First Contact

"The anti lie contract is still an option if you don't believe me." Julian offered helpfully after a while.

Putting a hand to her head as if she was in pain. Ram asked. "No. There's no need for that. But, why are you telling Rem and Ram that?"

"it depend, Rem asked me why I smelled of the witch. And that's the answer. On the other hand, trust has to be given before it can be reciprocated. I told you a secret so that both of you can stop doubting me." Julian said plainly.

"It's normal to make assumptions, for you. I'm just a mysterious guy coming out of nowhere, claiming to have nowhere to go and wanting to support Emilia in her claim to the throne after giving her emblem back. Additionally, you find me suddenly apprenticed under your master."

"I'm reclusive, I don't mingle much. Don't show much interest in anything else but training. And tamed a renowned assassin with some mysterious means." Julian enlightened each factors by rising a finger, luckily finding that he had enough for it.

"Then, a week ago. Rem dies, and I save her, sacrificing my left arm in the process." He stated, Idly rubbing at his empty arm socket and staring at both sisters.

"Asking for the why is natural, but before that. Before understanding the why, you need to know and understand the who. And it's a long story, one I don't want to tell to people I know nothing about."

"That said, I think I spoke too much. I don't fancy myself as someone petty. But I have to admit that I'm annoyed at being interrogated right after waking up and not even getting a thank you." Julian frowned, thinking about how absurd it was to justify himself for saving someone and not even being thanked for it.

The two sisters gaze at each other, before both opened their mouth at the same time.

"Ram/Rem are infinitely grateful!"

"As such, Ram is ready to pay what-"

"No! Rem is the one who was saved! Rem is the one indebted with the price of life, not Ram!" Rem promptly cut Ram out, standing up and putting herself before her sister while patting her chest as she looked at Julian.

"Rem." Ram frowned and said lowly, before standing up herself and putting a hand on her twin's shoulder.

"Ram was the one who asked to save Rem. Without it, Julian-Sama wouldn't have sacrificed so much. It's to me that the debt go to, not Rem."

Shaking her head vehemently, Rem's eyes filled with tears. "No! R- Ram can't give up anything else for... Rem will..."

"Who said anything about a price?" A voice cut them off firmly, echoing around the room.

Julian stood, his single arm still nursing awkwardly his empty shoulder.

"It's true that you are in my debt, but the price you want to pay is yours to decide. And as I know one of you couldn't live without the other. Let's say that you both are indebted to me, like a one for two package, okay?"

"The only thing I ask is that you two give me a chance and don't give me the cold shoulder too much. Without Subaru, I'm pretty alone in this manor you know?" Smiling bitterly, Julian walked past them and reached for the little library in his room. Passing his fingers over the spine of the books, he took one concerning anatomy and opened it, briefly flying over its content.

Upon confirming that it was what he needed, he nodded and slapped it shut. Lifting his head to gaze at the twin, he said. "I think enough was said, for today, at least. Now, if you would be so kind, I would like a little alone time to, you know, familiarise myself with my condition. Just keep in mind what I said, and please don't share anything of what I shared with you."

After registering his words and calming down, Ram sent a worried glance to Rem who averted her eyes. And then, Ram went for the exit. Followed shortly by Rem, who before leaving threw a long, hesitating look at Julian but in the end just left without saying anything.

His gaze lingering on the door, Julian eyes flashed a steely gray followed by an off beige colors. A as result of it, a sensation of warmth seeped into his veins and he felt something akin to a his nose unclogging everywhere in his body.

Feeling some surprise, Julian shook his head and decided to inspect his first gain of Virtue later. Opting to sit at his desk and read the book instead.

The earlier he could fix his condition the better.

—————

"That's all? Can't say I'm satisfied with this." Zoi pursed her lips, dissastified by how Julian hadn't acted at all on his urges.

"He's been repressing his feelings for a majority of his life, besides. What do you think would happen, this was hardly an appropriate moment to make a move." Kass shrugged at her sisters, a small smile appearing on her face at how her sisters had never changed.

"Well, he'll need to be more bold if he want to impress my girl. And it's such a waste of a good face for him to not use it." Zoi mumbled.

Suddenly, her eyes brightened, and she sent a coy look at Kass. "The peerage system he created is interesting, with sharing a part of his infinite potential. He would be able enhance anyone in a potent way. But for that, he need allies. And while he's doing a good job at it..."

Both Goddess twitched, sensing something entering the area around the re-zero world. Immediatly focusing their methaphorical gazes on it, their expressions becoming grim.

"Light. That bitch, always trying to put her nose where it doesn't belong." The glass in Kass' hand shattered as a cold look crossed her face.

"It's just a scout from her little toy empire. Julian can handle her easily. Besides, Light didn't send her there personally." Zoi sent a meaningful look at Kass.

Sending a look to Zoi, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face for a bit before she snorted. "If she want to take advantage of Julian, she'd better be prepared to pay her pound in flesh."

"So, like I was saying... Can I?..." Zoi looked sheepish as she brought back the topic to before they were interrupted.

