a big room with a few furnitures on it, Azazel sucked at designing Laboratories.

I let Yoshimasa plan the remodeling, he may not look like it, but he also was good at architecture and designing, the white robe I am wearing and his own uniform are of his design, this was something that he developed on his own I didn't created him with it. In fact a lot of things like his personality, taste and hobbies have been developed by himself.

"Shizuya-sama, may I ask you something?"

Le Fay approached me while I was lost on my thoughts.

"Of course."

"First I would like to apologize for before reading your notes without permission, I let my curiosity take the best of me."

"None taken." If I cared I would hided everything before they entered

"Now I would like to ask for permission on reading the books on the shelves, at first I thought that now that we can use this place as base I would have the permission, but those are still your books, so I would better if I asked for permission before reading them."

Well, she had manners and was polite while asking, the books I had on the shelves were basically History books, Legends of several places and notes that I wrote that needed to be more detail that those on the white board.

"Of course, if there was something that I wouldn't want any of you to read by now it would have been hided." Like the volumes, those are in the basement.

Le Fay smiled brimly

"Thank you." and with that she left for the shelves.

Then Valina approached me.

"You're making quick friends in the team."

"They are just to easygoing. By the way at this point goes without saying, but you realized when you asked to me to join meant that Yoshimasa would also join?"

"At first I didn't, but when he came out of the trees I knew that he came with you."

"So you wanted something?" I asked her after all she wasn't the type of person who approaches people for small talk, or maybe yes and I was absolutely wrong about her personality, after all there was a small change.

The Vali I knew in the novels would used the Juggernaut Overdrive even if he knew that was useless, Valina in the other hand gave up once she knew she couldn't defeat me with her current power, it wasn't a big one, but it was a change nonetheless, maybe changed more things.

"Yes. Tell me, where do you live?"

"What do you want to meet my father?" I say jokingly.

"Yes" she plainly said

Everyone who was close that included me, stopped what they were doing and looked astonished at Valina, to the exception of Kuroka and Yoshimasa, those two just smiled like they were looking at something interesting.

"What?" is the only thing I could mutter. Did she realized what she just said?

Valina after looking at everyone face realized what she said.

"I don't meant that way, you're letting the Team use this place as our base, and tomorrow you're go to Europe, so I was planing that every now and then check up how he was, wasn't that what you feared?"

I calmed myself after hearing her explanation, but a at the same time was a little disappointed, everyone returned at what they were doing, but even if it was for a second I swore that I could have seen her flustered.

"That was something that Yoshimasa would take care of, but another person watching him won't hurt." I said as I went on the way.

"After you then."

…

After, a few minutes we were on the streets of Kuoh, I changed my clothes to a more normal ones, also I wore the ring as it was tested that worked. We were walking to my house, but as we approached I stopped her as I remembered something.

"Sorry but I remembered that I didn't warn you, and probably when you come here you're going to meet him on the streets, but my neighbo-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH"

I could hear someone scream.

"Oh no." was the only thing I could say, I recognized who was screaming, it wasn't one of terror or pain, it was more one of rage.

As I face the origin I could see Issei pointing at me it was him who a few seconds ago scream, he quickly approached us.

"Shizuya you bastard!" was the first thing he said to me

"Hello to you too." I answered.

"You have been secluded in your home every time school ended, you haven't show interest in woman to a point we thought you were gay."

When Issei said "We" he referred to Matsuda and Motohama, Issei and I went to middle school together, and while I was with him I met them, you could say that we are friends but I have never participated on their perverted activities mainly due my lack of interest in such activities and because of that, luckily I haven't been thrown under the "Perverted Trio" group, but because I was their friend and passed time with them there were rumors that I was just a closet pervert and had a certain bad reputation nonetheless.

"Then how come its that you're the first of us to be walking side by side with a pretty girl!? You bastard, you couldn't wait until we started at High School?!"

I took a deep breath, sometimes his focus in only this kind of things made want to murder him, but he was still my friend and in the end of the day he would cover my back even if he curses me for not sharing his interests.

"Issei, this is Valina, she will come every now and then to check on my father while I am on Europe." I said while hoping that he'll stop making a scene on the street.

"Wait, you're going to Europe!?" said Issei forgetting his previous anger.

"Oh that was what I was forgetting. Issei I inform you that tomorrow I will go to Europe for a time."

"You totally forgot about me!" excalimed Issei.

"Sorry but every time I see you, you try to smuggle me some porn magazine and sometimes I prefer not seeing you." I was obviously was joking and Issei knew it, I had simply forgot.

"But you can't go to Europe, next week we start our first year at Kuoh High School."

