Chapter 4

"Guh—aah!"

It started as a warmth in Kaien's chest, a faint flicker that quickly ignited into a roaring inferno.

His entire body seized, his veins burning as if molten lava coursed through them. He screamed, the sound raw and primal, as the Idea Replica tore through him.

"AHHHHHH—"

The transformation was excruciating, every fibre of his being unravelling and reweaving itself in real-time.

His nerves were aflame; his senses were overwhelmed by the flood of sensations. It felt like his very existence was being rejected, erased and rewritten, piece by agonising piece.

Kaien collapsed forward, his hands clawing at the ground as the crimson curse worked its way through his body.

The fallen angels stood frozen, unsure whether to attack or flee as the room itself seemed to shift under the weight of Kaien's transformation.

"This… What the hell's happening to him," Mittelt wondered, her voice trembling.

Raynare narrowed her eyes, her triumph replaced with suspicion. "I don't know, but this isn't something a human should survive."

Kaien's vision swam, the edges of his consciousness flickering like a dying flame. He clung to his one anchor; the singular thought that kept him tethered to reality.

 I will not die.

I reject this reality where I die.

Kaien's mystic eyes flared to life, their iridescent glow cutting through the haze of agony as his gaze bled a vivid, predatory red.

The world seemed to twist and ripple around him, reality bending and reshaping itself with each beat of his faltering heart. 

His eyes worked tirelessly, pulling him back from the brink—turning the inevitable failure of his body into a lie and the fragile chance of survival into an undeniable truth.

But even his will wasn't enough to stave off the creeping darkness forever.

His body convulsed violently, his strength giving out as his mind swam with disjointed thoughts. The world tilted, and his vision faded to black.

Kaien's body twitched, then stilled.

For a moment, there was nothing.

 No pain. No sound. No thought. Only the void—a suffocating emptiness that swallowed him whole.

The room was silent, the fallen angels staring at him with a mix of fear and disbelief.

"Is he… dead?" Kalawarner muttered, her voice laced with unease.

Mittelt nudged Dohnaseek with her elbow. "Go check."

"What? Why me?" Dohnaseek snapped.

Mittelt scoffed. "Because that's your role. You're supposed to protect us, remember? Now go see if the human's actually dead."

Raynare sighed, exasperated. "Enough. Dohnaseek, just do it."

"Guh—yes, ma'am." Dohnaseek grumbled but stepped forward, cautiously approaching Kaien's unmoving form.

Then, suddenly—

Kaien twitched.

Mittelt took a sharp step back. "No way. He's alive."

When his eyes snapped open, they burned with an otherworldly red glow. His breathing was shallow, his chest heaving as he clawed at the ground beneath him. 

The fire in his veins had dimmed, but its residue lingered, leaving him trembling with newfound strength.

He pushed himself up on shaky arms, his body trembling as he rose to his knees. The transformation hadn't fully settled, but he felt... different.

Stronger.

Hungrier.

Kaien lifted a hand to his face, staring at his trembling fingers. They seemed the same, yet they felt alien—like the body they belonged to was no longer entirely his. He ran his tongue across his teeth, only to feel the sharp edge of newly-formed fangs.

Realisation dawned on him like a cold shiver.

He had died.

For the briefest moment, he had crossed that threshold, and now… now he wasn't entirely alive anymore.

Kaien chuckled weakly; his voice hoarse. "So, this is what it feels like…" he muttered, his words a mixture of awe and bitterness.

Raynare and the other fallen angels watched in stunned silence, their confidence wavering as the oppressive aura around him shifted.

Kaien lifted his head to meet their gazes, a feral grin spreading across his face.

His iridescent red eyes glinted with a predatory gleam, his presence radiating something inhuman. Something monstrous.

"I told you," He said, his voice low but steady. "If my humanity is what's holding me back… then I'll reject it entirely."

Kaien's crimson eyes glowed faintly as he stood amidst the fallen angels, his breath heavy but steady.

