DxD: Like a Devil Chapter 62

Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu

– Mizuki –

Kneeling beside her husband’s grave, Mizuki laid a vibrant bouquet of flowers next to a basket filled with Tatsu’s favorite fruits. After lighting a few incense sticks and watching the smoke rise, she gently traced her fingers over the engraved letters on his tombstone. At that moment, a bittersweet nostalgia washed over her, mixing with an unexpected sense of peace. Despite being in a cemetery, which she found ironic. 

The quiet stillness surrounded her like a warm embrace, bringing a deep sense of calm. It might have been the gentle rustle of leaves or the reassuring presence of her husband that helped create this peaceful atmosphere.

“Sorry for not visiting for a while, darling.” She muttered sheepishly. “It’s been… rough. Lots of things happened since Akane and I moved to Kuoh.”

Naturally, this wasn’t her first visit to Tatsu; before she and Akane had settled in Kuoh, they would come to pay their respects each month. And while her daughter very clearly didn’t feel as comfortable as her, she’d made it clear that this was her responsibility as well. Although Mizuki wouldn’t say it out loud out of fear of that gremlin retaliating, those rare moments of maturity made her really proud.

Mizuki understood why her daughter didn’t like visiting the cemetery. Akane loved her father immensely, who’d adored her and treated her like royalty, showering her with gifts and fulfilling her every wish. Yet, despite this mutual adoration, she’d never managed to forge a deep emotional bond with him before his passing. As a result, Akane found it difficult to remember anything about Tatsu.

Visiting his grave only reminded her of the hard times of her childhood. When Mizuki had shut down and could barely take care of herself, much less her own daughter. It was a very, very difficult time for their family. From Mizuki drowning herself in booze to Akane turning into a delinquent from a very young age. 

It was Akiyama who had stepped in for both her and Tatsu. He was the one who had pulled them back from despair and helped mother and daughter reconnect. If it hadn’t been for him, then her bond with Akane might’ve been permanently broken.

And if that were to happen, Mizuki wouldn’t know what to do. Akane was everything to her.

“Oh, if only you could see her now.” Mizuki chuckled. “Our little girl grew up so much and became a beautiful woman. As rude and cheeky as ever, but at least she’s made a bunch of friends. And for once, they actually stuck around. They’re all wonderful people.”

From humans to devils, Akane had finally decided to use her charisma. Ignoring her self-important attitude, she’d always had a silver tongue and could easily be the popular girl in school whenever she wanted to. She was cute, convincing, and had a way with words. Making friends was never really an issue for her.

The problem was her lack of interest in making friends. Throughout elementary and middle school, Akane had never tried to make conversation with other students and was quick to shut them down when they tried. She was a loner who would go to school, intimidating everyone by constantly picking fights and beating other kids twice her size, and then come home bruised and bloody after her latest scuffle.

Honestly, Mizuki didn’t know what had changed in high school, but it was about that time that Akane started to socialize. Rather, it was actually during her last year of middle school, which coincidentally was when her daughter started feeling more comfortable with her femininity.

Then again, that same year was when she’d met Ichiban for the first time. The only one that had matched her delinquency and her brutish yokai strength back then. Akane quickly grew to like him as a friend in just a few days and even developed a crush on him.

When Mizuki was introduced to Icchan, she immediately knew that he had a big heart. Despite his upbringing as a boy who lived on the filthy streets of Kamurocho and someone who got into as many fights as Akane, deep down, he was a genuinely good kid. Just aimless and didn’t have a role model to look up to.

For someone to make a good impression on Akane that quickly? He was something special, alright.

And now, he’d grown into a very respectable man who’d shown her that he was more than worthy enough to date her daughter.

“She even has a boyfriend now,” Mizuki added. “I know that’s not something you’d want to hear, but he’s a good kid. I bet you would’ve liked him too.”

She couldn’t imagine the look on his face if he were to learn how it happened. With their precious daughter throwing herself at someone so carelessly. Honestly, Mizuki was still a little disappointed in her. No first date, no protection, and tipsy on stolen champagne. Just how irresponsible could she be?

Akane would’ve driven Tatsu crazy had he been around.

Mizuki’s smile turned melancholic as she sighed deeply, a question passing through her mind.

It was a question she’d asked herself countless times. Just how different would their lives have been had Tatsu survived? Would Mizuki have gotten over her self-loathing? After all, he was one of the few that had always known about her past. He was the one that helped her out of that fucked up family. He was the one who’d helped her realize that, deep down, there was still humanity in her.

The one that had showed her she could be happy. That had made her happy.

“And to think all of this happened because I was sent to kill you.” She murmured. “Funny how that turned out, huh? 

Due to Tatsu’s accomplishments and the rumors of him being a candidate for one of the most powerful humans in existence, the Amon clan had been quick to rise up to the challenge and had sent an agent to hunt him down. Rather, challenge him to a duel.

