Humanity's Illusion (Highschool DxD)

[charclone]

Philip, as he followed Masa, flicked his hand, summoning his magic to power a simple light spell.

He knew he was probably annoying his best friend's grandmother to some extent, but she said nothing. The fact that they have moved through the same room several times now, as they slowly made their way to Aya, despite a mystical component of the castle permitting instantaneous movement, suggested she was deliberately permitting it.

The cause of his actions was his own emotions.

He had lived an entire life before now without magic, or any sort of powers, yet the moment he felt he had lost them, even for a brief few seconds, unnerved him to an extreme.

"Much like how I lost my memories, the experience was harrowing," Tamamo commented. "But we have them both back. Now… I believe we should talk about your future plans, or rather lack thereof."

'Not yet,' Philip countered. 'I… I want to talk with Aya first, then, once we are home we can talk. I'll need to head to my parents' house anyway, so we can talk there.'

"As you wish."

The sudden breeze Philip felt across his face made him pause. He looked around, blinking.

"Here we are, my husband's arena he wastes time in with his old rival," Masa grunted. Her voice suddenly took on a deep growl. "… What have you two done to those poor girls?"

Sitting next to each other on a rock, Aya and Kuroka dozed, looking thoroughly exhausted.

"Just some training, dearest," Masashi gave a fragile smile to his wife.

"Well, it's getting late, I'd best be off before my wife wonders where I am…" Onishi began to turn to leave, his tone betrayed his fear.

"Oh, I'll call her. No need to worry," Masa smiled. It was a cold smile. "But you two have left such a mess here. Why don't you clean. It. Up."

The two elderly men were silent for a minute.

"We pushed them too hard, didn't we?" Onishi asked piteously.

"Yes. Now get to cleaning. I will inform your wife," At this, the Blue Oni flinched and whined. "Honesty you two, did you have to treat training them as one of your duels?"

Masa glanced at Philip.

"It's getting late. Why don't you take those two home with you," She gestured at the exhausted pair. "If my daughter asks what happened, just tell her Onishi was here, and I am dealing with the issue. She will understand. I will ensure my husband is not lacking self-control next time you visit."

Masashi flinched.

Confused, but desiring no answers – something Tamamo supported – Philip helped Aya to her feet. Kuroka stood on her own, yawning, which turned into a snicker as Aya wrapped an arm around him, dozing off.

As he focused the teleportation spell through his staff, which he was finding easier than the last time, Masa waved goodbye.

---

Philip sighed, feeling tired himself, after dropping the two girls off.

His staff, tapping against the ground as he walked 'home', was sheathed in a SEP spell.

Opening the door, he stepped inside. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of his father passed out on the couch, surrounded by the past month's beer bottles.

The man had begun drinking more and had stopped tossing them away once he finished, usually ignoring them until they either impeded his ability to move, or his wife berated him for the smell.

Speaking of the smell, Philip winced as it assaulted his nostrils. His mother was spending less and less time here, leaving Philip to be the one to clean things up. Which he didn't bother doing, since he was rarely home. Part of him was tempted to use the growing mess, or even make it worse, to use it as an excuse to leave the house, but… he disliked the risk of being away from Aya, though he now had fewer arguments for that, between his contacts with the supernatural, and his newfound skill at teleportation.

Crinkling his nose, he stepped around a pile of bottles, some with pools of foul-smelling beer at their bottom, and made his way to his room.

A spell to clean the air, and another to keep from being disturbed, Philip sat on his disused and clean bed.

'Okay. I didn't get to talk to Aya, but… let's talk.'

"Very well," Tamamo smiled – something Philip couldn't see, but he knew she was doing it – as Philip manifested the mask-type Sacred Gear. "You desire the death of a Devil. But have you thought about how to do it? How to get to him, where he will die, and how you will avoid being caught? What about afterwards? The Khaos Brigade? How much do you remember and have confirmed to be true?"

Philip went silent for a moment.

'That is part of why I plan to join a mages group. The first one I joined, I got books when it was destroyed. Books that, while mostly about spell theory, informed me about how, for example, the Underworld detects and tracks teleportation spells. I can't teleport in without being detected, but if I can find a reason to be permitted in…'

"And once the death is discovered? You need allies, not just colleagues to use. Aya is a start, but how will you avoid people noticing you are missing during that time, without a cover? You cannot rely solely on her, and I suspect that you are unwilling to put her in unreasonable danger." Tamamo said. "I have centuries of experience, and nothing better to do than help you. My advice is at your disposal. First, what can you tell me about the magician group you intend to join?"

'Well, they were founded in the four hundreds, just after Rome was sacked, four ten, I believe. I don't remember the exact reason, but the magicians were former Greeks that went West, absorbing local practitioners in Eastern Europe. Nowadays, they claim their goal is to assist humanity, but not at the expense of the other supernatural factions.' Philip explained. 'Led by a council of… thirteen archmages, I believe. Mostly, they do R&D and are distanced from politics, but their members have been part of other groups at the same time, even taking sides, such as during the Devil Civil War, though the group as a whole remains neutral.'

"Then you will need to be careful to avoid jeopardising their neutrality, and risking their ire." Tamamo pointed out. "You will also need to be very conscious of any internal political rifts. What can you remember of what their members did in the Devil Civil War?"

Before Philip could answer, a screeching voice echoed through the house.

"What the hell is wrong with you, living like a slob!? Wasting money!"

Philip rolled his eyes at his mother's voice.

"The hell do you want from me, woman!? You drain my bank account for those damn cosmetics and that overpriced car you never use!"

A spell prevented any noise from intruding.

'Okay. Anyway, they had members on both sides, but the actions of some of those members in the war did lead to memberships being revoked. Things like the mass kidnapping the Old King faction did of human women to create disposable shock troops. Turns out, Bastet was the one to put a stop to that.' Philip frowned. 'But there were members that fought for Sirzech's faction that were also stripped of membership. Killing of prisoners, apparently.'

Philip flinched as a fist pounded against his door.

His mother burst in wearing far too much make-up. The emphasis it put on her eyes was comical.

"Didn't you hear me yelling? Never mind. Where are those old books you have?' She barked, not bothering to wait for a reply. She strode into the small room, angrily looking around. "Well?"

"Why?"

"They are old, mouldy, and a waste of space. I'm selling them to a collector," She spat back. "I am done with you being a freeloader, you are an adult, so you will pay for room and board. Now, where are they?"

Philip felt something was off. Usually, she just ignored him. Not to mention, he had never let his parents see his books.

They weren't even that old, or mouldy.

"Answer me, young man!" She glared, then, despite the SEP spell around it, she glanced at the staff, then snatched it from where it leaned against the wall. "Fine, then I'll sell this junk. I expect you to have something next week!"

As she turned to leave, Philip felt something break.

"No."

She whirled around.

"Don't you–" Her protest died as the spell hit her. She collapsed to the floor.

Mind magic was not something Philip was experienced in. He knew enough to make people forget something, of course, but here, he wanted a bit more. With one spell to keep his father from interfering, and another to bring his staff back to his hand, he reached into her mind.

The remnants of a compulsion spell, crude as it was, were already fading. Too degraded already, possibly from Philip's spell knocking her out or a countermeasure built into the crude spell, for him to identify what school it was from, what exactly it was supposed to do, and it was well beyond his ability to identify the caster.

Part of him was disgusted at the use of the compulsion, essentially a light mind control, spell.

The rest of him was too scared and angry to care.

He gathered what few belongings he had into the bag of holding, wiped his parents' memories of the last few moments, and then wrapped himself in as many complementary stealth spells as he could. With a bit of prodding and some suggestions from Tamamo, he even was able to shift his ki a little, leaving less of a trace of his presence on that spectrum.

Minori's surprise at his sudden appearance at her door vanished when he explained.

"Aya's still asleep. You're sure?" The kitsune frowned after rushing him inside, her fingers taping nervously against the countertop.

"The spell was crude, could have been anyone, but it wasn't an experienced caster," Philip said. "I won't be here too long, just until I turn eighteen and can leave those two behind. I'm… not sure if the compulsion was some idiot trying to get rich quick through mind control, or if it was targeted. But…"

"Hey, you're welcome to stay as long as you need," Minori shook her head, patting his shoulder. "I'm just… I'm worried. I hear rumours about increased numbers of stray devils, more gangs of Fallen and their offspring popping up and causing a ruckus, like the ones in the city, and more Sacred Gears appearing."

She sighed.

"I'm just worried about the state of the world. Seems things are… deteriorating. Now, I didn't get the chance to ask earlier, but did my mother help at all with the Sacred Gear?"

 

[charclone]

"Okay, Philip," Rob sighed. "I have no idea how you convinced the council to let you join as a junior member straight away, but this is beyond belief."

Philip glanced at his ally and technically superior.

"You're just upset you don't get to bring Morael," He retorted to the Senior Member.

The organisation – going through yet another name change – operated with several levels of rank. Beneath Junior member was a collective rank that included apprentices, hirelings, hangers-on of senior members, assistants, and anyone who isn't a full member. Junior members were full members but were not given access to group resources without council approval, though they did have access to a system to request it, as well as access to libraries and the organisation's internal network. It was nice being able to ask much more senior magicians some of the questions Philip had regarding cross-pantheon/organisation politics and magic.

Above junior member was senior member, who had access to a stipend from the organisation, with conditions, as well as being able to draw more freely from its resources. Above those were the council members, who governed the organisation. A single member was made head of the council, holding tie-breaker powers, though there were restrictions, and the post was voted on every seven years.

Rob grunted.

"You wouldn't want Aya around here, would you?" He started to ask, then choked.

"Ah, you must be Rob," Bastet grinned as she approached them, Aya striding next to her. "Philip, good to see you again. So, any news?"

"None. None of the major powers have any interests in the area, but there are a few potential leads I know of," Philip sighed. He was exhausting every contact he had, to no avail, to discover who was behind the manipulations of his mother, even making a few more contacts with Tamamo's assistance. While they had discovered nothing, there were other possibilities, such as the Khaos Brigade, or elements therein, searching for Trihexia. "I had hoped to make a few more contacts here, but so far they know nothing."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sorry I haven't been able to turn up anything since you asked, but with how blatant it was, I expect they aren't ones for hiding long," Bastet shrugged. "Still, if you do find them…"

There was a brief predatory glint in the catgirl/goddess' eyes before she continued.

"Anyway, come sit with me, the Olympians prepared a table specifically for the Egyptian Pantheon, but I'm the only one to attend today," Bastet grasped Philip by the wrist, pulling him along. Rob followed with a sigh. Quietly, Bastet whispered something into a spell under her breath. "There were several attacks, rogue magicians and stray devils mostly, all over our territory."

"The Brotherhood has been having the same issues," Philip replied, also using a spell to keep from being overheard. "Two safe houses attacked, stray devils, and a member of the council missing along with more than a few of his assistants and apprentices."

Bastet gestured to the table for them to take seats.

Rob glared at Philip as Aya sat next to her boyfriend, before grumbling something under his breath.

The table and chairs sat in contrast to their surroundings.

The lush green grass of Olympus stood in contrast to the gold table, with its Egyptian-style decor clashing with the surrounding Grecian marble architecture.

