Chapter 36

Lucifer Estate`s courtyard. 47 seconds after Esdeath came out of the portal.

As the group was trying to sink in the entirety of the idea of Alex being gone, another portal opens up behind Sona, Grayfia, and Rias. Everyone`s eyes go wide with shock and astonishment, as the symbol bore the insignia of House of Lucifer. And in the next second, out of there stepped out one person all of them wished to see return and now he was out. Kuroka stepped closer to see her beloved emerge from portal, tears coming out her eyes. Arturia, Scathach, Esdeath and Sona were agape as they laid their eyes on him. Diarmuid, Archer and Cu Chulainn simply smirked; recalling that his guy has more tricks up in his sleeves then dog has flees on it. Irina, Xenovia and others looked in astonishment and amazement, along with Illya who got back up. Sona and Grayfia were in the same state, but didn`t hold back tears as well. Raynare, Medusa, Ravel, Le Fey and Medea stood up and were smiling. Everyone here had a wish to see him back and now it was fulfilled and they were relieved beyond gratitude.

Alexander Lucifer emerged from the portal, holding in his hand a draconic orb, looking around and seeing everyone`s astonishment, he spoke up immediately.

"Before you all start checking me on whether I am real or not, I`ll this right away: Lebel 1886, 8x50 mm." All members of Alex`s closest circle from the SOD knew it well, as they all nodded to that one.

Grayfia didn`t understand that, but she still believed it.

"What is that Lebel?" Rias immediately asked looking at Alex.

"French bolt-action rifle, created in 1886." Archer stated. "First bolt-action rifle in the world to utilize the smokeless powder, along with using the 8x50 cartridge. And aside from being the main weapon of Frenchmen in World War I, it is also the rifle that was used to kill Alex back in Ural Mountains, nearly 7 years ago."

"Daddy!" Illya launched herself without warning in her father`s arms who immediately caught her. "I knew that you were alive all this time! Your soul was still here!"

"Illya, my little girl, I`m sorry to make you worry for myself." Alex smiled to her and then turned to everyone. "I understand that you`ve went through a literal hell just now and I am very sorry for doing this to you. The decision to go there and the following results are all my fault and responsibility to fix it is on me. Kokabiel got his hands on our friends, our comrades and my operatives and used them against us today. Fighting them today was most certainly not what neither of us wanted to do and I assure you, we will get them back and Kokabiel will answer for each and every one of our friends he took as his tool against us. As for how I`ve survived, I`ve told you that I`m on friendly terms with Goddess Hel and you all remember our mission to take down Persephone. Lady Hel decided to her debt this way, so now we are on the clock. Any more questions?"

Members of Alex`s Peerage and his colleagues from the Grigori`s Special Operations Division stood up and looked to him. Their answer was simple.

"No, sir." They gave their answer, as Alex nodded and turned his head to Archer.

"Archer, Raynare, Ravel, Medusa, double the number and power of sensors in this area." They immediately nodded and went to the job. "Arturia, get all the Devils in this town and put them on full alert, no excuses." She said that she has it and went ahead. "Medea, Le Fey, check our wounded and those that are and were under Ruler`s control and clean their minds up from that shit ASAP." They went right to it. "Cu Chulainn, Scathach, I want this place secured, that goes to everyone else who isn`t on duty. Those that were wounded in a fight, under control of Kokabiel or are exhausted, get a rest. And until my say so, no operating near the woods or even come close that area. Our priority- this town and its people. Understood?"

Everybody of Alex`s team nodded and got to their needed assignments. Kuroka decided to go inside of the house, taking Illya with her. Her single look of relief was enough for Alex, but it also said that they will need to talk. Grayfia, Sona and Rias immediately came closer to Alex to have a serious discussion with him.

"Alex, explain to me immediately, just how in the…" Rias was going to begin her rant, but Alex immediately stopped her in the mid-air.

