chapter 3

"I believe this is the last of them, Kaicho."

Sona Sitri, Student Council President of Kuoh Academy, nodded, standing in the local police station and pursing her lips. Memory and data erasure was always one of the most annoying clean-up jobs people in the supernatural had to deal with, and if it weren't for Beelzebub-sama's invention of a special sentient virus that could wipe, alter and/or retract traces of the supernatural off all forms of recording and software, devils would have long since been exposed with the invention of YouTube and the internet.

Considering the fact that they often held contracts with humans, and once in a while, a human would attempt to 'blackmail' them, threatening to release knowledge about the supernatural to the world if they didn't get what they wanted, it was a good thing that they didn't know how powerful the supernatural influence ran. At best, their 'proof' would be among the hundreds of hundreds of illuminati videos and conspiracy theories on the internet taken with a grain of salt, and at worst, they'd be vanished from the internet the very second they went up.

Speaking of things vanishing, she reviewed the file of one officer Tajiri Shinsuke, her lips pursing even further.

"What are your thoughts, Kaicho?" her Vice President, Tsubaki Shinra asked.

"A claim that his pants, phone, patrol-car keys and wallet were stolen by 'an invisible cosplayer in dark armor'." She quoted. "Considering the man possesses a perfect record of attendance and diligence in his duties, no former records of attempting to lie and/or deceive his superiors for personal gain, and there are numerous eyewitness reports accounting that they saw him 'streaking' down the street, – it is most likely that there is an unknown supernatural element in Kuoh."

It was not every day that a respected policeman suddenly ran down the roads, indecently flashing the public with his genitals. Such a case would normally never draw her interest, but the claims of invisible forces at work had compelled her to investigate, and the fact that the man had nothing to gain and everything to lose with such a stunt. He would have been fired immediately, and disgraced forever.

"A poltergeist perhaps? Or a pranking spirit?"

Sona disagreed. "The report claims that he assumed a 'cosplayer' due to armor. I do not believe any ghost or malevolent spirit clad in armor will strip a man of his pants but not his life." She held the paper closer. "Additional statements indicate his 'thief' is a foreigner who could not speak Japanese. A ghost or spirit would not have attempted communication, and if they had – they would most certainly speak the language."

Her Queen nodded understandingly. "I will inform the rest of the student council, and have my familiars search for any foreigners appearing in the city recently." She adjusted her glasses. "Should we inform Rias-sama?"

Sona frowned. "No. Something like this needs not concern her – she is already at wit's end attempting to recruit someone in her peerage to aid her in her Rating Game against Raiser. No need to burden her unnecessarily."

Additionally, and went unsaid, Sona wanted to investigate this unfamiliar element for herself and see if it was something worth her time and investment. Rias may be her friend and rival, but one's best interests were always at heart.

XXXXX

"…You're absolutely certain this is the place?"

"Yes Seth-sama. This is where Nakamura Ichijo lives. He is the leader and boss of Kuoh's Yakuza Gang."

It was late in the evening, and I sat inside Sana's car, staring somewhat disbelievingly at what I was seeing in front of me. I had expected to come to some sort of fortress, filled with men wearing headbands and carrying bats and katana, fight my way through those scum and arrive in the central room where I'd meet a fat greasy old man surrounded by strippers and prostitutes. Then, they'd run out of the room screaming and covering their breasts, while he snarled and screamed at me "Who the fuck are you?!" and I'd proceed to let him know that I was the guy he wasn't supposed to fuck with.

Instead, I was sitting inside a car, staring at a rather nice, comfy family home in the finer end of the town, with just about one or two guards dressed lackadaisically in casual outfits. At first, I thought maybe there was some hidden base underground, or some other gimmick that wasn't visible. So, I rose my right hand, willing my mana, and casting [Detect Life]. The spell made all those who were 'living' come alive to my vision as bright hues, visible through walls and through objects, clear as day.

Yet, there was no hidden underground room, or no one inside. Instead, what I discovered that there were only about six guards in total, and my 'target' was a slightly middle-aged man, sitting in his dining room, and about to have dinner with his wife and two teenage daughters.