Though it was far more preferable than the many, many, nude statues of Zeus and his family, scattered around the field before the large palace.

From a raised platform on the front steps of the palace, a table had been arranged. Zeus' spot was empty, though Hera was present next to the empty chair. She was conversing with, unless Philip missed his guess, Artemis. Of the full Greek Pantheon, only a small handful of the main gods were present for the function. A celebration of a victory against a Fallen Angel legion, nearly seven centuries ago, that had refused to side with either the Grigori or the devils, instead attempting to take Mount Olympus as their own.

Philip wasn't sure why most 'western' pantheons had been invited, perhaps as a form of bragging or diplomatic snub, but the guest list also included a large number of other organisations, such as the one Philip had joined, as well as the Grigori and the Grey Wizards.

The actual attendance was low, however. Partly, Philip was disappointed at the lack of opportunity for increased connections. The rest of him was simply curious as to why those who had down up did so.

A mental nudging from Tamamo put him back on track.

"Was there any sort of coordination with the timing of the attacks?" He asked after placing an anti-eavesdropping spell around them.

Bastet placed her own before answering.

"Not that Ra or I could tell. I'll ask when I get back, my sister might have noticed something. Were your own coordinated?"

Philip glanced at Rob, who simply looked bored.

"No clear indicators, no. But with the suspected kidnapping happening at just the right time, it's possible that it either was, or the kidnappers were well informed."

Bastet winced.

"It's happening all over the world, too often to be unrelated. The Norse have suffered attacks, as have the Fae," She sighed. "I was just starting to enjoy my music career. It was taking off!"

"Wait, you make music?" Aya asked.

Bastet glared at Philip.

"I forgot," He protested, holding his hands up defensively. "There was the whole thing with Fenrir in Asgard, and then meeting her grandparents."

Bastet's glared redoubled.

"You two are attending my next concert then," She declared.

Philip started to protest, then reconsidered.

"Fine," He sighed. "But not tomorrow, we're busy then. And thanks again for taking Aya as your plus one."

"No problem. She's fun!" Bastet grinned. "I might borrow her for her ideas. She gave me inspirations for a series to rival Serafall's!"

Rob groaned.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stand that show. Neither can Moreal," He protested. "Too much pink and bright flashes, as well as being overly pro-devil."

"That's fair," Bastet nodded. "Oh, it looks like Hera is about to start."

Philip glanced back at the main table, then caught a brief look of a frown on the goddess' face.

He briefly followed her gaze and winced. Odin and Zeus walked along a distant walkway.

Hera made a short speech, her tone exasperated, before withdrawing.

The feast was remarkable, even if the atmosphere had been more subdued than Philip had expected of an Olympian feast.

---

The teleportation effect faded, depositing Philip, Aya, and Rob in the main base of the Brotherhood.

The trio snickered, seeing the banners that had been raised in their absence.

The magician placing the last few banners – using a golem – grinned and waved.

"Welcome back. Council had a vote, and decided on the name to be finalized, as well as the new emblem," He said, before returning his attention returning to the work. "No, you idiot, place it on the hook, not below!"

"The archmage is going to blow a fuse when he sees this," Rob snorted. "We'd best get clear of the blast zone. I assume he wasn't present for the vote?"

"'Course not! We weren't stupid!" The magician laughed before patting his chest with his fist, stating in a joking tone, "Peace through power."

"So I joined just in time for the whole organisation to deal with the name issue… and we become Nod. Alright then," Philip shook his head, glancing at the black banners with a scorpion tail. "Those aren't actually the group's banners, are they?"

"Nah, magically dyed." The magicians sighed as the golem finally placed the last banner correctly. "Gonna re-dye them properly, later, once the Archmage sees them."

"You spend billions on making a magically cooled supercomputer to better refine spell formulas… and this is what you do to your leader?" Aya snorted. "I like you people."

"We aim to please," Philip shook his head with a smile. "And it was for like, a thousand of the supercomputers."

"Alright, best get moving. His meeting with the Circle of Hellas should be over soon, so best get clear," The magician shooed them off.

As they walked down the hall of the refitted office building, located in New York, Rob glanced around, noting they were alone.

"Okay, so, Philip, seriously, how did you convince them to make you part of our diplomacy group?" He asked.

Aya grinned, wrapping her hand around Philip's.

"Contacts," Philip answered. "Serafall, Bastet, Fenrir, Forseti, the Lucifer's younger sister. Aya's grandparents are also apparently big, if not major, powers in Japan, being independent lords outside of the three major factions, with connections to all of them, and several Korean and Filipino factions."

"Okay… I had to use some of the research notes from our old group to get in, as well as prove I could cast six different spells at once," Rob frowned. "Is contacts that big of a thing?"

"Yup," Philip nodded. "You heard Bastet talk about the issues? Someone appears to be targeting the major factions, and I am willing to bet it's more than just random."

"You would be correct."

The trio spun to face the new voice.

"Archmage," Rob bowed.

"No need to bow, we aren't that sort of organisation," The pale man of average height rolled his eyes. "Philip at least caught on to that fairly quickly. As to your questions, Philip was accepted because he had made developments, as well as his contacts. His improved elemental lance is of great interest to many parties. If he was more experienced, he would have also been made a senior member."

Rob frowned.

"Don't take it personally. That you knew the research, and have improved on it, is a credit to you, and part of the reason you are a senior member already, combined with your own experience and skill," The archmage shook his head, scratching his goatee. "Now, Philip, as I understand it, you have a trip to the underworld planned tomorrow?"

Philip fought to keep himself from freezing.

His mouth when dry.

In the months since his mother's mind control, he had found the information he needed to kill Diodora Astaroth, using unofficial teleportation routes to the underworld, as well as a method of execution that would throw off any pursuit, but he had taken extreme measures to keep from being detected, mixing it in with other research, primarily around his attempts to improve his teleportation. Illusions and tactical teleportation could prove to be a very useful combination.

He wracked his brains for how the archmage could have discovered it.

The archmage frowned.

"I will take that as a yes. Suffice it to say, the attacks have been perpetrated by a group we have had issues with, in the past. They are known as the Khaos Brigade. They attempted a coup some years ago," The archmage looked at Philip. "I assume your trip relates to you looking into this matter?"

"Yes," Philip answered honestly. "I have some information that strongly suggests an individual is working with or for the Khaos Brigade, but it lacks supporting evidence."

"Very well," The archmage nodded. "Carry on then, but do look for anything you might happen to be able to acquire during your efforts. Do not let it be traced back to us. Oh, and Sirzechs requested a meeting with me. I will be unable to attend, so while you are there, please convey my apologies, and see if you can schedule a different time."

Philip nodded as the archmage strode off.

"Uh, what trip to the underworld?" Rob glanced at Philip.

"Nevermind," He shook his head, giving a questioning glance at Aya, who returned a confused look.

 

[charclone]

Philip sighed as the teleportation spell ended, the next day, depositing Aya and himself in a forest clearing.

As expected, the trees were like no species on Earth, with red veins climbing from their roots to their blue leaves. They were also less than two-hundred years old, barely thick enough to start to cover the ruined tower he had chosen as an anchor.

The tower, located in the underworld, was an old retreat of a magician that had been allied to the Fallen before they were forced back during the Three Factions' War, the territory reclaimed by House Astaroth.

After the Devil Civil War, they had obeyed Sirzechs' orders, and expanded the green areas of the Underworld, not just with useful reagent species, but also native plants that had been culled to fuel the war.

Wood was useful, no matter the species, for fire, and low-class devils had less mana to spare.

Philip flinched as he felt Aya's hand tighten.

"You alright?" He asked, glancing at her.

He had not attempted to dissuade her from coming, sensing the futility of the act. Instead, he had brought her into the plan.

"Just uneasy," She replied, her tails drooping behind her, even while her ears were alert and twitching. "Not used to the underworld's auras."

Philip released her hand and reached out to run her back.

"We have time. Diodora is going to be here for at least another four weeks, part of a training exercise according to the paparazzi."

Aya snorted.

"I still can't believe they are more reliable than the Earth ones," She gave a nervous laugh. "Though, with magic, I suppose that they would need to expend more effort to reach a decent level of skill."

"Actually," Philip chuckled, sitting on a fallen stone. "It's because some laws are still very draconic. There is a form of les majesty that applies to and protects the nobility, so they need to be able to back up any claim with a great deal of evidence. A hold-over from before the Civil War."

Aya shook her head. She stood in pensive silence for several moments before sighing.

"Why are we doing this, again?" She asked, looking at Philip. "The nun… Asia, right? She's already been excommunicated at this point, and her being with the devils, since it's Rias, is safer than anywhere else, but… why should we kill him?"

Philip frowned thoughtfully.

"Aside from him being a member of the Khaos Brigade, and the fact that he is a sadistic manipulator, if a childish one," He began. "There is the fact that he may have information on the Khaos Brigade and is going to be a threat in the future."

Tamamo remained silent, though Philip felt her watching with amusement.

Aya hummed. She paused, looked at Philip, and tilted her head.

"You also feel sorry for his victims."

"And I feel sorry for his victims, yes," Philip admitted, feminine laughter echoing in his head. "Now, ready to go?"

"What about the archmage?" Aya asked, crossing her arms, and kicking at the grass. "Are we just going to ignore the fact that he knows what we are doing? Isn't this going to risk a war?"

Philip winced. He stood and rubbed the back of his head.

"He doesn't seem concerned… but yeah, honestly, that worries me," Philip admitted. He leaned back. "I'm… still new in the organisation. I don't know if there are internal politics at work. I don't know if he has some sort of personal conflict with the Astaroth family, though I wouldn't be surprised given his age, and sees this as a way to get back at them. Or, if he simply doesn't care."

Aya sat next to him.

"Then why take this risk at all?" She asked, leaning against him. "Should we turn back?"

Philip shook his head.

"No. Diodora might be a small fish, but he is a potential link to the Khaos Brigade, and at the moment, he is very vulnerable. I'm not going to give up the opportunity," Philip paused, remembering the phrasing of some of the Archmage's words. 'Tamamo? Do you think…?'

"Hmm… it would be a subtle way to tell you to go after information, but it is possible," The ancient kitsune responded. "But I think he would have been blunter than that and was being literal when he said to look for anything you could acquire."

Philip sighed.

"Are you okay?" Aya looked at him, concerned.

"I'm fine," He shook his head. "Had a thought, discussed it with Tamamo. She pointed out the archmage tends to be blunt, so…"

"So, he was just saying to take what you can," Aya finished. She tilted her head to the side. "Maybe we should just focus on trying to find information on the Khaos Brigade, and only kill Diodora if the opportunity arises?"

Philip hesitated. Then nodded.

"Probably the wisest course of action," He agreed. "Quiet in, quiet out. Makes our escape plans much more viable too."

"Oh!" Aya leapt up, spinning to look at Philip. "If worst comes to worst, we could trade that information to Levi-tan for help!"

Philip stood.

"Well, that is an option, but… actually, I think information, concrete proof, on how Diodora treats his subordinates, would be more effective," He said. "Regardless, asking her for help is a last resort. The potions and teleportation circles I prepared are my preferred options. Now, c'mon, let's get this over with."