That was true, and also that was the reason I didn't want to tell Azazel to why I diced to go now to Europe instead of going during a holiday, I was trying to avoid go to Kuoh Academy, I tried to go to another academy, but sadly I had no saying in that as my father decided it, mainly because there weren't others in town. So the most mature answer I could find was to go for a year or so to Europe while I searched for artifact that could help me in my project.

The reason that I was avoiding it? Remember how just walking by the woods triggered a guilt trip? Imagine what could trigger if I saw Akeno, this year she and Rias appeared in this town as they started their first year on the High School, as I still hadn't the Concealing Ring this year I have been specially reclusive due the fear of finding her on the streets, and luckily the branches of Kuoh Academy buildings were separated by great distances.

I still didn't know what she thought of me, maybe she was happy of meeting me again, but maybe she despised me for what happened, my mind could only think that she felt the later, and the simple thought of her hating me was enough to drench me in fear. Why? I didn't know, I still didn't know why I cared so much, but the fear was still there, so I plainly decided to run from it.

So basically the reason why I was going to Europe was because I was a coward that decided to run from his problems instead of facing them.

"Well, it will be a shame to miss the first beat down you three are going to receive." I said trying to mask the guilt trip I was feeling upon remember my reasons.

"But you have to come with us, we made plans to interest you on the ways of the harem!"

I put a hand on his shoulder with great strength.

"I am sorry, what?" the sadness and guilt that I felt were quickly overwritten by rage.

This is was one of the reasons why I kept him as a friend despite that we share next to no interest and he was always trying to induce me in his perverted ways. In one way or another he always managed to cheer me up, even if that was by enraging me.

Issei seemed that he realized that he spilled the beans and basically screwed up as he sweating heavily.

"Ise, that was a joke right?" I said while putting pressure on my grip.

"Y-yes it was a joke, you know that we joke all the time, hahahaha."

"You and your jokes, now I think you were going somewhere right?"

He simply nodded very quickly.

"Good." I let him go.

"Bye, try to not die in Europe!" he said/cursed me as he ran into the horizon.

I faced Valina who kept silent during all this scene, she seemed disappointed and seemed that she was about to cry.

"It's something the matter?"

"Sorry, I was just talking with Albion on how that guy was supposed to be my fated rival."

"Oh, so you noticed. Yes, is what I was going to warn you, he's my neighbor he lives in front of my house, you're going to meet him a few times if you're going to check up on my dad. Could you please not kill him? He may not look like it, but he's destined to great things."

"Don't worry, he hasn't awake his Boosted Gear yet, I don't plan on facing him until he reached the Balance Breaker, otherwise it would be to unilateral."

She may have change things of the personality I knew, but she certainly was still a battle maniac.

"Well, let's continue, my house it's near."

"After you."

And with that we resumed our way to my home.

Once there as we entered.

"Dad, I am home, I want to introduce you someone." I announced when I entered.

As we entered my father was on the living room, he was reading the newspaper.

"Oh Shizuya, welcome hom-"

He dropped the newspaper as he saw Valina, and then I saw as tears formed under his eyes.

"I knew this day would come, my son finally got a girlfriend." he said as he dried his tears with his arm.

"Dad she isn't my-

"I must inform Gorou that my son got a girlfriend before his!" he jolted out of the couch and with great speed that put mine on shame he left the house.

In this situation I could only face Valina and say the next words.

"Please, kill me."

…

Next Morning

And so, morning came, after clearing up the misunderstood from yesterday my father seemed disappointed, that Valina wasn't my girlfriend, then he was informed that she was only making me a favor a checking up on him while I was off.

After that she returned to the Lab, although now it was the Valina Team base, and we agreed that she had something to tell that she will inform Yoshimasa.

Why Yoshimasa? Well, because we mastered a way of communication that although the supernatural its aware of it, very few of them have mastered it often decanting for the simply magic circle, making difficult for them to listen a conversation on this method.

This way to communicate with each other had a name, it was called: Phone.

Now, I fas facing one of the problems of choosing to travel like a simple mortal, waiting for the bus.

To reach the airport I had to first to Tokyo, my father offered to let me there, but I denied it, at the time I was overparanoid and I thought that the less time together the better, but now that Valina had quite literally slapped sense into me, I regret that decision.

So after a while the bus came and I went inside with my bags and sat on the back of the bus, I has brought some books for the way, so I was revising some of my notes, the first destination was Hungary, so the first thing I was trying to find, was the legendary bird The Turul. What use it has to find a legendary bird and national symbol? Don't know, probably if I wanted to create a bird like beast I could use it as base once I analyze it.

So after a five minutes on the way the bus stopped to pick up more people, and while we were at the stop, from the corner of my eye on the street I saw somebody a crimson red hair, it was obviously Rias Gremory, I couldn't care less about her to be honest, but I was alarmed for something else, the person that I was trying to avoid was right besides her, Akeno Himejima.

