20 -|

I yawned, stretching awake and brushing Asia's wing away from my face.

Most of girls had already left to sort out dresses and such, but they were kind enough to let me sleep in. Much to our delight, Sera had decided to continue sleeping with us rather than returning to her own bed. She was actually rather adorable about it, shyly knocking on my bedroom door and biting her lip nervously as she asked if she could come in. Ruby practically glomped her on the spot, wearing an enormous smile the entire time.

We didn't do anything too special for the rest of the night, just chatting about nonsensical topics while doing our own thing. Gil pulled out her ever-present book, I started crunching numbers for a new spell, Ruby sketched random figures while Asia braided her hair, and Sera kept up a steady stream of words that didn't actually mean all that much. Shirone, of course, was content to sit on my lap and bask in my attention.

Why didn't my girls just get their dresses ready the night before, you ask?

Well, they did, actually. That's why Asia is still in bed with me. But Medea had apparently made the rest of them bridesmaids without telling them. I would've been more irritated at the sudden news, had not my girls all been positively thrilled by her offer, even Asia. My mother was similarly invited to be the matron of honor. Medea wanted it to be a surprise, so she waited until the morning of the wedding to send the dresses.

Hence the reason why Asia and I were currently the only ones in the room.

Asia shivered at my touch, her sensitive wing twitching slightly. She opened her eyes sleepily, and released an enormous yawn. She stiffened in surprise as I laughed and hugged her close. "Cas?"

I kissed her on the forehead. "You look adorable."

She frowned. "According to you, I'm always adorable."

I nodded, cupping her cheek in my hand. "You are."

"Adorable." She agreed, sighing. "But never sexy, or attractive."

I snorted. "Asia, you're a freaking bombshell. You have an hourglass figure most women only dream of, and you turn heads just by breathing. No, I don't think you'll ever have a mature beauty. But you know I don't care about that. I love you because you're Asia, not because you're hot."

She huffed, sitting up and looking down on me, arms crossed under her sizable bust. "I didn't hear a denial."

I burst into laughter, sitting up and wrapping my arms around her. "All right, fine. Asia Argento, you are utterly gorgeous. I don't expect you to have Sera's raw sex appeal, she's a Devil whose body is literally designed to seduce men. I don't expect you to be a complete knockout like Gil, she is an incarnation of beauty itself that makes even married men stare. I don't want another Gil or Sera, I already have one of them. I want an Asia."

She flushed, shifting slightly and averting her gaze. "O-okay…" She whispered, her wings continuing to glow softly.

I smiled, reaching out and scooting her onto my lap. She squeaked softly, her wings wrapping around me. "Do you have anywhere you need to go?" I whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She shook her head, relaxing into my embrace. "N-no."

I smiled, leaning back onto the bed, and pulled the covers over us once more. "Then let's stay here for a while. The wedding isn't for another three hours, and we don't normally wake up until an hour from now."

She nodded and rested her head on my chest, humming happily. I stroked her head, running my fingers through her hair. We stayed that way for a time, just the two of us. She sighed in contentment. "I've missed this."

I blinked. "Missed what?"

"This. Just you and me, listening to each other's breathing without having to worry about anything."

I chuckled. "I suppose I've missed this too, then."

She nodded, nuzzling into my chest. "I love you, Millicas."

I leaned down and kissed her on the crown of her head. "I love you too, Asia."

I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was smiling. "Millicas, while we're alone, I'd like to talk with you about something."

I tilted my head in confusion, a hint of worry entering my mind. Asia never calls me Millicas, it's always just 'Cas' for her. If she's using my full name, then this must be serious. "You do know that the Link is still open, right?"

She giggled. "Yes, silly. I know that. And I wouldn't have it any other way. But I suppose I should…" She opened up the Link, sending my other girls an unspoken request for privacy. They briefly checked her intentions, then complied. Their minds withdrew slightly, not disappearing entirely, but making it impossible to see anything more than the vague color of their emotions. Asia sighed once more, opening the Link between us to its' fullest extent and seemingly relishing in the feelings it caused. I could feel her joy in connecting with me, and hear the thousand tiny worries she held about everything from her homework to her cooking skills.

I smiled, kissing her once more. "See? I told you I love you."

She nodded, contentment flowing off of her in waves. "I know. I can always feel it, no matter what." She paused, frowning. "I haven't been entirely honest with you." She told me, her voice serious.

I blinked. "All right, go ahead."

Asia smiled, her wings rustling. "And that's something I like about you, Cas. Everyone else would think I'm cheating on them or something, but you just think that I was too shy to say anything."

She sighed, her finger tracing my abs through my thin shirt. "Do you remember back when you turned me into an Angel?" She giggled, the memory flitting across her mind. "That was the greatest moment of my life. I could feel your mind on mine, worrying about a dozen little things, shifting from one to another like a changing dream." She paused, looking up at me. "Your mind is a beautiful thing, Cas. It's a dream, in every sense of the word. You have this… childish hope to your world, an untainted desire to be whatever I need, no matter what. For the longest time, I didn't dare allow the Link to close for fear that I would never be able to open it again."

She sighed, the light from her wings dimming slightly. "Especially considering my Sacred Gear. The first time I used it, it was on one of Sister Griselda's wounds."

She grimaced. "As it turns out, for Twilight Healing to return the target to their normal state, the magic makes the practitioner go through everything the other person experienced and all the pain they have gone through until now, to properly return them to normal." She plucked a feather from her wing, examining it, watching as it lost its' glow. "The existence called a Sword Saint is someone that lives through thousands of battlefields, and carrying that burden was too much for one little girl. Just healing Griselda alone almost drove me insane."

I froze. "Wait, what? But Twilight Healing isn't supposed to…"

She shook her head. "No, it's not. But it turns out, becoming an Angel had an odd effect on the Gear. See, a human soul is naturally stubborn, and resists outside influences. It's because of that that only humans were given Sacred Gears. Anything else would've been overwhelmed by the power contained by the Gear."

She paused, considering. "I suppose that's the reason the Reincarnation Piece System works how it does. It's a Reincarnation, not a direct transformation. It allows the subject to retain their original soul while still changing their body. In time, the soul does change to match the body, but the soul's human qualities never truly go away."

I paled. "So, you're saying that when I turned you into an Angel, I—"

She firmly clamped a hand over my mouth, her green eyes aflame. I could feel her anger through the Link. "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Cas. I told you, becoming an Angel is the best thing to ever happen to me. For better or for worse, I would never have chosen anything else." She frowned, withdrawing her hand. "No, stop blaming yourself. You didn't know. I doubt even God knew, considering that he stopped creating Angels just before he created Sacred Gears."