---

The issue with covert teleportation into and from the underworld was detection wards. While these were relatively easy to avoid, they covered all major settlements, and any noble demesne worth its value. In addition, their area of effect was large. Extremely so.

This meant one would either need to trek for several days through unfamiliar and hostile underworld wilderness, or teleport. The wildlife of the underworld was far from 'death world' levels, being similar to Earth's, albeit with some esoteric elements, but it had predators that could pose a threat to even a mid-class devil. The reason they had not been wiped out was that they had value as reagents, as well as providing some passive defence and sport.

Teleporting ran the risk of lighting up any half-decent detection system if you weren't careful with your spell and energies.

But there was an option there.

Like any detection system, it needed to filter out background radiation and noise, to easily detect the aberrations that should not be.

Of course, leylines were loud. While very useful for building on for arcane power, like a river used to defend a fortress, it was a double-edged sword, drowning out any spells attuned to the leyline.

Both the ruined tower and Diodora's 'training camp' had been built on the same leyline, taking advantage of it for the free power to their defence and maintenance. One might think the tower's collapse would prove an abject lesson, yet the defences were so crudely done, left vulnerable.

With a crackle, the spell collapsed and deposited the pair into a clearing, not far from the perimeter of the estate.

Aya moaned, and Philip winced, taking slow, shuddering breaths.

"Okay," He gasped. "That would explain why leyline riding was abandoned in favour of the modern forms of teleportation."

He shuddered, his body aching.

The raw power of the leyline had easily conveyed them at a rapid pace, but the overcharge of power had been extremely unpleasant. He could see why the books on the subject had very explicit warnings not to try to cast any spells while doing it now.

Aya set about cleaning her tails with a conjured comb, grumbling about the hair on them standing on end like they had suffered a static charge.

"Can we use standard teleportation instead when we leave?" She pleaded. "If I have to show up looking like I was struck by lightning, I think you might not survive the teasing from… a lot of people, come to think of it."

Philip snorted.

"We'll see what options we have. Okay," He surveyed the visible border of the estate being used by Diodora. "Looks like there aren't any guards… and the wards…."

Philip hummed, and carefully cast a quiet scanning spell.

"If I didn't know better, I'd call this a trap," He said. "Are you seeing this?"

Aya paused, reaching out towards the perimeter.

"Those are massive holes in the wards… they'd catch teleportation, but…" She trailed off. "He isn't that lazy, is he?"

"I don't know," Philip replied. "Okay, if you are ready, let's cloak ourselves and get close to the building. I think there are people guarding the main building, so we need to be careful either way."

Under several spells and ki techniques, the pair quietly made their way towards the building. Philip used his staff to keep any mana emissions as small as possible, while Aya kept the ki structures stable across the two of them.

They passed the border with the guards at the palace – and it was very much a palace, rival to any on Earth, opulent and grand in construction – not reacting at all. They seemed bored, based on their posture, and the way they would occasionally chat.

As the minutes ticked by, and they got closer to the building, the forms of the guards became more distinguishable.

The sight made them both pause.

They were young. About a dozen in all, mostly young women, though there were a few boys as well. Dressed in clothing of the Church, from priests to nuns, to exorcists.

And most felt human.

For a moment, both Aya and Philip froze in confusion. Then, as Tamamo whispered into Philip's mind, pointing out the obvious, it dawned on Philip.

Diodora enjoyed corrupting or breaking people's faith. Philip remembered, albeit vaguely, that in the anime he had a peerage full of people he had manipulated into being kicked out of the church, it was why he had targeted Asia Argento in the first place. He also recalled, even more vaguely, mention in the fan-translated books of the sadistic sociopath having servants that had also been removed from the Church.

With a scowl on his face, Philip pulled Aya's hand, leading them both into the building, past the young, inexperienced and likely untrained teenagers.

Once they were out of sight, he quickly cast a silent message spell, to explain it to Aya, before pressing on.

It occurred to them, as they moved through the opulent palace, that they had no idea where to go from here. No map of the building or floorplan. No idea where Diodora might be, or where his letters might be kept.

Philip, at this moment, felt very stupid.

"Watch the servants," Tamamo said. "People like Diodora enjoy being served, lording their power over others. Let them lead you to him."

It didn't make Philip feel less stupid about the lack of planning for this problem, but it gave them some direction.

A brief spell, like before, to convey the plan to Aya, and they were quickly following her sense of smell to the kitchen, before following a servant through the servants' passages, hidden in the giant walls of the palace.

At one point, they had to squeeze to the side to avoid touching a servant rushing back through another passage, nearly losing their unwitting guide in the process, but they persevered, finding the servant entering an elevator.

Part of Philip was amused at the sheer distance the servant was taking the tray of food, but with magic, there were plenty of ways to keep it piping hot for hours. Likely the only reasonable option in a palace of this size.

After using a nearby set of stairs, they found the servant slipping into a doorway that led out of the servants' back areas.

Sharing a look under their many levels of hiding, they choose the door next to it, and gently opened the door. A spell neutralised any risk of the hinges creaking.

On the other side was an empty office space. Blank sheets of paper were stacked on a desk, with rays of light trailing onto the inkpot sitting upon it.

Silently, they padded out into the corridor and slipped into the room through an open door.

Philip grinned. Letters were stacked around Diodora as the blond-haired devil sat at the desk.

He kept his breathing steady as he silently stepped forwards, manoeuvring towards his back.

Steeling his heart, Philip gathered his magic, forming the desired spell in his mind.

Perhaps he leaked some mana, or perhaps Diodora sensed something was wrong.

Whatever the source, the young devil stiffened. His powers gathered into defensive formations.

They were shattered as light and fire struck the half-formed shields and wards, the Elemental Lance of Light and Fire struck them, piercing the back of Diodora's neck.

Philip blinked as the corpse flopped to the side.

"Is… is that is?" Aya whispered. "Just… just like that?"

"Not out of it yet," Philip replied, his hand starting to shake. "Okay, copying spell, everything on the desk, and carefully check the drawers for anything else. Take nothing, copy everything."

As Aya sorted through the papers, Philip's gaze was directed at Diodora's corpse.

'Well, that takes part of canon of the rails,' He thought to himself as he searched the body, his hand sliding into a pocket of the ridiculously expensive dress coat. 'What are the odds that it has unexpected knock-on effects?'

"Oh, almost certainly one hundred per cent," Tamamo replied, then froze as Philip pulled something from the pocket. "What, is that!?"

Philip grimly looked at the hole in reality, the nothingness that sat in his palm, shaped like a serpent.

'And there is the proof… huh… seems kinda like Trihexa… I know Ophis came from the Dimensional Gap, but where did 666 come from, and why does this piece of Ophis seem familiar to it?'

Philip's thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"Master Astaroth, your… guest has arrived…" The voice trailed off with growing horror.

Philip and Aya stared at the young woman at the doorway, still protected under their spells and techniques… but the corpse was still quite visible. They shared a look, and Aya, though pale, gave a gesture to the open balcony.

The girl screamed.

Philip felt a pit grow in his gut as he felt something powerful grow nearby.

It dwarfed almost everything he had ever felt.

And it was coming closer at a frightening speed.

 

[charclone]

Aya reacted first, with a speed humans could only match with supernatural assistance. Her arm snapped out across Philip's chest, lifting him as she moved. Had it been under less dangerous circumstances, he might have jokingly called it a flash step.

It felt like only a heartbeat later that the white-haired devil appeared, shoving aside Diodora's servant and merely noting the corpse with disinterest.

He knew that the assassin(s) were still present.

Why he cared, Philip couldn't begin to guess, as he saw the man's face, just before Aya carried him around the corner and out onto the balcony.

Several powerful magic probes crushed Philip's illusions with ease but slid over Aya's ki techniques. A moment later, the power shifted, instead shattering the ki techniques. Philip barely had the presence of mind to call up the formulas for his spells again, keeping them hidden.

As the white-haired devil stepped onto the balcony, Philip realised both he and Aya were shaking. Their breathing was erratic, and Aya's grip on his chest was painfully tight.

A second series of probes came, but they were focused on the fields surrounding the palace/training camp as Rizevim Lucifer stood on the balcony, close enough Philip could have reached out and touched him.

Not that Philip would ever do such a thing, given that he could feel the raw power in his wards and active defences causing the air around them to buzz with energy.

A faint whisper in his ear from Tamamo snapped him out of the rising panic.

He raised his staff and pointed at the distant treeline.

The illusion of a shrouded figure with a fake invisibility spell collapsing around them barely had enough time to appear before Rizevim struck.

The blow was overkill, by several orders of magnitude.

The technique was a simple packing of demonic energy into a small space with the intent to do lethal damage, often called a demonic bullet.

Unlike Kuroka's usage of them, the largest being at most a centimetre wide, Rizevim's was measured in meters. It hit the ground behind the illusion, erupting into caustic energies that leapt in a cone towards the treeline and continued past for dozens of meters, leaving shattered trees and a deep, scorched furrow in the earth.

It happened so fast, Philip almost failed to cancel the illusion spell.

The white-haired devil frowned, staring at the scar in the ground, before turning back to the servant, sobbing over Diodora's corpse.

Aya buried her face into Philip's shoulder to muffle her sigh of relief, as he turned away from the corner they were hiding in.

They both heard Revizim's voice curse and the sound of the reincarnated devil being shoved aside.

Philip, slowly pushed himself away from Aya's grasp, peering around the corner to see the white-haired man stand from Diodora's corpse and stomp off deeper into the palace. For a brief moment, Philip felt confused, then he felt a pit of dread, glancing at his left hand, clenched in a tight fist around the snake of Ophis he had taken from Diodora.

Slowly, he leaned over to Aya, even as he heard shouts of panic from the guards.

"We need to get to the teleportation circle, and teleport to one of the fallback points we prepared," He whispered as Aya shivered. "Aya, do you understand."

She nodded, as her breathing slowly stabilised. It still came in ragged gasps, but she was no longer hyperventilating.

The teleportation circle, fortunately, was easy to find. Revizim went straight to it. After a moment, his immense power vanished with a flare from the leyline to signify a massive draw in power.

Aya stood, frowning.

"I hear patrols moving. Angry voices," She whispered back once Revizim's oppressive aura vanished. "W-what's…" She shuddered and stuttered before clenching her fists. "What's the plan to get past them?"

Philip, with far more confidence than he felt, smiled as he whispered back a reply.

"Ever watched Scooby-Doo?"

---

Illusions flickered in and out of existence as they jogged towards the teleportation circle. Characters from history and fiction leapt through walls or charged patrols. Doors opened and closed without anyone present.

The patrols made up of both of Diodora's servants and his peerage, collapsed. Some were in grief, but most quickly grew frustrated with the mockery.

Holy powers and more than a few sacred gears flared to no avail, as it would seem, to Philip's perverse pleasure, that Diodora's victims had been targeted before they had serious training, as well as Diodora's laxity at teaching them about their newfound devil powers.

Illusions simply ignored an axe summoner as she threw the manifestations of her sacred gear at them, while her compatriots chased after another bunch that would leap through one doorway, only to come out another a moment later. Made worse by the illusions of them that appeared, going through other doors, spreading greater confusion.

