Chapter 62: Interlude – Absorption Line
Five days have passed since Riser ever so graciously gave my students ten days to prepare for their upcoming bout.
I'm pleased to see that they're all progressing about as well as I'd hoped.
Isaiah wanted my help to work on swords designed to specifically counter Riser himself, namely his Hellfire and Wind Manipulation. Obviously, he's still nowhere near ready to create an attribute that could nullify Immortality itself.
And as his teacher, who was I to refuse?
It wasn't hard for me to replicate Riser's offensive techniques. I could match the strength of his Hellfire by harnessing a quarter of my Draconic Breath's full power—while fanning and oxygenating it with Wind Manipulation like he tends to do.
Although, I have to be really—really careful with how I utilize those verdant flames of mine. After consuming Tiamat's blood, its strength pretty much tripled.
I'm confident in my healing ability and all, but I have a feeling my flames might've reached a point where I'm no longer capable of healing the damage they'd cause if an accident were to occur, especially if I brought out their true strength.
Speaking of healing.
Asia's decided to join in on their training, helping me heal them after sparring sessions through the use of Twilight Healing. I tried to tell her she didn't have to and whatnot, but I think the fact that she's technically 'freeloading', even though I'm perfectly fine with it, started to weigh on her conscious.
Sometimes I feel like that girl's just way too giving for her own good. Granted, there's nothing inherently dangerous about her doing some first aid here and there, so I decided to let her help out.
At least, that was the plan.
Somehow, it's gotten to a point where I'm considering letting her take over all medical duties.
I'm not ashamed to admit it either, that girl's healing prowess is frighteningly good in comparison to mine, not because of the difference between a Sacred Gear and Clan Trait—but because her talent for the art, and theoretical comprehension of medical knowledge is the real deal.
She might seem like an airhead from afar, but after taking the time to converse with her about medical theory, I was stunned. The depth of her understanding of the human body's top-tier.
The skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system, endocrine, cardiovascular, gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, et cetera et cetera. You name it, she knows it like the back of her hand, in and out.
She's only seventeen, but she might as well have a PhD in both physiology and anatomy.
According to the information Azazel sent over, the main driving force for Twilight Healing is a genuine desire to help others. A compassionate soul.
Asia's obviously got that in excess, but I highly doubt that's the sole reason why her healing powers are as effective as they are. I think her knowledge allows her to be precise with how she uses Twilight Healing, she can do more than just mindlessly tell it to fix something—she can tell it exactly where to go, what exactly to fix, and how exactly to fix an injury.
She's efficient, immensely so.
The Church clearly has its issues, but I have to give credit where it's due. Their Medical Division's educational system is pristine.
And that got me thinking about her future. I can't just indefinitely leave her as is after all, everyone needs a sense of direction and purpose in their life to keep them going.
Death by boredom's a real thing.
I'm wondering if she'd be interested in pursuing a job in the medical field? Ability-wise, she's more than sorted, the only question is whether she actually wants to or not.
I could have a tutor arranged for her to learn Japanese, or arrange for studies somewhere abroad if she's interested. The only reason I'm considering the former is because she'd probably want to study with Rias and everyone.
Dr. Argento has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Back on the topic of my students' progress, Akeno's instantaneous voltage output has continued to soar. Her lightning-natured demonic power is getting close to the two-million-volt mark, and her Holy Lightning's getting close to 400,000 volts.
Shirone no longer requires Sylvie's assistance to meditate properly, the rhythm's still a little off, but the fact that she's able to keep her Ki from spazzing out without her help is a big step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, I've yet to see any signs of Kasha manifesting. I think my hypothesis about it being a mental problem rather than physical is starting to hold more weight.
Should that be the case, then it isn't an issue that can be resolved before the Rating Game. Which is why I'll simply leave it be until I believe the time is right, lest I end up doing more harm than good.
That said, I haven't exactly planned out how I'm going to tackle her fear of her older sister. I'm not even entirely sure I'm capable of fixing it on my lonesome to begin with.
I wonder, would actually having a chance to talk with Kuroka in person again be helpful? Or would it just lead her to have some kind of sporadic episode?
Actually, forget that. How would I even go about finding the wanted Nekoshou in the first place?
I guess I could try asking Azazel, I'm sure he'd have the necessary networking and resources to track her down.