To them, he wasn’t an assassination target but a challenge to overcome. After all, all that mattered to them back then was being the ‘Ultimate Humans.’ To see a human not part of them threatening that claim? They could never ignore such a thing. When Mizuki, or Rin, challenged him, she’d seen first-hand why he was called the ‘Immortal Dragon.’

Even with all the information they had, knowing everything about his background as the first and only successful Super Soldier experiment of the Tojo Clan, she still couldn’t put him down. No matter what she threw at him, he’d get right back up and continue as if he’d received no damage.

It was the first time that Rin had failed her mission. But it wouldn’t be the last time. She continued challenging him over and over, wanting to reclaim glory and honor for her clan and prove to her father that she could lead the Amon.

Each and every time, she’d be humiliated. He would defeat her and not even give her the courtesy of killing her and sparing her the immense shame. He’d walk away with her lying on the ground, screaming at him that one day, she’d have his head on a pike. To add insult to injury, Tatsu was almost always nice to her in his own special way.

“Honestly, who would invite an assassin sent to kill them to lunch? ‘You look starvin’’ he said.” Mizuki snorted. “Not like I was any better accepting that offer, huh?”

At that moment, her fierce obsession and hatred for Tatsu began to fade, evolving into a deep affection. Their intense duels transformed from clashes of rivalry into more friendly yet thrilling battles that drew them closer. Ultimately, their journey led to a profound love that prompted her to leave the Amon clan behind and embrace a new path together.

Tatsu was never the best at socializing. He’d been a hard-boiled yakuza since he was young, and his scary face didn’t help it. He always acted a little over the top with violent lingo when referring to even the simplest things, sometimes getting them into a bunch of trouble due to misunderstandings.

But his pure way of expressing himself was something that Mizuki truly loved from the bottom of her heart.

“Straight out of a love story,” She muttered. “…If only we had our happy ending.”

Mizuki tiredly exhaled again, retracting her hand and standing back up. She spent the next few moments staring at her husband’s grave in silence. Then, looking down, her hands trembled, and she quietly whispered her next few words.

“Tell me, Tatsu,” She mumbled. “Would it be wrong of me to think that maybe you’re not…?”

She just could never see it. Someone like Tatsu? It had just never made sense to her. He was too powerful—Too resilient. He was called the ‘Immortal Dragon’ for a good reason. How could a single devil that wasn’t even as strong as him do this?

Even when she got his corpse back, seeing all the horrific damage inflicted on him, Mizuki refused to believe it. Despite seeing his motionless body and lifeless eyes, she couldn’t comprehend it. They couldn’t even properly cremate him— not even the Fire of Prometheus could’ve done it. And yet…

“…If you’re still alive— if you can really hear me,” Mizuki wiped the tears gathering in her eyes. “Then please come back to us. Akane needs you. I need you.”

Naturally, there was no response. What was she hoping for? A miracle? She couldn’t expect Tatsu to suddenly jump out of his coffin just because she called for him.

This is pathetic. She thought.

One last time, Mizuki sighed as she calmed herself. As much as she would love to, she knew she couldn’t just rely on Tatsu to save her again, even if he were still alive. With her terrible gut feeling regarding her daughter and her fear of regressing to the monster she’d once been, she needed to take care of this on her own.

But first, she needed answers.

With her resolve rekindled, Mizuki’s expression sharpened as she slowly pulled something out of her pocket. A device that she’d hidden away in the corner of her secret armory back in her home in Kiyoraha.

A device in the shape of a small black button.

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– Akane –

It’s good that I made a few bots to take care of the base business while I’m not there, with Nemesis supervising the operation and updating me occasionally. As much as I would’ve loved to do everything by myself, I don’t have a lot of time. Besides, even though it’s only been about twelve hours since I left that island, the drill bots have made great progress. Better than I expected, even.

So there’s nothing to complain about in that regard. Everything’s going as smoothly as I’d hoped. No one has noticed me disappearing at night, and my bots have remained perfectly hidden from the CIA and/or the Hawaiian government. It's not like I’d expect them to care much about that dead island anyway.

With that covered, all I need to worry about right now is what to have for dinner tonight. It is a little early for that since the sun is just about thirty minutes from setting, but we skipped lunch today. Despite my supernatural stamina, swimming still burns a lot of energy, I guess.

It didn’t help that I spent most of my time as a babysitter, but oh well. I’m in too good a mood to complain.

“I-I’m sorry for bothering you too much, Akane-san,” Asia says with her head down, sitting next to me on a bench.

“It’s fine. I don’t really mind.” I respond. “You should’ve told me you couldn’t swim before we went to a waterpark, though.”

“I know…” She sighs. “I just felt embarrassed.”

Again, I didn’t really care that I had to teach her. Most of the rides and pools in this waterpark aren’t that deep, so we enjoyed a few of them at first. I have a private beach and pool, but I don't have a waterpark for myself. And superpowers or not, these water rides are still a bunch of fun.

