How are Things?

Kuoh City Shopping District

3rd Person POV

As promised by (Y/N), both he and Kohaku wandered around the middle of town as Kohaku requested after yesterday's Slime Castle incident.

Needless to say, the White God Beast seemed rather happy about it. "Wow!" She beamed. "There's so much happening in such a large space!"

"Yeah, it's gets like this pretty much all the time. Especially on weekends." (Y/N) replied as he continued to hold Kohaku in his arms.

Suddenly, out of nowhere his phone rang. He reached into is pocket and pulled it out to see it was a text from his manager. "Oh, this is a surprise. Haven't heard from him in quite a while." He states with a small smile.

"What is it Master?" Kohaku asks, naturally curious.

"Oh nothing. We just got to swing by my work for a quick minute. That okay with you?" He asked.

"Of course, where are we going?" The white tiger asked.

"You see that massive building over there?" He said, pointing to the tallest building that stood above all of the others that surrounded it. It appeared to be a missive high rise building with a helipad off to the side and the word 'Stark' plastered on the near top of the building. "That's were we're heading. Stark Records."

Time Skip

Stark Records

The two arrive at the building and enter through the large glass doors, held open by a masculine African-American man.

"Welcome back Mr. (L/N). It's good to see you again." He greeted.

"Same to you Jerome, nice to see you again." He smiled back.

He placed Kohaku on the ground and the two walked to the receptionist's desk.

"Hey there Megan, Tony said he needed me to talk to him. Can you give me clearance?" (Y/N) asked the black haired girl behind the counter.

"Mr. Stark is currently on a call at the moment and ordered not to be disturbed." She informed bluntly, denying the young devil access.

"Come on Meg, we do this every single time." (Y/N) whined.

Megan still didn't budge.

(Y/N) let out an annoyed sigh and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his smart phone and scrolled through his messages to find the message his manager had sent him. 'If you got a minute, come to my office.' It said.

"Here, read it and weep Meg." (Y/N) slightly goaded as he showed the message to the stubborn receptionist.

She glanced at it for a brief moment and sighed. She typed the keys on her keyboard vigorously and handed (Y/N) a pass. The glass doors off to the side of the desk opened. "You may enter. Just don't take up Mr. Stark's time. It's precious." She practically growled.

"Hey, he contacted me fist lady, don't give me no sass." (Y/N) snapped back as he clipped the pass onto his jacket. He knelt down to Kohaku and pet her on the head. "Okay, I'll only be gone for a bit. Try and stay out of sight and don't cause any trouble or draw attention 'kay?" He asked as he pet the small tiger.

"Understood Master, you can count on me!" Kohaku replied.

(Y/N) smiled and proceeded to walk to the other side of the glass doors as Kohaku went over to the waiting area.

He pushed the button on the elevator and the door opened, allowing him to step inside and proceed to the top floor. Once arriving, he walked to the end of the hall and was met by two big doors, which he proceeded to nock on.

"Come in." The voice from the other side replied.

He opened the door and saw his manager. "Hey Tony-!" He began to greet, but was quickly silenced when, said Tony raised a finger to him, signaling for the young devil to stay silent.

"Hold on." He said, resuming his call on the phone. "Look, I don't care what you have planned for the kid, I'm his manager and I do things that he wants to because it makes him happy. And the things that he does just so happen to make money. You know why? Because he's got the skills and heart to do them." He said with such passion, it made (Y/N) smile, and blush a little bit at the slight complement. "And as for the other thing we discussed, no! I won't be giving you any of my old weapons plans. I know I used to be a weapons designer, but guess what? I'm not anymore. I'm dedicating my time and resources to make sure that (Y/N) can do what he wants to. You know what that is? Do you?! It's play music!" He responded rather vigorously. The person on the other side of the call seemed rather angry, his muffled words were barley audible. "Obviously you can quote me on that seeing as how I just said it." He replied and hangs up. He slides down in his desk chair and lets out a massive sigh, rubbing his fingers roughly against his forehead. "This job's killing me (Y/N)." He said to the boy, finally speaking to him after that little dramatic display.