Although, harbouring an SS-Class Stray Devil would count as yet another act of treason against the Underworld—wouldn't it?
Oh well.
Gasper can stop time for about an additional half second, and to the shock of my students, his consumption of blood has, in fact, affected his physical growth.
The little guy grew a whole centimetre!
I don't really know the specifics, however, slowly but surely, my blood's starting to unravel the stunted growth Gasper's suffering from as a result of barely consuming any blood when he was younger.
With any luck, it'll resolve his stunted confidence too. Fingers crossed.
Last but not least, there's the King of the group.
I haven't been doing much physical training with her, not that she hasn't been training her Power of Destruction, just that she's mainly doing it on her own for the most part.
Instead, we're working on getting her mind acclimated to playing her role in the upcoming Rating Game.
The leader.
I've had her run mock scenarios where it's her and her peerage against me, Thora, and a varying number of my Wood Clones. Sometimes I even set objectives as they do in official Rating Games, capture the flag and whatnot.
She's still a little rough around the edges, but that's to be expected of a greenhorn. Watching over the movements of four other people at all times, all with varying movesets, can be quite overwhelming.
I don't need her to be the next Sun Tzu, I just need her to have the confidence to tell her subordinates what to do without hesitating or needlessly freezing up when she's battling Riser's peerage.
As long as she doesn't hesitate, her peerage will snowball Riser's to the point where he'll be too overwhelmed to come up with any 'strategy' whatsoever.
Assuming he's even capable of strategy in the first place.
"You should wear this more often," Thora smiled faintly as she draped my trenchcoat over my shoulders, helping me put on the same outfit I had used to greet Saji for the first time. "It suits you."
"Does it?" I raised my brow. I've always seen myself as a more informal wear kinda guy.
"Foolishnesss," Sylvie snaked her way up my torso, deciding to chime in. "This one is merely masssking a statement of the obviousss as a compliment to win master's favour."
"Aw, is that your way of saying I look good in anything?" I chuckeled, giving her a light rub on the head.
"Asss expected, you were able to effortlessly decipher my meaning." She did the snake-equivalent of a triumphant huff before sliding into one of the trenchcoat sleeves.
She's just too cute, isn't she?
"Must she seek to belittle me at every opportunity?" Thora deadpanned, her eyes twitching while she adjusted my tie.
"Oh come on, she's just having a bit of fun."
I say that, but I've gradually started to realize that Sylvie's Senjutsu complex is more heartfelt than I presumed.
Anyone who can't mould Ki is basically a chimpanzee flailing around an assault rifle in her eyes.
And I mean anyone, if I'm not careful with her, she'll say it straight to Lord Lucifer or Serafall's face.
Hmph, I blame Martha for this.
I don't know how or if she's responsible, but I blame her for it anyway.
"So you say," Thora sighed, doing her last touch-ups before taking a step back and observing my outfit. "Mm. You actually look mature for once in that, would it be too much to have you make it a part of your daily attire?"
"I certainly won't stop you from trying," I grinned, leaning in for a quick kiss once she was all done. "I'll be back soon, try to keep my students from blowing themselves up if possible."
They've been drastically ramping up the intensity as the days creep closer to the date of the Rating Game. I'm all for being driven, but just because my chamber's as tough as it is doesn't mean it's indestructible.
"If possible," she repeated with a resigned exhale.
It was time for me to head to the Genshirou household once more.
According to Fafnir, Vritra's awake. He's the third Dragon King I'm going to encounter since arriving in Kuoh.
How exciting.
///
.
Saji paced back and forth within the confines of his bathroom, biting his nails out of sheer stress and confusion.
It had been a little under two weeks since the strange, horned, suit-wearing foreign cosplayer had arrived at his doorstep, and save for the alarmingly full bank account the man handed him, everything had been going just fine, better even—now that all his financial worries had been quelled.
Until a few minutes ago.
He had been minding his business, going about his daily chores when—bam—his left hand started to burn. Like an invisible pot of boiling water had latched onto him out of nowhere.
In a panic, he rushed to the bathroom, running his hand under ice-cold water in a desperate attempt to soothe the pain.
But it was to no avail. The searing pain not only persisted, but intensified. Growing hotter and hotter with each passing second, to the point where he felt like his skin should've melted right off, dripping onto the tiled floor like goo.