I sighed. "Well, why didn't you tell me, then?"

She tilted her head to look away from me. "Because I knew you'd blame yourself."

I gave her a flat stare. "That's still no excuse."

She smiled, changing the subject. "After I healed Griselda, she was at peak condition. Even though she was over sixty years old when she was Reincarnated, her body regained the strength of her in her prime. Every nick, scrape, and scar disappeared, leaving her originally pale skin healthy and pink. And it all happened in less than five seconds."

She ran a finger over the edge of her wing. "As I was feeling everything she ever felt, I was desperate for anything in the world to hold on to. So I reached through the Link… and found you. I don't even remember what you were doing at the time, but you just felt so… reassuring that I latched onto you without thinking. I just watched your mind for a time, watching as it sped and slowed, drifting seamlessly between thoughts like a dream shifting colors. It was soothing…relaxing…healing." She giggled, her eyes sparkling with color. "Without even knowing it, you became the one calm place in my world. I finally returned to my body to see Mother Meridea and Sister Griselda hoovering over my bedside."

I frowned, my mind still not quite in the conversation. I had opened up my Memory Partition, and I still didn't understand something she previously said. "You say that it's because of the nature of the human soul that they don't feel the negative consequences of their Gear?"

She hummed for a moment, thinking. "Well, yes, but not quite in the way that you're imagining. More like their soul is a solidly built structure, and the soul of an Angel is a ray of light. It's wonderfully useful for everyday life, but it's impossible to use it as a prison for anything not pure evil. I suppose that you could say that you released the limiter on my Gear when you changed me."

I nodded. "I see. So, if you had an offense-based Gear like Kiba's…"

She smiled weakly. "The exposure to such a violent soul would probably tear my mind apart." She admitted. "But that's not the case. Twilight Healing is called 'the Smile of the Holy Mother' for a reason; and that's because the soul within the Gear is that of the Mother Mary. She's a cleansing spirit whose very nature is to heal, no matter the cost. Bearing the wounds and pain of others as one's own." A sigh could be heard as she buried her face in my chest once more. "I just never thought what the cost of true healing would be."

I winced. "I'm sorry, I should've warned you. There's a reason I don't use regeneration or self-healing—the drawbacks are too extreme." 'Tatsuya's Regrowth and Self-Restoration come to mind.'

She huffed. "I really do wish I could understand your random thoughts, sometimes."

I grimaced. She wasn't supposed to hear that. "You were saying?"

Her wings rustled. "R-right. Anyway. Even though the Soul of something is bound by a Gear, doesn't mean that their Spirit is. Because of that, I only have her power, rather than her mind. So, um, I had to do a lot of the experimenting myself."

I froze. "Asia? You… didn't keep healing people, did you?"

"I kind of had to, Cas." She murmured softly. "People needed healing, and I could heal them."

I growled in irritation. "Then find another way! I taught you several healing spells that could easily replicate the effects of the original Gear."

She giggled, and I could feel her mind reveling in my protectiveness. "I love you, Millicas."

"I love you too, but don't change the subject. Why didn't you stop using Twilight Healing if it put you through all of that?"

She hummed for a moment, her wings glowing softly. "It's better if I show you."

The next moment, a memory flashed into my mind.

…Griselda held her sword at an angle, allowing her opponent's spear to glance off the flat of the blade…

…Griselda caught the large broadsword in a complicated maneuver, disarming her opponent and sending it flying. "Again." She demanded, returning to her original position…

…Griselda observed her opponent, noting the slight flaws in his technique as she took a measured step forward and swung…

I blinked, finally absorbing the last of the enormous rush of memories. Mother and Sister Griselda were sitting at my bedside, making hushed conversation. I decided that there was nothing to be gained from pretending to sleep, and the most logical course of action would be to—

No…

That's not right…

I wouldn't think that.

I quickly scanned my mind, pulling out what seemed to be tiny threads of influence. They felt like Griselda's mind had, and every time I removed one, it showed me a brief flicker of memory. When I was completely sure I was 'me' again, I opened my eyes and sat up. Mother was there in an instant, fussing over me and checking my temperature. "Lay down, young woman. You need your rest."

I frowned in confusion. The flowing language Mother always seemed to slip into whenever she was worried was now completely understandable to me. In fact, I could clearly recall when she had said these exact words to Griselda after she had taken a nasty wound at the Battle of Dark Bellows—several dozen years before I was born.

I dazedly slipped off the side of the bed, absently replying to Mother's clipped Welsh with a few reassurances. I walked over to Sister Griselda, and reached for her sword. After giving me a searching look that I now knew contained a fair amount of concern, she unclipped the sheath and handed it to me. I stepped back, heading for the door. The two women behind me followed, confused. I kept walking until we reached the back door which led to an empty field. I opened it, stepping through and moving to the center of a trampled field, unsheathing the blade with a flourish.

I knew this sword, as intimately as if I had wielded it for the past decade.

I took a step forward, launching into an array of drills that I seemingly knew by heart. I heard Griselda gasp. "Merie, did you—?"

"No."

I finished the first set of drills, before expertly checking the blade and sheathing it. I turned, handing Griselda the sheath in the exact way she had just given it to me, suddenly feeling awkward. "S-sorry, I…just…um…wanted to try it out. Can you please just forget that this happened?"

Griselda considered me for a moment, not taking the blade. "Very well. I shall speak to no one of this. But if I may, have you ever wielded a blade before?"

I shook my head. "Never in my life."

She frowned, finally taking back her blade. "How odd. You have the bearing of an experienced swordswoman."

I smiled innocently. "I guess I just learn quickly."

She continued to examine me, fastening the scabbard to her side once more. "I see. Well, I promised not to tell a soul, so this incident will remain a secret. Will you be returning to the Vatican with me?"

I nodded. "As soon as I can pack my things."

She smiled. "Good. We at the Vatican can really use someone with your skills…"

I blinked, my mind shifting into analytical mode. 'Oh…my…God. Asia can copy Skills. That has got to be the most broken thing I can imagine. I assume that Griselda gathered some pretty overpowered skills over her life, so maybe…' "Asia, after you gained Griselda's Skills, did you notice that you had a kind of… sixth sense for danger?"

She glanced up, confused. "How did you…?"

I sighed. "Humor me. Is your sixth sense a result of combat experience, or natural talent?"

