One-Punch DxD: NEO

Chapter 21: Complications

Surprise! Another update within a week! Enjoy! ^_^

Kuoh Town was a small town. It might not scale to metropolitan cities like Tokyo or Kyoto, but it held many places where only adults would frequent.

The descending sun of dusk sank in the horizon, blessing the town in the orange ambiance to mark the approach of night. On the road, a reincarnated devil, a youkai, and three quirky humans headed towards the downtown area on a mission - to solve the deaths behind the undercover exorcists and uncover the truth behind the Excalibur theft, the mastermind behind it all.

The unidentified life form, however, did not accompany them. It left without a word, disappearing or hiding in plain sight as it stated to be everywhere.

"So, what were you doing with Black?" Issei asked Yuuto with suspicion.

Yuuto remained silent as he tugged his collar.

"Well"

Issei then interrupted before Yuuto could have gone on, "Let me guess. You cannot resist the urge to continue your quest for vengeance and stuff, which explains why you're tagging along with us right now while acting as if it is natural?"

Issei guessed with a knowing wry smirk at Yuuto.

Yuuto turned his head away without a response, prompting Xenovia and Irina to watch their banter with interest.

"Yeah, what's going to keep me from phoning Rias on you?" Issei asked.

"Uhhh" Yuuto started to sweat bullets as perspiration trickled down his chin. "Because we're friends?"

"...Yeah, try harder."

Yuuto sighed as he hung his head low. "...I will keep going no matter what the President tells me. Issei, you're stuck with me one way or another."

"I object to this." Xenovia interjected.

"Yeah, I know." Issei groused with resignation as he turned his head forward. "Fine, you stubborn mule of a knight. Know that this won't end well for you in the long run."

Yuuto smiled challengingly at his human friend, and daringly at Xenovia to try and make him leave.

"We will not stand for a Devil to join our investigation." Xenovia persisted.

"If you wish for another duel, I will say that I'm not the same as I was before." Yuuto cast a glance at the youkai behind him.

Issei stole a glance at the woman in the kimono as a thought crossed his mind.

"...Does having a youkai for a sword count as a one on one or a two on one?" Issei asked.

Xenovia, Irina, and Yuuto looked at him before they pondered at Issei's interesting question. The idea of a living sword did push the logical limits of a fair fight now that they thought about it as the line between person and tool was gone.

"If I may." the demon sword interjected. "There is a saying that a weapon is a warrior's partner in the battlefield, yet they are united as one. Both you and your Excaliburs can be considered as four people, yet you are just two girls. The concept is no different than the wielder of the Sacred Gear and his companion inside his weapon."

"Ah. When you put it that way" Issei hummed in thought. "Guess you'll get the chance to try her out."

"Everyone, we can argue about - um, Issei's friend forcing himself into our party later. I think we are here," Irina interrupted.

Irina reminded them as she pointed at the building ahead. The group confronted an establishment - a simple store occupying a whole building. Above the entrance was a glowing signboard read as 'The Oasis.'

"Hmmm, this should be the place." Xenovia concluded as she matched the building with the picture of the business card she held.

"Huh. I thought it would be more special." Irina voiced her disappointed expectations.

Behind them, Yuuto and Issei backed away from the two Christians until they were out of their hearing distance. Muramasa eyed their furtive movements with interest as she poked her ear into their conversation.

"...Ise." Yuuto began. "Do you share my concern when that Fallen said, 'backdoor dealings?'"

Normally, not many were aware of this, but this was a small town. Yuuto knew from research and investigation while Issei knew from hearsay, mainly from the two perverts shadowing him in school. And from a certain female pervert in school on occasions.

"I heard about it from Matsuda and Motohama, but This is the first time I've been to one. Assuming it is what I'm afraid of." Issei whispered back.

"Shouldn't we tell them? Before it's too late?" Yuuto whispered.

"Isn't it already too late?" Issei asked, "Explaining it to girls like them is another can of worms I don't want to open. It's better to let them see what they're getting themselves into. Besides, it might be a good experience for them and a chance to get some laughs along the way. Don't you want to see?" He sported a conspiratory smirk.

"...It does sound very tempting." Yuuto was swayed to the dark side.

Thus, the boys stood there as spectators, following the exorcists' lead.

The manifestation of Japan's infamous demon sword giggled, "...You two make such an interesting pair."

Issei and Yuuto merely glanced at Muramasa before they returned their attention to Irina and Xenovia. They already walked into the front entrance through the doors. The boys quickly followed them while the youkai giggled behind them.

The lobby was sterile - clean polished floors, vanilla-scented air, seats for waiting customers, and a counter to greet customers with a bespectacled receptionist, clad in a bartender suit and bow tie, behind it.

"Welcome to The Oasis. How may I help you?" The receptionist asked the new customers.

"Um..." Irina approached the counter and slid Kalawarner's business card on the desk towards the receptionist.

"Mara's touch?" Irina spoke the password hesitantly.

The receptionist blinked owlishly. Several seconds of awkward silence fell between them for a moment. His mien was unreadable, yet the perplexity behind it was palpable.

A few more seconds later, the receptionist exited the counter and gestured to them.

"...Please follow me, dear customers."

Irina and Xenovia exchanged glances for a second. They steadied their hearts as they nodded to each other. The boys behind them were smirking behind their backs which promptly vanished before the girls could see them.

"Issei, you and your friends can stay here. Um, can you stay on watch while we go get information?" Irina spoke with a hint of giddiness.

Issei did not comment as he grinned at Irina's excitement of playing detective.

"Sure. Have fun, you two." Issei waved at them.

His cooperation was very odd. Irina expected a snappy reply or dry remark Oh well. Irina hoped he would eventually befriend Xenovia by the end of this investigation.

As Irina and Xenovia followed the receptionist, he stopped in his tracks as he turned to Xenovia.

"Miss, if you don't mind, please leave your luggage in the lobby. No personal belongings are allowed past this point." The receptionist gestured towards a counter at the corner with another man standing behind the desk.

Irina and Xenovia shared another glance, the latter more hesitant. However, they both could see racks with several bags stored in them - most likely belongings of other patrons.

Xenovia looked at her case housing her holy weapon. She stared at it with great contemplation before she sighed in resignation and handed her music case to the man.

"Please look after it."

"Of course. Theft is nonexistent in these parts, milady." The man smiled cordially before he took the case and brought it to the racks before returning to them.

"Please, follow me." The man asked as he gestured them through the back door.

Disarmed and vulnerable, Xenovia sighed with a tinge of regret. Irina placed a hand on her shoulder and offered an assuring smile which Xenovia returned with her own.

They silently followed the receptionist, leaving the other three alone in the lobby.

The remaining three kept standing for a few seconds until another receptionist - a woman, this time, arrived to man the counter in the other's place.

"...What do we do now?" Yuuto asked awkwardly.

They did not account for what to do after the girls entered the can of worms behind that door. Issei looked left and right, scratching his head in thought.

"Don't know maybe we should ask around for clues. I got Irina to send the pictures of the MIA exorcists to my cell."

Issei looked at the receptionist for a moment. She seems quite young, a bit past the adult stage of life. Issei rubbed his chin for a moment before an idea struck him.

"Kiba, you do the talking." Issei offered him his cell.

"...Eh?" Yuuto stared at the cell phone dumbfounded.

"You have the face that almost every boy in school wants to punch. Take a wild guess why." Issei threw a few repetitive glances at the girl.

"...Oh!" It took the Knight a few seconds to get the message as he took the phone and went to the receptionist.

Kiba took a deep breath as he reached her, brushing his hair as he cleared his throat, warming himself up before moving to the main act.

"Welcome to The Oasis. How may I um, h-help you?"

The woman smiled in greeting with a little fluster before her face blushed upon registering Yuuto's handsome face.

Yep, perks of the pretty boy charm - Issei snickered as he joined Yuuto with a wide smile.

"Ah, yes. Do you mind if my friend and I here ask some questions, miss?" Yuuto asked with the most swaying tone he could muster. Issei was amused by Yuuto actually attempting to use his female-slaying charm to his wits. It actually sounded less convincing than when he talked to the girls casually. Yuuto must be uncomfortable with actually using his princely charm to an active degree, which was something Issei would definitely pick on after this.

"Um, yes! Of course! Ask anything!" The receptionist woman replied way too eagerly. She definitely seemed undeterred by Yuuto's subtle awkwardness.

"Yes, I want to ask you if you saw this man in this establishment." Yuuto raised Issei's phone to her face. "He is um"

"He is my grandpa." Issei interjected. "He's been missing for a while. We heard he came to this last time before he disappeared."

The woman blinked for a second at the other boy's input.

"Oh, I see. Let me take a look" She leaned closer to have a better look at the image. She stared at it for a while before she straightened her back.

"I don't know. I cannot remember every face of our customers, but I think he does look familiar" The receptionist said while tapping on her chin. "Ah, you might have a better chance asking our masseurs. They might be more familiar with their customers than me."