His desperation grew with the pain, causing him to bolt into the kitchen and plunge his hand into the freezer where all the ice packs were stored. Hoping that it'd work.
And fortunately, it did.
Perhaps a little too well. The feeling of pain subsiding wasn't natural, it was instantaneous, quick enough that Saji was half-convinced it had all been a figment of his imagination. Maybe a manifestation of all the duress he had been under as of late.
Only for a new source of stress and confusion to appear, completely out of the blue, and in the form of a cute, chameleon-shaped black bracer with violet eyes and a funny-looking face that attached itself to his hand. Firmly.
He yanked, tugged, pulled, and clenched. But no matter what, the strange contraption just would not budge. Almost as if it was bonded to his very skin itself.
At the moment, he was attempting to use the moisturizer in his bathroom as a lubricant to help slide the thing off—but even that effort was just as futile as the rest. The bracer remained unmoving.
Don't tell me this is also just a figment of my imagination? Shit! Get it together Saji! Now's not the time for you to get thrown in a nuthouse!
"Nii-san!" His state of agitation was interrupted by the sound of his younger brother, Haru, knocking on the bathroom door."
"Give me a minute! I'm kind of in the middle of something," he replied, wondering what on earth he was supposed to do about the bracer.
"But there's a strange man at the door, and he says he needs to talk to you." Haru persisted.
"Strange man?" Saji's tone deepened, his protective instincts quickly kicking in.
"Yeah! He's wearing a suit, and he has these funny horns on his head! Like a Oni!" Haru giggled, clearly amused by the man's appearance. "He said you know him."
Oh, he knew him alright.
He arrives just as I'm having a possible psychological episode? Yeah, I'm willing to bet money on that not being a coincidence.
Saji opened the door with scepticism written all over his face, hiding his hand behind his back as he walked past Haru.
"Stay here, I'll go talk to him."
Saji approached the door, and as expected, standing there was none other than the man who had made him a multi-millionaire overnight. Wearing the exact same outfit he had first arrived in.
"Good afternoon, Genshirou-san. I hope this isn't an inconvenient time." Just like last time, his tone was even-tempered as ever, and his verdant gaze still inexplicably unnerving.
Saji narrowed his eyes. "You didn't tell me to expect any surprise visits last time you were here, Civil Servant-san."
"Oh?" His hands slid into the pockets of his trenchcoat. "This is a surprise, is it?" The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly.
The eldest Genshirou shuddered, noticing the man's eyes flick towards the hand he was holding behind his back.
He inhaled sharply, clenching his fists. "Are you the one who put this on me?" He showed the bracer.
"No," the man pointed upwards. "That thing on your hand's a gift from way on high—like as high as it can possibly get."
Saji furrowed his brow. "Huh? You mean like your boss or something?"
"Hah! Absolutely not!" The man breathed an amused chuckle. "The one who gave you that isn't exactly fond of my kind, for lack of better words."
"Right," evidently, Saji wasn't a big fan of cryptic speaking. "Dude, are you even an actual Civil Servant to begin with? I'm pretty sure those horns of yours are a glaring dress code violation."
Taking the exorbitant amount of money the man had given him, Saji couldn't help but wonder if he was some kind of criminal affiliated miscreant.
Maybe he was with a foreign organization working with the Yakuza? He couldn't say for sure. He had no tangible information to do any investigating with.
"I assure you my employment's genuine," the man pulled out a strange-looking badge, one Saji couldn't even hazard a guess regarding its origin. "Just not one from the Japanese Government."
Saji's suspicion heightened. "American then?" They were by far the biggest foreign influence on Japan.
"Nope," he made no attempt to elaborate. "Is it alright if I come in this time? I have a strong feeling you might want to sit down before I tell you what's going on."
Saji hummed, still not too keen on the idea of having a stranger, a particularly dubious one at that, around his siblings.
"I don't even know your name yet," he scoffed. "Would you let yourself into my house if you were me?"
"Fair enough," the man flicked his eyebrows and cleared his throat. "Allow me to introduce myself properly this time. Alduin Buné, at your service." He extended his hand towards Saji.
"Genshirou Saji," he shook his hand, cautiously eyeing him. "That's not an alias, is it?"
"I mean, I could show you some ID if you want, but based on your logic that could also be false. So I'm not sure there's much of a point." Alduin shrugged dismissively.
"Fair point," he exhaled, stepping aside and gesturing for him to come in. "Just don't touch anything."