But maybe it’s just the vibe that I like. It’s a huge park with a lot of souvenir shops and snack stores, so even if you don’t plan on getting wet, even taking a walk around this place feels nice. It would’ve been even better had I been able to rent it out. Alas, the owners are allergic to money, apparently.

We spent hours here, going from ride to ride. Before long, Asia asked me to teach her how to swim properly. That was when we separated. Issei left with Koneko and Kiba while Asia, Ichiban, and I spent time together. 

Honestly, had she told me beforehand, I would have rescheduled the waterpark visit to after I’d taught her. It wasn’t until I noticed her hesitating to dive into one of the deeper pools that I realized she had no swimming experience.

And despite Asia’s talents, she struggled to get the hang of swimming for some reason. She’d panic a lot even though I was holding her. To such a degree that made me think she’s aquaphobic or something. Hearing her squeaking and squealing in panic was kind of funny and adorable, and I knew teaching her might take a while.

Eh, we have a month. And I have time to waste anyway.

“You said this was the first time you’ve been swimming, right?”

“Mhm. I never really had the chance back to do that in Italy.” She nodded, frowning to herself. “I… well, I never had the chance to do anything.”

I hum in response.

“To be honest, the more time I spend with you, Ichi, Mizuki-san, and everyone else,” Asia adds, giving me a smile. “The more I realize I was miserable when I lived in the church. I’m a lot happier with you than I ever was back then. Thank you, Akane-san.”

“Naturally. I’m the savior of the human race.” I reply, leaning back on the bench with a smirk. “By the way, is this the bikini we got you yesterday?”

I point at her swimsuit—a yellow frilly bikini that covers more than most of its type. I remember picking it alongside similar ones for her since I know she’s not very comfortable showing a lot of skin. It does look good on her, but she’s too innocent to wear anything more daring.

As for me, I decided to be a little bolder. A string bikini isn’t traditionally seen as ‘bold,’ but with my three sizes, it may as well be. In the usual black color, of course. I’ve gotta keep up my theme.

While I’m usually the same as Asia in the sense that I don’t like showing too much skin or flaunting my body in public places, I love how Ichi can barely keep his eyes off me. Knowing I’m the sexiest girl he’s ever seen and ever will see makes me feel powerful. He’s totally charmed.

The unstoppable Red Dragon Emperor, dancing in the palm of my hand. Bewitched by the most remarkable living being that ever graced these lands. And who could blame him, really? It’s me, after all.

“Uh-huh!” She says. “It was tough deciding between this and the blue one, though.”

“They both suit you.” I praise her.

“Thanks! I like yours too, Akane-san.” Asia chirps. “You’ve always looked pretty in black and red colors.”

“Tsk tsk, I look pretty in everything. Let’s make that clear.”

The blond giggles, and from there, we continue a pleasant conversation for a few minutes until Ichiban returns with three cups of colorful shaved ice. I quickly catch his glance directed at my breasts, prompting a smirk out of me. He notices it, but neither of us verbally acknowledges anything.

He’s so deep in love with me it’s extremely cute.

“What took you so long?” I question, leaning forward.

“You saw the line? There are like twenty people there.” He complains with a sigh as he gives me and Asia our cold dessert. “Here. Lime for Asia and strawberry for you.”

“Finally. I haven’t had one of these in ages.” I quickly scoop up a bit of the syrup-infused shaved ice and take a bite, humming pleasantly at the sweet taste. “It’s so good~”

Especially in this heat. I mean, sure, it’s not a problem for me since I can just cool the air around me, but this is different. Cooling down with ice cream or any other cold treat feels so good.

“Mmmhm!” Asia hums in equal pleasure. “It’s so different compared to ice cream. I like it.”

“I don’t know why, but I think I like this better than the ones we have in Japan,” I say before looking at my boyfriend. “So what flavor did you get, Ichi?”

“Pina Colada. And yes, it’s alcohol-free,” He answers as he sits next to me. “I mean, I might as well get to enjoy the tropical fruits of this tropical island.”

“Fair enough. That’s a good choice, actually. Maybe I should’ve gotten it, too.” I reply before pausing, giving Ichi an expectant look. “…So can I try?”

“Yeah, sure.” He says with a blink.

I take a scoop with the small plastic spoon and taste Ichi’s treat.

“Mhm, it’s really good. But that should be expected. You always had good taste when it came to food.” I nod approvingly. Then, I take a spoonful of my strawberry-flavored shaved ice and guide it toward his mouth. “Here. Your turn. Only fair you have some of mine.”

Ichiban blushes but doesn’t hesitate. In fact, he seems very happy that I’m spoiling him like that as he gives me a shy smile once he swallows the spoonful of cold dessert.

“Yeah, yours tastes nice too.” He says.