"Can you let us talk to them?" Yuuto asked again.

The receptionist's face indicated that she was about to say 'yes', but she stopped herself at the last second as her expression was apologetic.

"I am sorry. Most of our masseurs have a tight schedule tending to our customers Oh." The receptionist perked as if she received an idea. "Dear customers, I can suggest that you purchase a package on the list in this brochure and meet them in person. That way, you can receive our service and the chance to offer your inquiries to our talented masseurs. Would you like to browse our services?"

Her voice now sounded like that of a customer service technician's during the last sentence. Issei stole a glance at the backdoor. He was not sure if he should ask since he never partook in any of the adult services the two perverts usually implied. The two never partook it themselves but they were completely intrigued. It was just that they have never managed to find a place to indulge their repressed sexual urges.

"Uh" Issei checked his wallet just in case.

He took out a credit card; it was shiny, luxurious red, bearing a certain demonic sigil which was at the cusp of his memory if he recalled Oh, it was Rias' - meant for emergency spending. She never did say how much he could use it, now that he thought about it.

"Um, the massage is just a massage, right?"

The receptionist blinked at Issei's nervous tone, before she smiled again, "Well, yes, this is a massage parlour."

Either the receptionist was making fun of them by feigning ignorance about the 'back door' or she was genuinely clueless.

"...Right, okay." Issei took a brochure and unfolded the packet.

Yuuto peeked over his shoulder to take a look at the services. There was the standard, the advanced, and the deluxe package. The difference between them was the materials, various lotions and massage tools for those above the standard package.

Now Issei was curious about the difference between the three.

"...Alright, how about the deluxe?" Issei decided. He chose that in case he needed the charismatic pull of the rich to get the workers talking. Meaning, the pull to buy lips as well.

"You've made an excellent choice, sir. To make ourselves clear, it is a deluxe package for a party of three?" The receptionist sounded pleased before she looked behind Issei and Yuuto.

The two boys blinked at the mention of 'three', but they turned around, seeing Muramasa still standing behind them.

"Well I guess I can experience the human service industries of this era." The demon sword manifestation shrugged with a hint of curiosity.

Issei and Yuuto shared another glance before the former turned to give the credit card to the receptionist. "...Yes, for three, please."

Irina and Xenovia were led towards another door that led to an underground compound right below the main building. After a short flight of stairs, the two were greeted by a hallway with doors on both sides of the wall. The hallway was covered in neon lights, giving the atmosphere of vibrant nightlife, accompanied with the sound of music from the stereo at the corner.

The two narrowed their eyes at the unusual sight of the establishment - just what kind of massage parlour they had entered?

As they walked past the second doors, the one on their left opened, revealing a middle-aged salary man with a somewhat pleased expression. As the man walked past them both, Irina and Xenovia caught a glimpse of the room the man just left from.

It was a room not dissimilar with the hotel room they stayed at, but what truly caught their eyes was the sight of a disheveled, scantily-clad woman walking off the bed with a limp on her legs. The girls blinked, stupefied for a second - before the gears in their mind began working.

As they walked past more doors, some of them also opened, revealing similar sights from the previous one they saw earlier. Moreover, when they focused their ears, Xenovia and Irina could hear faint noises - moanings and even cries.

Xenovia then glared at the man leading them, "Excuse me, just what kind of service this establishment offers?"

The man stopped for a moment and looked back.

"Hm? What, you did come here for our service, correct?" The man asked. "Although I do find it unusual that such young girls like you would be so daring to partake in the taste of adulthood."

Both Xenovia and Irina's faces lit up red like roses - they were walking into an honest-to-god brothel.

"Err" Irina frantically shook her head left and right. She quickly leaned towards Xenovia's ear. "Xenovia! We gotta get out!"

"By the way, we are here, ladies." Their guide alerted them, and the two girls noticed they were standing in front of a double-doors. "Like I said, you two are unusual cases, so you must converse with my boss before we do transactions."

Without giving Irina and Xenovia a chance to reply, the receptionist then knocked on the door a few times, which was soon replied with a voice allowing them entry.

Xenovia and Irina were too caught up with how things were going that they ended up following until they entered an office room, where several people were busy working on their desk - some of them were working on paperwork while some of them were busy counting money bills.

The exorcists also noted several girls wearing provocative bunny-suits in the room - some of them standing by while others were serving drinks. Not only that, there were several men in suits, masculine ones that fit the line of bodyguards.

At the end of the office was a youthful man dressed in a white dress shirt. His messily combed-back hair was blonde, bestowing him the face similar to that of a rogue's.

As soon as the receptionist left and closed the door, the man at the end of the room looked up from his work.

In a sense, Irina and Xenovia felt trapped in a slice of hell they never wanted to visit.

"Welcome, to my establishment. How may I help you two lovely ladies?" The man greeted with a friendly expression. "I must say, it is indeed unusual to receive a couple of cute customers such as yourselves. Never thought things like you would come here with the password, but modern times can breed unusual exceptions. Nonetheless, do not fret, we all have our tastes. Now, the biggest question is, can I accommodate yours?"

Irina wanted to flee; she was fidgeting on her feet as she looked around anxiously. The girls here were appraising them with their eyes. Her cheeks turned redder when one of them blew her a kiss, blowing a message Irina did not want to understand.

"U-um, actually, w-we're changing-"

"Ridiculous." Xenovia interrupted much to Irina's expressional horror. "We are here to search for information for our sacred cause, not to indulge ourselves in debauchery."

The manager raised a brow at Xenovia's response.

Irina stammered as she tried to keep things from escalating, "U-U-Uh, s-s-sorry, um, I-I think we're about to leave, so-"

"Oh? But you just arrived. You cannot leave here without a purchase. Is that not why you are here, ladies?"

"N-no, but-!"

"No, we are looking for someone." Xenovia interjected again, much to Irina's chagrin, as she flashed her cellphone. "Have you seen this man?"

"Hoh? You came here looking for someone? How interesting I don't take you girls as investigators." The ring leader mused.

"That is none of your business. Now answer my question."

The leader hummed in amusement at Xenovia's impatience. The ring-leader entertained a brief glance at the phone.

"Ah... I think I know him hmmm, it is at the tip of my tongue. Do you boys remember this man?" He asked his subordinates around.

The burly men in suits walked towards Xenovia and glanced at the picture for a moment.

"Wait fat belly and fancy trimmed moustache. Isn't he one of those fake priests?" One bald bodyguard asked.

"Oohhh Yes, the self-proclaimed 'Father' Pudruin. Now I remember." The leader snapped his fingers. "Yes, he purchased the premium service here. Called for four girls, that one. Quite a vigorous individual, dare I say, left those poor girls in bed."

Irina and Xenovia's faces went red with shock and fluster at the mention of their fellow exorcist falling to the sin of lust.

"T-That can't be t-true can it?" Irina cupped her mouth.

"I am afraid it is. He frequents here about" The man snapped his fingers per second in thought. "Three times. He has not appeared since last week. What happened to the fellow, may I ask?"

"He is well that is why we're here." Irina answered, rubbing her arm.

"Enough chatter. Tell us everything you know about him and we'll leave this treacherous place." Xenovia lashed out. Much to Irina's dismay.

"Well, aren't you a rude one. Pretty lapis." The leader huffed as he tapped his desk. The guards immediately shuffled behind the girls, blocking the doors. "However, the information I have is not by all definition, free. You see, I run a business here. You should at least be able to show compensation for any more information. Otherwise, I will have to ask you to make a purchase before you leave. Not everyone can leave here without paying or else I am a poor manager."

Xenovia only hardened her glare for a few seconds before she sighed.

"...Fine. Irina, we are leaving."

Irina was inwardly relieved as she followed Xenovia towards the door. However, they soon found themselves surrounded by the men and staff inside the room.

"Oh, my. Don't tell me. Do you two not have money to offer? You did not come here with empty pockets, correct?"

Xenovia simply turned to glare at the leading man, who was now standing over his desk. Irina, on the other hand, could only sigh as she cautiously eyed her surroundings, all while her hand was reaching to the Mimic on her wrist.

"We have nothing to pay for the likes of you." Xenovia boldly spoke.

"Oho, feisty. Can't say I dislike that attitude in a woman." The leader spoke with a chuckle. "Nonetheless, business is business, and rules must be followed. Like it or not, you two will go nowhere until you pay for the little information we've provided. As a matter of fact there is one way you can work off your debt."

The way his eyes lowered to their curves made Xenovia scowl.

"...You scum." Xenovia's instinctively reached towards her back, only to realize that she did not have her holy sword with her. Instead, she settled with raising both of her fists, warily eyeing her surroundings.

"You have yourselves to blame. I did not lure you to this room. I don't know where you learned how to get here, but since you two are, it is best you stand down and let nature take its course."