"Hey, no one said you had to be our manager Tony." He stated, walking over to one of the chairs in the other side of the desk, proceeding to sit down.

"Yeah. You're right. But I did anyways." He claimed, rubbing his goatee. He let out a heavy sigh and got up from his seat, walking over to the massive window wall behind him. "Do you know why I wanted, so desperately to be you manager?"

"Eh, I dunno." (Y/N) shrugged. "Wanted more cash and listen to music?" (Y/N) said, clearly joking and being sarcastic.

"Funny." Tony replied. "I wanted to become your manager because I saw potential in you. When I first heard you singing, I felt something. I saw something. A soul crying out, begging to be freed."

"Wow, that's very deep...And I have no idea what you're talking about." (Y/N) laughed as he shook his head. "Anyways, why did you call me all of a sudden?"

"Oh, that's because I wanted to finalize a couple things before the show in the next couple months."

"Okay, like what?" He asked.

"The usual stuff." Tony replied, sitting back in his desk.

"Oh, okay well Sebastian said we can use the café if we wanted. It big enough to hold a small convention so it could work."

"The Devil's Den?" Tony asked. "Okay, but what about promotion?"

"Well I got flyers, I can start to hand them out to people at school. I got some friends in the club I'm in at school who might be willing to help. They might even want to come." (Y/N) said.

"You're in a club? You have friends?" Tony asked in a surprised manner.

"Seriously?! You're just like Chisato! Why does everybody find it so surprising that I have friends?!" (Y/N) asked hysterically.

"'Cause for the longest time I've known you, you've always been the antisocial type. Quiet and aloof. Plus, most people who try to talk to you often seem scared of you." Tony immediately implied.

"Yeah, when I was a kid!" (Y/N) snapped. "Anyways, getting back on topic, I got calls from some of our patrons. Said they're gonna be coming." (Y/N) said, calming himself down.

"Cool. So moving on to the last subject of this little meeting; Performance, how much are you planning on preforming?" Tony asked.

"I was thinking maybe 8 songs? 4 with instrumental, and 4 technological? If that's the proper term. I dunno, Sakamoto said he'd handle the music for that segment while I worked on the lyrics."

"Okay, so we're good?" Tony asked.

"Uh yeah, I think we covered everything." (Y/N) confirmed as he rose out of his seat.

Tony rose out of his as well and he walked over to (Y/N) and swung his arm around his shoulder, the two proceeding to walk together towards the elevated at the end of the hall.

"Oh, speaking of Chisato. How is Hasegawa? She still hot?" Tony asked, surprising (Y/N).

"No. No no. No no no!" (Y/N) shook his head at his manager. "Don't talk about my guardian like that. Besides you have Pepper!"

"(Y/N), answer the question...Is. She. Hot?" Tony asked again.

(Y/N) said nothing and turned away, his face still beat red. Tony couldn't help but smile.

"Atta boy." Tony laughed. "You know, they say that character is built out of life's challenges, so keep soldering on young man." Tony smiled as he brought (Y/N) in for a hug.

(Y/N) looked slightly baffled, but smiled and returned the hug.

"I wasn't hugging you, I was just getting the call button for you." Tony said as he did indeed push the button for the elevator from behind the young devil.

(Y/N) chuckled in response. "Tony, I've known you long enough when to call you out on your BS. Now shut up and hug me." He said, tightening the embrace.

Tony smiled and returned what he had started. "Smart kid." He said quietly.

They broke the hug once the elevator door opened. The young devil entered and turned back to his manager.

"Stay in school kid. I'll see you in a couple months." Tony bid farewell as he waved.

"Catch you later 'Mr. Stark'." (Y/N) said, putting strong emphasis on his last name as he smiled jokingly.

Tony just shook his head and watched as the elevator door closed, descending back down to the ground floor of the building.

(Y/N) stepped out as the doors opened and pushed the glass doors open, only to toss the pass Megan gave him as they landed right in front of her on the desk. He quickly noticed a large collection of people huddled together over by the waiting area. (Y/N) grew curious, but at the same time, felt like he knew what was going on.