"Don't worry, I plan on being a respectful and hopefully informative guest." Alduin smiled, pausing for a moment to observe the living conditions of the Genshirou household.
This place is clearly on the more 'economical' side, but it's been very well maintained. There's no smell of dust or mould in the air either, and the flooring and walls are basically spotless.
Saji's caretaking abilities earned his silent approval.
"Wah! Horn-man!" A timid, high-pitched voice squealed from beside the dining table.
Alduin turned to face its voice with a smile, noticing a young, dirt-blonde-haired girl pointing at him with her mouth agape, and eyes shimmering with adorable, childlike wonder.
"Kaede, manners." Saji was quick to chide her.
"Haha, it's fine." Alduin gestured reassuringly, crouching down and waving at the little Genshirou. "Hi there, Kaede-chan was it? My name's Alduin."
She shook her head, flicking her arm and pointing even harder than before. "No! You're horn-man! I called you horn-man so that's your name!"
"Kaede!" Saji twitched.
"Horn-man?" Alduin's smile softened. "Ah, I'm honoured to be named by the great Genshirou Kaede herself. This humble horn-man is thankful for your generosity." Playfully, he cupped his hands together and bowed.
Kaede blinked, evidently taken aback in some manner.
She looked up at her older brother. "Nii-san, I think horn-man might be a genius."
Saji groaned, pinching his nosebridge in disappointment. "Go to your room Kaede, I have something important I need to discuss with him—in private."
"But I want to talk to horn-man—!"
"Now," Saji's eyes narrowed in emphasis.
"Hmph, you're boring!" She stormed off towards the hallway, but not before snatching a carton of strawberry milk from the dining table.
"She's certainly an energetic one," Alduin chuckled.
"Perhaps a little too energetic," Saji recalled the endless slew of complaints Kaede had gotten from her homeroom teacher. Something along the lines of her being a nuclear-level source of chaos and disruption. "You shouldn't indulge her like that, you'll just be enabling her."
"I'm sure she's just working off some energy."
"If you actually knew her, you'd know that she has an infinite source of that." His attention gravitated towards Alduin's head. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, why exactly do you wear those?"
Alduin blinked. "Wear what?"
"The horns! What else would I be talking about?"
"I'm not wearing them though?" He craned his head. "They're real."
"I'm being serious," Saji deadpanned.
"So am I," Alduin insisted with a confusing level of confidence. "Unfortunately, I can't let you touch them, otherwise we'd have to get married, or I'd have to adopt you—probably the latter."
Yeah, he's definitely punking me.
"Hilarious," Saji rolled his eyes, taking a seat at his dining table and planting his left hand on its glassy surface—putting the bizarre bracer in full view. "So, what exactly is this thing?"
"A Sacred Gear," Alduin replied, carefully examining the item. The faint, yet profound scent of a Dragon King wafted through his nostrils. "They're basically weapons handed to humanity by the Biblical God, the one you have is part of a series of—"
"Woah, woah, woah, WOAH." Saji frantically waved his hands. "Stop right there, and start from the beginning. You're telling me GOD has something to do with this goofy-looking thing?!" His disbelief was clear.
"Not God, the Biblical God. Specifically him. Please try to pay attention, Genshirou-san." Alduin insisted as if he expected Saji to understand, let alone accept everything immediately. "Also, I wouldn't refer to your Sacred Gear as a 'goofy looking thing'. You'll end up pissing him off."
"…Him?" Every word that left Alduin's mouth seemed to add another layer of confusion to Saji's already stupefied state of mind.
He nodded. "Inside that Sacred Gear's a dragon by the name of Vritra, or rather, a fragment of him."
Compared to other Sacred Gears, the ones containing the Prison Dragon, plural, were a special case. He hadn't been sealed into one gear, he had his soul fragmented into supposedly, four of them. The other three of which were currently in Azazel's possession.
However, according to the information he sent Alduin, the Governor had his suspicions that there were still more floating out there—yet to have crossed Grigori's radar. Those that contained a rather unfavourable side of the dragon's persona.
Alduin had made sure to memorize as much as he could about the Sacred Gears, and from looking at the one attached to Saji's hand, it appeared he had awakened a variant known as Absorption Line.
It was a fairly simple utility-type Sacred Gear, it could tether itself to someone and drain their energy, allowing the wielder to absorb it for themselves or transfer it to a person of their choosing.