Thugs flocked to the room and cordoned the two from the exits, pouring in from another entrance behind the leader - some wielded weapons like baseball bats and brass knuckles while others were unarmed. There were even handkerchiefs and bottles of chloroform prepared.

Irina and Xenovia stood back-to-back as the men enclosed their positions. Irina took out Excalibur Mimic and formed it into a baton.

"Don't harm them too much. They're valuable merchandise." The leader ordered as the men approached them. They did not seem to care that a ribbon somehow transformed into a weapon at the moment, all blinded by greed and lust to notice.

"This is why I kept telling you to leave this place." Irina whispered.

"Telling me? Since when?" Xenovia whispered back as the men closed in.

"Since-! Ugh, forget it. I go this way, you go that way."

The ones behind the vanguard doused their handkerchiefs with the chloroform while others were about to grapple them.

"...Okay."

Xenovia and Irina separated and engaged, Irina with Excalibur Mimic reformed to a baton while Xenovia threw the first punch at the gut of the nearest thug as he keeled over hugging his stomach before falling down in a furious fit of coughs as Irina smack one of the men's head crashing towards another (no decapitation included).

With a burst of vigorous energy and, to the ruffians' collective surprise, the two overwhelmed the nearest large thugs despite their size.

Xenovia slammed one's jaw with a loud right hook, ducked and swept the legs of the one behind, and engaged three more, each armed with swinging bats.

The entire room erupted into an all-out brawl where two young female exorcists had to fight off at least a dozen of men.

Irina fared well with her holy weapon, parrying some of the knives and batons sent her way. The blunette overwhelmed the brutes with her burst of superior strength, showing them the culmination of Griselda's tutelage with their bodies.

Still, the fact did not change that they were outnumbered.

Xenovia received a punch to the face that sent her tumbling back, until one of the goons caught her and proceeded to restrain her from moving. As a couple more men came her way, Xenovia exploited the man's hold behind her and used it as a leverage for her to drive both of her feet against the incoming enemies. Her movements also allowed her to gather enough strength and momentum to break free, allowing her to make a quick work on the man that caught her earlier with a couple of solid punches to the face.

Irina ended up receiving a tackle from a goon, who kept pushing her all the way to the wall, attempting to keep her in place. There was also a prostitute who was unfortunate enough to be standing next to Irina as the latter crashed into the wall, eliciting a cry of fear from the other woman.

"I'm really, really sorry about this!" Irina spoke to the woman before she rammed the hilt of her Excalibur stick on the back of the man that drove her to the wall, forcing him to release her. She was about to run away before another man managed to land a kick on her abdomen, sending her back to the wall, next to the same prostitute from earlier.

"Seriously, miss! You have to get out of here!" Irina then decided to avoid a man who was about to ram into her again, before she proceeded to attack another group of men who were in the middle of overwhelming Xenovia.

While fending off superior numbers of hostile, the two girls thought the same thing

How are the others doing?

Steam poured the air of the room lit in ambient pink, moans and groans heard from three lying face down on mattresses. The masseurs attending them were all female, each in short sleeves and with wet palms full of lotion and oils pressing against their backs, squeezing out moans and cries from the trio.

"Yes! Right there! Harder! Auuuugh~"

Muramasa moaned as her expression shifted into a mixed series of pain and pleasure. Yuuto's eyes were closed, but grunts and heavy breaths that escaped his lips betrayed his composed mien.

"Yes. Ahhhgh, ugh~ that spot More!" Issei groaned as the masseur pressed on his sweet spot.

"Yes! Keep it up! UGh!" Muramasa moaned.

"Ah... aahhh!" Yuuto's voice grew more vocal in his squirming on the mattress. The masseur attending him was blushing, very pleased as her hands continued to caress his back.

If there was one place close to paradise, this would be one of them.

They could feel all manners of discomfort, many they did not know, pushed out of their muscles and breaths. All sore spots, all minor irritations, they felt as if the evil spirits plaguing them from birth were purified.

"Aaaahhnn!" Muramasa gave one last cry of pleasure before she slumped down on her mattress chair utterly relieved. "...Oh, mmmmm, human techniques uuuuugh, have transcended beyond my expectations. Oohhh, I never imagined I could feel such bliss not in the form of adultery."

"Ugggh holy crap, I feel so goooooood..." Issei remarked as he heaved a sigh of bliss.

"Ahhh I might get addicted to this." Yuuto panted heavy breaths.

"Yeah. And this is, nnnn, just the first half~" Issei grunted.

The masseurs were currently stretching their arms before moving onto the next phase of their treatment.

"I feel like we're forgetting something" Issei groaned. He had never felt so relaxed that he could barely think straight before. This was even better than drinking alcohol for the first time.

"Mmmm, as in?" Muramasa breathed our her lingering stress as she arched her back, moaning with a hint of eroticism.

"Ahhh, I-I think I remember." Yuuto groaned as he tried to lift his head, but his muscles were so relaxed that they felt like pudding right now.

"Ugh, I can barely move. I feel like my muscles turned to jelly." Issei groaned as he lazily raised his arm before giving up.

"Seconded." Muramasa interjected.

"Right right, of course. Um m-miss? M-May I ask you a few questions before you continue your, ugh, wonderful treatment?" Yuuto asked before he loses to the temptation of giving in to another blissful session.

At this rate, their minds would turn into mush. It was a strange feeling, so relaxed that their mental muscles couldn't move properly.

The female masseur looked startled for a second before she nodded eagerly.

The knight wanted to move, but his muscles absolutely refused to.

"Um can any of you move?" Yuuto asked the others with a tinge of worry.

"Naaaaaahhhhhh." Issei drawled as he lazed like a sloth on his mattress chair. "I don't want to move. Ahhh, damn it. I feel lazy as hell."

"Mmmmm, yes. I am as well." Muramasa groaned.

"Aaahh."

They have severely underestimated the power of masseurs. It was greater than every foe they have faced till now.

"Would you like us to continue, sir?" The girl tending Yuuto asked with a sweet smile.

At this point, they could only wait until they finished their sessions. They were sure that everything would be fine at least.

oXo

Their afternoon was not fine at all.

The two exorcists were covered with small bruises adorning their skin, caked in sweat and seething stress, both mired in heavy breaths as they were surrounded by the bodies of the thugs.

They were not sure how long they had fought. The thugs just kept coming at them without signs of stopping. They were exorcists trained for battle against the supernatural, but in the end, they were still human. Their stamina could not match that of a Devil's or a Fallen's in combat.

"Hyaaa!" Irina jumped and bashed the skull of the second of the last two thugs.

"Take this!" Xenovia uppercutted her opponent's jaw with a propelling leap, knocking his lights out.

The last two thugs were down, joining their comrades in unconsciousness.

Heaving out a deep breath, the two girls then turned towards the last one standing - the boss who was still rooted on his desk; his eyes were wide in fear and disbelief.

"What are you?"

The girls split up, surrounding the boss as Irina pointed her baton at him.

"Alright, we defeated I think every single henchman you have hah so tell us what we know, or or" Irina paused as if trying to find out the right word to use.

"You'll end up like these men, only worse." Xenovia added as she clenched her raised fist before his eyes.

"A-Alright, alright! I'll talk!" The man immediately caved in to Xenovia's threat, his esteem facade crumbling like sand.

"Good. Now, answer our previous question. What do you know about the man - the priest that visited this horrid place?!" Xenovia shouted, half-venting her stress.

"Look, I don't know much about that guy, honest." The leader confessed. "All I know is that he is a quirky old man. He came here to indulge in my services for a while but then bought some of my girls out of debt. I don't know where he got that money from, but I guess you're here about that? W-Why do you want this guy?"

The more the boss talked, the more he sounded like a simpering third-rate sycophant.

"We did tell you that he's gone missing for a while. We want to know if he left behind any clues to his whereabouts." Irina interjected, calmly explaining their intentions.

"...Alright." The leader sighed in relief as he wiped the sweat off his brows. "Look I am not kidding. I don't know anything about the old man. We do not talk much other than his purchase of my girls. If you want to know more, ask the girls he frequented instead. They might know something I don't."

Xenovia narrowed her eyes at the man, trying to find any sign of deceit. A few seconds later, she sighed and turned around, followed by Irina who gave the man one last look before walking away.

"Do you think he's lying?" Irina asked.

"Yes, but I can't find fault with his logic. Besides, he threw literally every thug he has in that room, so we can go back if we find nothing." Xenovia argued.

The two gave one last look at the man when they were at the door; the man was no longer paying attention to them in favor of massaging his head, with a glass of liquor held by his other hand.

"Yeah, I don't think he's lying." Irina sighed in relief.

They proceeded towards the rooms where the girls were. Irina hoped that the others were faring better than her.

oXo

"Uuuuughhhhhhh, oh my god, that was pure heaven!" Issei groaned aloud as he stretched his arms in the air, leaning side to side and twisted his body left and right. "I have never felt so fuckin' limber! I mean, wow! I think I should bring my mom here next time."