Kass sighed. "With one already meddling, the others will not take long to show up. Go ahead. But don't come whining when he learn about what you did, and it's the last time I'll allow you something like that."

Shrugging, Zoi waved her off with a smile. "It's not like he could do something about it even if he did."

Bringing her thumb and index together, a small seed of green and red energy formed between them. Upon Zoi blowing on it softly, it flickered and disappeared, lodging itself into Julian, with him being none the wiser.

"Even after all these eons, you're still as perverted as always." Seeing Zoi satisfied expression, Kass commented.

"There's nothing more beautiful than life being created. You're just a prude, what with your impossible standard for everything, including a mate and sex. No wonder you're so invested in this."

"If I'm a prude, you're the whore of Babylon. Ironic since you don't even get laid yourself because nobody can satisfy you, so you just watch instead. Like the most divine voyeur in existence." Kass snapped back instantly, a glass full of the galaxy like liquid reappearing in her hand as she smiled.

She smiled, because she was always the one who won in these fights between them.

"Oh my. I wonder how your dear Julian would react if he knew such crude words could leave your mouth..."

—————

It took no time at all for Julian to finish the book.

Muscle fibers, tendons, bones, skin. What they looked like and how they work was something he needed but a simple read to understand completely.

Nerves, in contrast, were way more complicated. Requiring exponentially finer manipulation and work to even attempt to replicate with his solid light magic.

It wasn't something he could do as of right now. Not while he was limited to use only EC at least.

Sitting crossed-legged on his bed. He slowly set himself to the task, the frame of a shoulder slowly materializing to imitate his right arm on his left side.

The outside was simple to do, if he wanted. He could simply make himself an arm and filled it up with solid light.

But in that case, it wouldn't be able to move well. As he would be using willpower to displace it instead of mechanic force. And solid light, while created using EC. Was extremelly sharp, it was not really resistant.

To resolve both problem, he needed both a functional arm and more density. Unfortunately, because of the nerves. The first solution couldn't be achieve for now.

But in hindsight, that just meant more manipulation training.

After a few hours of slowly constructing the outline of the arm and filling it before refining it all. Julian found itself with a dark grey arm with glowing orange crack running through it.

With some re-zero spellcasting, he had used polished stones for the bones. Ice for the joints. And filled the rest with solid magic since he had nothing prehensile enough for tendons and muscles.

It was far from great, but it was usable. And it had some weight behind it to help his balance.

It was the best he could do for now. Further research was needed to replicate every component of a biological limb, since it was both complex and extremely costly to recreate from mana alone living tissue.

Casting an illusion to make it look normal, Julian slowly tested out what he could and couldn't do with it before frowning and stopping.

Something wasn't quite right in the room, he had the feeling 'something' was gonna happen. But since he wasn't sure if this something threatening or not, he decided to wait.

Slowly turning around, Julian was proven right as a portal opening to a space that had no colors, no space, and no time unraveled before him. And a woman that was quite literally angelic stepped out of it.

She had silky silver hair, burning golden eyes, and a pair of pristine white wings with a golden filigree on their feathers adorning her shoulders.

The woman, upon spotting him. Rised her chin and looked down on him. "Greeting, anomaly. I come representing the Enlightened Holy Empire and the supreme light herself in a attempt to... Offer you a trade."

Julian evaluated the woman in front of him carefully. Since angel didn't exist in re-zero, it meant she wasn't original to this dimension. Also meaning she had access to interdimensional travel. Yet, she didn't feel that strong.

Tilting his head, he asked. "Who?"

The woman scoffed. "It does not surprise me that one such as yourself don't know better. Who we are is not important. For your the unique kind of service you can provide. We are ready to exchange knowledge. The inferior angelic bloodline I sense in you would benefit much from our empire peerless mastery of Divine and Holy power. You should feel yourself blessed."

Julian rised an eyebrow, Idly flexing his artificial arm. "You are lucky I'm in a good mood. Otherwise, as you come here, into my room, uninvited, demanding more than asking for my services while insulting me and taking me from high. I would have taken a gamble to see if such a powerful empire would have really grieve over the weak individual that you are."

His words seemed to enrage the woman, her wings puffing in reflexion to her mood. "You unholy wretch! You exist merely because one of our kind was led astray by a fool devil. You should feel grateful we allow your existence at all! Prostate yourself before your better, wingless scum, and OBEY."

The angel's wings suddenly began to glow a weak white light as she intoned.

Julian paled and took a step back as a foreign will entered him, making a shudder run through his spine.

...

That tickled a bit.

Okay, his reaction was unwaranted. But hey, it felt weird as hell.

Pondering on how she could that. Julian slowly calmed down and shrugged off the fucking annoying feeling of being lightly caressed by a feather all over.

Now having a rough idea of how it was possible, Julian smiled at the astonished unnamed messenger. "Is that perhaps the down payment for my services? In that case, thank you."

His Nephalem wings springing up behind him, he added as if it was an afterthought: "Oh, and KNEEL. I'm not in a good mood anymore."

And so, trembling helplessly. The heavenly emissary did.