It was about 6 months since Ares became a trainer at Grigori and while he was forced to do it he would not do a sloppy job. Along with Baraqiel the demigods, Kurayami, Esdeath, Raynare, and Akeno training was better than ever. However, they were forced to train even harder as he was taking spite on them. They knew it but still went through his intense training.

He even forced Kuraymi to learn how to use his sword as if he was going to use his sword he was going to do it well. Right now Kurayami has finally gotten his 6th pair of wings as was now one of the 12 wing angels, but Azrael just had more than any angel. Esdeath got 4 pairs and Raynare grew her 5th pair, Akeno also got her fourth. Plus it seemed Ares was the best trainer they could get.

This was their routine, but right now they were eating dinner while Titus was roaming their property making sure everything was fine. Baraqiel was happy seeing his wife’s big belly. Kurayami looked at his mom and had a thoughtful look on his face. “What are you going to name him mom?” Shuri rubbed her big belly and smiled. “How about you choose?” He had a thoughtful look on his face while Aurora his little lion was getting table scraps from him..

“How about-” However before he could finish they all heard the enraged barking and snarling of Titus and it sounded like he was enraged, or fearful. Baraqiel grabbed his sword and Kurayami got both his swords. Esdeath and Raynare both got ready and went outside. What they saw was Titus snarling at a woman who looked just like Shuri. When she saw Baraqiel she yelled out. “UNCLE. HELP ME!” Baraqiel sighed and whistled.

Titus looked back and retreated to his side. “Suzako. I haven’t seen you since Shuri healed me.” Shuri rushed outside and when she saw her niece she rushed to her niece and gave her a big hug. “I haven’t seen you in years. I am glad you came.” Suzako looked at her aunt’s big belly and smiled. “Another one. What is it going to be?” Shuri rubbed her belly and smiled. “A boy. Come inside.”

They looked almost like sisters, but when she saw Akeno and Kurayami for the first time she introduced herself. “I am Suzaku Himejima. Your cousin and Shuri’s niece.” Kurayami had Aurora in his hands and nodded. “Hello. Mom said she was close to her niece and if I didn’t know better I would think you were sisters.”

Akeno gave her cousin a hug as she was just a friendly girl. Esdeath and Raynare looked at her and felt she was very strong. She looked at Baraqiel and bowed. “Uncle-in-law.” She looked at Shuri’s big belly and tried to rub her belly, but Titus growled at her.

She frowned and looked at her aunt. “Where did you get him?” Shuri smiled and stroked Titus’ head. “My son got him in America from the Greek’s on a mission, but I thought the clan wouldn’t let you out of their sights.” Suzako nodded. “As I am the next head they can’t stop me from seeing you, auntie. Although I came for a different reason.”

“Well you already know, but Lady Amaterasu has given her verdict and all members of the Himejiman clan are to no longer hold hostility to auntie or her family. However, the elders are not pleased. They still see your marriage and more so your children as a shame on the family.” Baraqiel sighed as it seemed the Himejima clan will stop at nothing to kill his children.

Even if the head goddess gave her order they are still intending on going against it. “Well, a few exiled members are making moves and seems they are planning something. I came to ask if you can help a young man named Tobio Ikuse.” Kurayami sat that and asked.

“Who is he and why are they after him?” Suzako explained. “He is descended from the Himejima clan and as such he is related to us. He is our cousin as well, though his grandmother. She was exiled for her using Buddhist magic.” Shurui frowned at the thought. “The clan did exile any who used foreign magic or had sacred gears.”

Esdeath raised an eyebrow. “They would get rid of sacred gear users? What fools. Everyone knows sacred gears are some of the greatest weapons you can have.” Suzako nodded. “It is sad, but they are so old-fashioned and yet I can’t do much. I am the next head which auntie was supposed to be.” They looked at Shuri and she nodded.

“I was supposed to be the next host of the Vermillion Bird, but when I fell in love with Baraqiel, my family disproved. I left and seems Suzako was the next one in line.” She looked at Kurayami who was beginning to get a reputation for his power as a son of a cadre and a Loginous user. “So. Can I ask you to help him if need?” He began to pet the big golden lion cub was quite a sight as they were rare.

“Sure. Azazel told me a bit about the guy as he met him a few years ago when he saw him. He said that Tobio felt more than a normal person to him.” Suzako looked at her young cousin and his eyes were different from Akeno. Her eyes were bright violet yet his were dark violet. He put down the lion cub and looked at Suzako. “Why does he need help?”

Suzako explained more about what had occurred. “Alright. You hear about the sinking of the Heavenly of Aloha?” Kurayami nodded. “Yeah. It was all over the news in the human world. Apparently, 234 students and teachers went missing when it sunk. Only a few managed to survived and they were the ones who didn’t go on the trip. What about it?”

Suzako explained. “An organization called the Utusemi Agency is making moves. It is made of exiled members of the 5 principal clans and they were after something on the boat, but from the looks of it they didn’t find it. They are now going after the survivors and Tobio will be one of the ones hunted if nothing is done. I can’t do it myself because of all the family rules.”

Kurayami had a thoughtful look on his face. “Seems it is time for us to put our training under Ares to the test.” Esdeath nodded. “I have been wanting a mission. Sucks for it to be such a peaceful time all things considered.” Raynare nodded. “Yeah. It is too quiet.” Akeno shook her head. “I will go, but is peace really so bad?” They looked right at her and nodded. Akeno sighed as she knew they were battle junkies.