"Mmmhmm.!" Muramasa hummed in agreement as she also stretched her own frame. "I shall frequent this establishment after achieving my master's objective. Which reminds me, how fare you, little master?" She asked her current contractor.

Yuuto was taking a few deep breaths while doing his own stretches. "It was uuughhhh, I can't find the words for it uhm, aren't we forgetting something?"

"Uh... oh, right. Investigating the missing pigeon lover." Issei remembered.

"Right, right whew. Let us go." Yuuto suggested as he took his cellphone as he returned to the masseur girl who was sitting on a chair, stretching the aches out her arms. He took out his cellphone and approached her.

"Um, sorry. I forgot to ask you this. But have you seen this man by any chance?" Yuuto asked the girl, showing her the picture of the priest.

The said girl blinked at the picture before her face grew concerned. "...Father Pudruin?"

Issei and Yuuto did not expect such a reaction, as they shared a glance.

"Do you know him?" The girl asked.

Yuuto then replied, "He's my uncle. He's been missing for a while, and I was told he used to frequent this place."

"Oh I see." the girl replied as she looked down dejectedly. Her voice was trembling as she hugged her right arm, eyes lowered to the floor.

"...Miss? Are you acquainted with him?" Yuuto asked hesitantly.

"Yes, of course." The girl looked up at him. They did not expect him to flash a warm smile at them. "How couldn't I? I'm indebted to him."

"Define indebted." Issei interjected, now curious.

"Well I wasn't always a masseur." She said as she took a deep breath. "I was under a lot of debt I don't know how to say it without making myself look so so"

"...You don't have to, you know?" Issei assured, knowing that the topic was rather difficult for the girl to speak of.

Nonetheless, the girl persevered as she gave Issei an appreciative smile before she carried on.

"Thank you he met us in a dark place. I don't want to talk about how we got there. We thought we were going to be slaves." the girl could not elaborate further as she bit her lip, her arms were hugging her frame as if trying to comfort herself.

A few seconds later, she calmed down, "But Instead, in an act of kindness, he took us all out of that hell. He gave us money to restart our lives. The others left this place but I don't have a place to go back to." The girl looked at them. "So I decided to stay here. And learn how to treat others in a more proper manner. Turns out, I have a talent for this profession. Business is still slow here, however. I don't want to go back to that place is Father Pudruin doing alright?"

Issei and Yuuto exchanged another glance before the former smiled at the masseur.

"Well, that's what we want to find out. You want us to pass on your message to him when we find him?"

The masseur's face brightened up slightly.

"Y-Yes, please. Tell him that feel free to come over as well! I want to show him how much I've improved with this second chance!"

Issei smiled at her jubilance.

Turns out, you're not a complete piece of shit after all - Issei mentally apologized to the priest that might not be alive.

"Will do. Back to the subject, did he tell you anything about himself before he left? Some kind of direction for us like his address, mentions of places, or?"

The girl's expression turned thoughtful as she tapped her chin in rumination.

"Pudruin is hmmm. Well, I think he once mentioned his colleagues. He simply talked to someone on the phone the last time I saw him, but otherwise oh! I do know where he once stayed before!"

The boys' faces brightened at the mention of the lead.

"Could you write us a note?" Yuuto asked with a growing smile.

"I can do that. Oh, and just in case" the girl blushed as she looked at Yuuto's eyes. "I-I'll give you my phone number u-um just in case you-I m-mean I recall something! M-My memory is not that g-good, s-so!"

Her face turned a furious red.

"I-I'll b-be right back!"

She ran away, disappearing into the employees' room.

As she left, Issei flashed a wry smile at the pretty boy that seduced an innocent girl by just looking at her.

"Well?" Issei elbowed Yuuto's side. "You gonna bank on her number, lady killer?

Yuuto did not comment. He responded with a wry smile of his own while the girl swiftly returned with the piece of paper.

Soon, they bid the girl farewell as they headed towards the exit.

"Huh, she even wrote her name on the paper." Issei commented.

Yuuto looked away, not wanting to entertain Issei's teasing.

"You gonna use that number?" Issei continued as Yuuto put the slip into his pocket.

"Come on... You got that girl swooning over you like pudding. You ever gonna pick a girl and settle with her one day?" Issei asked Yuuto.

Otherwise, the face he had would be completely wasted on him.

"That is a topic for another day, Ise."

"You're chickening out." Issei accused.

"Ahem." Muramasa cleared her throat and got their attention. "Are we not forgetting something else?" Muramasa pointed out.

"Like what?" Issei asked.

"Ise! Mr. Kiba!"

They turned to see Irina and Xenovia exiting the door behind the counter.

Issei was about to greet them but he stopped upon seeing their haggardness. Their skin was freshly coated with glistening sweat and faint bruise, as well as dirt on their now-wrinkled clothes.

"...What the hell happened to you two?" Issei asked as his eyes darted back and forth between the girls.

"None of your business." Xenovia walked past them, not giving them a second glance.

Issei looked at Irina confused. Irina returned an awkward smile.

"Um, well, we tried asking around the secret place."

Issei did not need any more context to know what she meant.

"But we didn't get anything much from our struggles. I'm afraid we have failed" Irina sadly confessed.

"Oh, about that; good news, Iri. We got a lead. We got the address where the guy stayed at," Issei rebuked.

Irina blinked, "Wait, really? That's good!" Her face brightened up considerably. "How did you get it?"

Issei noticed Xenovia returning with her music case strapped on her back. "It's a funny story, but first, let's leave before Arthur knock-off gets crankier."

Xenovia glowered at Issei but not said a word as she stomped towards the exit. Issei snorted at Xenovia's reaction, starting to find a sadistic amusement in teasing the devout fanatic.

He remained silent and decided to follow her out, Yuuto and the rest joining him wordlessly. Overall, today was a productive day for them at least for three of them.

When they left the door, they saw Xenovia standing still in front of them. She was rolling her shoulders a little before readjusting the case on her back.

"Xenovia? Is something wrong?" Irina asked as she walked up to her partner.

The blunette narrowed her eyes before she took the black case off her back.

"Strange. The weight feels different"

Everyone had gathered around her with curiosity as Xenovia settled the case on the concrete. She unsealed the locks and flipped the cover open.

When they looked inside, they were stunned. Xenovia was completely filled with dread as her stoic face slowly melted into abject despair.

The night at Kuoh's entertainment district was filled with Xenovia's mortified howl echoing the air.

Followed by mocking laughter.

Back in the hotel, Griselda - who just finished a discussion with Valper Galilei over simple dinner, glanced at the clock and began to feel worried over her two wards.

The clock just showed that it was entering night time - if she were to guess, her charges were supposedly taking a dinner break from their investigation, before they returned back to the hotel, or at least report to her.

Feeling that there was no harm to keep tabs on her two apprentices, she took the telephone in the hotel room and proceeded to dial Xenovia's cell-phone number.

It took nearly half a minute - which was rather concerning for Griselda, for Xenovia to finally pick up.

[...Hello.]

"Ah, Xenovia, good evening. Forgive me for calling so suddenly, is it alright for you to talk now?"

[G-good evening, Sister Griselda um h-how are you today?]

Griselda blinked at the small shift in her tone, but she ignored it for the time being. "Hmmm, I am well, Xenovia. Apologies for the rude request, but I wish to receive an update on your progress. I haven't heard from you for a day, so I want to know if you're doing well." She asked with a small smile on her face.

[I-I-I-I-everything's great! W-We found a lead on Father Pudruin, hahaha!]

Griselda then found Xenovia's tone became stranger, "...Xenovia, is everything okay? You sound tensed."

[W-w-what? Me? Tensed? I-I mean, m-maybe, b-b-b-b-b-but I-I assure you that I'm fine. It-it's just, err Actually, maybe you want to speak with Irina?]

Griselda could sense fear in her voice. Then again, she still did not know how things were exactly on the other end. "...Very well. I would like to hear from her as well."

[Great! I-Irina!]

Griselda then waited, all while hearing some statics - faint noises of small scuffles of the girls arguing.

A few seconds later, Irina's voice spoke through the cell.

[H-h-hello? Sister Griselda?]

Strange, Irina's voice carried Xenovia's anxiety. Griselda started to suspect a hidden amiss.

"Good evening, Irina. I trust that your investigation is well?"

[Y-y-yes, yes, of course! The investigation cannot go even better, I say! Hahaha, well, to be honest there were some complications, but, err. Ise here was really helpful! Good thing we included him, huh? Hahaha!]

"...Yes, it is wonderful to see you acquainted with him well Irina, how is Xenovia? Did something happen during your investigation?"

Then the line went silent for a few moments, safe for the faint noises of Irina's panic whispering. Griselda caught some words such as 'what do I do', and 'we're screwed'.

"...Irina?"

[Oh! U-um, yes? What is it, sister?]