Outwardly, he looked mostly the same—aside from the faint sheen to his skin, the subtle claw-like curve to his fingertips, his stark white hair, and new red eyes.

Yet he knew better.

Inwardly, everything was different. The curse was already taking root, reshaping him, twisting him into something no longer human.

Raynare's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward. "What did you do?" she demanded, her voice colder than the winds of winter.

Kaien's grin widened, his predatory aura radiating through the room. "What did I do?" he repeated, mocking her tone.

He flexed his fingers, feeling the raw power thrumming in his veins. "I ascended. I couldn't beat you as a human… so I became something better."

The tension in the room rose as the other fallen angels instinctively braced themselves. 

Dohnaseek, still recovering from the flames, growled low in his throat. "You're bluffing. You're still the same pathetic human, even with a new makeover."

Kaien barely spared him a glance. "Am I?"

Before anyone could react, Dohnaseek flung a light spear directly at Kaien. The glowing weapon tore through the air with deadly precision, but Kaien sidestepped it effortlessly. 

He tilted his head, watching the spear embed itself into the wall behind him.

"Your aim's slipping," Kaien said casually, his voice dripping with mockery.

Dohnaseek snarled and summoned another spear, but before he could launch it, Kaien moved.

His speed was blinding—one moment, he was standing several feet away, the next, he was beside the fallen angel, his hand clasped tightly around Dohnaseek's throat.

Dohnaseek choked, his wings flailing as Kaien hoisted him into the air.

The newly turned Dead Apostle's grip was unyielding, his fingers digging into the fallen angel's neck as black flames ignited along his hand.

The cursed fire burned with an intensity that was almost alive, eating away at Dohnaseek's form.

His screams echoed through the chamber, filled with both pain and fear.

Kaien chuckled darkly. "This speed… this strength… I could've only dreamed of this before. And you—"

He tightened his grip, watching the flames dance. "You're the perfect test subject."

"Enough!" Raynare's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. Another light spear shot through the air, narrowly missing Kaien but forcing him to extinguish the flames. 

Kaien contemplated ignoring her command. Who was she to interrupt him and his prey? But in the end, even among all the chaos wrecking itself within him, he remembered why he came here.

Kaien turned to Raynare, his crimson eyes glowing with amusement. "You're interrupting the fun, Raynare."

Raynare's wings flared, her expression cold. "You've proven your strength, magician. Or whatever you are now. But this isn't your playground."

Millet hesitated, her gaze darting between Kaien and Raynare. "Should we attack him, Lady Raynare?"

"No." Raynare's voice was firm, her gaze never leaving Kaien. "The way he is now, he's more trouble than he's worth. Let's hear what he has to say."

Kaien tilted his head, considering her words. A part of him wanted to continue, to let his newfound power run wild. 

But another part—the part that still clung to strategy and reason—knew this was the chance he needed.

With a smirk, he released Dohnaseek, letting the fallen angel collapse to the floor like a broken doll.

"Fine. Let's talk."

Dohnaseek growled, struggling to his feet. "You dare—"

"Stand down," Raynare interrupted sharply, her eyes narrowing. "I gave an order, Dohnaseek."

Dohnaseek gritted his teeth but lowered his spear, his glare burning into Kaien.

"What did you say your name was?" Raynare began.

"Kaien," he replied smoothly, brushing invisible dust from his jacket. "Kaien Akagiri, contracted magician to Rias Gremory."

Raynare's eyes sharpened, and in the blink of an eye, a light spear was at his throat. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you where you stand, contractor of Gremory."

Kaien didn't flinch. Instead, he smirked, leaning slightly closer to the glowing weapon. "Because I'm here, you're still alive, and you don't have Satan's daughter burning this place to the ground. Yet."

Her grip on the spear tightened. "Bold words."

"Bold truths," Kaien countered.

"You've seen what I can do, but that's just a fraction of my worth. I know your mission is a failure waiting to happen. If you keep going as you are, you'll all die. Rias Gremory and her peerage will tear you apart. And even if you survive, you'll have both her and this city's other ruler hunting you."