I rubbed my nose, turning to Sana who was, so far, still under the effects of my [Bend Will] shout, her hands on the steering wheel, and her expression no longer 'drunk' but perfectly relaxed.

"I don't get it. This guy… is the Oyabun of Kuoh's Yakuza?"

She nodded. "Yes Seth-sama."

"And… he's just…" I shook my head. "I mean… he's living in a place like this – he has family – just six guards and… why isn't he more…. Yakuza-ish."

"Contrary to what outsiders and foreigners think of the Yakuza, it is not entirely like the mafia or even outright necessarily a criminal organization." Sana explained. "The Yakuza are involved in as many legitimate businesses, works and trades as they are involved in the illegitimate. Sometimes, often more so."

I stared. "What?"

"Seth-sama, the Yakuza are regulated and monitored, and the organizations themselves are not illegal. The addresses of most Yakuza headquarters are listed on the National Police Agency website, and the top oyabuns all have business cards with corporate logos. There are even monthly fan magazines dedicated to them."

What the fuck…

"Then… how do you make money?"

"Income is generated through revenue streams like extortion, protection rackets, sex trafficking, pornography, gambling, real estate, construction and sometimes cybercrime. The shop I work in, where I met you Seth-sama, is a perfectly legal business owned by the Yakuza."

…This was not what I expected getting here. This was not what I was expecting at all. Was this what they meant by organized crime? Shouldn't there be a limit to how organized it should be?

"So what about drugs? Guns? Shipments of cocaine? Human trafficking? Something!"

"The purchase and distribution of hard drugs are strictly prohibited in code by numerous yakuza gangs across Japan, their code of honor prevents it, and it is not profitable in Japan as drugs are incredibly rejected by the society. As for guns, Japan has far stricter gun control laws that prevent –"

"Stop – just fucking stop." I ordered, growling. "I wanted to take out my anger on someone, and fucking let loose and punch a few dozen guys in the face – but – gahh!"

Of course there was no fucking thing like people who were one hundred percent evil. I mean – it was fucking obvious – but come on! I couldn't just barge into a guy's home and beat up his guards and beat him up in front of his family! Like – what the fuck? Where were the villains?

Where the fuck are the people I can punch in the face and be perfectly justified doing so?!

"So your plan to swindle me – who the fuck came up with it?" I asked, leaning back into the car seat.

"I suggested it, and it was accepted and backed up with some assistance from my uncle."

"Your… uncle."

She nodded.

I sighed. "And what exactly is your uncle?"

"He works with the administration division of the Yakuza as an accountant and occasionally, a real estate agent." She responded.

I could feel a massive headache coming on. "Your uncle is a real estate agent… who sold me a cursed building… most probably to get it off his fucking hands, and then eventually planned on making more profit from it via creating a bar and draining me of all my funds."

"Yes, Seth-sama."

…

Yay! Let's go beat up a fucking accountant!

GRAAAAH!

What pissed me off about all of this was how fucking… mundane it all was.

I wasn't dealing with some super evil criminal gang – I wasn't even dealing with a fucking mastermind of any sorts – it was just regular people, doing slightly shady shit in order to try and get money.

Hell, from their perspective, I was the shady one, because I was the illegal immigrant who popped up out of nowhere with an unknown amount of money and (stupidly) attempted to buy an outfit with a priceless diamond. No doubt the plant they hired in my bar would have watched me to ensure I wasn't a terrorist or murderer on the run – as it wasn't a far off suspicion.

Could I really blame them?

I mean, really? Hell, when I thought about it, I did look like a poor sucker that'd be easy to con –

I took in a deep breath, before shaking my head and laughing. Gods I got so fucking worked up over this shit for no fucking reason. I'd been ready to tear a new one into the Yakuza, and probably announce my presence to every single fucker in this town… because I was pissed that some people tried to swindle and get rid of me.

Shit, I hoped this 'soul of a dragon' thing was purely metaphysical… dragons were too fucking temperamental and too fucking prideful… and I was already both. I didn't need some extra anger issues and extra pride issues on top of the ones I already had.