I'm just glad he didn't awaken one of Vritra's evil fragments, my sealing abilities are way too green to deal with that.
"A d‒dragon!?" Saji bolted up out of his seat, slamming his palms on the table. "I expected a proper explanation from you! Not some weird fantasy tale—!"
"Sit."
Saji felt his heart sink, a cold shiver blitzing down his spine as he watched Alduin's expression lose all its humour. All that remained was a blank, bone-chilling glare that made him feel like nothing more than an unruly child receiving a scolding from his late parents.
Without question nor hesitation, Saji sat back down, swallowing a deeply nervous gulp.
I think I might've just soiled myself…
"What I'm telling you isn't fantasy, it's reality." He pointed at Absorption Line. "A reality you no longer have the luxury of choosing to ignore now that a Sacred Gear has been thrust upon you. Everything, and I mean everything that happens between you and that weapon is dependent on your will."
Alduin folded his hands under his chin, slowly leaning forward.
"I don't know if it will become a burden, boon, or merely an object to admire every now and then to you. Nor am I the one who can make that decision," Alduin's muscles tensed, pitch-black scales appearing and fading all over his skin. "What I do know, is that you're a part of our world now, Genshirou Saji. And in our world, strength attracts strength. No matter how meagre, or how great."
Saji's breath quickened, his pupils dilating in horror as he observed the scaly masses coating the man sitting opposite him. The frightening, horn-wearing suited figure.
"Y‒you're not human!"
"No, I am not." He affirmed, his tone sombre. "I'm a devil."
"D‒devil?!"
Alduin exhaled softly. "You can wipe that jarred look off your face. I'm not going to devour your soul or live up to any other hysterical stereotype." He could tell his words hadn't reassured Saji in the slightest, but continued on anyway. "I'm not the only one in this town either, but you don't need to worry about them, I won't let them interfere in your business."
Saji couldn't even begin to fathom how he was supposed to respond to what Alduin was telling him.
Sacred Gears?
Biblical God?
Dragons?
Vritra?
Devils?
It was too damn overwhelming. His brain felt like it was on the verge of short-circuiting.
"T‒then, your boss who gave me all that money—"
"He's not a devil, but he isn't a human either." Alduin folded one leg over the other. "Unless you find yourself in the absolute worst-case scenario, I don't think you'll be seeing much of him. He's basically a silent observer who's taken an interest in seeing how you and that Sacred Gear develop."
Saji pressed his lips together in doubt. "D‒do you honestly expect me to believe that? He gave me ¥100,000,000! There's no way all he's going to do is sit back and watch! H‒he wants something from me, doesn't he? L‒like my obedience, o‒or—"
"Saji, breathe. You're hyperventilating." Alduin calmly reminded him, patiently waiting for the boy to notice his own laboured breath, take a moment, and calm down.
Poor kid, hearing this is probably no different than taking a cold plunge after spending your entire life in a sauna.
The boy now had a dragon possessing him, one way or another, his life would change.
But for better or for worse? That remained to be seen.
Saji clutched his chest, doing his utmost to calm his racing heartbeat. "T‒this is all really happening, isn't it?"
"It is," in all fairness, the fact that Saji wasn't experiencing a full-on heart attack was a good sign by Alduin's standards. It spoke to the strength of the boy's character and mental endurance.
The human mind rarely ever copes well with the fear of the unknown, and Saji was having one unknown rapid-fire at him after the other.
"…Why?" Saji rasped.
Alduin had said it himself, the weapon on his wrist was intended for humanity itself, as in every living person on the globe.
Theoretically, it could've awakened in anyone—but it ended up with him.
Why him?
"No clue. A scarce number of Sacred Gears have the free will to choose their host, but I've yet to hear anything about Vritra's gears having that power. 99% of the time, it's just up to complete lottery."
There were some theories about compatibility, lineage, and other potential patterns that persisted between host and gear, but nothing proven. 'Dumb luck' was the current leading hypothesis.
"I wouldn't bother trying to look for meaning in why you received it, unless you somehow get an audience with the man upstairs, you'll just be bashing your head into a brick wall."
Slowly, Saji's eyes drifted over towards the reptilian-shaped bracer. "Then what am I supposed to do with this thing? I mean, you just told me there's a straight-up dragon inside it!"