"Kohaku!" He hollered, only for the small white tiger to pop her head out from the crowd. "Come on, time to go!" He said, prompting her to jump out of the crowd and walk over to her master .

The two walked together and exited the building, and proceeded down the sidewalk.

"So, how was the wait?" (Y/N) asked with a sly smile on his face.

"Master, it was less than desirable." Kohaku sweat-dropped.

(Y/N) only chuckled at his familiar's attitude. The two continued walking together, exploring more and more of Kuoh City.

Time Skip

As both Kohaku and (Y/N) continued to walk the streets of Kuoh City's shopping district, the young devil's throat began to feel dry. It felt like an annoying scratch inside his throat he couldn't reach. On occasion he would cough, sounding scratchy and painful.

"Master, are you okay?" Kohaku asked in worry.

"Y-Yeah I'm okay. I think my throat's just dry." He reassured.

The two eventually come across a convenience store, only to stop as (Y/N) glances inside at the drink rack on one of the aisles.

"Hey Kohaku, wait out here for a sec. I'm gonna grab something to drink." He said, looking down at the small white tiger.

"Actually, if it's okay I'd like to head home first." Kohaku requested, surprising her Master quite a bit.

"Really? You sure you want to head back? It's only sunset." The young devil implied.

"Yes, but not to worry. If I detect any sign of danger, I'll come right back to your side and lend you my aid!" She cheered.

(Y/N) smiled and knelt down to pet Kohaku. "Alright, be safe on you way back, 'kay?"

"Of course. Farewell Master." Kohaku said before she vanished in a small gust of wind.

"Hm, I guess she can teleport on her own...Neat." The (H/C) young devil chimed before entering the convince store. The sensor beeping upon entering the building. He immediately went to the drink section to pick out what he wanted. But he only grew puzzled as he continued to decide.

But, as (Y/N) was lost in thought, two men rushed into the store, both wielding weapons.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!!!" The man wielding the shotgun shouted. "EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND NOW!!!"

Everyone, in fear for their lives complied and fell to the ground in an instant.

"GET THE HELL DOWN!!!" The other robber ordered as he went around the checkout counter and grabbed the cashier. "OPEN THE REGISTER!!!" He ordered, putting a blade to the man's neck, forcing him to comply.

The man with the shotgun looked around the store to see if anyone would interfere, but no one did. Except for one young devil, who was still looking at drinks for quenching his thirst. "What's the matter? You deaf?" He asked.

The man behind the counter grabbed all of the money from the register and stuffed it all into his pocket.

The man with the shotgun inched closer towards (Y/N) cautiously, only to aggressively poke him in the back with the end of the pump action fire arm.

(Y/N) lets out an annoyed sigh and turns around, a bottle in his hand and a bored expression on his face. "Yes?" He asked. "Can I help you?"

"I said get down." The robber barked.

(Y/N) stared at this man for a brief moment then looked down at the gun, then back up at the man. He slammed his drink back onto the shelf and sighed.

"You do know if you shoot someone in the chest, the chances of that person surviving go up right?" He asked, baffling the man with the gun. "Alright here, lemme help you out." He said, grabbing the end of barrel and put it straight against his chest. "How about a nice hole in the chest?" (Y/N) asked the man.

The man struggled to yank the shotgun away from the young devil, most would assume that this boy was either crazy or suicidal. But it was neither.

"Oh, yeah I guess you're right." (Y/N) contemplated as he shrugged his shoulders. "It's effective, but not very satisfying huh?" He asked, raising the barrel of the gun up to his mouth, only to place it inside and bite down, waving his hand and prompting the man to shoot.

The robber looked back to his partner, who still had the cashier pinned down on the counter, the blade still to his neck. "SHOOT HIM!" He cried.

Still nothing. (Y/N) looked at the man disappointingly and sighed once more. "Seriously man? What? Not your style? I'm giving you the opportunity to kill me, and make me shit my pants at the same time!" He bickered. "Well, I guess there are better ways. I'm mean, the severed brain stem and pants shitting isn't exactly something one would call classy." The young devil admitted. "Okay, how about this?" He lifted the gun slowly, the muzzle pressed against his forehead. "This would make enough of a splatter to let people know you mean business."