"Definitely not natural talent." She replied immediately. "We met after I ran into you on accident, remember?"

I nodded absently. 'So that's definitely Eye of the Mind (True). Let's assume that it's at least B-Rank, considering all of Griselda's experience. Damn. Now I'm kind of jealous.'

Asia frowned. "Eye of the Mind? What's that? And why would you be jealous?"

I sighed. "Eye of the Mind (True) is a heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience. In essence, it's a danger-avoidance ability that draws on all the intelligence available to predict the opponent's moves and change the current situation. It's different from the (False) version in that it's not a result of talent, but an overwhelming amount of combat experience."

I paused. "And to answer your question, I'm jealous because I can only ever absorb Experience, not memories. The most it lets me do is know how to do something, rather than actually teaching me to do it. In this case, I could instinctively know how to hold Griselda's sword, and if I was attacked I could naturally control it as if it were an extension of my arm and a favorite weapon with which I specialized in and polished my skills with for years."

I smiled, ruffling her hair. "But attacking? I wouldn't have the slightest clue. I can't take Skills, just the Experience behind using them. And even then, I can only use noncombat Skills without needing to put in an insane amount of training first. Not to mention that Clairvoyance and the like are all completely beyond me."

Asia perked up. "Really? I mean, I could teach you some if you'd like. I've had plenty of experience with it."

Reality crashed back into my mind like a thousand-foot drop, abruptly reminding me that Asia had apparently been using Twilight Healing on people for years. "Asia… how many people have you healed?"

She flinched. "Um… a lot?"

I sighed, running my fingers through her hair. 'Okay, she's getting defensive. I need to calm her down.' "I'm not mad at you, love." I said gently. "You know that. Just tell me, how many people have you healed?"

She hesitated, before blurting, "Eight thousand, seven hundred and eleven."

My eyes widened. 'Holy shit. During a three-year period? That's what, eight a day? How the hell is that even possible?'

"You healed eight thousand pe-how is your mind even intact!" I blurted, my mind frantically calculating. "Even assuming each person was twenty years old, that's still one hundred seventy-four thousand years of memories!"

"It got better!" She told me quickly, her words blurring together. "After the first few, it didn't even hurt anymore, and since I had the Link I could always just use you to find myself again, and—"

I sighed, covering her mouth with my hand. "I-it's fine, Asia. It's okay. I'm just a bit…" Words escaped me, but my mind continued to work overtime, generating a list of possible scenarios.

Asia sighed in relief. "Oh, good, I thought you'd be mad. And…um…to answer your question…" She flushed. "I might have lied about not knowing I had a Reality Marble."

I closed my eyes. "Asia, I promise I won't be mad. I can never get mad at you. Now please, explain."

"All right." She smiled, her mind radiating joy and relief. "All right. After I healed the first few people, and I got used to the huge amounts of information, they started giving me more and more patients." Her smile slowly disappeared, and I could feel the beginnings of a dark emotion stirring within the depths of her mind. "And after I saw everything they'd done, every cruel word, every vicious strike, I hated them. I despised them with all of my being." She looked me dead in the eye. "They didn̷̸̕'t ̧̡͟d͢es̴e͘r̷͘ve͞ ̶̛t͞o҉̴̛ ĺ̨i̷̕̕v̶e̴̶." She told me, her voice warping slightly. Her eyes shifted just then, and I could feel actual hatred coming from her.

She sighed, nuzzling into my chest. "But after every long, terrible day, I'd come home to you. To my beautiful family. To the people who I love more than anything in the world. I'd open the Link, immerse myself in your mind, and remind myself that there is good in this world. That everything I did was worth it, in the end. That by healing those people, I was getting the power I needed to protect you all."

She tapped my chest. "I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. In this first testing ground of the atomic bomb, I have seen the most terrible and frightening desolation mankind has ever wrought. I know there is a God because in Rwanda I shook hands with the Devil. I have seen him, I have heard him and I have touched him."

She smiled, the last of the hatred disappearing. "But at the same time, I know the Devil exists, and so I know there is a God. I realize how precious life is, probably because I've seen how it can be taken away. I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something comforting, even hopeful. My life has been a blessing. I'm grateful for everything I do have and the places I'm going and the things I've seen. But in the end, the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." She tapped my chest once more. "Right here, right now, this is better than any Heaven."

I returned her smile, sitting up and pulling her close to me. She 'eeped' in surprise, but still allowed me to move her. I chuckled, using one arm to pull her close to my chest. I lifted her chin, leaning down and kissing her deeply. I held the kiss until the torrent of love flowing through the Link began to be tainted with lust and desire. As I pulled away, I looked down at my beautiful Angel, seeing her flushed face and blissful expression. She sighed in contentment, resting her head on my chest. "I love you, Cas."

I smiled down at her. "I love you too."

She giggled, her wings wrapping around us once more. "If Gil were here, she probably would've complained about how many times we've said that."

I chuckled. "She would, indeed. While blushing adorably, even."

She tilted her head upwards, smirking at me. "I switched underwear with her again today."

I blinked. "…And?"

Her smirk turned positively devious. "I've been slowly making them more and more risqué. The pair she's wearing now, even Rias would be embarrassed to own."

I raised an eyebrow, noticing how she seemed rather determined to change the subject. I decided to play along for a time. "Oh? And here I was thinking that you two were in the 'Anti-Pervert' league."

She giggled. "Oh, no, Gil's a bigger pervert than Shirone is. She polishes that collar of hers damn near religiously." Her eyes sparkled. "And even if she acts like she hates it, I know for a fact that she gets turned on whenever Shirone kisses her in front of her entire class."

I gasped dramatically. "What? Another pervert? No, give me back my innocent Asia!"

She frowned, poking me in the chest. "You're the one who corrupted me. Take responsibility, mister."

I chuckled, ruffling her hair. "All right, if you insist." My merriment was soured by yet another unpleasant thought. "Wait, if you've experienced everything over eight thousand people have, then how have you managed to…"

"Stay sane? Stay…me?" She finished. She flushed, her wings rustling. "Um…it's a bit embarrassing…but how about I show you?"

I paused. "Show me what?"

She smiled. "My Reality Marble, silly."

I closed my eyes, rubbing them with the heels of my hands. "Not right now, Asia. Maybe later. We still have a wedding to go to, remember?"

She blinked, glancing over at the clock on the nightstand. "O-oh, right. We should probably get ready for that."

I refused to let her go, however. "Not yet, love. I still have questions."