Philip was even treated to the sight of what he presumed was a knight running headfirst into – and through – a wall when confronted with the image of an illusion running down it and around a corner. Had the girl not been the victim of manipulation, he might have found it funny.

Aya remained silent, sticking close to him as they moved.

The spells were not difficult to power, but by the time they got to the room with the teleportation circle, Philip felt drained.

He almost stumbled when he ended the illusions to ready the teleportation spell.

There was no dramatic final boss before they left. No interruption that would force them to use their other escape plans.

In a flare of light, they vanished. The interior of the palace was replaced by the sandy dunes of the middle of the Sahara Desert.

Philip took a moment to breathe, then he cast another teleport.

Again, the scenery changed, as he muddied their path.

He cast the teleportation spell a third time, each time hard than the last. Then a fourth.

After the fifth time, he realised he wasn't going to be able to cast any more.

Around them, the deep jungle of the Amazon loomed.

Philip's head swam, and he nearly collapsed.

With a grunt, Aya caught him.

Gently, she lowed him down so that his back was against a tree.

"Well," Philip giggled as he waited for his head to stop swimming. "At least we know why the defences were so shit."

Aya blinked, staring at Philip.

"We almost got killed, and you're laughing?" She muttered. After casting a spell to keep wildlife and insects away, she sat next to him. "Who was that?"

"Revizim Lucifer, if I am correct. The son of the Devil… literally," Philip answered slowly. "We… we came very close to getting killed. I… I'm sorry for getting you involved."

Aya elbowed him, and Philip winced.

"If I wasn't there, you'd be dead, or worse," She glared at him. "… I don't have many friends, and having seen what we're up against… I'm… I'm afraid."

She leaned against him and shuddered.

"But he didn't see us. He could only batter down each of our defences one at a time, with no real skill. He's a brute," She said. "So, we almost died. But we survived, and I copied a lot of the letters. Some that I saw were of purchases of Phoenix tears."

Philip nodded, sighing.

"Still, I… I realise I didn't put nearly enough planning into this," He said. "No idea of the layout, no idea what the place looked like until we got there. Escape routes worked, but… I should have considered that he might be meeting with a member of the organisation he was part of, given he was so far away from civilisation, with crappy wards. He didn't want anyone to know he was meeting with Revizim Lucifer."

They sat there, in silence, for several minutes, as Philip readied himself for one more teleportation.

As he stood, staff in hand, Philip glanced at his fist, the snake still clenched within it. By chance, he looked up as he sighed, considering what to do about it.

"Well, at least we are done for the… oh," She slumped. "We still need to meet with Sirzechs."

Philip snorted.

"What?"

He pointed.

"We were sitting under a PapAya tree."

Aya punched him.

---

After a quick stop at the Brotherhood's headquarters to clean themselves, grab identification, and place the copies Aya made into a physical medium, rather than risk the spell she had used collapsing, they once more entered the underworld.

And came face to face with an upset-looking Serafall.

Both of their hearts leapt into their throats.

"Ser-Levi-tan," Philip smiled. "What seems to be the problem?"

They were standing in a large plaza, used for teleportation and official visits to the capital of the underworld. Surrounded by large buildings, it wouldn't have looked out of place in a modern city on Earth, barring the use of magic to light the streets, the magic circles on the ground to anchor or boost teleportation, and the purple sky of the underworld above.

"You met my sister months ago!" She shouted. "And you didn't tell me! Worse, you weren't taken in by her beauty!"

Philip blinked.

This was not what he was expecting.

Aya's grip on his arm tightened.

"Uh… I didn't want to impose, and we were there for Kuroka to meet her sister," Philip answered, panic in his tone. "Also… she's not my type?"

Serafall's glare increased by an order of magnitude.

"Oh? And what is your type?"

Philip, realising he needed to very quickly get his proverbial foot out of his mouth, decided to use Aya as a shield.

"Hey!" She hissed.

Serafall blinked, then pouted once more.

"Oh," She slumped. "You're like Sirzechs."

Aya blinked in confusion. Then after a moment, she blushed, understanding the implication.

Sirzechs had a bit of a reputation, given that devil society was rather accepting of polyamory, yet he chose to take only Grayfia as his lover and wife, and her alone.

Philip shrugged in response.

"Speaking of, I have a meeting with him on behalf of my organisation…" Philip trailed off.

"Oh, I'll walk with you then. I have paperwork to drop off on his desk," Serafall smiled, leading the way.

"So," Philip asked as they walked towards the immensely sized government building – devils did not do small – that housed many offices, including that of the reigning Satans. "How did you know we were arriving?"

"I didn't," The Leviathan answered, skipping along in her magical girl outfit without a thought to her political station. "I had just arrived before you, after visiting… ah, sorry. Shouldn't talk about that part."

"Ah, clandestine dealings," Philip snorted.

The trio continued to walk, as the sheer distance slowly set in for Philip. Mentally he cursed the supernatural for having such superior endurance to humans. Tamamo merely laughed at the thought, recognising the jest in it.

'You could have helped more,' he lamented to the kitsune.

"I would if I could, but unfortunately, this Sacred Gear seems to lack any ability, and what techniques I remember I am not sure would be safe for you to use, given the condition of your ki," She replied. "Perhaps I might be able to teach your friends some of them?"

Philip wasn't sure if he wanted her to talk to others. She did have a rather spotty reputation.

"So, Philip," Serafall asked. "You made an improved version of the Elemental Spear and Lance spell, right?"

"Yes?" Philip drew out the vowel, as he felt a trail of ice go down his back. Aya swallowed. "The Brotherhood purchased printing rights for it. Why do you ask?"

"Well, my sister recently bought one of the books, and she asked me if I knew you, not realising she had already met you," Serafall said. "Well, that's how I realised you had met my sister, and not fallen for her beauty. Anyway, she had several questions about the spell, and wants to meet with you to discuss it."

"I see… well, I…" He glanced at Aya. "I have no objection to discussing it with her. I occasionally make deliveries to Kuroka's sister when she is too busy, having been forced to get a part-time job, so I can see about meeting with her then?"

"Perfect!" Serafall cheered.

"Um…" Aya coughed. "Levi-tan, since I have the opportunity to ask… but did you deliberately include a real spell in season nine?"

"Kinda, see…"

Philip tuned out the discussion of the show.

"Well done," Tamamo said to him, giggling. "We'll make a liar of you yet."

'You can't see it, but I am giving you the middle finger.'

Eventually, they arrived at the entrance to the building.

Philip, still nervous that they might be caught – and Aya too, based on the firmness of her grip on him – noted that the guards paid them little attention, dressed in gleaming armour, with weapons that acted as foci in their hands, both decorated heavily.

He was slightly surprised at the lack of effort to confirm their identities.

Swiftly, they made their way to Sirzechs' office. He barely had time to blink at the opened door before Serafall conjured a person tall stack of papers to literally drop on his desk.

They landed with a thump.

"Okay!" Serafall grinned. "My job is done for the day, I'm off to go see my imouto! Later Philip!"

Sirzechs, (officially) undisputed ruler of hell, sighed, muttering something about Ria-tan, before looking at Philip and Aya, smiling lightly.

"Let me guess, you ran into her, and she dragged you along, given your meeting with me in…" He checked a clock on the wall. "Hmm. Now. Well timed."

Philip coughed.

"Erm, yeah. Sorry, not… not really used to this," He rubbed his head. "So, yeah, resched- wait, why did I have to talk to you directly about this instead of an assistant in charge of your schedule?"

Aya elbowed him for the second time that day.

Sirzechs laughed.

"That would be Grayfia, and believe me, I think you would prefer talking to me."

A cough sounded from behind Philip.

Sirzechs paled.

"So, does the same time next week work for him?" He said with a strained tone.

"Yup," Philip nodded rapidly.

"If that will be all," Grayfia, dressed in a blue and white maid dress, stepped into the room. "My King, an incident has arisen. So, I believe your guests should leave. If desired, I can arrange for a hotel for them to stay in."

"That won't be necessary," Aya spoke for Philip. "I believe this concludes our business here today."

"Actually, there is one more thing," Sirzechs' said. "But it can wait, as I suspect this is important. I will have my sister discuss the details with you, as I believe you visit her on the behalf of one of her peerage's family?"

"That is correct. Her rook, Koneko's sister."

Sirzechs nodded.

"Very well. Hopefully, next time we can discuss something more pleasant than boring meetings," He said, still smiling. "I hear you like music?"

"I'm actually rather picky," Philip replied. When Grayfia cleared her throat, he recognised her meaning. "But that is for another time. Good day."

Sirzechs waved, as another servant led them out.

 

[Corvus 501]

The teleportation escape scene brought to mind one of the funnier ways to mess up a teleportation trail, by teleporting over the side of a cliff, causing your pursuers to fall to their deaths. Obviously, that wouldn't on fliers, but teleporting to the Dimensional Gap could work well for a substitute, probably better than just teleporting to the Sahara. As the Gap dosn't have permanent features, a temporary anchor would work as the magical equivalent of a burner phone, making escape possibly less stressful.

 

[charclone]

The teleportation escape scene brought to mind one of the funnier ways to mess up a teleportation trail, by teleporting over the side of a cliff, causing your pursuers to fall to their deaths. Obviously, that wouldn't on fliers, but teleporting to the Dimensional Gap could work well for a substitute, probably better than just teleporting to the Sahara. As the Gap dosn't have permanent features, a temporary anchor would work as the magical equivalent of a burner phone, making escape possibly less stressful.

That is a potential option, yes, but would require setup that Philip doesn't know how to do, that being establish 'safe' zones in the gap to teleport to when covering their trail. Its doable, and within his reach, but is something that lies outside his interests, and takes time, like anything else, to learn.

 

[Corvus 501]

That is a potential option, yes, but would require setup that Philip doesn't know how to do, that being establish 'safe' zones in the gap to teleport to when covering their trail. Its doable, and within his reach, but is something that lies outside his interests, and takes time, like anything else, to learn.

I thought he was already making teleportation anchors?

Honestly, the whole point of the idea would be that the area isn't safe, as you ideally would hit the beacon, and bounce to realspace, burning it out in the process, and allowing the chaotic nature of the Gap to eat your exit signature, and possibly whoever is chasing you. A multi use beacon might be LESS useful for quick escapes, as they would stabilize an area of space for longer, possibly leaving enough space for a signature to stick around. The biggest problem would be economical in nature, as the beacon would have to be sturdy enough to stick around for a while, but also flimsy enough to self destruct after use.

If that isn't how it works here, that's fine, but by my current understanding of the story's mechanics, this would be secure.

 

[charclone]

I thought he was already making teleportation anchors?

Honestly, the whole point of the idea would be that the area isn't safe, as you ideally would hit the beacon, and bounce to realspace, burning it out in the process, and allowing the chaotic nature of the Gap to eat your exit signature, and possibly whoever is chasing you. A multi use beacon might be LESS useful for quick escapes, as they would stabilize an area of space for longer, possibly leaving enough space for a signature to stick around. The biggest problem would be economical in nature, as the beacon would have to be sturdy enough to stick around for a while, but also flimsy enough to self destruct after use.