Griselda decided to press the issue, "I asked you if something bad happened during your investigation. Is Xenovia alright? Is anyone injured? Should I come over?"

[Wha-?! Err, uh, um, n-no, no, no, no! You don't have to! Everything is absolutely fine! I promise!]

"...Irinaaaa." Griselda narrowed her eyes as her smile turned ominous.

[U-U-Um, we're just exhausted! Um, if you'd like, maybe you want to talk with Ise?!]

Griselda pursed her lips in contemplation. A few seconds later, she answered, "Hand the phone to Sir Hyoudou, please."

A second later, Issei's voice was heard.

[Hello?]

"Good evening, sir Hyoudou." Griselda greeted. "Did Irina and Xenovia get into any trouble today?"

[Well. I can't say they didn't, but they handled it well enough. Today was actually quite productive.]

Griselda noted that the boy's tone was significantly more relaxed than the girls. Was it a good sign, after all?

"...So what happened with the girls?"

[Uh, that is a funny, very funny story But it will take forever if I'm telling you now. The girls are tired and hungry. Is it okay if I bring them for some dinner before they go back?]

Griselda blinked before replying, "Please, you don't have to go that far, young man. Your participation in our endeavours is already more than enough."

[Um, no, I actually insist. It's been a long time since the last time I saw Irina, so we have a lot of catching-up to do. You don't need to worry, I promise you it won't take long, and they both will return before late.]

Griselda noticed the small shift in Issei's tone, "...I see. Well, I guess I can allow that for tonight. But please be truthful, sir Hyoudou. Is everything alright?"

It took a couple of seconds before Issei's voice was heard again.

[...Yes, everything is okay here.]

The phone call became silent for a tense few seconds, as Griselda was contemplating how the conversation had gone. Eventually, she sighed, "...Very well. I shall entrust the girls in your care for the remainder of tonight. Take good care, sir Hyoudou."

[Yeah, it's nice talking to you.]

Then, the line finally went dead. Griselda put the receiver down, as she proceeded to plan to personally interrogate her two charges as soon as they returned.

Meanwhile, Issei sighed in relief as he was met by two girls glaring at him.

On the ground next to the group, was a music case with a large cello inside. The contents were an actual musical instrument. Apparently, there was another patron who carried a similar music case, and the staff mixed them up. Worse, they have no information on the patron other than his face, meaning they have no supposed leads.

It took Issei a full one minute to stop laughing at Xenovia, to her chagrin, when he parsed her predicament.

"...Well?" Irina asked.

"Good news. You two are in the clear for now." Issei replied as she returned to Xenovia, who was looking a bit relieved along with Irina. "But I still think you two should've come clean earlier."

Then, Irina and Xenovia's expressions immediately widened with panic.

""Are you out of your mind?!""

Both Irina and Xenovia rebuked simultaneously at him.

"What?" Issei asked. "Your swords have trackers on them, right? Sister Griselda should be able to locate your missing sword in like a minute."

"No, you will not say a word until we get my sword back!" Xenovia stomped towards Issei and grabbed the scruff of his shirt, pulling him to her frantic face.

"In fact, I think none of this would've happened if you're to do your job properly as a look-out! So help me God, you will help find my sword or else I'll tear you apart with my bare hands and forge another holy sword from your lifeless remains!"

Not only Issei, but also Irina, Yuuto and Muramasa were staring funnily at Xenovia's hilarious outburst.

This girl is losing it.

She looked so adorable trying to be threatening now that Issei looked at her.

"...Okay, okay." Issei placated. "Look, it's obvious that everyone is too tense at the moment, but I actually have an idea."

"You do?" Irina blinked.

"Yeah. We need to track this girl's sword." Issei jabbed his thumb at still seething Xenovia, "...And I know just the perfect tracker for the job."

He finished with a confident smile, earning confused looks from everyone.

oXo

"Ah, right. I actually forgot about him."

Outside the lavish gates of the Hyoudou residence, Yuuto mused as everyone watched Issei play with Rover.

"I didn't know that your dog is part bloodhound." Irina joined Issei and patted Rover's head, watching him pant with a smile.

"Oh, he can do lots of things other dogs can't do." Issei said as he rubbed Rover's chin.

The dog barked, very pleased as it enjoyed the attention.

"Come on, boy. We need you to find something for us. It is very important that you find it, alright?" Issei cajoled his best friend as it barked at Issei with its tail wagging.

Issei then simply pointed at Xenovia.

"Go to the mean blue-haired girl, boy. She has something that belongs to someone else, so I need you to find the owner. But keep a safe distance. She might kick you for no reason."

"Ise" Irina frowned a little with a sweat drop at Issei's attempt at humor. Xenovia was not amused by his portrayal, glowering at the boy while Yuuto flashed a small smile.

The dog then approached Xenovia and began sniffing at her, who showed an obvious discomfort at the proximity. Rover waddled around Xenovia as Rover - as Issei instructed, kept his distance a little as he sniffed the music case strapped on her back.

Without a warning, Rover barked again, sniffing on the floor as it waddled down the street.

"Come on. Rover picked up the trail." Issei called as he followed his dog. The rest of them followed with curiosity on how Rover would perform.

Rover continued as it began to run, easily following the scent until they arrived back at the massage parlour. By that point, the scent started to fade as Rover had to sniff closer towards the ground, waddling to another direction, taking left and right turns here and there with no direction.

However, Rover perked his head as looked at the alley.

Rover barked as it ran towards the alleyway, prompting the others to follow it into the dark crevice of the street.

Rover started barking at a dirty green dumpster, growling with aggression.

"Rover?" Issei knelt down and ran his hand over the dog's hide to calm it down, while the rest looked pensive at the direction Rover was growling at.

"Something is agitating him." Yuuto noticed as he took point, followed closely by Issei, Rover, Xenovia and Irina. Muramasa remained behind, but kept her eyes on the scene.

Yuuto conjured a demon sword as he approached the dumpster and slipped his blade under the lip, carefully lifting it open as Irina and Xenovia peered inside.

"Oh, My God..." Irina cupped her mouth while her eyes trembled with horror as Xenovia's eyes hardened.

The first thing they registered was the rancid odor; smell of garbage mixed with other rotting stuff, but most prominently, the smell of blood.

There was a body of a man. He wore a suit, but there were burn marks slashed across it, repeated cuts across his body in various places, even the groin. What probably finished him off was the cauterized hole in his forehead.

Next to the bloodied dumpster, was an empty music case - Xenovia's music case from earlier that day.

"Shit" Issei cursed; he did not see this coming at all. The perp actually got to the Excalibur first before them and took his time killing the poor fellow that did not know any better.

"I'll make a quick call to the police. But we need to leave soon." Irina grimaced as she took her phone out.

"...We need to find the sinner and bring him to justice." Xenovia declared with grim resolve, her prior panic burned away by the fires of silent wrath.

"I'm more worried about how the killer tracked down the sword in the first place." Issei pointed out. "How the hell did the guy know? I mean, the coincidence here is too convenient."

The group remained silent. Issei had a point. How did the culprit know where to find the sword before they did?

"...Are you saying we're being watched?" Yuuto conjectured.

The five looked around their surroundings, now more wary of their surroundings than ever before.

"Either way I had another idea." Issei sighed as he picked up Rover in his arms.

"Rover. I know this might be unpleasant for you, but bear with me. Could you see if you can find the guy that did this?" Issei asked as he brought Rover near the corpse.

The dog let out a displeased whine.

"I know, I know, he stinks like ass. I'll treat you with some of your favorite steak after this. How does it sound?"

Rover huffed, whimpering before he leaned his snout and sniffed at the corpse.

"I admit that your dog is very useful. However, I did not see the sinner leaving a trail we can follow." Xenovia pointed out.

"I bet that he did." Issei replied. "He took his sweet time killing the poor guy. I'm guessing that he left with the guy's scent on him."

As soon as Issei put him back to the ground, Rover barked at the alleyway and took off, sprinting out the alley.

"...And there he goes."

The group took off, following the dog down the street before he made a sharp right turn. The group saw Rover pawing at the manhole cover, barking at it as it looked at them.

Issei did not spare any second as he immediately unlatched the metallic cover off the ground.

Irina peered down at the dark hole, and she had to cover her nose from the stench of dirty water.

"Please don't tell me we have to go down there." Irina grimaced as the foul odors riled her worst imaginations.

Rover also whimpered while looking at Issei, begging him not to go with its two googly eyes.

"See, even Rover doesn't want to go there!" Irina argued further.

Xenovia, on the other hand, was not as perturbed as she walked past Irina.

"The Lord is watching us, Irina. We shall not let fear hinder His work." Xenovia merely commented before she dropped down the hole without hesitation. Yuuto, Irina, Muramasa, and Issei stared at the hole, processing the detriments of walking in such an unsanitary environment.