"I`ve got no time for neither you nor your rants, Rias. And I recommend you to go and take care of your own boy Knight over there, `cause he has been missing all this time and I have a bad feeling that he might`ve encountered Kokabiel. Go and deal with your rebel." Rias was nearly livid, but she understood and went right to Kiba, who was finally coming around.

"Alex, what Esdeath said and what you`ve…" Grayfia only received a firm nod, surprising her. "So, now it explains how did Persephone`s rampage stopped and dead returned to their graves. However, I couldn`t imagine that you were involved in that bloody crisis."

"That goddess threatened the balance of the entire world and she was causing uproar within Grigori`s Cadres and I was forced to get everyone to deal with this threat ASAP." Alex explained. "With Hades preventing her death, the only possible way for Persephone to be stopped once and for all was to extract her soul out of her body. And that`s why I had to find a way to just that and it lead me to directly contact Hel and ask her to teach me Necromancy. In the realms of dead, time runs as their masters wish, so I am a little older then I appear to be, as I`ve spent in Helheim equivalent of 2 years and 3 months of Human World`s time. It was tough as hell, but well worth it and in the end I`ve managed to stop Persephone through extracting her soul and sealing it away."

"The sheer level of this procedure… I don`t remember anyone who was able to do that." Grayfia recalled. "It would require more magical energy then even some of the Gods have at their disposal."

"Believe me, everyone in Grigori bet all of their powers on this one chance and in the end it worked out." Alex sighed, recalling the events of that day. "After that, I`ve returned to Helheim and gave Persephone`s soul to my master. And after that, I`ve decided to use Necromancy to bring back Shuri Himejima. And later it came in handy with you, Sona."

"Yes, it certainly did, but I`m curious though, how did Hel managed to bring back you?" Sona asked him. "Law of Equivalent Exchange demands the payment equal to what you are trying to get, that`s what you`ve said to me."

"In my case, Hel paid up with serious dividends in my favor, using the said soul of Persephone and her lifespan to reignite me into this world." Alex explained to them. "It is best that way, seeing how Hades actually tried to get the information about her soul from me, right after Kokabiel killed me. He and Hades were cooperating with each other and it was Hades who gave the coordinates of my people to Kokabiel. Le Fey told me that he had someone serious and with lots of power and influence that helped him out. Hades fits every single condition, along with himself telling me about it. After that, Hel appeared and got me out of his realm and back into hers."

"I see." Grayfia nodded to that one. "You most certainly have very interesting friends. Now, what is your plan?"

"Kokabiel caught us off guard this time and he believes that he got rid of me. That and the fact that some serious help is on the way will be his ultimate downfall." Alex clutched his fist. "But, that bastard still has some serious explanations to do, especially to me, my sister and my father. And after that… I think it`s time that I get all of my priorities back in order and return back to the roots. Now, if you`ll excuse me…"

With that being said, Alex left the courtyard and went straight into the house, with his head full of thoughts about what has happened and what will happen after that. This whole crisis, this whole fiasco of an operation and this situation with his men being puppets in the hands of a rouge Cadre… All of that, it all happened when he just left Grigoris behind and now he was a part of Devils, the sworn enemies of the Fallen Angles. Even with Lucifer`s blood in him, Alex couldn`t deny a simple fact that he was Azazel`s son and he had serious responsibilities on his shoulders because of that. He never was afraid of taking them upon himself, but now he understood that he simply ignored them and solely focused on reclaiming what was lost during his grandfather`s time, all the while he had the opportunity to being building something much better than he ever did and do so much from what he already had in his possession.