If that isn't how it works here, that's fine, but by my current understanding of the story's mechanics, this would be secure.

The anchors are easy, its keeping them from being eaten before have a chance to use them that is the hard part that Philip would need to learn. Setting it up to unravel after one use is doable, but still requires the knowledge of how to first set up a stable space.

Asia, when she got dumped into the void, was considered dead within a few seconds, though that might have been bullshitting from Shalba. Regardless, the DV is a very hostile place if you don't have protections.

 

[Corvus 501]

The anchors are easy, its keeping them from being eaten before have a chance to use them that is the hard part that Philip would need to learn. Setting it up to unravel after one use is doable, but still requires the knowledge of how to first set up a stable space.

Asia, when she got dumped into the void, was considered dead within a few seconds, though that might have been bullshitting from Shalba. Regardless, the DV is a very hostile place if you don't have protections.

Could he set the anchors up a few hours before an operation? The stability spell would only need to last for a short period that way, which should drop the requirements down a bit.

 

[charclone]

Could he set the anchors up a few hours before an operation? The stability spell would only need to last for a short period that way, which should drop the requirements down a bit.

Again, he would need to learn how to do that, and in my story, it is not a simple task to do, let alone learn.

 

[charclone]

The archmage thumbed through the letters, sitting in Philip's office.

Normally, he respected the privacy of other members, but the boy, barely into adulthood, was new, strangely active compared to most magicians, and had obtained these letters from a member of the Khaos Brigade.

Broadly speaking, there were two possibilities. Either Philip was the most incompetent plant he had seen in his very, very, very long life, or the boy had some reason to despise the mysterious organisation.

He seemed to despise it, not because it was fighting the organisation, or because it was made up of non-humans (his lover and assistant put to rest any thoughts he was a human supremacist) but for an unknown reason.

The archmage did not become one of the most powerful and respected human magicians by being blindly trusting, even if he was far less known that younger contemporaries such as Faust or Merlin.

Besides, for all his admitted flaws, he did value the organisation and its members, desiring to protect them, for more than just the reason he had joined them.

A line, almost casually thrown in on one letter caught his eye.

The door creaked open and Philip, with his kitsune friend, froze. A glance at the papers in his hand answered why he was still here, instead of heading home for the night, given the late hour at his home. The boy was diligent in his paperwork, something most magicians lapsed in, a fact the archmage appreciated.

"My apologies, but given our recent struggles, I couldn't wait to analyse the information you acquired," The lie rolled off his tongue with long-practised ease. "Since you are here, the meeting has been rescheduled?"

"In one week," Philip confirmed.

The archmage held up the letter that had caught his interest.

"Here, twelfth line, read it."

Philip frowned as he read it. Aya cocked her head to the side.

"Is that code?" She asked. "It seems… who says, 'I look forwards to your disappearing arrival'?"

"A poor translation of old devil," The archmage chastised. "But you are correct that it does not fit with the rest of the letter. There are numbers used, rather than being spelled out. It is a simple cypher, non-existent really, but the date mentioned matches exactly with what we encountered, two weeks ago, a cache of alchemical ingredients from the underworld, being delivered to a group of magicians that had launched attacks against us."

He frowned. The pair seemed tired, not surprised, yet they also seemed shaken. Their attention was barely on the revelation… or perhaps they had been expecting it.

"Are you well?" He asked. "I take it there were no major complications in your excursion?"

There were flickers in their eyes. They glanced at each other, indecision and mistrust in their eyes.

Philip sighed.

"We barely avoided Rizevim Lucifer," He admitted after a moment.

The archmage felt suddenly very cold.

"You are certain?"

"Walking leyline's worth of power, white hair, tall, old, and a devil, looked like the few images of him I'd seen."

Aya shuddered.

"His aura, the ki he was giving off, felt foul. I…" The girl paused. "I didn't know anything could feel that foul."

The archmage frowned.

"What of my aura?" He asked. "Not to change the subject, but given my own history is far from bloodless, I am curious, given from what I know of ki, and how a murderer can seem based on their ki."

Aya stilled, her tails flitted behind her.

"Your aura is… not foul," The archmage raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more. "But it is unpleasant."

"Really?" The archmage noted. "Hmm. You know, you are the first kitsune I have encountered that was willing to tell me that, though to be fair, I have spent little time outside of Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. Now, I suspect you are correct about it being the son of the Devil, which speaks ill of recent events."

Things came together rather well in the archmage's mind, given Philip's connections and logical conclusions based on the knowledge that the old kings faction was working with the Khaos Brigade. There were still questions, and it didn't fit perfectly, but the archmage was fine with that. It was progress, and Philip was unlikely to be any sort of infiltrator.

"That is why you fear the Khaos Brigade," He said to Philip, locking his gaze on the boy. "Another devil civil war is in the wings, and with outside help, the war will likely spread to Earth."

Philip and Aya both paled, further adding proof to the archmage's deduction.

"It is earlier than I expected, I admit, but," The archmage was about to say more when Philip interrupted him.

"How familiar are you with Ophis?"

The archmage went still.

"Him? Do you have proof?"

Philip stepped over to his desk instead of answering, withdrawing a jar, meant for preserving alchemical reagents.

The archmage's hands snapped out, snatching the jar, just as the seal was broken, resealing it with a swiftness that shocked all in the room.

He felt his heart thundering, in fear.

"Philip. Where did you find that?" The Archmage fought the panic down, enunciating his words without a hint of emotion. He had been cursed with eternal life, and any blow against him would instead be inflicted on his attacker. He was not unkillable. His search for a cure from the curse, millennia ago, had set him on the path of magic and had revealed more than a few ways. His motives had changed since then, using the curse to his benefit, but Ophis was from outside their world. Perhaps outside creation.

And that entity, shaped like a dragon, scared the archmage. It was not his death he feared, but the destruction of everything, something that was within Ophis' capabilities.

"Inside Diodora's pocket," Philip's answer only fed the archmage's confusion and panic.

The archmage didn't ask any further questions.

Philip blinked in confusion as a change came over the elderly magician.

"Go home. Rest," The archmage ordered. "I will sort through these and compile a report for the council. You… any connections you have, any you might gain, pursue them. Promise nothing, ask for nothing, until the council has debated on the report. But if you see the opportunity to get us allies… do so. If it requires resources, speak to me, and I will see what I can do, even if it is just offer advice."

He glanced at the young man, seeing the confusion in his eyes.

"Ophis… he has stayed aloof of worldly matters, merely observing. That they are acting now, with the Khaos Brigade, the Old Kings faction, and who knows what else…" The archmage shuddered. "I doubt this is a matter they did willingly, and I fear what power was found that control one such as him."

"They could also control Trihexa," Philip postulated. He frowned, struggling to remember why Ophis had chosen to form the Khaos Brigade. Her - currently his? - ultimate goal was the death or removal of Great Red from the Dimensional Gap, but why he couldn't remember either.

The archmage cursed.

"Damn, yes, yes they might," He hissed. "Damn, I wanted my revenge to be creation, humanity out creating their creators, not… destruction."

"Go," The Archmage commanded. "Rest and connect. I will worry about Trihexa, Ophis, and the large politics, and keep this information secret."

---

With a groan, Philip collapsed onto the couch of the Kato residence, Aya flopping down next to him.

"Mom's busy with a case," She said. "Kuroka… I still can't believe she got a job."

"Your mom didn't like her freeloading," Philip explained. "Now that she isn't wanted, and so used her sister as a way to motivate her."

Kuroka had devoted the entirety of her paycheck, working at a fast food place for minimum wage, to drown her sister in gifts, junk food, and generally spoil her.

"Anyway," Aya carried on, sitting up and leaning against her boyfriend. "We have the place to ourselves, so…."

Philip rolled his eyes, knowing where this was going.

"Let's watch the new season of Serafall's show!"

There it was.

"I'll even help you make something!" Aya offered.

Any sort of witty response from Philip was interrupted when the phone rang.

Aya pouted as she answered it.

"Hello… oh, Kuroka… oh… okay… yeah… okay," She hung up.

Philip groaned as he stood, stumbling as the room swam. He caught himself with his staff.

"So, Stray Devil attacking?" He guessed.

"Fenrir," Aya replied.

"Fenrir?"

---

"Fenrir," Philip grumbled, walking into the fast-food place.

"Finally!" Kuroka groaned from the till. "It's after hours, but I can't leave until he does, and he keeps ordering food."

Philip glanced at the divine wolf.

The wolf in question, hidden behind an illusion of a chubby, overweight man, simply smiled from where he was eating at a table.

"Are you here alone?" Philip asked Kuroka.

"No, there are two others," She answered. "Why, nya?"

Philip glanced at Aya, who was struggling to keep her giggles under control. She simply held up four fingers, reading Philip's expression.

"We'll take a number three and a number four, both with fries and rootbeer," He said, ignoring Kuroka's moans of distress and betrayal. They turned to sighs of relief when he added; "To go."

As the orders were thrown together, Aya chatted with Kuroka, while Philip sat across from Fenrir.

"This is my fault, isn't it?" He asked. "I got you addicted to fast food."

"Yes," The wolf nodded. "Easier than hunting and fills me up faster. I prefer hunting still because that is the proper way to obtain food, but cooked meals are superior in taste. Also, humans panic too easily, making it hard for me to hunt worthy prey."

"By worthy prey…."

"Elk, deer, oxen, dragons, etc."

"Just checking," Philip sighed. "Wait, did you say dragons?"

"Orders ready!" Aya called.

"Right, anyway," Philip began as he stood.

"I will leave the cat alone. Even if she shouldn't be so lazy," Fenrir swallowed the last bite of his hamburger. "Perhaps I will hunt later tonight, further north."

The wolf paused.

"Are you any good at cooking venison?"

"Never tried. I'm more experienced with a stove and oven," Philip replied, thinking. "Besides, it would need to be properly butchered. I could probably learn how to do it over a campfire though."

"Perhaps in the future then," Fenrir said, the illusion he wore nodding. "In any case, good night."

Philip glanced at his phone's clock as the wolf carried the tray of trash in his teeth.

"Eek, it is late at night," He yawned. "Fast food was a good idea. I forgot about the time lag… wait, why would Minori still be at work at twenty-to-twelve?"

 

[charclone]

A.N. Do remember, by this point, both Aya and Philip are 18. Also, for some reason, Grammarly doesn't always keep italicisation.

---

A monster pursued him as the man ran.

It was a shadow, one that swallowed the light, leaping from roof to roof.

People ignored him, even as he pushed past them in his blind panic. A taxi nearby smashed into him, missing him by a hand's breadth.

He fled, legs burning in agony as he ran, his breathing ragged and his heart pounding in his ears.

The thing crashed into him, throwing him into an alley.

He screamed as it towered over him, snarling.

People walked past the alley entrance, without flinching or even noticing the monster or his screams.

It pressed down on him, its mouth getting closer and closer to his face.

Then, it spoke.

"I know what you did," The raspy voice that emanated from its horrific mouth was one nothing mortal could create, or anything with a physical throat. The sound clawed at the man's ears. "You will admit to bribing that jury when the proof is brought before you, or my next visit will not be so pleasant."

The message delivered, it faded away.