"Well." Issei dropped the manhole aside as he picked Rover into his arms. "See you guys in the shit-hole."

Issei sent Irina an apologetic smile before he jumped into the hole after Xenovia.

"...Care not to besmirch me, Master." Muramasa warned her wielder in a dire tone. Yuuto felt shivers crawling his spine when her ominous aura prickled his skin.

Yuuto turned towards her and saw only the sword form of his Yokai weapon on the floor. Yuuto wordlessly picked Muramasa up and jumped into the manhole after Issei.

Now the only one left, Irina stared at the hole conflicted for a second before she sighed, "Oh, geez!" She then jumped into the hole as well.

The party was walking through the sideways of running sewer water. The interior was bigger than expected, even complemented with small lights, presumably for workers of an underground construction job.

"Of all things Why does it have to be a sewer?" Irina complained as she carefully watched her foot-steps.

Squeak

"Eep!" Irina shrieked in fright when her eyes caught a sewer rat running past her, causing her to step back in reflex.

"Shh!" Xenovia shushed as she took the point of the group. "Keep your voice low, Irina. The enemy is probably prowling nearby for all we know. Don't alert him."

"Easy for you to say!" Irina barked back in whispers. "I probably just stepped on some rat dung just now!"

Issei and Yuuto mostly ignored the girls' banter in favour of making out the dark surroundings.

"Tell me, Ise. Can you see in the dark?" Yuuto asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Sometimes." Issei shrugged. "But only if there's at least a little light. Otherwise, I'm gonna need night vision goggles."

"...That is surprising." Yuuto commented.

"Hey, I'm still human. I still got some limits. Like lack of flight."

"Rias might use that against you if she learned of it."

"Tell her the answer is still 'no'," Issei rolled his eyes.

A few minutes of more walking later, the group encountered a fork in the path. They watched Rover sniff the ground before it whined and rubbed its nose.

Rover then paddled to the left, but it was no longer sniffing as much as before, most likely to avoid intaking the stench of the sewers as much as possible.

The party then began to take Rover's lead, but Issei stopped them, "Wait, hang on."

"...What is it, Ise?"

The boy simply knelt down to his dog.

"Rover. Did you avoid the trail on purpose?" He pointed at the direction which Rover shunned earlier.

The canine whimpered with drooped ears.

"Come on, boy. I know it is not easy but we're counting on you. You don't have to sniff too much, just enough to get us where we need to go." Issei cajoled as Rover whimpered before paddling to the other path.

The others stared at the dog that changed directions.

"...Issei?" Yuuto asked as Issei followed after Rover.

"I'm making sure Rover keeps his word." Issei replied. "Sometimes he'll still misbehave and stuff. Like one time when he tried to hide a bone from a Chimera he killed in the backyard. Besides, our target probably went this way as well probably."

"Probably?" Xenovia nitpicked as she and the rest followed Issei.

"Yeah, there is a small chance of a miss down here. The sewer smell is strong as shit." Issei pointed out as they silently followed the dog that continued whining every time it sniffed the rancid air.

The sewer was another world in itself.

There was a series of bridges over foul rivers of sludge and puddles of gray water.

Issei and co had to avoid the swarms of mice and walk on the sidewalk parallel to the running sewage waters. There was so many crossroads and forks in the road that the average person could be lost in here for days, if not weeks before dropping dead from the lack of hygiene alone. Issei and Kiba had to light the path using their own magic since there was no electric light in the sewers as no one frequents down there. No, it was more like the lights were off, lights reserved for workers and city plumbers to work on the pipes and maintain the underground network.

Irina jumped at every small moving shadow, hugging Issei's arm throughout the journey, much to his small chagrin. Xenovia was undeterred by the vermin, but her stoic face was faltering before the sewage smell. Yuuto had to make sure not to let a single stain fall on Muramasa lest he taste the cursed sword's ire.

"Issei, are you sure we are on the right path? We've been wandering in these sewers for a while." Yuuto asked as Rover started sniffing a metal door leading to somewhere.

"What makes you think there is a right path? We're in the sewers. There are many paths, and Rover is the only one that is working hard here." Issei retorted.

The dog barked once, as if to emphasize Issei's words.

"Ise... I don't want to be here anymoooore! I want out! I want to run to the shower and wash rat stink off me!" Irina complained while hugging his arm tighter. Issei did not mind the attention but it would definitely lead to an explosion if Tsubasa saw her doing this.

"I agree. The smell is putrefying." Xenovia harrumphed as she pinched her nose shut.

Rover started to paw at the metal door, whining as if to get inside.

"...And there is our lead." Issei said as he walked over Rover pulled the door open, snapping the lock as they looked inside.

It was a somewhat empty room.

On left and right, they could see large pipes entering and exiting the floor and ceilings close to the walls, with a wheel and pressure meter and gauges. Ahead of them was a brick wall.

"...It seems your dog has led us to a dead end." Xenovia frowned.

Rover barked at the girl before paddling towards the wall, sniffing the surface a little. It growled before Rover placed its paw into the wall - as if it melted into the stone.

"What dead end?" Issei retorted with a smirk towards Xenovia, who lightly scoffed in return.

Yuuto walked towards the wall and placed his hand inside, feeling nothing.

"The wall is an illusion" Yuuto spoke in realization.

[I can see why the creature failed to find the weapons.]

Yuuto heard Muramasa's voice in his head.

Xenovia and Irina watched Yuuto enter the brick wall, appearing on the other side.

"Um, you might want to see this." The Knight called.

When everybody else followed suit, they did not expect to see another tunnel beyond the illusory wall.

It was somewhat crude, cylindrical in shape but the walls and circulinear ceiling was coarse, abrasive. Issei stepped on something hard, prompting him to look down, and saw bricks scattered about, some intact, some broken. Looking behind, Issei saw the crude hole in the wall, meaning the illusion was one-way.

"This is new." Issei commented.

This thing would probably violate a lot of rules should the authorities find out.

Rover barked as he paddled with excitement as he ran down the tunnel.

"Whoa, Rover!" Issei and the rest ran after Rover as the air started to grow fresher.

Everyone did not waste another second as they quickly ran after the dog down the tunnel. They could see some light at the end of the tunnel other than the magical light balls Yuuto and Issei conjured.

The four followed Rover at the end of the tunnel as the tunnel started shaking. When they were near the tunnel, something rushed past them.

The thing was flickering, multiple square lights rushing past them like that of a motion picture. It was a blur but all of them recognized what rushed past them, especially the familiar sound of screeching metal echoing in the tunnel.

"...How the hell did someone dig a hole to a subway tunnel from the sewers unnoticed?" Issei blurted when the train stopped rushing past the hole, leaving the sight of what seemed to be a subway tunnel, rail tracks, artificial lightings, and all.

"Something tells me that whoever we are looking for, has planned all of this in advance." Irina quipped.

"Still, how the hell ugh, fucking magic." Issei rolled his eyes. "Come on, Rover, let's press on." He then called his best friend as the dog barked and paddled to the left towards the direction of the train, sniffing the ground.

"Watch out for the rails and incoming trains." Yuuto warned as they followed the dog down the wider tunnel.

There was barely any light like before, so the two had to make due with the magical lights they conjured.

Rover continued sniffing the floor until he turned left to another door of metal. There was a lot of graffiti painted on the door, street punk art from the west in bright colors.

Issei pulled the door open, snapping the lock again with a loud crack.

"Issei, I know I should ask this earlier but when did you get so strong?" Irina asked as she stared at the broken lock holding the door in place.

The group entered another room, a tight narrow corridor with barely any light.

"Try push ups, sit ups, and running kilometers every day." Issei retorted as they looked around the surroundings.

"Really?" Irina asked.

"Nah, I'm half-joking, and Rover helped me along the way." Issei smiled.

Irina pouted at Issei as Xenovia interjected.

"Irina, it is blatant that he made a deal with the devils for his strength. Don't be fooled."

Xenovia did not budge when Issei returned a silent glare. The conversational mood died like a drowning candle light as they continued their path.

The path seemingly led them to another location, a wide area of space of a seemingly abandoned building or something.

They were not alone.

Loiterers were around the area - homeless people and small-time thugs were sitting and crouching around several make-shift campfires in various spots inside the large room. It looked like an abandoned parking lot now that they looked at it closely.

Rover continued sniffing the floor as he paddled away, towards another flight of stairs leading to another door away from the loiterers.

Issei and co. followed Rover towards another flight of stairs down leading them to a door. Rover padded the door, growling this time.

"Is the perp in there, buddy?" Issei asked.

Rover nodded.

Everyone readied themselves, Irina reforming her Mimic from her ribbon into a sword.

Xenovia reached to her back on instinct, but soon remembered again that she was unarmed.

However, Xenovia saw a sword being held towards her. She looked at Yuuto, seeing him offering her a weapon. It was not as large as Excalibur Destruction, it was a simple claymore of grey and black steel with a standard pommel.