I ran my hand through my hair and then clasped them in front of my face. So, the yakuza was nothing like I thought. They weren't an evil gang that were out to get me. That was fine. I, on the other hand, was nothing quite like what they thought either. I still needed to get myself the mundane shit –

Knock. Knock. Knock.

My eyes widened at the sound of fingers rapping slowly against the window of the car. I turned my gaze, finding a man with a black-suit and sunglasses standing outside, gesturing at me to come out of the car. On the other side, another man appeared, gesturing the same thing to Sana.

What the hell? Weren't there just six guards?

"Sana – come down. Quietly."

I clambered out of the car, opening the door enough and ensuring to take my time to come out. My height, six-feet, towered slightly over the sunglasses wearing yakuza, and I resisted the urge to grin.

He barked something in Japanese, and I frowned as I turned to Sana.

"Translate."

"They say that Nakamura-sama wishes to meet with us." Sana said, and I noticed that both of the men looked surprised at her ability to speak English.

"Why?"

"They do not say. But, somehow, Nakamura-sama is interested in you."

"In me?"

…The fuck? How was this fucker interested in me? How did he even know I was here?

The gruff yakuza, despite their outward appearances, were surprisingly courteous. Well, at least, far more fucking courteous than I would have been all things considering. They gestured Sana and I into the compound, and eventually, into the man's home. The insides were a bit modernized, although it had a traditional Japanese feel to it that made me feel like I was watching one of those anime from the Edo era with Nobunaga and the lot. There were a lot of ornamental samurai decorations, a lot of traditional paintings depicting the fight between a samurai warrior and a monstrous deity, and a shit ton of decorations that all screamed samurai. I'd been able to detect life, but not see the insides and contents of the building. Especially a building like this, which was giving me all sorts of weird vibes that I could not even begin to explain.

Also – was this place somehow larger on the fucking inside than it looked on the outside, or was that just my fucking imagination?

Yeah… something weird was going on here.

By the time we arrived, I'd somehow gone from being in a modern-looking house to a full traditional one, complete with the sliding doors and plain floors. The yakuza spoke something again to us, and I once more turned my attention on my human google translate.

"They say that Nakamura-sama will meet us now."

"And… where exactly are the chairs? Let me fucking guess – we have to kneel here."

I wasn't too keen on that idea in the fucking slightest.

"Apologies." A voice spoke. "Of course, I mean you no insult. However, I do find that it is far more beneficial to conduct my business in a room devoid of unnecessary distractions."

With short, well-kept hair, dressed not in a suit, but in a robe, a somewhat gangly man entered the room from another door that I had no idea even existed. Yeah, there was definitely some mental fuckery going on here.

"Chairs, for our guests, if you would please." He gestured to two of his men, who nodded eagerly, and then he gave a 'charming' smile. Once they were brought, he gestured again, "Please, take a seat."

I adamantly stood.

"You speak English? No… they don't." I gestured to the Yakuza. "But somehow they understood your commands in English."

The man smiled. "Very astute. But no, I do not speak English. I do not speak anything but Japanese. Yet, I can communicate to the entirety of the world in every language that exists, without flaw or problem. A hyper-polyglot whose skills would be the envy of linguists and translators the world over."

The man seemed to realize something, before he blinked. "Ah, where are my manners? I failed to properly introduce myself. I am Ichijo Nakamura, head of the Nakamura Chain Businesses here in Kuoh. We are a rather small family, hoping of course to expand our little ventures throughout all of Nagoya, and then, to other cities like Tokyo, and Sapporo."

He extended his hand. I didn't take it.

He was still smiling – gah, in that creepy motherfucking 'anime-bad-guy-snob' manner. All he needed was a fucking pair of glasses to condescendingly adjust and it's be complete.

"A legitimate businessman, I'm sure."

He never wiped that damned smile off his face. "But of course. The Nakamura Family has a long-lined ancestry of in this town. Although, my great-great-great-grandfather originally hailed from Kyoto – and back then, our family was more renowned for certain… mystical properties."

The smile on his face seemed to crease at that, and it didn't take me long for everything to suddenly click.