The room went silent, the weight of his words sinking in.

Raynare's eyes narrowed further. "What makes you so sure of everything?"

Kaien's smirk turned sharp. "Because I know exactly what's going to happen. Every move, every mistake. I know what you're after—Asia Argento's Sacred Gear, correct? And let's not forget Issei Hyoudou and your little 'date' planned with him."

Raynare stiffened, the flicker of doubt crossing her face. "How do you—"

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Kaien interrupted, his tone smug. "But let's just say I've been watching. I'm here to make you an offer."

Raynare's voice was icy. "And what makes you think I'd ever work with you?"

"Because I can guarantee your success," Kaien replied. "I can provide distractions, intelligence, and resources. And in return, I want access to the Sacred Gear Extractor. There's something I need for myself. Work with me, and we both win. Reject me, and… well, you know what happens."

Kalawarner crossed her arms, scoffing. "And what's stopping us from killing you right now and taking whatever you have?"

Kaien's smirk widened. "Go ahead, try. Even on the off chance you kill me, all the information in my head dies with me. And if I don't check in with Rias, she'll come looking. Do you really want a High-Class devil breathing down your necks?"

That was a bluff, Whilst Rias was a High-class devil that was purely based on status, in reality, her strength was barely Middle-class.

Raynare studied him for a long moment, the room heavy with tension. Finally, she lowered her spear, her lips curling into a thin, calculating smile.

"Alright, magician, No. Kaien," she said. "You've got my attention. Let's hear your plan."

Kaien's grin returned, sharper than ever. "Smart choice."

***

The tension in the room had settled somewhat, but unease still lingered among the fallen angels.

Kaien, now seated casually in a chair, looked utterly at ease despite the earlier chaos. His glowing crimson eyes scanned the room, lingering briefly on Raynare as she paced.

"So," Kaien began, breaking the tense silence that hung in the room.

"care to enlighten me on your grand plan, Raynare? You must have something brilliant in the works if you're willing to risk everything to stay here."

Raynare stopped pacing, her dark wings twitching slightly as her eyes narrowed. A smirk played at the corners of her lips.

"Oh? So, the magician doesn't know everything after all."

Kaien shrugged, leaning back in his chair, his crimson eyes gleaming faintly.

"As knowledgeable as I am, I can't claim to know everything. I'll humour you, though. You're here on orders to observe Sacred Gear wielders, recruit them if they seem useful, and eliminate them if they're a threat. Much like you tried to do with me earlier."

Raynare's expression faltered, her smirk vanishing for a moment as her wings stiffened. Her mouth opened, ready to retort, but she bit back her words, choosing to remain silent instead.

Kaien's grin returned, though this time it lacked its earlier arrogance. Instead, it held a touch of genuine amusement.

"I'll take your silence as proof that I'm on the right track. Let's continue, shall we? Issei Hyoudou—one of your targets, correct? Your little plan with him would've ended in all your deaths. But since we're allies now, I'll at least try to keep you alive."

Raynare's eyes narrowed dangerously, but the slight twitch of her wings betrayed her unease. 

The other fallen exchanged glances, Kalawarner crossing her arms with a scowl while Mittelt fidgeted nervously. Dohnaseek, standing near the edge of the room, glared at Kaien, his irritation barely concealed.

Kaien's gaze lingered on Raynare for a moment before shifting to the others. "Don't look so surprised. Sure, Issei looks like a nobody—a perverted fool with nothing going for him—but he's destined to become something greater."

Raynare scoffed, folding her arms as she stared Kaien down. "Destined? Don't make me laugh. He's nothing more than a pathetic human."

Kaien shrugged, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "For now, you're absolutely right," he admitted.

"He's weak, clueless, and more of a danger to himself than anyone else. All things considered, you're not wrong to see him as a potential threat. But here's the thing—he's only a threat if you make him one."

Raynare narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kaien chuckled softly.

"Think about it. You're the one giving him attention, targeting him, dragging him into all this supernatural nonsense. Left alone, he'd have lived his life as a pathetic, lecherous fool. The moment you decided he was worth killing, you made him important."