Alex has made a decision. After this whole crisis is resolved, he will be returning into Grigori and his cutting the ties with Sirzechs and his family absolutely and completely. This whole marriage contract with Rias was a sore splinter and Alex decided that it was time he got rid of it and cutting the ties with Gremory through completely severing all close relations with Devils` government and their nobility was the best way. He already had the position, power and influence within the Grigori and while Lucina may be the next Governor General, Alex was far more then contempt and competent to go back to leading the Special Operations Division and taking a seat as a Cadre and one of the main figures within the Fallen Angel`s society. He had thought that achieving the status of Lucifer back was his main goal, but now, with all this mess and Kokabiel going rampant, with Devils making everything in their power to hinder or stop Alexander, with this marriage and answering to Sirzechs, along with very high probability of his Rating Game with Rias being delayed or even denounced, as Rating Games were controlled by Ajuka Beelzebub and he was a very close friend of Sirzechs Lucifer, meaning that he will do anything to his dear friend. Along with that, he and Sirzechs were the once that attacked and killed his grandfather and grandmother, sold out his mother and have tarnished their names for generations to come. Along with that, they`ll most probably play the card of Alexander being a son of Azazel in the future, if Alex decides to ascend power. It was clear as day from the very beginning to Alex that it will be increasingly difficult to put up with Devils, but as the time will go on, there will just be more and more obstacles to overcome and take care of. And with Grigori, Alex had not just history, but the bloodline and personal allegiance to. Azazel was his father and he was not just a Devil`s son, but also Fallen Angel`s son as well and the blood of his father was just as strong in him as was his mother`s.

As Alex reached his personal cabinet, he closed up the door for some time. He decided to have a little chat with his closest advisors and those that knew him all too well.

'Lucifer, do you hear me, old man?' Alex mentally asked his deceased grandfather.

As if by a charm, the ghost of a legendary Nephilim and First Devil revealed himself before his grandson, smirking as he preferred to.

"Well, well, it has been millennias since I saw somebody to actually come back to life from the dead without any serious reparations. You, my dear grandson, are one lucky bastard." Lucifer laughed. "Still, I stand astonished. An apprentice of Hel herself, sealer of Persephone and now a nominal deity? I thought that the days of my bloodline being godslayers are long gone, but to learn that you`ve killed that insane Goddess… You really are a Lucifer, in blood, in name and in actions."

"I`ll say, this Nephilim is even more impressive then you were back in the days, Lucifer." Galeran spoke up out loud from his sphere. "And I must say, from the amount of your energy emitting, I have to admit that you`ve grown quite significantly stronger then I could anticipate. In sheer might and power, I believe you have enough strength to give even Azazel a run for his money. And the way your energy is emitting now… Lucifer, do you sense the same thing as I do?"

"Glad to hear your voice, Galeran. Had a feeling that you are still out there somewhere, Northern Storm Dragon." Lucifer was also glad to hear the familiar voice of Galeran, considering the respectable relations between each other. "Hm, that`s really is interesting… Alex, tell me, did you notice any serious changes in your energy signature or how it emits from you?"

'No, I had no opportunity to express it in any way or to emit it in too big amounts.' Alex explained. 'All that I feel that as if something inside of me… broke. Strange, but I feel as if I can breathe… easier. It`s a similar feeling that one as when those seal were broken back then inside of my body.'

"Hm… If I were inside of your body, I could get a far more detailed analysis of your condition, Alex." Galeran sighed in contemplation. "Forsaken Regalia has been obliterated from that overflow of Holy Energy completely, so I`ve got no access to your soul, Alex. The only thing I can do in my current condition is just register the energetic signature coming from you."

'So I can`t access to your orb`s abilities without Forsaken Regalia?'

"Not exactly, actually. This orb has the imprinted set of abilities and evolutionary programming in it, the same way as all other creatures have in the world. It was an ingenious, revolutionary decision to use the model of living creatures` evolution for all Sacred Gears, especially for Longinus class. I have to admit that I outdid myself with that one." Lucifer proudly admitted to himself.

Alex was surprised to hear this one.

'Old man, are you saying that it was you who developed Sacred Gears, instead of the God?'

"Hehe, yep." Lucifer grinned. "Well, the general pattern and basis, along with Longinus concept, was my dad`s creation. I was the one who was doing all the patching up and erasing all the bugs that were in Sacred Gears. I`ve managed to deal with most of them in normal categories, but the Longinus class… That jackass managed to make them practically impossible to patch up and I`ve ended up with a feeling that there will be serious problems with those darn things. In the end, I`ve decided to make a countermeasure against those Longinus Sacred Gears."