"I already told you, didn't I?" Alduin sighed. "I can't make that choice for you, a tool's purpose can only be decided by its wielder. I'm merely here to offer you some advice to ensure it doesn't become harmful to you."
"Harmful?!" Saji looked at the bracer with increased concern.
"It's a weapon. An irresponsible gun owner can easily lose their own life if they don't handle their armament carefully, a Sacred Gear's no different." He pointed at the bracer. "Fortunately, the one you have isn't particularly dangerous to its user. It's called Absorption Line, I believe that chameleon's tongue is a tether, and should you latch it to another person you'll be able to drain their energy and transfer it to yourself or a person of your choosing."
The newly minted Sacred Gear possessor pursed his lips, unable to think of a situation where he'd need such an ability.
"Oh, and by the way, you don't have to worry about hiding your gear. To normal people, they just appear as ordinary trinkets, like a ring or a bracelet. I imagine your bracer appears like the latter to them."
"That's convenient," Saji started to drum his fingers across the table, something clearly weighing on his mind. "You said you were going to make sure this thing doesn't harm me, right?"
"I did," he nodded. "As a Sacred Gear possessor, it's important that you're in good shape. The stronger your body is, the easier it'll be for you to contain and manage the power of your gear. Obviously, vice-versa applies."
Saji chuckled. "Don't tell me you're about to send me on a shonen training arc?"
Alduin returned a chuckle of his own. "No, I don't plan on teaching you anything related to combat. I merely wish to make sure you properly plan your nutrition, and teach you a few exercise routines to keep you fit—alongside arranging dates for you to have routine checkups at the hospital."
"Is it really that simple?" Saji scratched his cheek. "Eat well, exercise, and I won't have to worry about this thing eating me in my sleep?"
"No, it isn't that simple." Alduin's harsh tone cut Saji's kindling hope in half. "What I offer you is mitigation, not elimination. A weapon is a weapon. A dragon is a dragon. It will always possess a certain degree of danger, to you, the people you love, the people you hate, and everyone in between."
Saji gulped, every word that left the devil's mouth felt like added weight on his already buckling shoulders.
"There's only one thing you can do, Genshirou Saji, and that is to try. Try your best. Failing trying. Lament trying. Praise the fact that you try. Curse the fact that you have to try it at all. Adore the fact that trying brought you to where you are. Loathe the truth that trying isn't always enough. Look down on others for not trying as hard as you. The list goes on, and on, and on."
Alduin's gaze hardened, the leafy hue that made up his irises shining with wisdom he seldom displayed.
"But the point never changes, as long as you try, there is a path, as long as there is a path, there is a future, as long as there is a future—there is hope. Remember Saji, whatever happens from this point onwards, don't let your will to keep trying be snuffed out."
No words needed to be exchanged for Alduin to understand just how deep Saji's love and compassion ran for his family, even if most of it had already departed this world.
Saji had not yet felt it, but one day, Alduin knew he'd have to come face to face with the burden of possessing a dragon's power within his frame.
It'd be a shame to see someone who cherished his blood so deeply perish under that burden, one incomprehensible to anyone who did not carry it.
"You are a strong child, Saji. I can tell. Don't doubt your abilities, and don't sully them either by likening them to absolute perfection. Perfection is a dream for the strong and ambitious, and a goal for the clinically insane and desperate."
The words were caught in Saji's throat, he wanted nothing more than to offer a response to the monologue—but couldn't quite seem to string together an appropriate sentence.
However, there was one thing he understood from the Buné's words.
It was fine to be afraid, all that mattered was that he never ran away from his fear. Only when he turns his back to it, will it be able to swoop in and swallow him whole.
"Apologies, it appears I went a bit philosophical on you." Alduin cleared his throat in mild embarrassment before standing up from the table. "Now then, how about we go out for a run?"
///
Next chapter is the start of the Rating Game! As well as the point where Alduin will start diverging from the Gremory group, it's been super fun to write his interactions with them and all, but like I said, I don't want this story to just be a retelling of canon. At the end of the day, Alduin has his very, very complicated life, and Rias and her bunch have theirs.
///
If you're looking to read Advanced Chapters as well as support me, you can go ahead and visit my patreon!
[ patreon.com/Accel14. ]
There's also a Discord Community if you're interested in joining.
[ wNzT9AEsaz ]