"You're fucking crazy kid!" The man implies.

"Oh no, I'm not crazy. I'm just impatient." The irritable devil said, pumping the fore-end and loading the shot for the robber. "Now come on, if you're gonna shot me, then do it!"

"Shoot the crazy little fuck!" The other robber orders.

"Come on man, shoot me!"

"I don't-" The man stutters, clearly hesitating.

"Shoot me!"

Nothing.

"Shoot me!"

Still nothing.

"Shoot me!"

The man still did nothing, giving (Y/N) the opportunity to wack him in the head reel of the shotgun, stunning him and making him stagger backwards. He proceeded to hit the man in the head with the stock. He tossed it in the air and it spun until it landed back into his hands by the barrel, allowing (Y/N) to smash the robber's face with the firearm like a bat, making him fall to the floor unconscious.

"You either fucking shoot me, or stop wasting my God damn time!" (Y/N) spat as he tossed the gun to the floor.

The robber with the blade charged at the young devil, hoping to stab him. But (Y/N) moved out of the way and got the man by the arm, bending it enough where he would loosen his grip on his knife. (Y/N) grabbed it and puts the man in a choke hold, the blade pressed against his neck.

"You wanna be next, huh?" He asked. "Okay." He tossed the blade to the floor and elbowed the man in shoulder, jabbing him in the back and grabbed his head, only to knee it hard and knocking him down to the ground writhing in pain.

(Y/N) let out a deep breath as he stepped on the man he just beat down, grabbing the drink of his choice and walking over to the cash register and placing his item on the counter.

As the cashier scanned the item, (Y/N) looked down and saw the money that the robbers had attempted to steal was still in the man's jacket pocket. He walked over and grabbed it and tossed it on to the counter. He then reached into his back pocket and pulled out his own money, placing it on the counter as he grabbed his drink.

"Keep the change." He said as he walked out of the convenience store, bottle in hand.

Once he opened it, he saw that a couple of police cars had arrived on to the scene, even civilians gathered around to watch. (Y/N) just opened his bottle and drank as he held the door open for the cops, who proceeded to enter.

(Y/N) began to walk away from the scene as he practically chugged down his drink. Once it was half way gone he stopped. He began making his way back home.

"Hey (Y/N)!" A familiar voice called out, making the young devil look for the source. It was Kiba running towards him from the crowd of people watching the arrest occur.

"Oh, hey Kiba. What's up man?" He asked casually.

"Not much. Just saw that beating you just gave those guys. Nice going." Kiba complemented, offering a bro fist, which (Y/N) gladly returned.

"Thanks man." He smiled. All of a sudden, his stomach growled loudly. The two devils looked down at the source and one was embarrassed. "Hehehe, sorry about that. I'm starting to get hungry." He laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.

Kiba chuckled at (Y/N)'s display. "It's fine. Wanna grab a bite to eat? My treat." He offered happily.

"Really? Sure, I'm down. I'm not one to shy away from free food." (Y/N) smiled. "There's a really good family restaurant near by if you wanna try it." He said.

"Sure, sounds fun." Kiba replied as the two young devils made their way to their destination.

Emesto Host

Time Skip

"This is incredible!" Kiba cried happily. "No way this is just beef!" He cheered as he hovered over the small grill that was on the table and stared at the cooking strips of meat.

"Oh yeah, it's beef alright. Perfectly cooked, deliciously seasoned, absolutely savory beef." (Y/N) drooled as he grabbed one of the strips and ate it. "Oh~So good!" He cheered. "Better grab them while you can, they'll burn if you cook 'em too long." (Y/N) informed.

Kiba only smiled and grabbed another beef strip with his chopsticks, dipped it in some sauce and ate it whole. "Oh man, so good! Thanks for showing me this place (Y/N)! I think I've found my new favorite spot." He thanked.

"No problem man, glad you like it so much." (Y/N) said as he took a sip from his drink.

"Hey, So can I ask you a question?" Kiba suddenly asked.