She nodded, turning back to face me. "Go ahead."

I blinked. 'No feelings of fear or a desire to avoid the subject.' "What, no protests?" I asked lightly, brushing her cheek with my thumb.

She shook her head. "Ask away!"

"All right, then." I murmured, my smile fading. "Asia… I can't imagine you using Twilight Healing twice if the first time was so terrifying for you." I began. "So tell me honestly… did the Church force you to heal people?"

She nodded hesitantly. "U-um, they weren't violent, or anything, but… they put me in a room with a wounded soldier and wouldn't let either of us leave until I healed him."

'Somehow, I doubt that was all they did.' "So? You should've called me, then." I replied irritably. "And what about Griselda? Did she know of this?"

She shook her head. "No, they dispatched her on a mission after she dropped me off." She hesitated once more. "But, um, you're right. It wasn't just the soldier. I learned later from a Cardinal I healed that it was actually a test. If I were the wrong kind of person to be holding Twilight Healing, or if I refused to heal the man… they would've killed me."

"They what." I said flatly.

She flinched slightly, and I suddenly noticed the world around us flickering slightly. A lamp across the room shattered, and a book fell off its' shelf. I took a deep breath, reigning in my Wrath. For now.

"All right, explain."

It was more of an order than a request, but I was still too pissed to care.

She nodded. "Okay. Just… promise you won't kill anyone, okay?"

I smiled thinly. "You know I can't promise that."

She sighed. "Well, try."

"I promise." I replied drily. We both knew I didn't mean it.

She nodded anyway, as if I had agreed wholeheartedly. "Good. Well, you know how the Catholic Church has a group of Sacred Gears that it values above all the others?"

I tilted my head. "Yes?" 'Nope, never heard of it. Does she mean the Holy Relics?'

"Well, there are. The Holy Relics are some of them, yes, but not all. The Holy Lance, the True Cross, Holy Chalice, Holy Nails, and the Shroud of Turin are all jealously coveted by the Church, but few to none of those are actually under its' control. Twilight Healing, on the other hand, is far more accessible. It's not a Longinus, no, but that also means there are more than one of them besides the original. Kind of like the way the Boosted Gear has lesser copies called Twice Criticals."

I blinked. "Seven."

She paused, surprised. "W-what?"

"There are seven other wielders of Twilight Healing." I muttered, the random knowledge flowing from the part of my mind that remembered my past. "That, plus you, equals eight. I'm willing to bet there's an echo factor for the souls too pure or powerful to be confined to a single vessel… I'll have to talk to Azazel when we meet."

She looked confused, but moved on. "O-okay, then. Anyway, the Church has always had a monopoly on Twilight Healing, and every known wielder has been a Holy Maiden or Saint. Without exception."

I had a sinking feeling in my gut. "So… they kill anyone who doesn't qualify?"

"Pretty much." She agreed. "Especially in my case, since I have the prime version of the Gear. It's like Excalibur compared to Blade Blacksmith. If they lost control of me, they practically forfeited the right to hold Mother Mary's soul."

I blinked. "I…see. So, you have ridiculous healing powers to add to your God-level Light skills. I still don't get why I'm not killing a bunch of assholes right now."

She smirked. "Oh, don't worry about them." Her smirk turned positively vicious. "I have a theory, that Talents form as an extension of one's way of dealing with problems. You wished to get away from a stifling life of politics, so you get Lost. Shirone hates the idea of having to face her problems, so she Forgets them. Gil doesn't want to deal with anything she doesn't have to, so she Procrastinates until the last second. Ruby fusses over every detail until the plan becomes Overcomplicated. And me? When I face a problem…"

"…You Break it." I finished. "Your Talent… it can break people?"

She giggled, and I could feel a part of her mind revel in the idea. "They were disgusting, immoral, corrupt, depraved, unethical monsters… and they came to me for healing. How could I stop at only their bodies?"

I felt her mind begin to darken at the thought, and I winced at the pure malice in her smile. "Asia… are you all right?"

She nodded, and the malice disappeared. The darkness crouching at the edge of her mind cleared away as if it never existed in the first place. "Of course I am. Never better."

I nodded slowly, pressing my mind against hers'. "Are you sure?"

"Yep! I'm completely over it." She replied cheerfully.

'…She's telling the truth.' "I… see. And how exactly did you get over it?"

She hummed, leaning forward and pressing her lips against mine. At the same time, she opened her mind and merged it with mine, our thoughts becoming one. Then she pulled away, and her mind closed once more. Her eyes opened, and she gave me a wide smile. "You, silly. Whenever I was desperate for anything in the world to hold on to, I reached through the Link and found you. Your mind willingly shielded me from everything I feared, and eventually… it wasn't scary anymore."

Now, most guys would be thrilled to hear that their girlfriend wanted to be protected. I was more relieved she wasn't another PTSD victim.

I smiled back at her, taking her hand and lightly squeezing it. "Well, I'm glad. Have you told any of the others about this, yet?"

She nodded. "All of them but Sera. I only had this talk with you at Ruby's insistence." She flushed. "I, um, chickened out three times already."

"I see." I paused, glancing at the clock. "Now, do you think you could suppress your energy signature? If you're coming with, then you need to suppress long enough beforehand that no one can sense any residual Light."

She nodded, slipping off the bed and stowing her wings. She hesitated slightly, turning to face me. "U-um, I think I left my dress in Gil's room. I'll go get ready, then come back."

I nodded, and she turned to slip through a Gate. Once she was gone, I sighed and rubbed my eyes. That… was one hell of a bombshell to drop just before a wedding. I pushed the matter to the back of my mind, deciding to actually get dressed by hand for once rather than using Requip. I usually don't, seeing as whenever I change in front of my girls I can feel their lust. Oh, sure, Gil pretends to hide her face behind a hand, and Asia used to do the same, but their volcanic blushes tell a different story. But since I'm alone right now, I might as well do something simple and repetitive in order to soothe my frayed mind.

I stumbled over to the door, pulling my suit off its' hanger and setting it on the bed. After making sure everything was present, I pulled off my shirt and stepped out of my shorts. I grabbed the crisp white dress shirt, putting my arms through the sleeves and fastening the button of each cuff.

The door slammed open, and Sera burst into the room. "Millicas! You need to—" She paused, stopping in her tracks to stare at my torso. "He's ripped." She mumbled to herself. Her eyes began to roam up and down my mostly naked form, and she unconsciously took a half-step forward.

I sighed, reaching down and beginning to button my shirt. I was not in the mood for this. "My eyes are up here, Sera."