"Although, we have long since been eclipsed in fame and glory by the Himejima Clan, the Nakamura family was once well known for our cleansing rites, protection of shrines and elimination of certain elements best hidden from society."

"You can stop dancing around the fucking bush," I said dryly. "You were exorcists and you know about the supernatural. I get it."

He seemed to deflate a bit. "Ah? It seems you are the type of man who goes straight to the point?" His smile then picked up a different quality, "Although, man is a rather subjective term here, is it not?"

I didn't react. Nice try motherfucker. "Yeah, men are fucking all savages and beasts at heart. Insert feminazi quote here, insert Joseph Conrad novel here. Now, is there any fucking reason in particular you wanted to see me?"

Nakamura frowned. "Should I not be the one asking such questions? I was not the one who parked himself in front of a man's home and watched patiently. I contemplated if you were an enemy here to destroy us, but as time passed and you failed to take action – I sought other reasons, and chose a preemptive method of inviting you into my home."

"Kind of risky don't you think?" I said smiling. "What if I did want to kill you and your family?"

"Then there would be no defense I could put up regardless," he admitted bluntly. "Quite frankly, you terrify me, stranger-san."

Oh? "Oh? And why is that?"

"Your very presence triggered and overloaded the sensitive magic-detecting alarms overlaid around my home." He said bluntly. "Former exorcist I may be, but I am no fool. I have long since accepted that there are beings in this world far above my power to defeat or evade – and I ate my dinner with the solace that tonight might be my last. Yet… you did not attack. You did not invade and seek to destroy. You merely waited, and so, I believed, it would be wiser to seek conversation."

What the… fuck.

Shit. Shit. Magic. Of course. Of course.

In Skyrim, you couldn't detect other people's magicka pools unless you wanted to use console commands to find out their stats. Likewise, people could never actually know how much magic you had – enough to kill Daedric Lords and keep on fighting. But… in this world, people could sense power.

People could sense how much raw magical energy I had.

I… hadn't thought of it.

"So," Nakamura spoke, drawing my attention back to him, "May I know what it is that you desire from me? And who your… escort, is?"

His gaze flickered over to Sana, who remained perfectly docile throughout.

"She –" I pointed to her, "Conspired with her uncle, who's an accountant under you – to sell me a cursed home and try and swindle me of as much money as she could. Let's just fucking say I didn't take too kindly to it."

Nakamura hummed, taking a full look over at Sana.

"Hmm… girl, who is your uncle?"

I turned to Sana.

"Answer the question."

"Shiburaki Hanagiya."

Nakamura closed his eyes, contemplating the words, before taking a deep breath. "Very well. I will ensure that Shiburaki-san is excommunicated immediately, and furthermore punished for his offence."

"Excommunicated?"

Nakamura nodded sharply. "There are rules, stranger-san. Shiburaki's attempt to take the initiative, whilst commendable under normal circumstances, is entirely unacceptable in this one. Had you been less… agreeable, his scam may have resulted not only in his death, but mine and that of my family, and overall brought negative harm to the Nakamura family."

…It was fucking weird being this respected. I mean, sure, I got it a lot from people when I blew their minds, and begrudgingly from my college professors when I aced their tests – but I'd never felt this fucking… respected before. The VVIP treatment was fucking cool, and it was all because I was my Skyrim Character and bullshitingly used console commands to give my character insane amounts of magicka. Damn, if only I'd toggled on God Mode before hibernating my pc…

"You may also, of course, take the girl as a form of… apology from me." Nakamura said with a casual smile, as though he was not talking about enslaving away someone. "I will ensure that no one questions her disappearance – or other details should she be found."

…This guy… he just... did he really just…

"…This is seriously not how I pictured all of this going."

"I assume you felt it would end with copious amounts of blood, violence, death and pain?"

I didn't deny it. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Then, I would say, for the benefit of my own health and wellbeing, that I am rather glad it did not go how you anticipated."

I grinned. His eyes widened upon me doing that, and I wondered –

Oh, yeah. He just saw my fangs.

