I watched Issei's clumsy attempts at mana circulation with a mixture of patience and amusement. His concentration was improving, slowly but steadily. The warm glow in his chest had stabilized, indicating that the Body of the Everflame was beginning to take root in his system.
While keeping one eye on his progress, I mentally checked my manifestation queue through the Workshop interface.
[Modified Asauchi: 16 days remaining]
[Dimensional Cube: 20 days remaining]
I suppressed a sigh of frustration.
The waiting was becoming increasingly tedious, especially when I could see potential crises brewing on the horizon. Having powerful tools locked behind arbitrary time gates was one of the Workshop's most annoying limitations.
I understood the Workshop's logic - more powerful items required longer development periods - but when you were dealing with potentially world-ending threats, waiting months for a single artifact was frustrating beyond measure.
Especially now that the canon had started, I was under constant pressure from the knowledge of what was coming.
There were the Evil Dragons. Don't even get me started on Trihexa, the Beast of Apocalypse, while it was still sealed but not forever. And God help me, I didn't even want to think about the ExE invasion that would come later - beings from another dimension who viewed this world as nothing more than a conquest target.
World-ending threats, all of them.
Every day that passed was another day closer to catastrophes that would make the current supernatural politics look like children's games.
At least one item had finally finished manifesting. In the slot where the Zodiac Piece: Virgo Hektos had been developing for what felt like an eternity, I now had the Aquarius Hendekatos queued up with 43 days remaining.
I reached into my inventory and summoned the completed piece, pushing aside my growing anxiety about the timeline.
The Virgo Hektos materialized in my palm - a crystalline dodecagon that seemed to contain starlight within its faceted surface. Unlike evil pieces, which carried a distinctly demonic aura, the zodiac piece hummed with celestial energy. It felt warm to the touch, radiating power that was both divine and pure.
Unfortunately, Rossweisse wasn't here to receive it. A week ago, she'd been suddenly summoned to Norway by Queen Frigga herself. She'd seemed as surprised by the summons as I was, claiming she had no idea what the Aesir queen wanted with her. According to her message, she'd be back the day after tomorrow.
"Leon-san," Asia's soft voice drew my attention. "What is that?"
Both she and Issei were staring at the zodiac piece in my hand, their eyes wide with curiosity. Even from across the room, they could apparently sense the aura it was emanating.
"This," I said, holding up the crystalline piece, "is my version of evil pieces. I call them zodiac pieces."
"Your version of evil pieces?" Issei asked, his meditation forgotten as he leaned forward with interest. "But I thought you said those were exclusive to devils?"
I'd explained the concept of evil pieces to them several days ago, along with the basics of devil society and the peerage system. They both understood how devils could reincarnate humans and other beings, binding them as servants while granting supernatural abilities.
"Evil pieces are indeed exclusive to devils," I confirmed. "So I created my own."
"Whoa."
"How do they work?" Asia asked.
"They function similarly to evil pieces in that they grant enhanced abilities and create a connection between the user and... let's call them the 'king' of the set. But unlike evil pieces, they don't change the recipient's race or species."
Both of them perked up at that information.
"So someone could get stronger without becoming a devil?" Issei asked hopefully.
"Exactly. The zodiac pieces enhance natural abilities rather than replacing them with demonic power. A human remains human, but becomes a much stronger version of themselves."
I could see the wheels turning in Issei's head. The appeal was obvious - power without the strings attached that came with becoming someone's devil servant. If only he knew what kinds of threats were coming that would require every bit of strength we could muster.
"Leon-san," Issei said slowly, "would you... I mean, are you going to give me something like that?"
The question hung in the air between us. I could see the conflict playing out on his face - the desire for power warring with uncertainty about what accepting would mean.
"If you want one," I replied simply. "The choice is entirely yours, Issei."
That seemed to make the decision even harder for him. His brow furrowed as he wrestled with the implications.
On one hand, accepting a zodiac piece would give him the power he desperately wanted. He'd be able to protect Asia and anyone else he cared about. On the other hand, it would mean formally aligning himself with me, becoming part of whatever organization I was building.
"I... I don't know," he admitted finally. "It's a big decision, isn't it? Like, life-changing big."
"Most important decisions are," I agreed.
"What would happen if I said yes? Would I have to follow orders? Would there be restrictions on what I could do?"
"You'd be stronger. You'd have access to training and resources that would help you protect the people you care about. As for orders..." I shrugged. "I don't believe in micromanaging people. You'd be free to live your life as you see fit."
"And if I said no?"
"Then nothing changes. You'd still be welcome here for training. You'd still have my protection. The only difference would be that you wouldn't have access to the enhanced abilities the zodiac pieces provide."
Issei looked between me and Asia, clearly torn. The power was tempting, but the commitment it represented was daunting for a teenager who was still figuring out his place in the supernatural world.
A teenager who had no idea that his choice might affect whether humanity survived what was coming.