He couldn't entirely blame her, though. Technically she wasn't wrong.

Issei was an irredeemable pervert with the capacity to gain the power to kill God—a terrifying combination if left unchecked. 

A god-killing sex offender, the thought made him shudder.

Luckily, he was a nice guy and the main character, so any misdemeanour was let slide.

Even Kaien wasn't sure how to handle someone so narratively protected.

Raynare's frown deepened as she stepped forward, her dark wings flaring slightly. 

"If this boy, is as important as you claim, then why not kill him now? Why leave him alive?"

Kaien tilted his head, feigning indifference. 

"Because killing him isn't necessary."

That was a lie.

Killing Issei would have made everything so much easier—for him, for Raynare, for anyone who had to deal with the fallout of the boy's existence. 

The temptation to remove him from the equation outright was undeniable. But Kaien couldn't predict what would happen to the world if the main character suddenly died, and he wasn't eager to find out.

He hadn't finished DxD, but he knew things got insane down the line—extraterrestrial gods, time-traveling children, and a whole lot more nonsense.

Besides, he thought grimly, I'm already planning to take one of Rias's peerage members off the board. The least I can do is leave her with another pawn to play with. It's only fair.

Raynare studied him for a moment, her expression sceptical. "You're telling me there's no reason to kill him?"

Kaien's crimson eyes flicked back to hers, his tone growing sharper. "I'm telling you that killing him is more trouble than it's worth."

"If you go after him now, you'll draw Gremory's attention prematurely—and when she retaliates, you'll wish you hadn't. If he becomes a problem later, you deal with him then. But for now? He's harmless."

Raynare didn't look entirely convinced, but she remained silent, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Kaien let the tension hang in the air for a moment before leaning forward, his voice lowering.

"Trust me on this, Raynare. Look at the big picture here. Let him live and focus on what matters. You'll thank me later."

The room fell silent, the weight of Kaien's words settling over the fallen angels like a heavy shroud.

Inwardly, he sighed. He could only hope they wouldn't press him further. For all his cunning, even he couldn't predict what would happen if Issei's story was cut short.

"Now, about Asia," he said, turning his attention back to Raynare. "I'll admit, I need to hear your grand plan. I get that you're aiming for her Sacred Gear, but why? What's the endgame here?"

Raynare's wings flared slightly as she stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Twilight Healing is a Sacred Gear that can heal any injury, even those caused by holy weapons. With it, I'll gain standing among the other fallen. I'll become stronger."

Kaien tilted his head, studying her expression. For the first time, she seemed genuinely earnest, her ambition laid bare. But her reasoning… it was so stupid.

It took all of his emotional control to keep the frustration from showing.

She had a device capable of extracting Sacred Gears, and her grand plan was to steal some weak nun's healing ability to impress her superiors? Ridiculous.

A complete waste of potential.

He crossed his arms, his gaze scrutinizing. "A healing Sacred Gear isn't going to make you stronger in the traditional sense. Sure, it's useful, but it won't give you the edge you're looking for in a fight."

Raynare bristled, her wings twitching again. "And what would you know about it?"

Kaien met her glare with a level gaze. "Enough to know that your priorities are misplaced. Asia's Sacred Gear is valuable, yes, but not in the way you're thinking. And killing her? That's just going to complicate things further. Her abilities would be far more useful if she were alive and working for you."

Raynare opened her mouth to retort, but Kalawarner interjected, her voice laced with scepticism. "And what would you suggest, then? If Asia isn't the right target, who is?"

Kaien's crimson eyes gleamed as a sly grin spread across his face. "Gasper Vladi."

The name hung in the air like a lead weight, unfamiliar to the fallen angels. Raynare frowned. "Who?"

Kaien leaned forward. "A dhampir. A member of Rias Gremory's peerage. Quiet, reclusive, and—most importantly—the wielder of Forbidden Balor View. A Sacred Gear capable of freezing time itself."