"You are – I – I see – I had assumed –" Nakamura stammered.

"You assumed… what?"

"N-nothing. Nothing at all –" he coughed into his hand, and I didn't buy it for a second.

He didn't know I was a vampire… but he knew I wasn't human and I'm supernatural… so what the fuck did he assume I was?

"Now, if there are any other issues, you wish to discuss with us… er, Mr…"

"Seth." I said simply.

He blinked. "Ah… Seth? Quite fitting I suppose." At my stare, he elaborated. "Although many are familiar with the Abrahamic name and identity of Seth as the third son of Adam, many are unaware, that in the Egyptian Mythos, Seth is the god of the desert, storms, disorder, violence and… foreigners."

…

…

I did not know that.

Now was this a coincidence, or proof that fate and destiny were already lubing their cocks and getting ready to fuck me sideways?

Whatever. "Actually, Nakamura, I do have a list of thing that I'll be needing from you."

Nakamura's smile became strained. "Is that so?"

"You will be suitably paid for your work – so no, I'm not lobbying my weight around like a schoolyard bully." I reached into my 'pocket' grabbing a Flawless Diamond and raising it into the air.

The last time I pulled a stunt like this, I got into this mess. Let's just fucking hope it doesn't happen again.

"My my…" Nakamura said, staring at the object, "Rest assured… name what it is you want, and we will see to it that it's done."

First, and obviously, the fucking omni-tongue spell or device he was using to speak English. Damn that would make my life so much easier. Well, I hoped it'd also work with reading and writing, otherwise I'd still be screwed in those aspects.

Next, the identification and passports. Yes, plural. So I'd be a 'citizen' of different countries and be able to fly back and forth without issue. Travelling the world was a 'meh' thing to do, but I didn't mind doing it, especially when I got suitably bored.

Third, a buttload of cash. Dollars and yen. Sales from my other precious minerals and gold rings should be enough to ensure that money was an issue of the past.

And… that was pretty much it. I didn't need much else from this guy or his strangely not-so-criminal organization. It'd crossed my mind once or twice to attempt simply sneaking my way into an airport and then sneaking into the cargo of an airplane to leave the country, but that was way too much fucking stress to go through when I could simply just get some ID and then fly first class. I was fucking lazy, sue me.

"What you require will take some time, Seth-san."

I narrowed my eyes at him. This shit again?

"How long?"

"A few weeks give or take." Nakamura admitted. "But no longer. At the very latest, you should have all that you need by the middle of November. Just in time for the holiday season."

Nakamura didn't seem to have anyreasons for lying. But with the way the world fucking worked… who knew?

I was tempted to use [Bend Will] on him in order to ensure his full co-operation… although, I felt that would be more of a hindrance than a benefit. I couldn't go around commanding every single person to be under my will simply because I didn't trust that they did not have ulterior motives in their dealings with me. I wasn't that much of a control freak, nor was I that fucking paranoid.

"Of course, Seth-san, while you are still within Japan, and particularly, Kuoh, would it be possible for us to… aid each other?"

This time, I did take a seat. I leaned in slightly.

"In what way?"

Nakamura beamed. I swear, this was the strangest oyabun I've ever fucking met. Then again, he was the only oyabun I'd ever met.

"As it happens, Kuoh Town is no longer quite as… autonomous as it used to be." Nakamura said with what sounded like irritation in his voice. "There is no other way of putting this… there are devils in charge of this town. My research indicates that these devils are rather prominent in the underworld, being the heiresses of two of the 72 Pillar Clans. I cannot even begin to fathom why these individuals would want to come to this Town in the first place, when they have the whole world at their fingertips… but, their presence here is problematic."

… And I was getting pulled into the fucking plot, wasn't I?

I sighed, resisting the urge to palm my face. "I take it you want them gone."

Nakamura nodded. "Yes… but not for the reasons you may be thinking," he elaborated. "Devils of such power and notoriety gathered in such a small area is a recipe for a catastrophic disaster. I predict that individuals far and wide will come to this little town, either in an attempt to challenge the devils, or in reaction to a calamity or problem originating from their presence."