"Hm? What about?" (Y/N) looked quizzical.

"It's about your Sacred Gear, I wanted to know more about it if that's okay." He asked.

(Y/N) snapped his fingers and ate another beef strip.

"What did you do?" Kiba asked.

"I muted us. It's a type of Null magic I picked up from Starvlador a long time ago." (Y/N) said.

"Oh, and that too! I also wanted to learn more about your magic, I've never seen anything like it." Kiba boomed.

"It's really not a big deal or anything." He humbly said. "Well, in any case I guess we should start with Oblivion and Oath Maker. With Oblivion, I can use destructive magic like lightning or fire. And with Oath Maker, I can use Life magic. You know, like water, ice and wind."

"Right, that number you did on that stray your first time was impressive." The blonde Knight complemented.

"Yeah well, thing is, if I use too much of the sword's magic, it'll drain me of my magical energy faster than it should." (Y/N) explained. "I guess you could consider them to be literal double edged swords. I dish out a lot of power with them, but if I use too much of it I have to pay for it with my own energy. And they drain me dry quickly."

"I see, and what about your BlazBlue: Limit Breaker?" Kiba asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I explained it when...I reactivated it." He paused, quickly remembering that night Asia died and killed Raynare. "When I use it, it's power continuously increases based on the amount of power I use. And the power I release can be stockpiled back into me for a much stronger increase in power."

"Wow, so you must be really strong. Seeing as how much you train and use your Sacred Gears and all." Kiba praised.

"Nah, I've still got a long way to go before I've even come close to mastering any of my powers." (Y/N) replied. "Especially my Blazblue: Limit Breaker. Since I haven't used it in a while I need to get back on it." (Y/N) eyes showed clear determination. "I've got to get stronger." He mumbled, catching Kiba's attention once more. 'It's the least I can do to pay them back for all they've done.'

Kiba looked at (Y/N) with surprise, but it went back to a smile. "Well, if you ever need a training partner you can count on me. I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can!" Kiba declared, prompting the young devil in front of him to smile once more.

"Thanks man...NOW LET'S KEEP STUFFING OUR FACES!" He boomed. "It's all you can eat night tonight! It'd be a shame to stop ordering while the night's still young!" (Y/N) cheered.

"Yeah! Sounds good to me!" Kiba burst with (Y/N).

Suddenly, the two caught the sudden smell of something burning. They look down, only to see that the food that they had put on the grill had burnt. The two looked disappointed and groaned in defeat.

"Well, this is a surprise. Never expected to see you two here together." A familiar, feminine and mature voice claimed.

The two young devils looked up from their burnt food to see that Chisato Hasegawa had approached the two of them.

"Nurse Hasegawa?" Kiba asked, clearly confused.

"Hey Chisato, what's up?" (Y/N) greeted casually.

"Hello there." She greeted back. "Mind if I join you?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure. Have a seat!" (Y/N) offered her the seat next to him and she happily took it. The boys restocked the grill with fresh food and continued to cook the meat for themselves and their newest addition.

"Several men from the other tables came over to me one-by-one asking if I wanted to join them." Chisato bickered. "Does a woman having barbecue all by herself really seem that lonely?" She asks.

"I highly doubt that was the case." (Y/N) smiled awkwardly. "I think they were just trying to be nice."

"So, did you pick this restaurant (Y/N)?" Chisato asks as she poured more sauce for the clocking meat.

"Yeah I did. It's one of my favorites and it's run by a friend of mine. I think I got Kiba hooked on it." (Y/N) smiled happily.

"It's true, I can't get enough of this grilled beef. It's so good!" Kiba admited.

"Here you go." The waitress said, holding an assortment of drinks on her tray. Two cola drinks for Kiba and (Y/N), and a mug of beer for Chisato. "Sorry for the wait." She said as she handed everyone their drinks.

"Now then. Let's drink up, shall we?" Chisato asks playfully.

"Sounds good to me! After all, we're just getting started!" Kiba claimed happily as he held up his drink.

"Hell yeah! I'm gonna eat so much I pass out!" (Y/N) shouted happily.