Shuri frowned and hugged Kurayami. “Help Tobio. No matter how small it is he is family.” Kurayami swung Ares’s sword and placed it on his back. Suzako looked at it and asked about it. “Where did you get that sword? Also, what did you mean training under Ares?” Esdeath explained. “Well in America we fought and beat Ares.” Suzako was left gasping.

Raynare clarified. “He was holding back and didn’t take us seriously. As such, we managed to beat him and my grandfather scared him into giving up his sword. That sword is actually Ares’ symbol of power.” Suzako sighed. “You said training under Ares right?” Kurayami nodded. “As punishment, he has to train us at Grigori for 30 years.”

Kurayami, Esdeath, Raynare, and Akeno all spread their wings and flew toward Grigori. When she saw their wings and the number she looked at Baraqiel who shrugged. “It was bound to happen. They are very strong and will be fine. I almost feel sorry for whoever was behind that event.” Shuri sat down and smiled. “Well tell me about your time since I left.”

After that, both women just reminisced about their time together and Baraqiel left as not even he could understand women talking. At Grigori the four of them went to Azazel’s office and found him talking to a young woman dressed in a witch outfit. He looked overwhelmed and when she looked at the four of them she got them in a big hug.

They were surprised and she smiled and spoke. “Hello. I am Lavina.” They looked at Azazel and he explained. “This girl is Lavinia Reni from Grauzauberer. You heard about the issue with that ship sinking right?” Kurayami spoke up. “Suzako Himejima or our cousin asked us about the same thing. Remember the time you told me about Tobio. He is Akeno’s and my cousin apparently.”

Azazel smiled and nodded. “Yup. I saw him years ago ad he felt more than a normal person. The chance he has a sacred gear is extremely high. The sinking on the Heavenly of Aloha also was no accident. It was intentional by a new rising organization called the Utsusemi Agency. What they were after I have a guessed. Lavina, care to explain.”

The blond girl nodded and spoke. “A few magicians from Grauzauberer have gone rogue and joined up with the Utsusemi Agency. We captured a few and found out about a project they call the Four Fiends Project.” Azazel smiled. “The four fiends are independent avatar type Sacred Gears. Kind of like Divine Dividing with four powerful beats sealed inside.”

Esdeath saw how Kuraaymi’s hollow eyes lit up with a desire to have them. She sighed and smiled. “You really love to collect creatures right?” He brought out Aurora and nodded. “It’s something about having creatures that makes me smile.” Azazel looked at the small cub and thought about it. “You interested in making artificial sacred gears with them?” Azazel saw how he frowned and hugged the cub tighter.

“Hell no. They wouldn’t be pets anymore.” Aurora growled at Azazel and he just raised his hands. “It’s not permanent. Look at this.” He reached into his coat and brought out a purple gem that gave a strong presence Around Raynare coiled Viritra and he gazed at the gem. “So, You made a contract with Fafnir. What is your goal?” Azazel smiled. “My plan is to make an Artificial Sacred gear like the Scale Mail of Boosted Gear and Divine Divining.”

Azazel placed the gem back in his coat and smiled. “I got Vali, Kuraymi, Raynare, Esdeath as perfect research material into sacred gears. Just with their help, my progress is going great. You could use your lion as armor and you know that Nemean Lions have unpierceable skin.” Kurayami looked at Aurora and shook his head. “Not that way. I will see what I can do on my own.”

Azazel shrugged and Viritra returned to Raynare’s body. After that, they spoke at length about what they should do and had a list of students who didn’t go on the trip. Kurayami, Esdeath, Raynare, and Akeno all looked at the list and pointed at the first one on it. “Let’s start with the girl named Natsume Minagawa.” Esdeath looked at her picture and nodded. Azazel handed them four eggs which Kurayami took. “They help awaken Independent Avatar’s sacred gears.”

Lavina tried to pet Aurora, but she was very proud and tried to bite her. Kurayami shook his head. “Don’t bother. She only lets my family touch her and as you are a stranger she won’t trust you.” Lavina pouted as the small lion was just very adorable. She swore to get Aurora to like her which would be very hard. Kurayami opened a magic circle under them and Lavina rushed next to them. “Don’t leave me.” He teleported them to the supposed home of the girl and it was a once middle-class home.

Raynare shook her head. “No one is home. How do we find her?” Kurayami summoned Tyrant who looked like a big red Kamodo dragon and he opened the door. They followed him, but he went to the room that looked like a room a girl would go in. The girls didn’t mind, but Lavina was a little embarrassed. He got a used shirt from the laundry basket.

He put it in front of Tyrant who sniffed and licked it and he soon got her smell. Lavina looked at him with a questioning look. “So you break into a girl’s room and have a lizard smell her clothes?” Tyrant was pissed he was called a lizard and while he walked by her he zapped her. “KYAAA.” Her hair was on end and she looked at Tyrant like he was dead.

Kurayami shook his head. “He does not like being called a lizard. How will you ever gain Aurora’s trust like that.” She looked over and Aurora looked at her with squinted eyes. The girls laughed at Lavinia who looked sad that the lion cub did not like her. “Well let’s go find the girl.” They followed Tyrant who to normal humans would look like a big dog while he led them to the Natsume.