I rose an eyebrow, gesturing him to continue.

"Assassins, seeking to kill the heiresses and restart the faction war. Fanatical exorcists, wanting to eliminate them regardless of the danger and ramifications. Rival factions, stirring up in response –" Nakamura frowned "Already, we have reports of sightings of Fallen Angels in the Town. They and a small gathered force of at least two dozen rogue exorcists have taken up residence in the abandoned church."

Fallen Angels? Two Dozen Rogue Exorcists? Abandoned Church?

Wait a fucking minute. The only time the entire DxD verse did a section on Fallen Angels and rogue exorcists was…

At the start of the series.

… Did this mean… I arrived before the fucking canon events?!

But how…? Didn't canon start in like 2010 or something… at least the fucking High School DxD Anime did.

"These individuals," Nakamura continued, "are already damaging to Kuoh, and to my businesses."

Nakamura actually looked… pissed.

"They take from stores whatever they wish without paying, and likewise do the same for services and a few of my brothels. Fallen Angels are known for their promiscuity – and one of them spent an entire day with every single 'girl' in my employ, only to wipe their memories of the events and leave without paying." He growled. "Another Fallen, female, got a full body massage and complete spa treatment, going as far as to take every single beauty product available… all without paying for a single thing, and wiping the memories of everyone present."

That was just a dick move. I pursed my lips. "How'd you find out?"

"Because we take inventory, and we have records of sales and hidden cameras which help us." Nakamura explained. "This is not even to begin mentioning the subtle increase in night-time crime and violence, as some of these rogue exorcists harass people, mug some, and attempt to force themselves on others. The 'Devils' are either willfully oblivious or they are aware, and refuse to take clear, adamant action – leaving the clean-up to me."

…Well, damn.

I'd never actually fucking thought about it before. In the anime, Raynare and her little group had a bunch of mooks in the Church where she killed Asia. Mooks who were fought off by Kiba and Koneko if I remembered this shit correctly. But of course, who the hell pays attention to mooks? I was more focused on seeing more boobs and trying not to cringe at the demonization of Raynare into the irredeemable bad guy whilst Issei literally cried to God to save Asia's life.

But henchmen – well, henchmen were people.

Fucking sound the alarms everyone – we've broken the fucking world, hashtag, henchmen are people too.

Henchmen were people, and they'd need basic shit to live and survive. Food, water, shelter – and then they'd cross the hierarchy of needs and start getting shit they wanted – women, alcohol, money –

I doubted Raynare gave them spare cash to burn out of her own pocket. Hell, I doubted Raynare even had a need for cash – most likely she stole or took whatever the fuck she wanted without bother. Why the hell would her henchmen be any different?

The economic and societal impact of having a group of henchmen would probably never make the highlight in certain books, yet alone an ecchi-anime with pastel plain black-and-white morality and characters. Now that I thought about it… unless it was a war-based novel, where they'd complain about troops needing 'food and resources' – people rarely ever mentioned how Hollywood villains paid their henchmen. If they paid their henchmen. I'm fucking guessing there was no health plan in their contracts, and they were expected to work the holidays.

"…So, what is it exactly that you want me to do for you?"

Nakamura smiled. "If you would not mind… 'thinning the herd' a bit. The Devils are unfortunately a problem that I do not have the immediate solution to – but one that I feel must certainly be handled, before someone is publicly killed in the middle of a park or the entire town is obliterated by a vengeful angel in one strike."

… Was this guy psychic or something?

Considering Kokabiel had come very close to actually doing that – yeah… Nakamura's fears weren't exactly unfounded.

"Thinning the herd?"

"The riffraff. The rogue exorcists. I cannot judge the strength of the Fallen, so it would be unwise of me to request you to destroy them. But – rogue exorcists are mere men. I would have had my own men do this… alas, I feel that would have brought upon me the full might of the Fallen Angels… and it would lead to an unfortunate demise."

"Yeah… that I get." I shook my head. "But I don't see any reason for me to do this. I'm already paying you a large sum for everything. What exactly do I gain from 'thinning the herd' as you put it?"