The room erupted into murmurs, the fallen exchanging shocked and uneasy glances. Mittelt looked visibly shaken, while Dohnaseek's scowl deepened.

Raynare's voice cut through the chatter, though there was a hint of fear in her tone. "You're saying Gremory has someone like that in her ranks?"

Kaien nodded, his tone matter-of-fact. "She keeps him hidden for a reason. Gasper's Sacred Gear is far more valuable than Twilight Healing."

Dohnaseek growled, stepping forward. "And you think you deserve that power? A human playing at being a monster?"

Kaien's gaze snapped to Dohnaseek, his crimson eyes flaring with irritation. "Deserve has nothing to do with it. Power isn't about deserving—it's about taking. If you're too weak to take it, you don't deserve it. Simple as that."

Dohnaseek's growl deepened, but Raynare silenced him with a sharp glare. "Enough."

Kaien relaxed slightly, his grin returning. "The plan is simple. I'll create chaos in Kuoh using familiars—zombies, vampiric constructs, call them what you want. While the devils are busy dealing with the mess, we'll make our move. Asia, Gasper, whatever targets we decide on—they'll be ours."

Raynare narrowed her eyes, but her tone remained sceptical. "And what's your stake in all this, magician? You've already transformed yourself into… whatever you are now. What more could you possibly want?"

Kaien's grin turned sharp, his tone dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I want Forbidden Balor View. Asia and the chaos are just a means to an end."

The room fell silent again, the weight of his ambition settling over the fallen angels. Dohnaseek glared at him, his fists clenching at his sides. "You don't deserve that power."

Kaien chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Then take it from me, Dohnaseek. Go on, I dare you."

Raynare raised a hand, cutting off any further argument. Her calculating gaze locked onto Kaien. "You're ambitious, Kaien. I'll give you that. But ambition alone won't be enough. If this fails, we'll all pay the price."

Kaien's smirk softened slightly, his tone steady. "That's the risk we take for power, isn't it? If you're not willing to gamble, then step aside. But if you want to win, you'll need me."

Raynare stared at him for a long moment before finally nodding. "Fine. We'll play your game. But don't think for a second that I trust you."

Kaien's grin returned, sharper than ever. "Then let's make it official."

He raised a hand, and with a flick of his fingers, a faint, glow flickered to life around them.

"A Geas—a magical contract. To ensure neither of us betrays the other before our goals are met."

The fallen angels stiffened at the word. Kalawarner exchanged a wary glance with Mittelt, while Dohnaseek scoffed, still visibly seething.

Raynare, remained still, "A binding contract?" she mused. "And what are the terms?"

Kaien continued. "Simple. I assist you in securing your objective—Asia and her Sacred Gear. In return, you help me obtain what I need. Until those goals are achieved, neither of us can act against the other."

Raynare narrowed her eyes. "And what stops you from twisting the deal to your advantage?"

Kaien shrugged. "That's the beauty of a Geas. It binds both parties equally. If I break it, I suffer the consequences. The same goes for you."

The room was thick with tension. The idea of entering a magically binding contract with a human—even one who had just ceased being human—was not something the fallen would take lightly.

Dohnaseek sneered. "You expect us to trust you after all this?"

Kaien chuckled. "Not trust, mutual interest. Plus, you're all still sitting here listening. That tells me you know this is the best option you've got."

Raynare tapped her fingers against the table, deep in thought. Finally, she let out a slow exhale. "Fine. We'll bind this alliance in blood."

She extended her hand, dark energy crackling at her fingertips. "If you betray us, Kaien, there will be no mercy."

Kaien reached out, grasping her hand as his own magic flared to life. "Likewise, Raynare."

The energy coiled around their hands, solidifying the pact. The Geas was set.

Kaien felt it take hold, an invisible weight settling into place. A binding thread of obligation now connected them, ensuring cooperation—for now.

Raynare withdrew her hand, watching him with an expression of wary amusement.

"Welcome to the team, Kaien."

Kaien smirked. "Let's make this partnership worthwhile."