The man, his trousers soiled, lay there, sobbing, before eventually, after nearly half an hour, getting up, and stumbling away.

Deeper in the alley, Minori watched with a scowl on her face.

She despised being forced to go to such lengths, but the man's lawyer was too canny by half and the man himself had abused, and killed, quite a few people. She despised taking the law into her own hands, but she had caught him watching the prosecutor at their home, and they were a friend.

She had already mailed evidence of his wrongdoing anonymously.

She knew it was risky, as there was always the risk of running into something not mortal being involved in criminal acts, but she refused to let a friend be harmed.

Shaking herself off, she transformed and ran home in the shape of a fox.

Slipping inside at just after four in the morning, she noted the faint smell of fast food, and the form of Kuroka curled asleep on the couch, still wearing her uniform.

Amused, Minori stretched before heading to her bedroom. She noted the guest room, still used by Philip now that there was a bunk bed in Aya's room, was ajar. Curiosity and concern burned inside her, goading her to peek inside.

She bit back a laugh, before instead heading to the bathroom.

---

Philip awoke to something biting his shoulder. Groaning, he awoke, blinking.

Looking at the shoulder, he noticed three things.

One: It was Aya biting him. Two: Aya was asleep. Three: Aya was in his bed.

He felt the heat from his blush as he gently rocked her, both to stop her from gnawing on his shoulder and because… he had no idea what else to do when trying to process the fact that she was in his bed, aside from ignoring Tamamo's snickering.

What had happened was easy to deduce. Between their weariness, adrenaline crash, and the late hour, neither of them were thinking correctly. Add in that they had been sticking together for the time under pressure, and Aya likely kept following him when he went to bed just after they had eaten.

Aya responded to his attempt to wake her by rolling away from him. Of course, given the bed was designed for only one occupant, this resulted in her rolling into the air and landing on the floor with a thump.

Philip winced as she woke with a squawk. She leapt up off the floor in surprise, and Philip noticed a fourth and fifth thing.

His brain crashed.

Aya sat down, rubbing her head, then frowned as she saw the nuclear blush on her boyfriend. She blinked the last of her sleep from her head, confused before it sank in.

"… we were really tired last night," She said, blushing herself. At Philip's continued silence she gave him a confused look.

Philip's brain, struggling to reboot, failed to provide any words. His mouth thus decided to run off on its own.

"I understand why you complain about weight now," He froze as the words left his mouth, his brain processing what was said.

Aya's blush increased as she looked down. At bare skin.

With an "Eep!" she used the blankets to cover herself. She glanced around.

"… I forgot to put pyjamas on," She moaned. "And… where are my clothes?"

"You left them in your room!" Kuroka called out from the living room, apparently able to hear them through the walls. She found the fact that Aya had left her pyjamas behind hilarious.

Aya's face began to glow red, eclipsing her earlier blush.

Philip, his brain finally rebooted enough to realise that he was staring, forced his gaze to the clock on the nightstand.

"Crap, we're going to be late meeting with Rias and Sona," He cursed, before pausing and relaxing. "No, wait, we still have time, forgot to factor in the time zones."

His gaze fell on a plastic wrapper on the nightstand, that had not been there yesterday.

Aya followed his gaze, seeing it.

Minori, drinking a cup of coffee in her office, grinned as she heard her daughter shriek.

"Mooooom!"

---

"Shut it housecat!" Aya grumbled as she chewed on a piece of bacon, half an hour later.

Philip was thankful that he had apparently forgotten to change his clothes at all last night, having gone to bed dressed in the same clothes he had killed Diodora in.

He paused as he considered that fact. He had killed someone, roughly his own age. Snuffed out their life in an instant. It hadn't been easy, getting to that point, but a life was gone in an instant.

"As your acting big sister," Kuroka ignored Aya. "I have to ask; 'Don't you two think you are progressing your relationship too fast?'"

Aya blushed again. She moved her plate to the side and rested her head against the countertop.

Kuroka gave a Cheshire grin.

Philip wasn't sure what bothered him more; that a life had been so quickly snuffed out, or that he didn't feel bothered by the fact that it had been his will that snuffed the life out.

"Philip?" Kuroka shot him a frown. "You alright?"

"Just ignoring your teasing," He replied. As Minori walked in to refill her coffee pot, he shot her a look while he shifted the bacon in the pan. "That was evil."

"No," She rebutted with a grin that divulged her nature. "It was prudent. If you two need more, the box is in the back of the medicine cabinet."

Aya groaned again.

Philip found himself struggling with how to respond and process his growing romantic relationship with Aya, more than he did with processing that he had killed someone.

'Wait, no, I helped kill that devil, far earlier, didn't I?' He thought.

Minori held a plate up, and he placed the rest of the bacon on it. She vanished back into her office, hands full of coffee and bacon, a moment later.

"Philip, can I… can I talk to you for a moment?" Aya asked, still blushing, as he began to scrape the grease off the pan into a can.

"Sure?" He blinked when she cast a spell, sealing the kitchen.

Kuroka shot her a curious glance but resumed playing her game on the couch.

Philip tensed in surprise when he felt her chin rest against his shoulder. Her arms wrapped around him.

"About your comment earlier…."

Philip winced.

"Sorry," He apologised. "It was rude, I know you are conscious about… um."

Aya sighed and Philip felt the heat of her blush.

"No, it wasn't rude," She said. "But… well. You are right, they are heavy. Mom told me that part of the issue was I kept sealing them when they started getting bigger, so the muscles that normally compensate for them aren't as strong as they are supposed to be."

"Ah," Philip replied lamely.

"What I wanted to ask… I… do…" Aya stammered, her blush rising as she stumbled over her words.

Philip found his own throat closed to words, his face flushed as blood raced to his cheeks.

Tamamo groaned.

"Honestly, young people," She complained silently to him. "You like her, no matter what she looks like, do you not?"

'Yes.' Philip replied.

"Then tell her that!" The ancient fox spirit in the Sacred Gear grumbled. "This should not be that difficult. And hug her while you are at it!"

Philip followed the second part of her advice first, turning around to face Aya, and wrapping her in a hug.

"I like you, no matter your appearance," He forced through his rebellious throat.

Kuroka gave a cheer.

'Oh, the sealing spell is gone….' Philip noted. "Uh, Aya, maybe in the future, use a privacy spell, instead of a sealing one. Sealing magic is kind of Kuroka's thing and didn't slow her down at all."

Aya was silent for several moments.

"Kuroka, you're off work today, right?" She finally asked.

"Uh…."

"I'm going to need to go shopping, so you can help me," Kuroka pouted in response. "Besides, you said the other day you wanted to go shopping for your sister."

The mention of her sister was what broke Kuroka's resistance.

"Fine," She surrendered. "But you and Philip have to help me bake something for her."

 

[Karmic Acumen]

So, I'm assuming Philip will never actually be combat-relevant and only go around as an infiltrator and saboteour.

Humanity's Illusion isn't just a play on Philip's magical specialty, it refers to mankind having illusions of relevance, doesn't it?

 

[charclone]

So, I'm assuming Philip will never actually be combat-relevant and only go around as an infiltrator and saboteour.

Humanity's Illusion isn't just a play on Philip's magical specialty, it refers to mankind having illusions of relevance, doesn't it?

Kinda. Plan is that Philip will not be directly relevant in combat. He can do damage, but his output will be specialised, and not do a whole lot outside of taking advantage of specific vulnerabilities. His main thing is being indirectly relevant, by creating openings or confusing the enemy, in a support role. Thing 'God Wizard' in D&D terms, they don't usually have any high damage spells, because they are about assisting the team, like the gods in old myths that would act through heroes.

You are correct that it isn't just a play on Philip's speciality, and while humans are not heavy hitters in DxD, They are not irrelevant, and not just because of mages and Sacred Gears. Consider: Devils are largely reliant on humans for power, Artificial Sacred Gears can be made, and one of the Brotherhood of Nod's things, though it hasn't been shown yet, is industrialising magic.

What is alluded to in the title... well consider this: How human do the various non-human beings act?

 

[charclone]

Aya caught Philip as he stumbled, the teleportation spell fading away.

Despite the very early hour in Japan, Rias Gremory and her peerage had apparently been waiting for them in the clubhouse.

Philip waved at her as she stood in surprise and concern.

"I'm fine," He groaned. "I just overdid it yesterday with magic and exhausted myself."

Aya bit back a retort. That was closer to admitting they had been up to something yesterday, and she did not feel comfortable even remotely admitting anything resembling an association with the assassination.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Koneko took the look on Aya's face as one of concern for Philip. She hesitated for a moment, before standing from the couch and guiding the two of them to it.

"So," Philip said with a sigh as he sat down, letting his staff lean against the side of the couch. "Since I am here first and I will need a moment to clear my head before I can think about spells, what was it your brother wanted from me?"

He paused as Koneko stared at him expectantly.

"Sorry," Philip said to the little catgirl. "Nothing today. I will be assisting your sister in baking tomorrow, and then I'll bring her gifts for you."

The white-haired girl pouted, nodded, and sat on the other couch next to Kiba.

Aya frowned as she caught a brief glare and jealous look from the nekoshou devil, confused.

"There is no need for us to immediately discuss business. It is rather early, and it would be unfair to you," Rias protested. "Would you like some tea?"

Philip politely refused.

"I would love some," Aya said. "Please."

"Of course," Rias nodded. "Akeno?"

As they waited, Aya watched Philip lean back and doze. She released her tails, draping them over herself and her boyfriend.

She blinked as she caught a silent glare, once more from Koneko.

"Here you are," The smile that was directed at her from Akeno as she handed over the steaming cup of tea was polite, but there was a look in her eyes that made Aya feel uneasy. Mostly by the way her eyes flickered at Philip.

"Does he often exhaust himself like this?" Rias interjected, causing Akeno to withdraw with a subtle flicker. "I believe he may have drifted to sleep."

"I'm awake," Philip grunted.

"Not usually," Aya replied. "Mom, my mother, that is, chews him out when it happens."

"I see," Rias said, an amused grin on her face. "Now, about the matter from my brother."

Philip sat up straight, looking at Rias.

"I… recently gained a new member of my peerage," She went on to explain. "His power is… low, and with my graduation approaching, I believe we should attempt to make what progress we can-"

She paused, catching himself.

"My apologies, I am getting ahead of myself," The redheaded devil paused. "I would like you to train him in magic. Given his grades, I believe he has the intellect for it."

Aya frowned, cocking her head to the side. She glanced at Philip.

Philip stared back at Rias, a frown on his lips.

"I do not mean to be rude, but is there anything I should know about his… rebirth?" Philip asked.

Aya blinked as she felt something crawl down her spine. She realised who, exactly, Philip was being asked to train. This was… a rather large divergence.

Rias flinched.

"He was nearly killed by a Fallen," She admitted. "Lured just outside of my territory, then hit with a spear of light."

"Trauma, lovely," Philip groaned. "Anything else?"

Rias sighed.

"He is a rather unrepentant pervert, generally considered the scourge of the girls here at Kuoh, though most… some of it is the result of being the 'fall guy' for his co-conspirators in their attempts to harass the girls of the academy," Rias sighed, hanging her head and slumping in her chair. "His power is… also less than that of a newborn devil. A newborn natural devil. Hence why I am asking you for your assistance. I reincarnated him as a pawn, but that his power is so weak even after gaining eight pawns…."