…God, he really does look best with that stupid smile on him.

Our moment is interrupted by a giggle from Asia, who gives me a rare, knowing look once I glance at her.

“What?” I ask.

“It’s nothing.” She shakes her head, giggling again. Asia then looks away before pausing, her expression changing into one of surprise. “Eh? I-is that…”

“What’s wrong?” Ichiban asks.

We both follow her line of sight and spot what she is looking at. Ichi’s eyes go wide while I frown in a mixture of annoyance and suspicion. Over on the other side of the waterpark, next to one of the rides, we spot a familiar pair of swordswomen in their swimsuits walking around searching for something.

“Irina and Xenovia?!” Ichi exclaims.

“What the hell are they doing here?” I mutter.

As soon as I say that, Xenovia’s eyes meet mine, and a broad smirk forms on her face. Dragging the weaker girl with her, the blue-haired dumbass walks toward us with a stride. I almost want to just leave and escape her, knowing that she is going to be annoying, but I am equally curious, so I wait for her.

“I have found you, Akane Amamiya!” She says loudly, disturbing the other people around us as she points a pool noodle at me. “I challenge you to a duel!”

“Xenovia, please,” Irina begged with a defeated look. “We’re in public.”

“Why should I accept?” I scoff at the exorcist moron.

“Because otherwise, you’d be a coward.” She responds bluntly. “And you’d acknowledge that I am the better swordsman.”

My eyes twitch in annoyance. I do respect her guts, but damn if she doesn’t know how to grind my gears. Still, I don’t take her bait. She’ll have to try harder than that. So to get back at her, I ignore her presence completely and address Irina.

“So why are you here?” I ask her. “You couldn’t have come all the way here just for her to get her ass kicked, right?”

“Don’t ignore me!” Xenovia scowls before huffing. “Whatever…”

“Well…” Irina sighs tiredly. “Kind of? That’s why she is here. Personally, I came to Hawaii to enjoy a little vacation.”

“But weren’t you stationed in Kuoh as ambassadors?” Ichiban points out.

“Yeah, but we asked the higher-ups for some time off, and they allowed it.” She shrugged. “Our choices were anywhere in Europe, Thailand, New York, or Hawaii.”

“And since we knew you were here, we chose the latter,” Xenovia added, still pointing her pool noodle at me. “That’s all there is to it. Now get up and face me.”

“No.” I decline. “I came here to enjoy my vacation the way I want, not to humor your stupid duels.”

“Well, you can do both, can’t you?”

“I can.” I shrug.

“Then why do you refuse?”

“Simple.” My frown turns into a malicious smirk. “You’re just not worthy.”

Xenovia’s eyes widen before she growls at me angrily. But before she can retaliate, Asia jumps up and gets in between us, trying to soothe the rising tension. Yeah, two can play that game, bitch.

“You—!”

“A-ah, Xenovia! It has been quite a while since we saw each other.” Asia says, taking one of her hands into her own. “W-why don’t we catch up?”

“What are you on about, nun?” Xenovia glanced at her. “It’s barely been two weeks—”

“Oh, I wonder if you’ve had any shaved ice yet? It’s delicious.” Asia cut her off and led her away, showing a surprising level of assertiveness. “Come on, let me show you. They have all sorts of flavors. You should try it.”

“Hey, what are you—” Xenovia scowls. “Unhand me!”

“Bring one for me, too, Xenovia,” Irina said. “I want what you’re having.”

“Irina?” The blue-haired moron hesitates, but then she relents and sighs. “…Fine. But this isn’t over, Amamiya.”

“Whatever,” I respond before glancing at her partner. “She’s gonna be annoying, isn’t she?”

“I’m so sorry. I’ll try to keep her off you.” Irina nods. She then shuffles awkwardly. “By the way, have you seen Issei anywhere? I was looking for him.”

“Oh yeah, he should be over there with Koneko and Kiba,” Ichiban answers, pointing at one of the larger slides. “Though, they may have split up too.”

“I see. Thank you.” Irina smiles at us before running off to where Issei supposedly is. “See you later~!”

Once she’s out of sight, I sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Ichi is quick to check up on me, putting a hand around my shoulder.

“It’s nothing serious.” I wave it off, throwing the empty cup in the nearby trashcan. “I’m just hungry.”

“Heh. Yeah, same.” He agrees. “What do you wanna eat?”

“Pizza.”

“Of course.” He sighs.

You can never go wrong with pizza.

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– Asia –

After having a splendid time at the waterpark with her wonderful friends, the group decided to leave because they were growing very hungry. They had skipped lunch and spent several hours swimming and going down slides. It was all exhausting but also delightful.

It was something Asia had always wanted to do ever since she’d been a child. She’d seen several waterparks, but she’d never been allowed to visit any of them. She’d mostly been confined within the walls of the cathedral back in Italy, never leaving unless it was work-related.