She nodded absently. "Well yes, but your eyes aren't a turn-on."

I snorted. "I don't know, Ruby seems to love staring into them."

She took another step forward, tracing the lines of my bicep with a finger. "Why on earth would you cover these up?" She asked, placing her other hand on my pectoral.

"…Maybe because I don't like people feeling me up." I replied drily, buttoning my collar and grabbing my tie off the bed.

She blinked, apparently noticing what she was doing. She reddened, taking a step back and letting out an adorable squeak. "S-sorry! I-I didn't know you were changing, and I wanted you to see us in our dresses, and—"

I sighed, holding up a hand to silence the beginnings of an endless stream of apologies. "It's fine, Sera. The Universal Law of Ecchi is universal, after all."

She paused, looking confused. "Wait, what? The Universal Law of Ecchi?"

"It means that the universe itself conspires to place people in perverted situations." I answered, sitting on the edge of the bed to pull on a pair of black tuxedo pants over my boxers. "Happens all the time. There's a reason I always knock before entering a room, after all."

She seemed rather taken aback by my blasé response. "Er… okay."

"And to answer your question, it's a mild SEP Field." I added, slipping on the tuxedo jacket and buttoning it up. "Now, what do you need?"

"SEP Field? Oh, you mean on your muscles. Why would you—never mind." She shook her head, taking a deep breath and forcing the redness in her cheeks to fade. "We wanted you to see us in our dresses."

I blinked. '…Okay, I guess it wasn't the universe that made Sera walk in on me, it was one of the others. If they really wanted me to see them as fast as possible, they would've used the Link.' "…I see. Well then, let's go."

She nodded, and turned to leave. I pointedly ignored her own SEP Field, presumably there to conceal her dress. We walked down the hall a-ways, to where my parents' bedroom was. Sera pushed open the door, entering before me, and I followed.

My parents' bedroom is the size of a ballroom, complete with a supersized plush bed, walk-in closet, and conjoining bathroom. Ornate furniture and pottery decorated the large space, and thick carpeting decorated the floor. My girls stood by a large mirror chest, being fussed over by my mother. My father had a haggard expression, and stood awkwardly by a wicker chair piled high with different accessories. He shot me a pleading look on my way by, and I had to stop myself from bursting into laughter. 'Sorry, Dad, but you only married one girl. I'm marrying five. You've got nothing to complain about.'

I arrived at the storm center of fashion and debate, waiting patiently for them to notice my presence. Finally, Mother ceased her argument with Shirone about her tail, and Ruby succeeded in convincing Gil to let her hair be braided. Sera walked up and stood beside the rest of my girls, shyly handing Shirone her gem back. I looked over their forms with an appreciative eye, making note of their lack of makeup.

They wore identical dresses, all cream and trimmed with lace. The dresses were lined with silver vines that shimmered every time the light hit them. Each dress was seemingly custom-made, hugging every one of their curves like no store-bought clothes could. They each had a pair of matching ballroom gloves, reaching to their elbow and ending with a lacy ruffle.

Of course, little details threw the image off. Shirone's tail could be seen peeking out the bottom of the dress, and Sera seemed to have one of her gloves inside-out.

I nodded once. "They look good on you. The stylistic mélange of the vines bleeding into the surrounding material softens the hard lines and makes the overall presentation a lot smoother. Of course, I'd suggest making the gloves match your hair color, but that's just me."

My father blinked, shooting me a betrayed look. I mentally snickered at his baffled expression. 'You can't share minds with several teenaged girls for years on end without learning about fashion.'

My mother tilted her head slightly, moving over to where I stood to get a better view. "How do you figure?"

I hummed in thought. "I get that the bridesmaids are all supposed to have matching colors, but the dresses themselves are too pale to have any real character to them. If you were to match the gloves with their hair or eyes, however…"

She nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Why the hair color, then?"

"Because the room is going to be packed and I doubt the people in the back will be able to see their eyes." I replied drily.

Mother sighed, shaking her head. "That would be lovely, but we don't have time to order a new set for each of them."

I snorted. "Mom. Please. Give me a little credit."

She frowned. "Do you have something that will suffice?"

"I do, actually. It'll even match Medea's dress." I replied, mentally pulling up the blueprints for spun moonbeam cloth. The cloth itself isn't hard, it's dying it that's the issue. It doesn't like changing color from its' normal, dull grey.

My mother didn't bother asking questions, instead opting to shoo us out into the hall so she could prepare herself.

I blinked, turning to my girls and gesturing for Ruby to lead the way. As we reached our room, filing in one at a time, I finally spoke. "So… who here decided to hide Asia's situation from me?" The door swung shut behind me, the quiet click suddenly echoing in the silence.

Reactions varied. Ruby tensed slightly, glancing away from my face. Shirone stiffened, her ears flattening to her skull as she seemed to shrink away from me. Gil sighed, her shoulders slumping, and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Sera… blanked. I don't quite know how to describe it, but she suddenly had all the emotion of a brick wall.

Gil spoke first. "All of us." She replied simply, pulling the chair from the desk to sit in. "It was a unanimous decision. It wasn't our secret to share, and while we did try to get her to tell you, our hands were tied beyond that."

The others stayed silent. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I'm not mad. Disappointed, yes." Shirone visibly flinched at that. "But I suppose I'm also a bit impressed that you managed to hide it at all. How did you do it, anyway?"

Ruby raised a hand. "I used subtle form of hypnotism."

I blinked. "Hypnotism strong enough to affect a Soul-Bond?"

She snorted. "Millicas, you forget my Abilities."

I blinked. "Oh." 'Of course, she just used Boost on the spell. Now I feel stupid.' "Well, if the four of you really felt it was necessary," They all nodded in tandem. "then I'm fine with it. I trust your judgement, and I know that you were only acting as your morals dictated. But." My gaze sharpened. "That's only because she handled the problem on her own, and she, herself, said that it left her with no lasting damage."

Shirone's ears rose slightly. "S-so, you're not revoking cuddle time?" She asked hopefully.

I tilted my head. "On one hand, Asia was very clear that I not hold any of you accountable. On the other, you still lied."

She flinched, and her ears flattened once more. "O-oh…"

I sighed, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands. "All right. I'll do this. Today is confession day—after the wedding is over, I'll add Sera to the Link. After that, you're all going to come clean with whatever else you might be hiding. Today I won't hold you accountable for the actions themselves, just the fact that you hid them. Once everyone has had their turn, I'll decide what the consequence is going to be. Sound good?"