Aya swallowed her tea as she heard the confirmation of just who Philip was being asked to teach.

It would seem she would not be accompanying him to… no, she was still going where Philip goes. But she was going to brush up on her illusions.

"Why me?" Philip asked. "I'm not particularly well known or skilled."

"True," Rias leaned back to look at Philip, steepling fingers together on her desk. "But Serafall recommended you, not to mention you are already a published magician, rare at your age."

"Beat, several times over, by Le Fay Pendragon," Philip countered. "At twelve, she already had a dozen spells published. I only published my first two months ago. Also, I prefer mage or wizard. Magician has connotations in the modern age."

"Nevertheless, it is rare to be published before a magician's third decade," Rias pointed out. "You also managed to do something no one else did, develop a spell that permits devils to wield light, albeit in a limited fashion."

With a flick of her wrist, to prove her point, she conjured a spear of light at her shoulder, pointed upwards.

"Still, I must refuse," Aya would be lying if she said she didn't feel some minor relief when Philip said that. "I already have a student, sort of, and my current duties would prevent me from being able to give proper attention to a second."

Rias sighed, slumping again.

"Very well," She was silent for a moment. "What are you doing for your organisation at the moment?"

"Making contacts with other supernatural groups, pantheons, organisations, etc.," Philip answered. "Now…."

Philip glanced at Aya.

"I also have a meeting with Sona Sitri, or Sitri Sona to use the Japanese order," He stood, steadying himself with his staff as Aya stood up next to him. "So, if that is all?"

"I have already contacted Sona," Rias said. "You can use the clubroom, comfier and safer than the school building. People might notice an older foreigner walking through the halls. It's not so early that the school is abandoned."

"You want to know what your friend and rival want to discuss with me?" Philip's words were accusing, though his tone was teasing.

"Perhaps," Rias smiled coyly. "But there is another topic I wish to discuss with you. How familiar are you with online communication?"

Aya blinked in confusion as Philip gave an amused snort.

---

"Rias," Sona greeted. "Thank you for inviting me. Philip. Aya."

The second request was one that Philip accepted. Which was simply talking online with Rias' bishop, a shut-in. Aya vaguely recalled something about him being a vampire from when Philip had explained his knowledge, but there were parts she was forgetting, and the Khaos Brigade was the largest concern.

Aya frowned at the way Sona greeted people as she entered. It was in a specific order. It took her a moment to realise it was in social rank.

Her greeting of Rias' peerage was nonverbal, just a nod in their direction.

"I hope my sister didn't trouble you too much with my request to discuss your spell?" Sona began with a glance at Rias who was watching with poorly veiled interest.

"No trouble at all," Philip replied. "We ran into her while I was delivering a message for my boss."

He frowned.

"Actually, I'm not quite sure if he is my boss, given he just holds the tiebreaker vote on the council."

"Regardless, I am glad to hear my sister knows at least some restraint," Sona sighed. "Now, I have several questions about the way you formatted the spell, as well as why you modified the original spell in such a way. I brought with me several spellbooks, copied from the Sitri library, as payment."

"Alright," Philip pulled one of his notebooks from his bag of holding. "Shoot."

"First of all, I am curious why you chose to remove Helio's function and instead replaced it with Shino's model, given Helio's offers greater efficiency."

"Well, first of all, Helio's function doesn't permit variables within it, and Shino's model does, but also can be factored into and out of some elemental equations as needed…."

Aya tuned them out. She had been present when the spell had been written, to paraphrase a certain lion. She had even been credited as a co-creator of the foxfire variant of the Elemental Lance family in Philip's book.

Instead, she looked at Koneko.

"Can I speak to you in the hallway?" Aya asked, leaning over the coffee table between the two couches.

She noted the way Kiba tensed, protective of his fellow peerage member.

"… okay," The catgirl said, quietly, with an assuring look to Kiba.

Aya felt Rias' curious gaze follow her around the corner.

In the hallway, the two youkai stared at each other.

The silence stretched on, the distant sound of Sona and Philip still discussing magical theory, occasionally interspersed with comments and questions from Rias and Akeno, echoed down the hallway.

Aya sighed, leaning against the wall, facing Koneko.

"You seem upset with me," She noted.

Koneko's gaze dropped.

The silence continued between the two of them.

Aya sighed, sliding down the wall to the floor.

"When I grew up, it was hard. Hiding what I was. My only friend was Philip," Aya began. "Then, Kuroka came, looking for a safe haven. She… I had no reason to hide what I was or lie to her. I hate having to lie."

The memory of Philip plunging his spear of light into the back of Diodora's head left a bitter taste in her mouth. She could never tell anyone else what they did, for all it was necessary.

"She became… a big sister to me," Aya continued. "I was fortunate. Lucky. You… weren't. You were separated from your sister and…."

Aya paused, collecting her thoughts.

"… why should you get my sister?" Came Koneko's quiet question.

Aya blinked, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Koneko slumped down across from her; her head still low.

"She rarely comes to see me," She said, her voice hoarse. "And she is still staying with you. Why can't she come here and stay with me?"

"I… don't know. Why she is so rarely visiting you, I mean," Aya said. She stood and sat next to the catgirl. "When was the last time she was here?"

"A month ago," Came the soft reply.

Koneko sniffled.

Aya felt something twist in her gut. Kuroka had been disappearing when she wasn't working or lazing about the house. Aya had assumed it was to see her sister.

"I… okay," Aya stood in front of Koneko, her hands on her hips. "One: I'd like a younger sister."

Koneko, startled, looked up at her, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Two: I will make sure Kuroka spends time with you, even if I need to borrow stuff from Akeno to keep her from moving."

Koneko's face scrunched up at Aya's second declaration, her nose wrinkling, though the corners of her lips tugged upwards.

"Three: Do you want to come back with us? I… don't trust Philip to safely teleport in his condition," Aya slumped. "He shouldn't have been teleporting today, I think."

Koneko blinked back at Aya's gaze.

---

Philip raised an eyebrow when they returned.

Aya flopped down next to him. Then froze and blinked.

"When did you start playing chess?" She asked.

"I insisted, partly to get my sister to stop pestering me, and to head off any potential teasing she may attempt," Sona replied dryly. "He is losing, and I believe I have already said that he is not my type."

"You are playing chess while discussing magical theory?" Aya questioned.

"Yes," Sona bluntly replied.

"She didn't need the handicap. I lost seven turns ago," Philip said. "I told you I haven't played in years."

"Yet, you were still able to recognise that you have already lost," Sona countered. "With practice, you might be an interesting challenge given some time."

"Too simplified," Philip said. "I prefer wargames, not that I have the time. More variability and ability to apply strategy, though that still fails to account for the master of all armies: Logistics."

"A fair point. Though I must admit chess has a place in my heart," Sona said. "Kriegsspiel?"

"Zauberkriegsspiel," Philip replied. "Only played it three times, and a modified version of the D&D mass combat rules a couple more times, but there is a group I found that plays it."

"I'm afraid I'm a little lost," Rias interjected. "Zauberkriegsspiel? I understand that it translates to magic wargame, but I've never heard of it."

"Developed in the nineteen sixties by some magicians with an interest in military strategy. At its core, it's a version of Kriegspiel, an old Prussian wargame used both as play and as a training tool for officers, modified for modern combat environs, with magic added, permitting one to wargame hypothetical conflicts using up-to-date information, equipment, and modern spells," Sona explained. "I have heard that it is rather complex, however, and requires either heavy computer simulation, or several magicians as umpires to run."

"Yeah, more or less," Philip confirmed, tipping his king over. "The three battles took around a week, about forty hours total, each. The game is slow, but then, at the large scale that Zauberkriegsspiel, and its origin Kriegsspiel, operate at, so is war. Armies are ponderous things when moving and fighting."

"Perhaps-" Sona was cut off by the teleportation circle flaring to life.

Rias' peerage seemed startled, but not alarmed, suggesting they recognised the sigil that appeared at its centre.

Sona, without looking at it, recognised the power. She went ramrod straight, her face growing pale.

"Tatada! Here's Magical Girl Levi-tan!" Serafall announced herself as the spell faded. "So-tan! You're here waiting for me!"

"I merely had some business here," Sona replied, her voice strained but even. "With it complete, I now need to return to my duties as student council president."

"Nooo, So-tan, don't goooo!" Serafall moaned, reaching out for her – younger – sister, acting like a small child. "Staaaay!"

The Leviathan paused, staring at the chess set on the table. She grinned.

"Oh? You two-"

"We played a single game of chess while discussing magical theory, I lost," Philip stated. "Mostly so you couldn't tease her about it further."

Serafall pouted.

"She could have just asked me," She said. "But fine. I can tease her about other things."

"Must you?" The younger Sitri sister asked, a hand pinching the bridge of her nose, the other holding her glasses. "Would it cause you pain to act in a manner befitting your station?"

"I have an obligation as an older sibling to tease my younger sibling," Serafall grinned. "It's in the contract, and you know how we devils are with contracts!"

Then, with all the grace befitting her position as a ruler of Hell, she stuck her tongue out.

Sona buried her face in her hands.

"Sister, unless I am mistaken, Philip is suffering from mana exhaustion," Sona said, after a moment to compose herself. "If he is finished with his business here, perhaps you could teleport Aya and him home?"

"Actually, Koneko was going to do that," Aya said. "Part of a devil contract. In exchange, I am going to assist her with a personal issue."

A look of betrayal and despair flickered across Sona's face. She then snapped her head around to glare at Rias and Akeno, when a snicker escaped one of the pair's lips.

The duo made every attempt to not look like they were watching the scene play out with amusement.

"Well, alright then!" Serafall grinned. "More So-tan time for me!"

Sona, displaying wisdom appropriate for her age, made an undignified dash for the exit.

"Wait! So-tan! Come baaaack!" Serafall cried as she hurried off in pursuit.

"Well," Philip said. "Uh, if that is everything, and Aya was being serious, Koneko, do you mind if we left now, before say… Sirzechs showed up?"

"…yes," Koneko nodded. "Let's go."

Rias' eyes went wide.

"He wouldn't, would he?" She muttered to herself. She considered the possibility with a worried glance at the teleportation circle. "He would make the time, wouldn't he? I'll have to be careful during class observation day."

Akeno simply tittered at her friend's worry.

 

[TheWoo]

I wonder what perverted thing Issei would have invented with illusions, guy can be weirdly focused when it comes to his obsession.

 

[charclone]

I wonder what perverted thing Issei would have invented with illusions, guy can be weirdly focused when it comes to his obsession.

Things likely better left unsaid.

Part of the reason Philip said no, though Rias was more looking for Ise being taught the basics of mathematical magic, so he could use what little power he has, rather than illusions specifically.

He definitely would have at least thought about abusing invisibility spells though.

 

[charclone]

"Okay," Aya said as the glow of Koneko's teleportation circle faded away. "Kuroka!"

From the living room, there were the two distinct sounds of the nekoshou's surprised squawk and the tune of the Dark Souls' 'You Died' screen.