And her work never ended at the time. Due to the blessing of Twilight Healing, she’d been needed for many things. Rather… she was now starting to realize that she was taken advantage of. Due to Sacred Gears giving the user a boost in physical strength regardless of its type upon awakening the first time, Asia had been left to do most of the work.

Asia had not only healed those who were injured but also done laundry, cooking, and cleaning. Once she was older, she taught the younger kids and took care of them. Of course, Asia didn’t exactly mind doing these things—after all, she still helped with cooking and cleaning in the Amamiya household.

But the Amamiyas never took advantage of her. They treated her well and considered her one of their own. They listened to her requests, spoiled her with everything she could’ve wanted, and took her on a trip to Hawaii with them.

Akane even agreed to teach Asia how to swim, and Asia felt immensely grateful for her. After all, Akane was known to be easy to aggravate, so her showing so much patience for the nun made her genuinely thankful. She truly acted like the reliable big sister Asia had always wished for.

However, swimming was a lot more difficult than Asia had expected. She’d never set foot on a body of water beside a bathtub, and she quickly realized that deep waters terrified her. A fear she’d never thought she had, and it felt primal. Because even though she was in a very safe environment next to one of the most reliable people she knew, Asia had a very hard time getting over her fear.

But she didn’t let that discourage her. She knew that with the help of her big sister and everyone else, she’d be able to overcome this hurdle. Asia couldn’t give up something so simple.

“Uwaah…” Issei sighed, leaning back against his chair after they’d finished their meal. “Man, that was really good. How’s the food here so damn tasty?”

He was right. Although the portions here were much bigger than what she was used to in Italy and Japan, that didn’t detract from the taste. Everything they’d had in Hawaii was fantastic from burgers, traditional dishes, pizzas, and even simple desserts like cakes and such.

“I’ll tell you why,” Akane responded. “It’s cuz the food here, not counting the traditional stuff, is nowhere near as healthy as the most unhealthy thing you can find in Japan.”

“That’s a big claim to make, Akane-san,” Kiba said.

“It’s true.” She insisted with a shrug. “I mean, come on, you see how much the locals love Spam of all things. Nearly every single restaurant we went to had at least one dish that included it.”

“Spam?” Asia blinked.

“A brick of processed pork gunk.” Koneko quipped. “Shouldn’t exist.”

“Exactly.” Akane nodded. “Anyway, not counting that, unhealthy food can still be very delicious, too. That’s why I brought it up. Do you see how much McDonald's earns every year? It’s insane.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Ichiban hums. “McDonald’s is pretty damn good. And cheap.”

“Yup.”

“You know, speaking of unhealthy food—” Issei starts. “I’ve read about a restaurant in Las Vegas that apparently a lot of people died in, but somehow it’s still in business.”

“Huh?!” Asia’s eyes widened in shock.

“Ah yeah, the Heart Attack Grill.” Akane snapped her fingers. “Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of videos on it. The food is so damn unhealthy that there’s a chance of it giving you a heart attack, thus the name of the restaurant. You even have to sign a waiver to eat there.”

“Damn. For real?” Even Ichiban was surprised. He then took out his phone and made a quick search. “Woah…”

“I’m surprised you know about it, Issei-san,” Kiba said. “I’ve never heard of it before.”

“How could I not? The waitresses dress like sexy nurses.”

“Gross pervert,” Koneko responded blankly. “Go die.”

“You know, I’m not going to lie…” Ichiban quipped, scrolling through his phone before showing the group a photo. “Their burgers look amazing.”

Despite hearing that people apparently died from eating there, Asia had to admit that the food looked very appetizing. Though, even a child could tell at first glance that it was incredibly unhealthy. It was so incredibly greasy.

And with her feeling so full, Asia felt a little queasy, prompting her to look away from the photos with a look of discomfort.

“I can almost smell it…” Koneko muttered, wiping drool off her mouth.

“Right?” Ichiban agreed. “I mean, heart attack or not, I have to try it at least once.”

“You know they spank you if you don’t finish your food, right?” Akane pointed out.

“What?!” Ichi’s eyes widened.

“For real?!” As did Issei’s.

“Yeah. With a paddle, too.” She added before glancing at Koneko. “Though, if there’s someone I know that can handle it, it’s the pipsqueak.”

“It’s Koneko, Ice Queen.”

“She’s got the guts, after all,” Akane smirked.

The group continued with their banter. Although, Asia noticed that it had been strangely quiet. The past two days, there had been a lot of activity around them, even at night, but this time, things felt… eerie.

But she didn’t give it much thought. It was probably nothing— maybe the fun stuff was on the other side of the city.

“Anyway, I have room for dessert. Anyone?”

“Cheesecake.” Koneko quickly requested.

“I’m good.” Issei declined.

“So am I.” Kiba nodded in agreement.

“I don’t think I can eat another bite.” Asia huffed.