They all nodded hesitantly. I smiled, dropping my serious demeanor. "Good! Then let's drop the topic for now. We have a wedding to go to, after all."

They all visibly relaxed, and Sera's face broke into a wide smile. "That reminds me! What dress is Asia wearing?"

I laughed. "You'll see. I will say that she looks good in it, though."

Sera pouted. "But she looks good in anything!"

I paused, considering. "True enough."

Ruby blinked, looking around. "Wait, where is Asia?"

"She's in Gil's room getting ready." I replied, walking over to the bed and sitting down. Shirone immediately claimed my lap, leaning back into my chest and getting comfortable. I began to stroke her hair, and soon enough she was purring.

Sera plopped down next to me and rested her head on my shoulder. "Weren't you supposed to be making gloves or something?" She asked, glancing down at the purring Nekoshou. "And why does she love people petting her so much?"

"She's a Gluttony, and yes, I am." I pulled up the pattern once more, changing several different structures in the original material, and spoke once more. "All right, hold out your hands."

She did so, looking slightly confused. I concentrated, lighting the spark of Sorcery that always lingered in the back of my mind. A pair of black ballroom gloves with silver, vine-like patterns shimmered into existence over her hands. The material seemed to shift, whirls of color racing over the fabric before disappearing. The back of each glove featured half of a large, polished amethyst sphere, inlaid into the material itself.

Sera blinked. "What was that?" She demanded, looking over the odd material in shock. "I didn't even sense any magic being used!"

I chuckled. "First Sorcery."

She looked confused. "Sorcery? Like magic? Or something else?"

I paused, turning to look at her. "You don't know what the Sorceries are? I would think the Maou would at least have heard of them, if not about them."

She shook her head. "Nope, not even in passing. What are they?"

"Forces of the universe." Ruby answered, a quick glance her direction revealing that she was braiding a small red ribbon into Gil's hair.

I nodded, turning back to Sera. "Magic" is that which makes the impossible into the possible, for a given era. A "result" which can be realized with the application of time and effort is not magic. It is said that the beginning First changed everything, the following Second acknowledged many, the resulting Third showed the future, the linking Fourth concealed itself, and the final Fifth had already lost its meaning."

Sera's confused look didn't move from her face. "…English, please."

I laughed. "The official names of the Sorceries are Origin Point, Operation of Parallel Worlds, Heaven's Feel, Causality Effect, and Magic Blue. The First, which governs the forces of absolute creation and destruction, is what began the universe. The Second acknowledged the possibility of free will, and the alternate worlds that would stem from those possibilities. The Third governs the soul, and has three parts which I'm not going to get into right now. It gave 'life' to the universe, and allows for the creation of new souls."

She blinked. "Like God, then?"

I hesitated. "Well… yes, actually. He's the only remaining being that has mastery over the Third. Others only have control of a single part rather than all three."

Sera paused, looking at me. "Millicas…" She said softly. "God is dead."

I burst out laughing. "No, no he's not!" I managed. "He owns a bar in London!"

Sera just looked baffled. "Wait, what?"

I waved her off, my laughter dying down. "I'll introduce you sometime. But anyway. After the Third gave life, the Fourth realized the element of chance in every action. The Fifth began the march of time, and then the world began."

"So… these gloves?"

I smirked. "Created from nothing. Not transformation of existing molecules like Ajuka uses, or from mana like constructs use. The World itself now believes those gloves exist, and always have. They are as real as if I wove them myself."

She went slightly pale. "I-I see…"

I turned to the Nekoshou on my lap, who was currently asleep. I wrapped my fingers lightly around her wrists, and a pair of white gloves similar to Sera's shimmered into existence, these ones sporting topaz on the backs. I lifted the sleeping girl and slid her onto Sera's lap. "Would you mind holding her for a minute?"

She shook her head absently, wrapping her arms around Shirone's waist. I stood, walking over to Ruby and Gil to repeat the process. Sera spoke, watching as Ruby's gloves shimmered into existence. Rather than simple vines, I made a line of glimmering rubies a similar pattern. "So… could you create mana from nothing, too?"

I paused, looking over at her. "Yes, actually. That's what I use it for most frequently. Why?"

She shook her head, tapping the opal on the back of one of her gloves. "Just wondering why these are full of mana."

I nodded, stepping over to Gil and, in a moment of rare vanity, created her gloves out of pure gold and lined them in red. A blood ruby studded the back of each. Gil smiled, examining the gloves with a critical eye. "I see you remember my tastes."

I snorted, returning to my spot on the bed. "Yep, pretty simple. Just make them pretty and overpowered to hell."

She nodded primly. "And this is why none of my other suitors will do."

Ruby smirked, eying her own gloves. She sent a jolt of mana into the large emerald adorning each glove, and the cloth shifted from soft fabric to hard metal gauntlets. "Did you use the Boosted Gear as a template for these?"

I smiled innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sera blinked, replicating Ruby's actions. A pair of wicked black gauntlets formed, twisted metal gleaming. The sapphire orb seemed to send tendrils of dark blue over its' surface. A wide smile covered her face, and she clenched her fist. The air around the gauntlet turned white with frost. "Sera likes."

I nodded. "Figured you would. Yours looks intimidating, but is actually built more for channeling mana than for actual defense. Gil's is the opposite, plate mail that's built for pure protection. Ruby's is for offense, Shirone's is for channeling Touki, and Asia's are for healing and Light. They're more than just fashion statements, each one is high-level focus."

Sera nodded absently. "Can I keep this?"

I shrugged. "Well, yes, that's the idea. It's not like I have hands that small, after all."

She shot me a mock glare. "Are you calling my hands tiny?"

"Not tiny, delicate. And would you prefer to have hands the size of mine?"

She frowned. "No, that would look silly."

I snorted. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

I glanced at the clock. "All right, since you're all bridesmaids, you should probably be there at least an hour early. The wedding is in roughly an hour and a half. That gives us a half an hour until we leave. Anything that we still have to do before then?"

Sera glanced up, finally tearing her attention away from her gauntlet. "Oh, um, your dad had a message for you."

I gestured for her to continue. "Go on."

"He said to let you know that everyone in the Underworld was calling him after Ria-tan's fight went viral. They wanted to know who Issei and Riser's 'Sensei' was, and if he taught anyone else."

I blinked. "So? What did he say?"

She frowned. "He said he 'told them the truth'."

"…That's it?"