Xenovia stared at the weapon with a conflicted face.

"...Don't tell me you're going to complain about demon swords, too?" Issei groused at Xenovia as Irina and Yuuto looked at the bluenette expectantly, giving her no room to retort.

Xenovia frowned but she took Yuuto's offered sword. "...Please. I still remember what Sister Griselda taught me the other day."

Issei snorted with a small smile as the group reached a temporary agreement. Gathering themselves around the door, Issei took a point as he stood right in front of the door, giving everyone else one last glance which they replied with a nod.

Issei broke the door open with a swift kick before they barged into the room.

Inside was a poorly maintained workshop. Dim lights, dusty and cold furniture, while Excalibur Destruction leaned one the desk beside a familiar face sitting in a chair with a cup of instant ramen in hand.

The two sides stared at each other, one with noodles dangling from his lips before he slurped it in and shouted.

"...What the actual fuck?!"

Yuuto widened his eyes when he recognized his face.

"Freed Sellzen!" Yuuto shouted as he held Muramasa in an Iai stance.

"That stray exorcist?!" Irina shouted.

"My Excalibur!" Xenovia pointed at her stolen sword.

"Who are you?"

All eyes turned to the one boy that uttered something completely out of place in this chaotic encounter.

"...What?" Issei could only ask for the attention directed to him.

"Holy fuck, your memory's shit." Freed threw his ramen cup aside and picked up Excalibur Destruction.

"Don't move!" Yuuto shouted, but stopped when Freed drew his light pistol at him with a quickdraw.

"Yeah, come in with a gun next time, dumbass."

Freed kept them at bay with his light pistol, switching targets one by one as he slowly backed away towards the backroom.

"Where are the stolen swords, Freed? Why did you take them?" Yuuto questioned as he slowly treaded towards Freed.

"Hah! Like I'm gonna spill like a cliched fucker. Kill me and you'll never find the magic swords, kiddos!" Freed threatened as he aimed Destruction at Irina before she could dash in, stopping her in place.

"Give it up, Freed. You're outnumbered and outmatched, and there is no way out." Irina warned as she pointed her Excalibur Mimic at the rogue exorcist.

"Screw you. How the fuck did you losers find me, anyways? I was way ahead of you last time I checked."

On cue, Rover let out a bark, causing Freed's eyes to turn towards the dog.

"Eyes of crimson blood, black messy fur Oh. So this is the dog that wiped out those retards years ago. Huh." Freed remarked the dog with a surprisingly impressed tone.

"What do you mean?" Yuuto demanded as he took another step.

Freed paused for a moment before he smiled as his eyes quickly shot towards the back room for a moment as he backstepped more.

"What? Didn't the dragon boy tell you?" Freed looked at Issei. "He was a big hoot back in the days. Very famous. Nearly got killed by proper church officials for keeping a pet or two."

Yuuto, Irina and Xenovia paused, then they were unable to keep their eyes from darting towards Issei, who were regarding Freed with his own wide eyes.

"...Who told you that?" Issei then asked with a dangerous tone.

"Not telling~ Your momma almost got done in by a light-sword, right? Heard she still got that scar. And you jumped in front of a light bullet to save your dog, nearly kicking the bucket in the hospital. Seriously, why are you working with those idiots? I get that I tried to kill you, but that's in the past! A misunderstanding! I mean, all of this!" Freed gestured to the workshop with his pistol. "Has nothing to do with you!" Freed smiled with a vicious giggle as the three digested the revelation.

"Ise?" Irina asked with a worried tone. "...What is he talking about?"

"Oh, oh, oh. Tell them about the part where exorcists barged into your home weapons blazing. Your mom got pinned down like some common crook, accused of harboring monsters. Or the part where you tried to talk your way out only for them to slap you before shooting at your little friends."

Irina and Xenovia's expressions grew a tad paler as they turned towards Yuuto, who was also as clueless as them.

However, before any of them could utter a word, Issei blurred across the room without, and the next second, Freed found himself violently pinned to a wall, his weapons clattered to the floor.

"Ack! Ugh, shit. Okay, so you're stronger than they say." Freed gurgled when Issei pressed his forearm against his throat.

"You better use that potty mouth of yours to answer our questions and our questions only, bud." Issei warned.

"Yeah, you're not gonna kill me. Ack. You won't find your precious swords this way." Freed choked with an enduring smirk.

"Wanna test that theory?" Issei dared as he pressed his throat harder.

"Ack, okay, okay, fine." Freed caved in, gasping for air.

"Talk. Now." Issei demanded as he let Freed room to breath.

"Okay. Ack, what do you want to know, Dragon boy? This ain't my first rodeo."

"Where did you keep the other Excalibur swords?"

"Take, ugh, a wild guess. I don't manage the goods, kid, I just deliver them." Freed gagged out as Issei relieved his throat some more.

"Tell us who your client is." Yuuto joined in the interrogation.

"How do you think the swords got taken in the first place? You think anyone can find the master key to those vaults, huh? Excalibur is the cream of the crop, the top grade shit, you know?"

Freed's words caused everyone in the room to pause in thought.

The Excalibur fragments were one of the Church's greatest treasures, bestowed by the Angels, and God, themselves in their golden age.

They should not be careless enough to let their sacred swords escape their maximum security, their vault under the heaviest guards. So that bore the question how did the intruder escape with the goods so cleanly that the Church could not catch his face?

"Yeah, you finally get it, don't ya?" Freed gurgled under Issei's arm. "Fun fact for you church newbies. Fifty percent of the church officials I killed are actual pedophiles- Ack."

Issei glared at Freed one more time before he glanced at Irina and Xenovia, whose expressions were visibly distraught. Even Xenovia could not find the right words to properly, or arrogantly, deny nor avoid the hint of truth and possibility at this moment.

"Who is the impostor?" Yuuto demanded as he pointed his sword at Freed.

"Hah, an impostor Among Us. Nice game. Get to murder for fun," Freed jokes.

"Stop dodging the question. Talk, now." Issei pushed into his throat harder, making him gag.

"Look- ack, as much as I want to avoid- kaf, this S-M play rodeo, you have no business here. The boss ain't a pushover-bleh!"

Issei snarled at Freed.

"Since when are you the type to chicken out?" Issei asked, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

Something did not seem right with Freed. He was not the reckless buffoon that gets high on killing devils and their contractors for fun if he remembered correctly.

"Haha, let me down, and I'll talk. You seem to have me in the ropes, right?" Freed bargained.

"...Kiba, close the door." Issei suggested.

If they were going to play cops and robbers, they should at least block his escape.

However, before Yuuto could respond, someone called out from the entrance.

"Oi, someone broke the door."

Everyone blinked and turned to see one of the loiterers - a middle-aged man within a dirty, disheveled coat, peering over the entrance with others behind him.

Everyone stared at the eyewitnesses in a silent stupor. It was the first time Issei found himself in a position where witnesses interrupted his objectives.

However, their distraction exposed an opportunity for their cornered killer.Updated from nov𝒆lbIn.(c)om

Flashing a smirk, he reached down to his coat and tossed something to the middle of the room.

Rover immediately barked as soon as the object clanged on the floor, but it was too late.

The moment Issei, Yuuto, Irina and Xenovia turned to the noise, a deafening screech and a blinding flash of light greeted them.

"What the fu-!?"

Freed immediately slammed his foot into Issei's gut, effectively knocking him back into releasing him. Freed ducked under Issei's left hook and quickly scooped his pistol and Excalibur Destruction before zigzagging past the dazed sword-wielding trio, cackling as he suddenly blurred in a burst of speed.

"Dammit! Don't let him get away!" Xenovia shouted as she still tried to recover from disorientation.

Irina happened to be the ones closer towards the exit, but through her blurry vision and ringing eardrums, she was met with an unexpected obstacle.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"What the hell is going on!?"

"Bleuuugh!"

Turns out the loiterers that gathered near the door earlier had descended into panic, affected by the flash-stun bomb. One of them even vomited onto the floor, on his shoes from nausea.

Irina cried out in disgust when she saw the vomiting vagrant for a moment before trying to get past them.

"E-Excuse me! I need to get through!" Irina pleaded for them to move, but they did not seem to hear her as they held their heads from the dizziness. She tried to push and slip past them, but by the time she shuffled through the obstacle, Freed was nowhere to be seen.

Everyone else joined her as they made their way past the vagrants, seeing Freed was nowhere in sight.

"...Fuck!" Issei slammed his fist into the door frame, bending the metal from the impact.

They had failed to retrieve the missing holy sword, and worse, they let one of the culprits flee the scene with the goods.

"Rover!" Issei called out to his dog, hoping that the canine could still track Freed's scent.

The beast let out a bark and immediately followed through with Issei's command. After sniffing the air for a few times, Rover then ran off towards a slanted slope exiting upwards towards the streets.

The group heard an explosion in the streets.