“Their Tiramisu sounds really nice,” Ichiban said. “You’re getting the chocolate lava cake, aren’t you?”

“You know me so well.” Akane giggled before calling the waitress.

The waitress arrived, but unlike when she’d taken their order the first time, where she’d been chirpy and polite, she looked anxious. Almost scared, even. None of the group seemed to have noticed it besides her and Koneko, whose expression sharpened.

“Hey, we thought your dessert menu looked pretty good, so we’ll have—”

“U-um, I-I don’t mean to be rude, but we’ve— we’ve closed.” She said. “I-I’m afraid I can’t serve you anything.”

“Huh?” Akane blinked. Then she frowned as she pointed at the sign outside from the window. “What are you talking about? It says you’re open until eleven-thirty. It’s still ten.”

“I-I’m terribly sorry, ma’am.” The waitress apologized again. “But you need to leave.”

Akane’s frown deepened.

“No,” She said. “Not until you give me a reason to.”

“Ma’am, you need to leave before—”

The waitress’s words died in her throat, and her eyes widened as she spotted something outside. Her reaction prompted the group to check out what she was looking at, and they saw many people strolling through the streets together.

This was already strange enough—there were about two dozen of them, and every single one was tall and muscular. Some had full-body tattoos; others wore expensive brand-name clothes, and some even held weapons: pistols, knives, machetes, and even hammers.

This was more than enough to ring a lot of alarms in Asia’s head. What was she seeing?

“What the hell?” Ichi muttered.

“A gang of some kind?” Kiba wondered out loud.

“Holy fuck, they’re buff,” Issei said.

“And armed,” Koneko added.

“Oh, god. They’re here.” The waitress gasped, backing away from the group, closing the curtains, and locking the door. “Oh god. Oh god, I hope they didn’t see.”

“What’s up with you?” Akane questioned with a scowl, getting up from her seat. “Explain what’s going on right now.”

“It’s the Barracudas.” She says. “They’re a powerful gang here in Honolulu. Every week, they go on one of these parades where they basically own the entire city. They demand to be given free stuff, or they destroy the stores, intimidate locals into giving them money, and I even heard that sometimes, they kill people.”

“They what?!” Ichiban stood, slamming his hands on the table.

“Why aren’t you calling the police?!” Asia questioned.

“They’re in with them.” The waitress said. “Most of the cops here are corrupt. They accept bribes and let these bastards do whatever they want.”

“That so…” Akane hummed, peeking from under the curtains. “Oh, looks like they found a target, too.”

Asia’s heart sank before she went to see for herself, mimicking her older sister and watching the scene for herself. True to Akane’s words, an old drunkard had stumbled into one of them and spilled his drink all over him.

Immediately, a group of these Barracudas ganged up on the guy, brutally beating him without any mercy. The scene was as horrific as one might expect— the poor man couldn’t be younger than sixty, but they didn’t show any pity and continued pummeling him to the ground.

Asia covered her mouth in horror as the gang continued beating the living crap out of the man. They broke one of his arms, dragged his face across the pavement, and struck him in the stomach so hard he began to violently throw up.

We have to do something. She thought, her legs refusing to move.

“Oi,” Ichiban muttered. “They’re gonna kill him?”

“In the middle of the streets?” Akane wondered out loud. “They wouldn’t, would they?”

They could hear him begging him and profusely apologizing, fearing for his life. And Asia knew she wasn’t imagining it because Koneko, whose expression was almost always blank, looked just as horrified as Asia. The sickening scene continued getting worse and worse until…

“Akane!” Ichiban clenched his fists, looking at her with an almost pleading look.

Akane didn’t immediately respond, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“You sense it too, don’t you?” She said. “These people aren’t regular humans. They’re way stronger than the average person.”

Asia’s breath hitched as she saw them pull him up and lead him to an alley, one of the Barracudas brandishing a machete with a malicious smirk. The nun immediately knew that if she didn’t move now…

That innocent man would die a horrible death.

“W-we have to help!” Asia exclaimed.

“Let’s go,” Akane nodded, leading the group outside. “We’re not letting someone die on our watch.”

As some of the Barracudas dragged the man into the alley, some remained outside and didn’t notice her until Akane punched one of them in the face. The ganger she struck hit the wall and fell down out cold.

This quickly alerted the rest of the Barracudas as they began brandishing their weapons.

“What the fuck?!” One of them exclaimed.

“Who the hell are you?!” Another demanded.

“L-let that man go!” Asia stammered behind Akane, still intimidated.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” A ganger aimed his gun at her, making her flinch.

“Looks like we got ourselves a few heroes, lads!” Another one laughed, rolling his neck.

“This ain’t a game, kids. Someone oughta teach you a lesson.”

The group was surrounded three to one, but despite Asia’s being intimidated and not getting used to fights like this, Akane simply smirked and cracked her knuckles. Without the need to use magic or weapon, her big sister didn’t even get into a stance.