"Counter Longinus Scared Gears, the 7 Sacred Gears that are specifically created to combat Longinus class Sacred Gears and take them down." Galeran mused to himself. "That blue-haired lady has one, if I am not mistaken. Demon`s Extract, to be precise. One of my hosts had the infortune to be killed by a user of such Counter Longinus. It wasn`t pretty, to say the least."

"I planned to have all 13 Counter Longinus Sacred Gears ready to take down those Longinus class Sacred Gears, but my boss found out of my work and in the end I had no other way but to stop my works. To be completely honest with you, Forsaken Regalia was going to be the 8th Counter Longinus, along with the Forbidden Balor View as the 9th Counter Longinus, but I wasn`t able to finish up the final installations for both of them, along fixing a little problem I had with Balor View, but that asshole… Seriously, that son of gun completely restricted my access to the Sacred Gear System and severed my connection to Seventh Heaven completely!" Lucifer grumbled to himself something. "Anyway, it can wait for now. I have a feeling that you wanted to discuss something with me, kid?"

'You can read my thoughts, can`t you, old man?' Alex sighed. 'After all, you do reside in my head from time to time.'

"Yes, I can do that." Lucifer crossed his arms. "So, you really are thinking about it… Going back to Grigori, back to the roots and to the family. Can`t say that I wasn`t expecting something like that from you, not that it means that I am mad at you for deciding to go this way instead of the one you`ve been moving on so far."

'I was actually expecting you to be a little more… furious for my decision to go back to the Fallen Angels' Alex admitted. 'Considering the fact that I am your Heir and the responsibility I have with this title.'

Lucifer simply chuckled at what Alex just said and turned to him with a smile on his face.

"Alex, you really are my Heir. An Heir of me as in Primordial Nephilim and one that defied the God, but before that served under him for the duration several millennias." Lucifer specified. "Throughout those years of serving to him, I`ve learned the real value of a person`s free will, along with the fact that the next generations do not have to follow the same exact path as their predecessors pawed them to go on. I can see why you would want to return back to your father and Grigori, especially considering just what kind of an impact you`ve made while you were with them, along with how things in the world were stabilized and how many people were saved by your directions and decisions. You`ve managed to accomplish more than I ever did in servitude to God and you did it in less than decade time. If anything, I`ll follow any of your decisions and you will have my support with any of your paths you decided to take."

'And what about Sirzechs? What about the Devils? Are really okay with me just leaving him and his friends just plundering what you spent so much time and inner strength building up?

"Sirzechs and Ajuka really did a number on what I`ve managed to accomplish, along with how they`ve managed to screw up the near perfect opportunity for a solid peace, instead creating this pointless and fragile stalemate…It does sadden me and I will not lie about it. However, that does not exclude the fact that I still relish the hope that they will answer for their crimes sooner or later." Lucifer admitted. "And besides, Alex. You aren`t the only member of my family that is alive and has the power to change things for the better in the Underworld. Even if Lucian has allied himself with his grandmother, I still have faith in him and his ideals."

'Lucian? Wasn`t that the name of Vali`s dad?' Alex mused in his mind. 'Is he your grandson?'

"Yes, and he is someone that you should really respect and fear, for he is the only one who has the fullest access to Power of Annihilation and its greatest form, Power of Oblivion." Lucifer warned his grandson. "And I do mean it, be careful with him. 15 years ago, he nearly defeated Sirzechs in one on one duel, until that red-haired bastard went into his true form. And even then, when Sirzechs held the major advantage, Lucian managed to inflict him some serious damage and demonstrate that House of Lucifer is still alive and stands strong. And another reason as to why you should be on your guard, is that Lucian is with Lilith and just recently, I again felt his presence in the world. He is out there and feel that he might be up to something serious."

"I`ll keep my eyes open." Alex said out loud, sensing out where was someone he wanted to talk to. "Hm… So, she is in my room then."