"Yes?" Came Kuroka's questioning reply. "Oh, is that Shirone with you?"

The bedroom was not the best place for a teleportation circle, Philip mentally noted as the two sisters greeted each other. The younger catgirl tackled the elder's midsection. But, he couldn't think of a better place. The house was not small, but it was starting to feel cramped.

"Oh, Aya, your mother just left," Kuroka said, between focusing her attention on her sister. "Something about a client."

"That's fine. We can call a cab," Aya replied with a smile as she watched the two sisters. "But your sister is joining us while shopping."

Kuroka pouted.

"I wanted my present for her to be a surprise!" She protested, before sighing. "Fine. I suppose I can let her choose some gifts as well."

"… just want you." Koneko quietly said.

"Well, you've got me for the day, at least," Kuroka told her sister. "I'll have to ask Minori if you can sleep over… and your King as well, I suppose."

"… I asked already," Koneko said. "She said it was fine, as long as I don't miss classes tomorrow."

"Well, in that case, where should be hit first?" Aya asked. "I was thinking we could swing by the mall, plenty of shops there, then…"

Philip tuned out their discussion. Instead, he checked what was in the freezer, mentally noting what was available.

"Hey, Koneko?" He called out.

"Hmm?" She replied, giving him a questioning glance as her sister and Aya planned their shopping trip.

"Do you like salmon?" He asked. "We have a couple in the freezer I could make for dinner."

She thought about it for a moment, before giving a slight nod. A ghost of a smile on her lips as her form relaxed slightly.

"Hey, Aya?" Philip said. "On your way back, can you get some lemons for dinner? I'll cook them with the fish."

"Sure."

---

Within minutes, Philip found himself alone in the house. The meal was planned, the handful of ingredients he needed that he didn't have would be picked up on their way back.

But Philip found Aya's absence unsettling.

She had been a constant at his side for… almost as long as he had known her. Her absence was… unsettling.

Logically, he knew why it was affecting him so. Beyond his feelings for her, she supported him. Beyond what he felt was due to a friend.

From his past life, a poem came to his mind, half-remembered, called the thousandth man. A friend who would 'stick more closely than a brother'. He struggled to recall who had written the poem, or even where he had heard it, as he had never been one for poetry, but something about it had stuck its way in his mind. Kipling, his gut wanted to say.

Aya, he felt, certainly embodied the concept.

There was, of course, one more element to his distress.

Aya made him feel, and represented, safety, unlike what he had felt with his parents.

Her absence made him realise just how much he owed her. More than words could convey.

He struggled to think of any way to repay her or show his gratitude.

"Oh, you know a way," The voice in his head, despite lacking eyebrows, suggestively wiggled them.

'We will progress our relationship at a pace we are both comfortable with,' Philip responded. '… it isn't exactly a good sign that her interests seem to boil down to Me, Levi-tan's show, magic, and her combat skills, is it?'

"I am probably the last person that should be giving advice on mental health," Tamamo riposted. "But given her lifespan, I don't see the problem. Nor why you should be concerned with her not having interests beyond those related to you."

'Okay,' Philip gave a mental sigh. 'Trusting the crazy fox in my head to give mental health advice was a bad idea, especially when she points it out. … why does that sentence make sense, even out of context?'

Philip gave a physical sigh as she cackled, sitting down on the couch.

"I do have a suggestion," She said a moment later. "A skill you could work on and teach her. One that you will need to… calculate, but you have some of the fundamentals. One that I created myself, to give the illusion of far greater durability than I had."

"Alright, shoot," Philip pulled a notebook from his bag of holding, speaking aloud.

"First, let me ask you this: Where do leylines exist?"

"Leylines exist just outside of three-dimensional space, but not in another dimension of plane. Essentially, they exist in 'microlayers' of reality. Difficult to detect, but they are the reason leylines haven't been discovered by non-magical governments."

"Correct, the energy in leylines radiates outwards from the 'core' microlayer, creating additional ones in the process. While nowhere near as durable or stable as the fayrealms, or other, similar realms, they are very effective at transferring mystical energy," Tamamo explained.

"Right, that's how magic spells work, the energy is transferred to a physical point, however distant the caster can handle, before the spell itself forms in the physical world," Philip frowned. "Are you suggesting I use barriers to… dumb or bleed attacks into those microlayers? It would be blindingly obvious, due to the radiating energies."

"Not quite," Tamamo chuckled. "I am suggesting you move yourself to a microlayer, not far from the physical world. Close enough to interact with it, but far enough away that spells have a reduced effect on you. With time, effort, and a bit of tutoring from the species most adept at manipulating microlayers like this, you might even reach the point where you could impose your own physical laws on those microlayers."

"And what species is that?"

"Kitsune," Came the reply to Philip's question. "How do you think some of their illusions work? Those impossible geometries, or ending up in a different place than you were going? Now, what I am suggesting is a variant of it, closer to teleporting along leylines, but instead relying on your spellwork. Since you lack the ki, you will need to figure out how to achieve the effect using magic. Fortunately, I believe leyline teleportation is most of the way there. Aya will, I suspect, have little difficulty wrapping her head around the concepts, once you have a framework to base the spell on. And wouldn't that be a wonderful gift? Something that will keep her safe, as well as keep something precious to her, you, safe?"

---

Koneko regretted everything.

"Oh! How about this one Shirone!" Kuroka cooed to her sister, holding up the most repulsively pink dress that had ever existed. "It would go well with your hair."

Koneko gave Aya a death glare as she snickered, some distance away. She sighed and chose to ignore the infuriating kitsune, instead focusing on her sister. Who was trying to get her to take the stupid dress.

"No," Koneko bluntly refused. Instead, she walked away from the dresses, towards the sweaters.

Kuroka stared at her sister's choice.

"Really?" She gaped. "You like rap music?"

Koneko simply nodded.

"Well," Kuroka sighed. "At least it's not as bad as Aya with Levi-tan stuff."

"Hey!"

---

Eventually, Koneko found herself needing to try on the clothes she had chosen, and those that her sister had forced her to try on. Finding a fitting room in the fashion store was easy, even if one of the employees had been surprisingly pushy about offering help.

Koneko paused, as she was trying on the sweater. Her cat ears appeared, twitching as she heard the voices of Aya and Kuroka.

"… disappearing…?" The voices were muffled by a sealing technique, but it was badly flawed. Even Koneko's rudimentary training could find those flaws. "You're her sister…"

Koneko frowned as she struggled to hear her sister's response through the seal, despite the proximity.

"… want too… Jeanne's … a few places…."

"… caught? You…."

"… why it… so much time… Fenrir."

Koneko frowned as they quieted down. Swiftly, she finished checking that everything – that she was willing to wear, refusing to touch the pink dress – fit, before stepping out of the fitting room.

"Aw," Her sister complained. "I wanted to see you in them. You're not going to let us see what you look like in them first?"

"No," Came Koneko's blunt reply. She then blushed when her stomach grumbled.

"Well, I guess it's time to head back, so, let's buy these clothes and go," Aya said. "Oh, right, Philip wanted lemons for the fish."

Koneko tugged on her sister's sleeve, pointing to a music shop.

"Why don't you go buy the lemons, and we'll go buy whatever it is Koneko is looking for, nya."

---

Aya stared at the mess of papers on the table. Arcane squiggles and formulas covered them.

"What is this?" She asked, stepping aside to let Kuroka and Koneko enter. "Philip, what have you been up to?"

"Just some calculations," He waved off her concerns without looking up from his work. "Haven't done anything, just trying to get the calculations right. The good news is you should be able to pull off the technique in question, due to it being ki-based, but the mathematical magic version is proving more difficult. I'll need to borrow runtime on the modelling software from the Brotherhood."

Aya sighed.

"Anyway, I got the lemons," She said, putting the bag on the counter. "Mom home?"

"She got here just before you did and vanished into her office," Philip said. He stared intently at the papers, before gathering them up in a half-organised fashion. He handed a small bundle to her. "Okay, these are for you, Tamamo used this technique and it appears to be safe. It's defensive in nature, letting you more effectively protect yourself by being in a microlayer, like leylines, but still close enough to reality to effect it."

Aya stared at the papers.

"Crap," She wilted. "Practice."

"Audible gasp, nya!" Kuroka… gasped, covering Koneko's ears with her hands. "What awful language before my young impressionable sister!"

Koneko, leveraging her much greater strength, pulled away from her sister, giving her sister a dead stare in the process, before putting her newly obtained vinyl records on the now clear table and playing a song from her phone.

Everyone stared as a long series of profanities came from it.

"Impressionable my ass," Philip snorted. "First; she's strong enough to leave an impression on any of us. Second; she likes rap. She's probably heard worse… assuming it's English rap she has been listening to."

"… the song is okay," Koneko shrugged. "Not all rap has swearing."

Kuroka shook a finger at Philip.

"Don't make my sister sound like a brute," She said.

"So," Philip ignored the mock anger from the black-haired catgirl, pulling the pans he would need for dinner out. "Everything went fine while shopping?"

"Some teen was staring at us when we stopped for lunch," Kuroka said with a snicker. "I think he was trying to work up the courage to hit on us."

Philip merely gave a shrug of acknowledgement.

"Oh? Not feeling at all jealous that someone might try to steal Aya from you, nya?" Kuroka needled. "Not even a little?"

"I trust Aya," Philip answered, turning the oven on. "Shame on you for trying to claim I don't."

"Shame," Koneko said in agreement. Aya nodded, smiling.

"You're no fun," Kuroka pouted. Then blinked. "Oh, a split-screen game with my sister."

"No," Koneko denied, the console controller in hand. Heavy metal began to play from the television. "Doom."

Kuroka pouted.

"I'm going to study this in the backyard," Aya waved, taking the papers with the ki technique with her. "Call me when dinner is ready."

"If you need something to do," Philip said to Kuroka. "You can help peel these potatoes."

"No, nya!" Kuroka moaned. "Not physical labour. Shirone, save me!"

Alas, Kuroka would find no help from her sister.

---

A.N. Hopefully, Koneko seems in character. Borrowing more from the anime dub for her characterisation, because her snark was hilarious.

 

[Doctor Blood]

This has been a very fun story so far; I'm amazed at how few comments it's received. I like that it takes place somewhere outside of Kuoh and has avoided the stations of canon, and the OCs are also fun additions.

Also, you have five or six places where you accidentally used "your" in place of "you're". Might want to ctrl-f your way through the story for that.

Looking forward to the next chapter!

 

[charclone]

This has been a very fun story so far; I'm amazed at how few comments it's received. I like that it takes place somewhere outside of Kuoh and has avoided the stations of canon, and the OCs are also fun additions.

Also, you have five or six places where you accidentally used "your" in place of "you're". Might want to ctrl-f your way through the story for that.

Looking forward to the next chapter!

I'll try and make the corrections when I have time.

Part of the reason its taking place outside of Kuoh, is because its before the series, well, was. But yes, I am going to avoid stations of canon where I can. Some events will happen, because they were likely either planned before butterflies, or are logical movements to be made by the actors, who may or not be rational.

Regarding the low number of comments, eh, I suppose DxD isn't that popular over here. On SB, I have a few more comments than I do here, with many more watchers and likes per post.