“You morons aren’t the first amateurs I crushed beneath my boots.”

After her quip, Akane moved faster than even Asia could process, hitting one of them in the guts and making him collapse, knocking him out instantly. This caused the rest of the Barracudas to attack the group, but the gang members didn’t stand a chance.

One swung their metal pipe at Ichiban from behind, who didn’t even flinch. Ichi smacked the pipe out of the ganger’s hand before smashing a fist into his face, rendering them unconscious. Asia knew that if her friends weren’t holding back, this would’ve gotten a lot bloodier.

One of the gangers armed with a pistol shot at them— aiming at the blond nun as she flinched at the noise. Though, to her surprise, the bullets didn’t even pierce her skin. It felt like she was pinched.

This made Asia a little more confident in herself, and she retaliated, punching the man with the gun in the face. However, this quickly showed her that she was not used to regulating her power as the attack sent him flying and flipping backward, thankfully not entirely killing him.

Her fists trembled. This was the first time she had actually hit someone outside of training. And she could never land a hit like that whenever she sparred with Akane or Mizuki. Almost always, they blocked or evaded her attacks.

But she knew that she needed to get used to it.

Surprisingly, it didn’t feel as unpleasant as she thought it would be.

“Hold them back for us,” Akane ordered.

As Ichiban, Issei, Kiba, and Koneko voiced their affirmation, Akane looked at the blond.

“Come on, Asia,” She said, taking the blond’s hand as they went after the man they dragged away. “That guy probably needs healing once we’ve rescued him.”

As the rest of the Barracudas attacked, Issei and Ichi got in front of them and began to beat the crap out of each and every one of them. This gave Akane and Asia the opportunity to investigate the alley. They made their way around many corners, but eventually, they reached their destination, with Akane in front of her, stopping Asia from going any further.

“Oh my god.” Akane’s eyes were wide in shock before they narrowed in anger. “You motherfuckers…”

“Akane?” Asia blinked in confusion. She couldn’t see what was going on with Akane standing in front of her and blocking the view.

“Hah?” A Barracuda said. “Oh look, a witness.”

“Haha!” Another chortled. “I sure love getting rid of ‘em—?!”

Before the man could finish the sentence, Akane cast a spell by swinging her hand, which was then followed by two loud thuds. Then, pure silence.

“W-what’s going on?” Asia questioned.

“I…” Akane hesitated. “I don’t want you to see this, Asia.”

“So what, we just let him die?! If he’s alive, then I have to help!” Asia insisted, pushing Akane away. “I can save him, Akane—”

Asia stood frozen in shock as she took in the grim state of the man before her. Her legs trembled, threatening to give way beneath her. Her eyes widened in terror, almost as if they were trying to absorb every morbid detail of the scene.

A wave of dizziness washed over her, the horror before her too overwhelming for the poor nun. She could feel bile rising in her throat, a bitter taste of fear that threatened to spill over as she struggled to steady herself against the onslaught of emotions.

Besides the two headless Barracudas, the innocent man wasn’t just beaten and bruised from the pummeling these animals gave him. He was pinned to the wall by the machete, his face flayed and his right leg dangling by a thin string of flesh. A small knife stabbed into his left eye while both ears were sliced and left on the ground.

“Oh, Lord in Heaven…” Asia felt like she was going to pass out as things started to spin.

“Get a hold of yourself!” Akane said, holding Asia before shaking her. “I know it’s hard to believe, but he’s somehow still alive. You can still save him.”

Her eyes widened.

“H-he’s alive…?”

“Yes, but not for long. He’s seconds away from dying.” Akane explained. “Can your Twilight Healing bring him back, even from this state?”

“I—I don’t know.” She shook her head before approaching the man as a ring formed around her finger. “B-but I can still try!”

As Asia called upon the power of her Sacred Gear, a green glow began surrounding her and the man. She’d never healed anyone from such a horrendous state, but she couldn’t let that deter her. She had to save him. It was her duty.

As if the ring listened to her desires, it began glowing brighter than ever before, almost lighting up the entire alley as the man’s terrible, terrible wounds began to heal at a rapid pace. His skin was restored, his leg rebuilt itself, and he regrew a new eye and ears. Akane helped her out by pulling out the machete and gently laying him on the ground. In mere seconds, the deep injury in his stomach closed.

The man was still unconscious, but he was in good condition now, making both girls exhale.

“Oh, thank you, Lord in Heaven, for the blessing you have bestowed upon me,” Asia prayed, clutching her cross necklace. Heavenly Father, we thank you for saving this man’s life.”

Akane stared at her silently for a while before speaking.

“Good job, Asia.” She praised. “You did great.”

Asia smiled.

Then promptly collapsed.

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– ??? –

As he observed the scene before him, the initial look of astonishment in his eyes gradually transformed into a smirk that spread across his face. How incredibly convenient. Of all places in the world. To think he’d see another user of Twilight Healing on his turf. Just what were the odds?