Chisato only chuckles at the boy's proclamations.

"CHEERS!!!"

Time Skip

Everyone had finished their meals and met outside as Kiba began to depart. "Thanks for showing me this place (Y/N). I can't thank you enough." The Knight said.

"Sure thing. Glad I helped you get hooked on something amazing." (Y/N) grinned as Kiba began taking his leave.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow (Y/N), Nurse Hasegawa, have a wonderful night." He bid farewell as he waved.

"Yep, later man!" (Y/N) waved back.

After Kiba left, Chisato and (Y/N) began walking side by side back to their homes together.

"So, you two were having an awfully strange conversation." Chisato suddenly brings up.

"What do you mean?" (Y/N) asked in confusion.

"Talking about magic and swords, Limit Breakers and what not." Chisato gave him a sly smile.

"U-Uh...I have no idea what you're talking about!" He denied. "I think you've had too much to drink!" He stuttered nervously. 'Shit! Did I break my concentration on the mute spell?! How's that even possible?! I must be slipping on my magic training. Damn, I've been so focused on getting physically stronger, I've completely forgot about my magical prowess!' (Y/N) thought, enraged at himself.

However, within his inner self scolding, he quickly found himself in Chisato's embrace. His head in her large breasts as she held him close and looked longingly into his eyes.

"Maybe I am a little tipsy." She said, slowly leaning in. "Would you blame me for what happens next? Or would you blame the alcohol?" She asked, her lips growing closer to (Y/N)'s.

His face immediately grew red, he couldn't even respond accordingly. Or at all for that matter. But the brunette suddenly stopped and let the young devil out of her embrace, but still held on to his hand.

"(Y/N)...what's wrong?" She asked out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"All through dinner you looked as though you've had something heavy on your mind. So come on, talk to me. What's wrong?" She practically begged.

(Y/N) didn't answer her, only look down in shame.

A sudden idea popped into her head. She grabbed his hand tightly and dragged him to a nearby river. The two walked over to the grassy grove and sat down next to each other, trying to get comfortable.

"This place is nice, huh?" Chisato asks.

"...Yeah." (Y/N) bluntly responded as he continued to stare out into the water.

"It's peaceful. Just far enough to forget about everything and enjoy the peaceful serenity." She adds.

"I guess." The (H/C) young man added.

"So, are you going to tell me what wrong?" Chisato asked, bring the subject back into light. "Or do I need to go all psychologist on you?" She giggled.

(Y/N) let out a heavy sigh, but he decided to tell her his thoughts. "Okay, well. I just realized that I need to keep getting stronger. A couple weeks ago, some amazing people came into my life and they've changed it forever. But for the better I think. And I just want to be there for them. No matter what it is, or what it's from, I want to protect them when they need help. They've already helped me so much, I just...want to do something to return the favor." (Y/N) said, feeling a heavy weight being lifted off from his chest, finally allowing him to breathe.

"I see, so your worried about being able to keep being of use to these new friends of yours?" Chisato clarified.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." He replied.

"You're putting too much pressure on yourself. You always have." Chisato stated as she looked up into the night sky. "If you draw a line and absolutely refuse to surrender, then that's what you need to protect most." She claimed.

"That's what I need to protect the most, huh?" (Y/N) mumbled under his breath, clearly thinking about what she had said.

"Listen (Y/N), you need to give more thought into what it is you're truly trying to fight for." Chisato said rather sternly.

"...Yeah, I guess you've got a point." (Y/N) admitted with a sigh.

"Very good." The nurse replied, getting up off her feet and planting a kiss on (Y/N)'s forehead, clearly surprising him. "For the future of the heavens above, may the protection of the light be with you." She chanted as she placed a finger on where she pecked.

"Huh?" (Y/N) looked confused.

She giggle at his reaction. "Don't worry, it's just an old charm I learned a long time ago." She said as she began to take her leave. "Goodnight, (Y/N)." She said as she walked away.

He gently touched the place she pecked for a brief moment and looked back up to the full moon, contemplating on what's happened in his life that could be remembered.

"What I need to protect the most, huh?"