"Then I simple refuse your diamond and request this as payment instead." Nakamura insisted. "The diamond, while valuable, cannot cover a continual loss of income and revenue generated by these miscreants. Their elimination is worth far more."

…I had to fucking ask, didn't I?

Gah! I really didn't want to get involved in this fucking plot…

But now, it wasn't like I had much of a choice. Unless I wanted to bend Nakamura to my will… which… wasn't really that viable. I'd essentially be doing to him what the Fallen Angels and exorcists did to his businesses. Kind of a dick move to force someone to help you just because you didn't want to help them.

On the upside, these henchmen would actually be fucking perfect to use as guinea pigs for my experiments. To test the full breadth of my powers and abilities – and it'd also be a way better way to kill some time…

"Well, Seth-san?"

I looked into Nakamura's expected eyes, before groaning.

"I'll do it… as long as I get VVIP treatment in all your brothels, bars and businesses."

"Done." Nakamura said without hesitation. "You have no idea as to how much of a difference this will make to me, Seth-san."

… Oh, I had a fucking huge idea.

I had a fucking huge idea as to how much it'd make to the 'plot'.

But, I'd be out of Japan by next month… so, it shouldn't fucking matter to me.

Right… yeah. It wouldn't matter to me.

XXXX

I found myself back in Sana's car, fiddling the tiny ring in my hand that would aid me in speaking and understanding Japanese (and any language in the world) without having to learn it first. Part of me wondered if I could disenchant it and use the enchantments on something else. Of course, this would mean I'd have to create an Arcane Enchanter…

"Where would you like to go Seth-sama?"

I turned my attention to the woman beside me who was now 'mine'.

"Back to the Dead Man's Drink. Need to make some preparations before I head for the abandoned church."

"As you command Seth-sama."

She started up the engine, making me stare back at Nakamura's house, as the vehicle moved and the house left my view. A lot of things had occurred, none of which I'd ever actually predicted. I came with the intention of burning and destroying, and left finding solutions to my problems. Heh – guess life was kinda weird like that.

Speaking of weird things, I turned my attention to Sana, and then, to my hands, frowning at myself. It was strange… shouldn't I feel more… appalled at the fact that Nakamura basically just let me keep Sana as my slave, and even expected me to fuck her and discard her later on? Why the fucking hell wasn't I even bothered by the fact that I was effectively asked to go kill a bunch of people? I'd certainly never killed anyone before – so it was fucking weird that I even accepted such a deal.

Was it because I lacked humanity?

Humans, as much as they fucking hated to admit it, or were fucking ignorant about it, were controlled by a bunch of hormones and chemical reactions. Every impulse, every stray thought, every need and desire – chemical and biological processes controlled them. Kind of like how 'love' could be broken down into its base chemical forms.

As a Vampire though, there was no guarantee that my biology was even human anymore. My biological processes were different, and so, my hormones and chemicals were different. Males and females were different because of testosterone and estrogen – giving rise to different fucking perspectives and even entirely different thought processes arising from the effects. Was it possible that there was some 'vampire hormone' that kept my sanity in check and made me shrug at the thought of murder, slavery, and rape? Or was there some other fucking reason I was missing here?

I watched the people go by on the streets, the night-life of the city being unsurprisingly sparse in comparison to major cities I knew. The car's AC was nice and cool, and a small part of me wondered how blood would taste – a random, stray thought, which also came with the momentary consideration of humans as value meals.

Fucking strange.

I turned my attention to my 'slave' because that was pretty much what she was at this point. I wasn't bothered by the ethics or morality of it, but more or less the… strangeness? Like… it was fucking weird. Would no one really miss her if she just vanished?

"Do you have any family Sana?" I asked.

"My uncle –"

"Aside from your uncle." I clarified.

"I have a younger brother in high school."

I blinked. Huh.

"What? No parents?"

"They died when I was little, Seth-sama."

Oof. Tough.

"Your brother… what's he like?"

"I… I don't know. Not anymore."

I leaned back into the recliner, raising my eyebrow at her. "How don't you know?"