The old man chuckled to himself. What a fortunate turn of events. Just when he had started to lose hope in catching that slimy little brat and the hag that protected her, another key simply walked to his doorstep without him having to do anything.

He continued observing the unconscious blond girl being taken care of by a group of two girls and three boys. A woman of faith with a heart of gold. Oh, how easy would it be to trick someone like her…

And to make this even better, her Twilight Healing was vastly more powerful than Lani’s. The blond girl’s restorative ability far surpassed anything he’d seen in years. Perhaps it was fate that had led the girl here.

Perhaps it really was time for her to awaken from her slumber.

“Oh, you’ll do well, young one.” He whispered. “Your sacrifice will not be in vain.”

As the ethereal visions gradually faded away, the old man's gaze drifted toward the great goddess, nestled in eternal rest. She lay within the deep, dormant embrace of a volcano, shrouded by her magnificent divine aura on a remote island, isolated and untouched by the world.

“Soon, Madame Pele.” He mumbled. “This world will remember your sovereignty.”

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– Sidestory – Moronsexual – (Takes place in the previous chapter)

– Akane – 3rd person –

Stretching her arms after a decent session of reading about Hawaiian folklore, Akane discreetly removed her Nemesis Lenses and sent them to her inventory. Then, she shifted her position so she could sleep on her right.

It was an interesting read, to say the least. Although she wasn’t entirely invested, the story of their volcano goddess, Pele, really caught her attention. Like many other mythologies, this one also had a bunch of versions, so it wasn’t guaranteed which one was the real one.

Because this goddess most definitely existed. Sure, it was very likely that none of the stories were true, but if she had to choose, she liked reading about the one where she got kicked out of her home for being too ambitious and ended up being torn apart and made into a hill.  That’s what it said on Wikipedia anyway, and Akane frankly didn’t care to dive deeper into said folklore.

Because, once again, nothing read on the internet can be trusted. If Loki can fool all of humanity into thinking Zeus is an unrepentant rapist and nearly cause a devastating war between two mythologies, then what else did he change?

She didn’t know, and she didn’t care. She could try to ask Sona about this, but Hawaiin mythology was kind of niche, as far as Akane was aware. She had not heard about any factions involving them. If there was one, then they must have been really small and/or weak.

So, really, who cared?

The idea of consuming Pele’s soul was pretty cool, but how the hell would she even find the Volcano Goddess? Nah, that was too much work. If anything, it probably wouldn’t work. Akane would need to grow her power further if she wanted to start killing gods. 

She’d rather work on her base than worry about eating divine beings so early in her career.

Speaking of…

“Still awake?” Ichiban asked, lying on the bed next to her.

“Yeah.” She answered. “What’s up? Can’t sleep?”

“Nah, it’s just that I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Yeah?”

Ichiban paused for a moment, then threw a random question.

“So you know how you’d need to eat ten million bananas to die from radiation?” He started, making her blink. “That got me thinking how many bananas it would take to kill a dragon with radiation.”

Akane blinked again. A long, pregnant pause passed between them as the Yakuza heiress tried to process this bizarre premise. Eventually, she sat up, looking at Ichi with a very confused frown.

“What?”

“How many bananas would it take to kill a dragon with radiation?”

“What the fuck is this question?”

It was, by far, the stupidest thing she’d ever heard.

Yet, for some odd reason Akane couldn’t ever explain in ten million lifetimes, it turned her on.

Immensely.

“I’m just saying if a human can eat ten million bananas—”

“No human in this fucking universe can eat that many bananas.” She argued, a very amused smile creeping up to her face. “They’d die after, like, their hundredth.”

“I know that.” He stood up to address her properly. “But theoretically. Let’s say some guy with a Sacred Gear that turns him into Kirby or something. He can eat infinite bananas”

“Okay?”

“So if ten million bananas is the human’s limit, what about dragons? How much can they eat before they die from radiation poisoning?” He kept going. “Because, like, I can try calculating the bodyweight and size difference and all that stuff, but dragons are very resilient, right? So how would it work? How many bananas would it take to kill a dragon?”

Akane didn’t answer. Or rather, she couldn’t. Unbeknownst to the poor dragon man, his girlfriend was suddenly filled with a tremendous yet puzzling desire to breed.

She exhaled, got off her bed, and walked toward her bag.

“What are you doing?”

She took her desired item out of her bag, showing it to Ichiban, who flinched. He was dead silent as Akane made her way to him— he didn’t even try to push her off as she put the collar around his neck, his face going bright red.

“U-um.” He gulped. “What are you doing with that?”

“If you even think about pulling out—” She gripped the lead, and in the blink of an eye, they were suddenly both naked. And Akane was on top of him. “I will choke you to death.”

Poor Ichiban didn’t stand a chance.