They ran towards the noise too sweet to see a small crater. Water was spouting like a mini geyser in the center, steam rising puddle.

Rover ran towards the crater while the group followed.

Issei and the rest stood at the edge of the crater, noticing something strange.

"It's humid here." Issei said as steam was rising from the small pool in the crater around which Rover sniffed.

The dog was drooping his ears before he ran up the crater, barking at something on the other side.

"Freed must be trying to wash his scent off using heated water." Yuuto summarized when he pieced it together.

"Using Excalibur Destruction as an instant heat source clever." Issei followed as they circled around the crater, seeing footprints and a trail of water.

"But not clever enough it seems!" Irina chimed as they ran, following the water trail towards an alley. However, they saw Freed's clothes dumped onto the floor, from his jacket to his very pants and underwear.

"...Wow." Issei and the rest stared at the clothes dumbfounded. "He I mean, he really doesn't want to be found."

It was the first time he met someone desperate enough to abandon his clothes and flee. He was not excited to meet a naked murderer, honestly.

Xenovia clicked her tongue as Irina looked like having second thoughts to pursue further.

"No, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a naked man holding a giant sword."

"Yeah, but he's a slippery one." Issei pointed out as Rover paddled towards the wet clothes and sniffed it.

Rover only whined and drooped his ears.

"...It seems Rover can no longer go past this point." Yuuto frowned.

Irina walked up to Rover and crouched down, petting his head with a consoling smile.

"Good job, Rover. We're very proud of you."

Rover panted and nuzzled against her hand, prompting a warm smile from the girl.

The group went silent as the adrenaline went off by losing Freed's trail.

"What do we do now?" Xenovia asked, exhaling her stress as she stared at the discarded cloth with hatred while Irina picked up Rover, the dog placed beneath her breasts as it panted.

"If Rover can't track him down, we might have to rely on Sister Griselda." Issei pointed out.

The two exorcists stiffened, their expressions turned conflicted.

"I" Xenovia wanted to protest, but she could not.

"No amount of bullshit could explain why you don't have your holy sword." Issei bluntly pointed out. "We're not magicians, Xenovia. Not even Yuuto could make an exact replica for your bluff since I am pretty sure Griselda could tell the difference."

The girls hung their heads in defeat, regret palpable from their faces.

"Hah, let's head back. We really need to buy some food on the way to the hotel." Issei said as he walked to Irina and rubbed Rover's head.

"And good job, buddy. I'll treat you to a steak later, I promise."

Rover barked out with expectation, panting as it nuzzled against Issei's hand.

While contemplating, Yuuto glanced at the sheathed katana in his grasp.

[Young master Perhaps I can be of assistance?]

Yuuto blinked at the voice echoing in his head.

Muramasa?

[The mutt might have lost track of our prey, but I have not.]

How are you going to track him?

[Our prey is quite peculiar. He might have erased his physical trail But I can still sense his bloodlust and insanity from all the way here just fine.]

Yuuto blinked again at the revelation of Muramasa's ability.

You can do that?

[I am a Demon Sword of Carnage. I was made for murderers. So yes, I can smell his bloodlust once I tasted his aura.]

Yuuto stared at his demon sword for a moment before he glanced at the rest; they were discussing whether the two exorcists would report their disastrous investigation to their higher-ups or not.

The Knight then turned to his sword again.

Can you lead the way?

[Oh? Are you not planning to bring your comrades along?]

Muramasa asked with a mild amusement in her tone.

Yuuto tightly gripped his sword. He closed his eyes as he contemplated over his choices.

...Ise never really agreed with me coming along. This is my life-time quest, and I will see it through, with or without anyone. Besides, our end goal differs.

In Yuuto's mind, he seeked the destruction of the Excalibur, while the church wanted to retrieve them. Chances were that even if they found Freed, it was likely that Yuuto would not have the chance to complete his mission.

[Is there a real reason why you chose this road? Your companion is doing the work. You are here this far because of him.]

...I want to see this through. If I don't I don't think I can ever move on.

Yuuto knew he owes Issei a lot for this. He closed his eyes as he clenched his sword, affirming his resolve to find the holy swords and put his past to rest.

[...Then go. I am but a weapon, a tool for its wielder to use to achieve whatever they desired.]

Yuuto turned to Issei and the rest as he walked towards them.

"Issei. Why don't you head back with the girls first? I will go buy some dinner for us along the way." Yuuto offered.

"...Really?" Issei quirked a brow at Yuuto's perpetual smile.

"...Yes."

Issei looked at the girls. Irina shrugged at him in response. Issei's stomach started growling very audibly, vocalizing its demand for sustenance. It sounded like a small tiger within a cage wanting out.

Issei blushed a little from embarrassment.

"Well, since we lost the perp Alright. Get something extra for me, oh, and some fries and takoyaki along the way." Issei decided. "You do have your own wallet, right?"

"Of course." This time, it was not a lie.

"Alright, see you back at the hotel. This little quest took way too long for my taste," Issei grumbled as he gestured to the girls to follow him, Irina still holding Rover in her arms.

Once they left, Yuuto's perpetual smile faded.

It was time to confront his past.

"Phew"

Freed released a sigh of relief as he finally put a hoodie over a simple T-shirt and trousers which he looted from a clothing shop in the market district.

The two holy swords were still secured on his person, all he needed to do was to get to the secondary safe house, contact his benefactor of the new development, and wait for further instructions.

He was really lucky that the idiots did not notice his other excalibur on his person. That thing was useful as hell for a quick getaway.

"I still need a way to deal with that damn dog." Freed muttered.

He heard the stories of a dog that breathes fire more prominently than dragons from that man. He still couldn't believe the stories, but hearing it from more than one source was enough to take it as fact. He did not want to test how he would fare against a dog that shoots atomic barks.

Not only that, he was not to face the wielder of the Boosted Gear - at all costs. He now knew why after seeing him in action once.

Back to the dog, Freed took out a cellphone - another item that he brought along despite his earlier state of undress, and dialed a certain number.

He waited as he lifted it to his ear, tapping his foot with impatience.

"Hey, it's me. Yeah, I hit a snag." Freed talked with the other guy as he walked towards his other safe house.

"Of course I sound tired. I was nearly caught! Yeah, really!" Freed grumbled as he started venting his frustrations.

"No, no, I didn't fuck it up! You didn't tell me that dragon dog is part bloodhound! Yeah, I was sniffed out after I nicked the bonus goods! I still have it, the fuckers didn't confiscate it when they interrogated me. How did I get out? I was lucky as fuck, that's what!"

Freed shouted at the phone as he made a left turn.

"Yeah, I'm not kidding! I need some edge here! I can't deal with that many losers at once! Yes, especially the kid. Give me something to work with, why don't you? You got anything to deal with a dog that shoots nukes? I can't work long with that thing sniffing my tail. It is THAT potent."

Arguing with that guy was a pain in the ass sometimes. Still, the guy knows some good stuff he could take for himself.

"Yeah, I know you can't talk with me for long. Just a heads up. Give me something to remove the dog out of the picture then we're good. Alright? Good. Also, I need some cash. Had to ditch my clothes and wallet. Hey, it's a small price to get away, alright? Yeah, let me know the dead drop location by tomorrow. I'll be waiting for good news."

Freed then closed his cellphone, just as the same time he noticed someone else was approaching.

The moon was shining quite well that night, in the midst of quiet street, Freed could make out a familiar handsome face scowling at him. "...Oh, come the fuck on."

Yuuto was standing before Freed, with Muramasa resting in one hand.

"Seriously, how the fuck did you find me this time- Wait, you're alone. And that's even more confusing!" Freed growled.

"How I found you doesn't matter." Yuuto retorted with an eerily calm tone. "What matters now is that you have something that I've been seeking for my whole life, and I will only warn you once to surrender them and walk away."

Freed watched as Yuuto's other hand reached towards the hilt of his katana.

"Well, you know what, fuck that shit." Freed then brandished his newly stolen Excalibur Destruction. "I'm getting sick of this cat and mouse bullshit. Though, you sure are fucking dumb to come alone. You might have a better chance with your buddies with ya."

Yuuto did not bother to grace Freed with his reply as he simply unsheathed his own sword.

At the moment the slightest of the blade came out from the sheath, Freed suddenly felt the night grew darker for some reason, despite there were barely any clouds to obstruct the moonlight above.

Moreover, when his eyes settled on the blade that Yuuto was drawing, Freed felt an indescribable chill running down his spine. His mind gave off danger signs at the sinister aura leaking off from Yuuto's sword.

Despite his tendency to enjoy a thrill of a good fight and murder, even Freed could tell that he was up against something dangerous.

"Whoa, there." Freed said with a nervous grin, as he tightened his hold on his holy sword. "Where'd you get that interesting toy? Never seen a demon sword like that."

Once again, Yuuto did not reply as he proceeded to put up a fighting stance with his new demon sword pointed towards Freed.