"He lives with his foster family in Tokyo. I haven't seen him since I was twelve."

Oof. Double tough. I sighed.

"That's tough. How old are you now?"

"Twenty-five."

I grimaced. "Sheesh. Thirteen years? You haven't seen him in thirteen years? Man that must suck."

She didn't say anything, although, she did look like she agreed.

"And… you, Seth-sama? Do you have any family?"

I blinked at the question. Wait… people under [Bend Will] could still ask questions? Or did this mean that the shout's effects were ending? Or… well, you could still converse with your 'followers' in Skyrim even after you used the shout on them, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

Sana's gaze was locked on me, and I realize she actually wanted an answer.

Family huh…

"I have a younger sister – Hayley." I admitted. "She was getting close to graduating High School before I left," I said, "And a best friend Marcus – he's the closest thing to a brother I have. Great guy – swell friend – he's one of the few people that would stop me from punching fucking irritating people in the face whenever I get pissed."

The car came to a stop at a red light, and I frowned.

"You know, I just kind of realized I'm probably never going to see Hayley again – never see her graduation. And Marcus? Well, I was writing his thesis for him – he'd probably wonder what happened to his pal that suddenly disappeared."

I scratched my head awkwardly.

"Marcus was like me, you see – we were the type of guys who couldn't let shit die. Heh – if he was here instead of me – he'd probably have killed you the second he found out about trying to swindle him. My sister, Hayley on the other hand, would have killed me if I killed you. She'd always been the humanitarian one – pushing me to be nicer and to 'stop swearing like a fucking retard all the time.'"

I could almost see her brown hair and fiery green eyes.

"She had real fire in her – but she was still my younger sibling, the one I protected from douchebags and fuck-boys looking for a quick lay. Marcus would roll his eyes and tell me that I was too much into the 'big-brother' roll. My mom would disagree. She liked it when I was 'a man'. She liked it when I protected my sister. Because my dad wasn't around to do any of that shit."

I laughed a bit.

"Right now… I don't have any of that."

Marcus – the guy I'd call up at 3AM to tell him how I killed everyone in Skyrim – someone who'd listen to my shit and then tell me it was shit to my face, but laugh or shake his head while doing it. A great wingman – the guy in my corner –

I didn't have that anymore.

"I'm probably never get to see him again. Never get to fist-bump him, try to pick-up girls with him, snort at his horrible jokes and laugh till my lungs turned blue at his crappy schoolwork." I mused. "Never get to rustle my sister's hair, watch her dance performances and intimidate the poor fuckers she chose as a date for prom. None of it. Right now, I wonder if Marcus eventually completed his thesis without me. If my sister would go back into her shell with my disappearance. If my mom would pick up smoking again to cope at another male family member vanishing into the fucking wind."

I turned my attention to the woman under my control.

"But I have super-powers though… and that's fucking great… I guess?"

I said, staring at her eyes and smiling.

"I mean, who needs friends and family when you have minions and dragon shouts, right?"

She didn't respond.

…

For some reason, it… irked.

"Hey, I asked you a fucking question Sana. Didn't you fucking hear me?"

"I – I don't know what a dragon shout is, Seth-sama. I – I – don't understand –"

Oh. Yeah… that. People in this world wouldn't get my references… would they?

"Of course you don't. Of course… of course… never mind then."

Ha. Ha.

I rubbed my eyes.

Fuck.

[Calm]

"Hey, Sana – are you a virgin?" I asked, staring out through the window.

"No, Seth-sama."

I blinked. "Whoa? Really? I thought Asian women would be the ones focused on sexual purity before marriage and all that."

"I didn't have parents to instill that into me, Seth-sama."

"Playing the orphan card… oof. That's a low blow Sana."

"I aim to please, Seth-sama."

… Something clicked in my mind. I whipped my head over to her, focusing on the dull black hair and emotionless appearance, even as she drove us to our destination.

"Sana… say the words: I am sworn to carry your burdens."

"…I am… sworn to carry your burdens?"

I gasped, dramatically, of fucking course. That impression was dead on –

"Sana… You – you're my Lydia!"

"…What?"