They were talking happily with each other while walking on this direction, as I saw her smiling face my heart started pounding heavily as I saw her face, sadness and guilt took over my emotions, my insticts told me to look away and run away from here, I slapped on my face to calm myself, they weren't the type that would take a bus to go some place on town so I shouldn't worry about them entering the bus, but they were coming to this direction while the bus was at the stop, they could see me.

There was only one thing I could in this situation, I took the book I was reading I putted it on my face covering almost the entirety of my head except a few locks of hair while I feigned that I was asleep.

My heart was still pounding very fast, the seconds the bus was stopped seemed hours to me, finally the bus resumed it's way, and after a moment I removed the book from my face.

This behavior ashamed me, but also I couldn't help it, Valina told me that being a coward didn't suit me, but sadly this was the reality, I was too afraid of her reaction, I could simply walk to her and see her reaction, but I was too afraid of denial.

I sighed, I should use this time in Europe to make my mind, this journey was only delaying it, but after I return from Europe I will have to face her.

…

English countryside, UK

A few months later

Well this journey have been educational so far, I have seen feral Dragons in Romania, and a lot of mythical beast, also learned that Charlemagne sword Joyeuse at first was a mere sword, but Charlemagne with his willpower turned it a Holy sword, what a man.

Sadly that was it, most artifacts were replicas as Azazel said, the ones that weren't fake were the ones I found that were previously lost in the locations I predicted, but mostly of them belonged to the Nordics, Vikings apparently were everywhere in Europe and were the ones who usually lose their things, so Azazel told me to return them he had a good relation with Odin, it didn't matter as I analyzed them before returning them.

Now I was in England, the place where I was born in my previous life on my way to where I remember my hometown was.

You see, while I was checking up the maps, I found something off, the little town I was apparently was born before I was thrown at the local orphanage, yes I was an orphan, but that doesn't matter right now, like I was saying, the town plainly didn't exist on the maps, and while I was trying to think about its locations in case I remembered it wrong and while I was at it, I realized something very important I didn't even remember its name.

This was something strange, so I made a little detour and went to that place.

You'll see, the things about this world and the other was simply the supernatural world, the human world doesn't have reasons to change from world to world, if a human town existed in my previous world it should also on this because it doesn't have anything to do with the supernatural.

Its simple, right?

Now there was something that I didn't understand at all.

Why the hell the town where I lived until I died for unknown reasons, doesn't exist in this world?

There was nothing, not abandoned building, not ruins there weren't even roads, it was like never existed.

It's mor,e why the hell I don't even know its name? That was something that every kid knows, yet every time I tried to think about it, my head hurt and in the end didn't remembered it.

There was something strange here, but sadly here I won't get any clue, because there wasn't anything to begin with, I was at loss, maybe I was over thinking something that was very simple, but I had the feeling that indeed there was something strange here.

And as I made my way for the nearliest city I start to ponder about this.

Well, holy shit, at first I thought this would be a short chapter introducing Valina and explaining why Shizuya is going to be involved with the "main cast" after Issei becomes a Devil, but I as I wrote things, more things popped up in my mind and ended up in a whole chapter.

Some of you had some common questions in the previous chapter, "why didn't Shizuya ask for help?"

Answer: Well, as I explained on the chapter he grew too overconfident and he thought he didn't need help, but also he thought that he didn't help, because before the change of Fate, they were at best 10 guys, 6 according to the anime and they were all humans, why he would need help for those numbers?

Now the other question. "Why his plan sucks?"

Short Answer: I suck as a writer.

Long answer: More of the same, he grew overconfident and there were too few to bother to do some better planing.

Now some of you may have ask this question while reading this "Why nobody holds him responsible for the Incident?"

Answer: Well as far I understand, people don't usually hold 9 years old kids responsible for things even if they screwed up badly.

Now some notes I couldn't fit on the chapter.

Shizuya died on his previous life with 12 years, so yeah Michael in the prologue was saying something obvious with the "you died prematurely".

Shizuya presence is indeed a strong one, being very easy to track him down, but he was simply over reacting as it is indeed strong but at maximum could be felt from around 100 meters.

The Heights for the original characters are the same, the heights of Shizuya and Yoshimasa are the following.

Shizuya Height: 186cm/6'1

Yoshimasa Height: 182cm/5'11

Yoshimasa is based and has the appearance of Belial of Granblue Fantasy, but no, it isn't him, its just and OC that's inspired on a real character.

I may be forgetting something and when I publish this I am going to remember it.

Like always I thank you for you support and apologize for any injury produced by my bad grammar.