"How long do I have to decide?" he asked finally.
"As long as you need. There's no expiration date on the offer."
"I... can I think about it? Maybe talk it over with Asia-chan?"
"Of course."
The relief on his face was immediate. Having time to consider such a momentous decision without pressure was clearly what he needed.
I couldn't help but laugh at his expression.
"Take all the time you need," I said, tucking the Virgo Hektos back into my inventory. "When you're ready to decide, we'll talk."
Besides, I'm still at the second piece as of now, even if Issei wanted to. I can't.
The manifestation times were really a hassle.
What a drag…
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Kuoh Town - Third Person POV
"I can't believe you two ate our entire budget in one meal," Irina Shidou said, staring in disbelief at the empty plates scattered across the restaurant table.
Father Dante wiped his mouth with a napkin, looking sheepish. "The portions here are smaller than I expected."
"Smaller?!" Irina's voice cracked. "You ordered enough food for six people! And you—" She turned to glare at Xenovia, who was calmly finishing the last of her third dessert. "How are you still eating?!"
Xenovia looked up from her parfait with complete seriousness. "Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining peak combat performance. A warrior must fuel their body adequately."
"That's not fueling, that's demolition!" Irina threw her hands up in exasperation. "We're supposed to be here on a mission to recover the stolen Excalibur fragments, not bankrupt the Vatican through gluttony!"
"Speaking of which," Father Dante said, pulling out his wallet and frowning at its contents, "we may have a slight problem with accommodations."
Both girls looked at him expectantly.
"We're broke," he admitted.
The silence that followed was deafening.
"Broke?" Irina repeated slowly. "As in, no money? None at all?"
Father Dante turned his wallet upside down. A few coins fell out, along with what looked like a piece of lint.
"Define 'none at all,'" Xenovia said, though her expression suggested she already knew the answer.
"Well, we have..." Father Dante counted the coins carefully. "Enough for either a single night at the cheapest motel in town, or bus fare back to the airport. Not both."
Irina's eye began to twitch. "Father, please tell me you have some kind of backup plan. Church credit card? Emergency funds? A secret stash of money you forgot about?"
"I... may have overestimated the strength of the yen against the euro."
"That's not how currency works!" Irina wailed.
Xenovia continued eating her parfait as if the conversation wasn't happening. "This chocolate is quite good. We should order more before we leave."
"NO MORE FOOD!" Irina shouted, causing several other restaurant patrons to stare. She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "We are not ordering anything else. We are going to figure out where we're sleeping tonight that doesn't involve a cardboard box under a bridge."
"I know a place," Father Dante said suddenly, snapping his fingers.
Both girls perked up.
"There's an old friend of mine here in Kuoh. Someone I worked with a few months back. He'd probably let us crash at his place."
"Really?" Irina looked hopeful. "Another priest?"
"Not exactly..." Father Dante's expression grew thoughtful. "I helped him take down a particularly troublesome fallen angel together."
Xenovia finally looked up from her dessert with interest. "A fallen angel? Which cadre?"
"Kokabiel."
Both girls' eyes widened. Kokabiel was legendary among Church exorcists - a fallen angel so dangerous that most priests wouldn't even speak his name aloud.
"You helped kill Kokabiel?" Irina asked in awe.
"Well, 'helped' might be a strong word. My friend did most of the work. I mainly provided moral support and handled the paperwork afterward." Father Dante stood up and stretched. "But the point is, he is someone we can trust, and he's definitely rich enough to put us up for a few nights."
Father Dante pulled out his phone. "Let me give him a call."
As he dialed, Irina leaned over to Xenovia. "Please tell me you're not planning to eat anything else today."
"I was considering trying that cake display by the entrance," Xenovia replied seriously.
"With what money?!"
"Perhaps we could work off our debt by washing dishes."
"We're Church exorcists on a sacred mission, not restaurant staff!"
"Honest work is blessed by the Lord," Xenovia said piously, then added, "Plus, I imagine the kitchen staff gets to sample the food."
Irina buried her face in her hands. "This mission is going to be the death of me."
Meanwhile, Father Dante was having an animated conversation on his phone. "Mr. Leon! Yes, it's Dante. Listen, I'm in a bit of a situation here in Kuoh... What? No, no, nothing like that. It's more of a financial... We're here on official Church business... What do you mean, 'we'?"
He glanced at the two girls. Irina was trying to physically restrain Xenovia from approaching the dessert display.
"Two exorcists from the Church. Very professional. Completely focused on the mission. Absolutely no trouble at all." As he said this, Xenovia broke free from Irina's grip and made a beeline for what appeared to be a chocolate fountain.
"XENOVIA, NO!" Irina tackled her partner before she could reach her target.
Father Dante winced and turned away from the spectacle. "Did I mention they're very quiet and well-behaved?"
The sound of chairs clattering and Irina's continued protests suggested otherwise.
"So... can we crash at your place for a few days?"
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