She nodded sheepishly. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Well, that's not ominous at all." Ruby grumbled, turning her gauntlets back into ballroom gloves.

Shirone yawned, slowly blinking awake. She looked confused, noticing that she wasn't on my lap anymore. "Wha'd I miss?"

"Foreboding warnings from my dad." I deadpanned. "For now, let's operate under the assumption that Dad told everyone that I was their sensei, and act accordingly. So far, people only know that I'm a good teacher, so I'm safe from most power plays. As long as I keep my head down, things should die down soon enough."

Sera looked confused. "Wait, why are you trying to avoid notice? You don't exactly have a sterling reputation, Millicas."

I shrugged. "As long as I'm off the radar, people will leave me alone. And I don't care too much about my reputation."

"But what about Gil's?" She pointed out. "Or Ruby's? They're both wildly popular, but their reputation is tarnished by yours."

I paused. I took a deep breath, then exhaled. My Wrath began to dance at the edge of my thoughts. "Ruby?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm. "What is she talking about?"

Ruby flinched slightly, averting her gaze. "A-ah, nothing too important. It's not an issue. We can handle it."

"You're defensive." I mused, opening the Link and skimming her surface thoughts. "Something else you hid from me. Why?"

"Because now you're not going to do what you really want to. Instead, you're going to destroy any hint of anonymity you had, just to improve our reputations." Ruby explained, watching my expression carefully. "And because you do have a point. Right now, we don't need any excess attention directed at us. It's best if we work in the dark, without any opposition."

I exhaled, rubbing my eyes. "Well, yes, but—"

"No buts." Ruby said firmly. "We chose to follow you of our own free will, and this is the path you chose. We literally went to Hell for you, Millicas. Our reputations don't matter. I'm a fucking Dragon, and Gil has enough of an ego that she doesn't need anyone's approval."

Gil nodded, eyes flashing. "I will stand beside you, no matter what, as both your ally and your lover." She shot Ruby a proud look. "And thank you for the compliment."

Sera stifled a laugh.

A Gate opened in the middle of the room, and Asia stumbled out, cheeks aflame. "O-oh, sorry." She mumbled, bumping into Ruby as she sat down on the bed.

I raised an eyebrow, looking over her attire. She wore a simple, sleeveless ice-blue dress, made of luxurious silk and trimmed with white lace. It emphasized her shapely profile, clinging to her soft curves and highlighting her budding breasts. Her Guardian Configuration was on full display, a snug golden chain necklace that fitted her neck perfectly and glimmered with the diamonds inlaid in every link.

Ruby promptly glomped her, tackling her onto the bed and planting a scorching kiss on her lips. Asia happily returned the kiss.

Sera blinked. "Is it just me, or is your harem is starting to become more involved with each other than you are?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, they are involved with each other, yes, but that's a more good thing more than anything."

She frowned, watching as Ruby finally broke the kiss, leaving both of them red-faced and panting. "How so?"

I sighed. "Several reasons. One, if they're attracted to each other as much as they are me, then there's no jealousy or competition. Two," I glanced at Shirone, who seemed to be enjoying the sight of her red-faced Bondmates. "…In case you haven't noticed, some of them have an… unhealthy level of obsession with me. If they only focus on me, soon they'll stop thinking of themselves entirely. As long as they have others besides me, they stay relatively sane. Three," I gestured towards the two. "I'm not willing to give them exactly what they want, right now. So, since they have each other, they can stay content. And lastly…"

I hesitated. "…If I ever pass away, I want them to be happy with each other, rather than just scattering all over." I finished quietly.

The room chilled slightly, and several of the girls tensed. I decided to defuse the situation before it could escalate. "So, Asia, what took you so long?"

She flushed once more, and the tension broke. "A-ah, I ran into Gil-chan's family, and… um…" She leaned in and whispered something in Gil's ear.

"Great... now I'm going to have to have that talk with my parents…" Gil grumbled, her face turning red.

"S-sorry…"

Now, you might be asking, how can I hear the heartbeat of another person five feet away, yet be unable to hear a whisper less than a foot away? The answer, is selective hearing. This is a valuable skill every man must learn in order to effectively live with several other girls. If a girl clearly doesn't want you to hear something, then don't fucking listen. Exceptions include enemies, parents, and times when said girl is emotionally fragile.

I chuckled, leaning over and wrapping the blonde Angel in a hug. "You look beautiful, by the way." I told her gently. "I was going to give you a pair of golden gloves, but those wouldn't quite match your outfit. So, here." I took her hands in mine, and a pair of ice-blue silk ballroom gloves wove themselves around her hands, an emerald on the back of each.

She gasped, pulling her hands away and examining the new gloves. "They're beautiful." She whispered.

I smiled. "I can change the color of the gloves later, but for now, channel a bit of mana into the gem."

She frowned in concentration, her eyebrows pulling together. The slightest hint of mana flickered into the gems, and no Light could be sensed in the least. The gems flickered to life, the blue silk shifting into smooth gold. The gauntlet was a fingerless glove, a delicate weave of golden wires, gears, and smaller emeralds that was covered by mismatched golden plates etched with runes. She gasped in wonder, tracing one of the runes.

I smirked. "Difficult to design, but worth the effort. That's the closest thing I can get to a superconductor in terms of foci. The conversion of Light to magic is nearly flawless. But don't let those looks fool you, this thing has just short of an A-rank defensive array. I was going to give you guys these as bracelets, but—"

Asia tackled me in a hug, pulling my face into her covered bosom. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" She squealed, bouncing up and down.

I enjoyed the… ahem… excess cushion.

Chaste, not prudish, boys. And let's just say, Asia's bra was very thin. Excited Asia plus bouncing equals much jiggle.

Apparently realizing that this was now an Impromptu Cuddle Fest (trademark pending), the rest of the girls piled on. Ruby began bombarding me with questions about her gauntlet, Sera was chattering about how well the gloves would go with her outfit, Gil was blushing a bright red due to the close proximity of my face to hers', and Shirone was absolutely reveling in all the love we were giving her.

Life is good.

Boobs are good, too.

Heh.

As we all entered the dining hall for our 'official entrance', I cast a quick spell to repair our rumpled clothes and made sure Asia was cloaked properly.

…Don't look at me like that.

I trained Issei fucking Hyoudou. The first thing I did was figure out a spell to reverse the damage done to clothes within an hour's time. I proceeded to make sure every one of my girls knew it by heart.

My girls were grateful. Very grateful. Heh.

Come to think of it, I should teach Sera that spell. I can always use more Sera cuddles.