Alex opened up the door of his cabinet went straight towards his own room, which was right next to Illya`s and Sakura`s bedroom. Lucifer should`ve expected that Kuroka most probably will decided to wait for Alex in his own room and not in her and Shirone`s. After all, it was their own, personal matter that they were going to discuss, which could hardly be called as discussion. There was nothing that Kuroka could tell him that Alex couldn`t predict himself, as he knew this stray cat way too good, for both of their sakes. They`ve long past the point when they had to say each other what they had on their soul and what their thoughts were on the subjects. It was the highest level of care and trust between them and Alex wasn`t going to waste time on talking and discussing, along with letting Kuroka`s doubts take her soul into grips. Nope, he was going to put them all down for good today and he`ll make sure that his stray Nekoshou will understand that there is nothing that she needs to hide from him. Alex opened up the door inside of his room, already seeing that Kuroka was pacing around nervous as hell. As soon as she saw that her husband was in the room, Kuroka went right to him with explanations.

"Alex, I…" He suddenly stopped her with the raised hand and Kuroka understood that he was going to say his piece first.

"First, is our child alright?" Kuroka immediately nodded to that one. "Second, you and I both agree that we want it and we will raise together, as father and mother? Because I really do want this little kitten to be born." Nekoshou was shocked to hear him say out loud and right out the bat, but she nodded immediately. "Well, I guess that settles it."

Nekoshou was again shocked to hear it all coming from Alex, who simply smiled to her and came closer to caringly hug her. Kuroka nearly mellowed out completely in his embrace, but returned the affection and purred loudly.

"I was worried that you wouldn`t agree." She really did admit to him.

"Silly cat, we`ve talked about it a thousand times already." Alex simply stated, both sitting on the bed. "And I haven`t changed my mind about it in the slightest, my love. Though, I think I`ll remove you from the position of the Bishop along with all front lines. Good thing that Shemhazai and dad taught me a method of safe removal of Nephilim Piece in you, so you and our child will be perfectly safe, though you will remain a Nephilim for the rest of the life, dear."

"Little price to pay for us, if you ask me." Kuroka smiled, as she rested her head on his shoulder. "But, what are you going to do without a Senjutsu expert on your team? I can`t have you all exposed out there without someone to cover you, nya."

"I know someone who can fill up this role just alright." Alex assured her. "A real prodigy in all forms of Senjutsu, Youjutsu and Ninjutsu, you should remember him well after you and I met him on Hokkaido back when I was in Grigori."

Kuroka did recall whom her husband meant and had to hand it to him, it really was someone whom she really trusted and could trust her husband's life. After all, this man was an even greater master of those arts then she could even think of. She smiled and spoke up.

"Well, nya, with him you should have no problem dealing with that red-haired witch and her family." She said. "Too bad, though, that our little girl will be born before you deal with that annoying marriage contract."

Alex simply chuckled and spoke up.

"Don`t worry about." He assured her. "Once this crisis is done, I`m burning all the bridges with Sirzechs and his family. I`m tired of them and I have a feeling that they will never let me go off the hook, not even if I beat Rias, they will sure find a way to tie me down. Besides that, I am sure as hell that there is no way for me to reach the position of Lucifer alive. Plus… I think it`s time that I finally get all of my priorities back in real order."

"What do you have in mind, nya? You are thinking about going back to Grigori, nya?" Kuroka didn`t need to hear his answer to know if she was right or not. "To be honest with you, I and girls were also actually discussing this topic a couple of weeks back, along with the rest of our team. Sona and Tsubaki don`t mind you being with Grigori, along Ravel. Akeno and Shirone actually said that it would be nice for them, to be among those that don`t really despise them from behind and with the family. As for the others, you should know already that we will follow you to hell and back."

Alex simply looked at his Nekoshou wife and kissed her in the lips lovingly.

"Thank you, Kuroka."

"I am your wife, nya." She stated the obvious. "It is my duty to give you the best advice possible considering the situation. And right now, let`s go to sleep while we have the opportunity. I am feeling exhausted."

Alex had nothing to say or object to her. Instead he simply followed his wife and soon they ended up in deep sleep.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.