Ahem.

My parents were waiting in the middle of a large teleportation circle. My mother wore her own cream dress and gloves, and her neck was adorned with several priceless necklaces. My father looked cool as a cucumber in his snappy black suit and tie. His hair was perfectly groomed, and he wore fine silk gloves that finished off the outfit perfectly.

The effect was ruined by the wide smirk he wore. The smirk I had learned to associate with one specific action, one that had left me with many mental scars over the course of my childhood. Now, it barely phased me.

'Huh.' I mused, glancing to my mother's face and picking up her satisfied smile. 'Someone just got laid. I wonder if this one'll be Canon Millicas. I always have wondered where he ended up. Shouldn't my presence here have caused cosmic ripples or something?'

Ruby blinked. {Did they just—}

{Yes.}

{In a half an hour? How did they even get started?!}

I smiled grimly. {There's a Time Dilation spell on the room. I created it myself for two reasons. First, while it's active, the room is impenetrable. Second, it lets me get some goddamn sleep without hearing the bed squeaking all night.}

There was a short silence. {…I had an interesting childhood.} I muttered, rubbing my eyes. {I try to forget most of it. There's a reason I started moonlighting as a vigilante slash terrorist.}

Shirone blinked. {…So that's what that squeaking was! You told me it was the pipes!}

{Was I supposed to give a five-year-old child The Talk?} I deadpanned. {Besides, Devils don't use pipes. Too much of a security risk, what with Water Magic being as common as dirt. One simple spell and POOF! No more mansion.}

{…Millicas.} Gil stated, her voice perfectly calm. {I think my childhood has abandoned me.}

{…Do orphanages use pipes?} Asia asked, sounding slightly terrified. {Because I used to hear weird noises all the time.}

None of us answered her.

{…So…} Ruby began, wisely changing the subject. {…Why don't you use that spell more often? It seems like something that would be useful for a lot of things, like training.}

{Two reasons. One, the strain it puts on one's body is so extreme, only Ultimate-Class Devils can stand it. And if you're already Ultimate-Class, that kind of defeats the purpose of large amounts of training.} I paused. {And two, well. If I told you that your multi-purpose lightning spell is primarily used as a sex toy, how would you feel about using it?}

Ruby blinked. {…I can never get those images out of my head. Thanks a lot.}

"Well?" My father called. "What are you waiting for?"

We silently agreed to forget this conversation ever happened.

In a flash, we were all in the entrance of a large mansion, with a pair of winding staircases leading up to a second-floor balcony. I assumed the ceremony would take place there, given the colossal number of chairs arrayed on the ground floor. The entire room was lit with glowing four-petal lights that looked rather like flowers. Four ripples of light covered them, each forming a concave, almost lens-like shield over the flower.

'So that's why Sera needed that many of those…'

A man in an usher's uniform smiled politely at us. "I assume you are here as the guests of Beelzebub-sama?"

We nodded. He chuckled. "Ah, good. Lady Medea is working herself into a frenzy right now, and she could do with some female company. Poor Beelzebub-sama is woefully inadequate at calming females, as intelligent as he may be."

My father sighed. "I'll go help Ajuka."

Mother nodded primly. "And we shall go aid Medea. Come, girls."

"Ah, wait!" The butler (?) called. "Please, you must sign the guest book, first. If you sign it after the rest of the guests, how will they know which page to keep amongst all the sheep?"

We all had a good laugh at that. From my father's baritone chuckle, to my mother's elegant titter, to my girls' giggles. The sound of my family's laughter is a precious thing.

We split up, everyone but an invisible Asia and I leaving to help the last-minute preparations. I gave a polite nod to the butler… usher… him, and started walking towards the chairs.

A flash from behind me made me turn in confusion. We were supposed to be the only ones here for the next half-hour or so.

A red magic circle with a set of six pairs of bat wings under a crown made freeze in shock. It rose, materializing a set of familiar figures. A middle-aged man with spiky blue hair and a sharp tuxedo led the odd group, standing alongside a young, raven-haired beauty with glowing golden eyes. She wore a dark-red, off-the-shoulder, v-neck mini dress with golden designs. Behind the odd duo stood a rugged man with blue robes, a slim man with a crisp lab coat over dress clothes, a preppy-looking teen in slacks, and a man with horns curling from his forehead and a top hat.

I promptly choked on my tongue. '…I hate my life.'

The blue-haired man in a tux greeted the usher cheerfully, reaching out to shake his hand. "Hello, my boy! I'm here for my daughter, would you care to point me in her direction?"

The poor usher blinked. "…You must be Lady Medea's father." He decided, taking the proffered hand and giving it a solid shake. "I'm glad you could make it. Would these be Lady Medea's siblings, then?"

The man nodded, stepping back and straightening his tie. "I am, and yes they are. My name is Adonai, and these are my children, Glory, Orrin, Aden, Vona, and Somus. They'll be watching from the seats. Now, am I to assume that I'll be performing the ceremony from the balcony?"

The butler blinked. "Er… sir… are you sure you're qualified to perform a wedding ceremony?"

The man scoffed. "Qualified? Please. I presided over the first wedding in existence, boy. Now, excuse me, I'd like to go see my daughter, now."

He brushed past the confused usher, and abruptly noticed me. "Ah, Millicas! I'm glad to see you here. How are your girls?" He glanced towards where Asia was cloaked for a fleeting instant, before returning his gaze to mine.

I gritted my teeth. "How. did. you. get. them. here."

He chuckled. "Child, I was raising the dead before you even considered the idea. Temporary resurrections are nothing. And don't worry, they promised not to cause any trouble."

I pointed to the side. "They're signing the guest book."

He looked briefly confused. "I'm sorry, is that not how weddings are supposed to work? I did quite a bit of research into Devil wedding customs and such, and the books I read told me—"

"Yes, yes." I interrupted. "But they're signing the book with their real names."

He blinked, glancing back. "Oh. I see how that could be a problem. Well, no matter. I'm sure everything will turn out fine. Now please, enjoy the wedding!"

He strode away, humming to himself. I stared off into space and contemplated exactly how my day had gone so terribly wrong.

Lucifer sighed, walking over and placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry." She consoled me. "If it helps, I tried to stop him. But he always has loved weddings…"

"…You still signed the book." I deadpanned.

She nodded smugly. "I autographed it. I even used golden ink, so they can more easily see my magnificent name!"

I felt something shatter into a million pieces, and my right eye twitched.

I hate my life, sometimes.