Confined in a state of astonishment and addled daze, Mio, and Maria followed Lucia back to Basara's home with him in tow.

Since Lucia was a master of spatial transportation, it didn't take them longer than a second to reach their terminus, which along with the shocking revelation didn't give them any time to adapt to the influx of uncovered knowledge.

Finally home, Basara immediately noticed the scene of a flustered Asia standing next to two Fallen Angels who were completely asleep, seemingly keeping guard against the Fallen.

"I used my dream powers to render them immobile. I judged that Basara-sama would most likely execute the ones on his side so I decided to keep those two, that dared to come here, alive for you to prod."

Interpreting the queries Basara should have in his mind, seeing the scene in front of him, Lucia went on to explain the circumstances on her end.

As he had expected, the two Fallen Angels were completely powerless when facing Lucia so she made short work out of the incompetent duo.

"So they died…"

Asia muttered in a dazed state, rooted in her spot, hearing their exchange of circumstances, still unable to cope with the reality of the situation at hand.

"I see. That is good. I believe you have something to explain, right Lucia?"

Lucia sighed when he heard his detached words and made a gesture for everyone to take a seat on the sofas before beginning her story.

The situation was so convoluted that she didn't really know where to begin the revelation with.

"Very well, Basara-sama. First, let me explain the situation on our side to you. *Ahem*"

She coughed a little in preparation before going on to reveal some of their family secrets, "In the Gremory family, officially, there are four siblings. However, unofficially, there are five. And, as you may have already inferred, I'm the fifth offspring."

"Zeoticus sama had three wives in total. From his first wife, he got Sirzech-sama and Rias-sama. From his second wife, he got Mio-sama and from his third wife, he got Maria.

As for me, I am the daughter of his third wife but from another marriage. That is pretty much everything about our…rather complicated family tree."

Basara massaged his head at her flat words, a bit taken aback by the reveal, "I thought devils were supposed to have low fertility, no?"

"That's right, Basara-sama. However, this situation is quite unexpected. There hasn't been a case where a family had four heirs since the Phenex. Though I guess Miss Phenex is more admirable since she is the sole mother of the four heirs."

Sitting on the sofa on the side, adjacent to the conversing duo, Mio couldn't help but blush slightly without any other change in her expression. She never found any fault in her father but it felt unbearably awkward whenever she heard people describe their family situation or had to describe it herself for the matter.

Meanwhile, for Maria, it was the total opposite. In fact, in her opinion, it was always funny to hear her lord father’s prowess in night activities.

"Then Nee-sama. Since you have explained our situation to Basara, I believe it's time to explain his situation, right?"

Lucia glared at Maria for interrupting her, "I was coming right to that part. You don’t need to remind me of that."

Maria gave an awkward, imperceptibly nervous, smile and made herself look smaller as she huddled herself on her spot on the sofa. Lucia was the only person in the entire Gremory family who had the means to stop the perpetual craziness that accompanied Maria’s existence. In fact, just a stare from her cold unfeeling eyes, just like the situation right now, was enough for her to put a restraint on her behavior.

"*Ahem* As I was about to say, Basara-sama, I believe you should have always wondered what identity your mother held before marrying your father, right?"

Basara just shrugged as a response, not particularly interested in that sort of talk, "Not really… For me, Mom has always been, and will always be, just Mom. It doesn't matter who she once was or what her real identity is."

"Fufufu~! This is very like you. Still, I know your origin will be helpful for you in the long run. Even more so since the situation with the Fallen Angels might become more complicated in the future."

Maria, who had stayed silent all the while after receiving Lucia’s glare couldn't help but have an inkling of the matter at hand. She accurately remembered the magic Basara had used against the Fallen Angels at the very start of the fight and her mind came to an inevitable, far-reaching, conclusion.

"Nee-sama, don't tell me?"

"Mio, Maria, you should greet your second big brother [1]. Basara Gremory, son of Sapphire Gremory, Zeoticus’ sister, and your aunt."

The story that followed was pretty simple all things considered: when the three factions were still at war, Jin Toujou, as the strongest exorcist of the Human faction alongside Vasco Strada, fought many times against the devils. Vasco mainly took care of the Fallen Angels, while Jin was more active when facing devils.

On the devils’ side, there was one woman in particular who was extremely battle-hungry. It was precisely Sapphire Gremory, the then heiress and future lord of the Gremory Clan.

In this way, both Sapphire and Jin fought many times, and unbeknownst to all, the two of them were slowly becoming closer to each other.

But, one day, while Jin and Sapphire were fighting in the underworld, which was turning more and more into an elaborated lovers’ quarrel, an unidentified third person intervened in between. Even to this day, there was practically no information about who that person was aside from the fact that said person was a woman.

After the unknown woman came into the equation, the three-way fight they fought among them overturned the whole realm and almost made it collapse, finally breaking down the dimensional wall at the very last moment. The broken fragments of reality pulled them all in when attempting to repair itself and the three of them vanished for a few years, where they went during that time being completely unknown to everyone.

No one knows exactly what happened during that time, but what was irrefutable was that after the incident, Jin, who was already a monster, came back stronger than ever and became known as the Red Dragon King.

Concurrently, Sapphire returned and became a changed person. She slowly began to leave the battlefield and in the end, gave up on her identity as a noble before vanishing from the public eye, her fate unknown.

The Devils finally speculated that her last fight with Jin left her with grave wounds and she succumbed to them or that she simply lost her battle thirst and just wanted to live a peaceful life away from the bloodshed and confines of the other devils.

Either way…

“I think we all know the truth.”

Silence fell in the room making the atmosphere incomparably heavy. The revelations were simply too much to take in. To think that he was related to Rias and the others by blood. It was unbelievable, shocking, mind-numbingly so.

‘Is that why mom and dad chose this place for my school?’

Perhaps that was the case, or perhaps it was just a coincidence.

Either way, he suddenly received two little sisters and two big sisters out of nowhere and he was lost about what to do about them.

“Well, I believe this is much to take. Why don’t you stay the night, you two? It would let you get to know each other a bit better.”

———

Returning back to the room that had been assigned to her, Asia sat down on the bed with a lost expression on her face.

The ones who had tricked her and put her life in danger were gone already. 

She was free—free to do whatever she wanted to or to go wherever she wanted to go.

She should have been happy, exhilarated even but…why? 

Why couldn’t she find in herself the feeling of being happy?

‘Hah…’

Thinking about it, the reason was pretty clear even to a clutz like her.

‘I don’t want to part from Basara-san.’

The reason Basara had invited her to his home previously was that he wanted to protect her and didn’t wish to leave her helpless against her enemies. But now though, there was nothing left to protect her from.

Though it has only been two days since she came into contact with Basara and perhaps she might be hasty when she came to this conclusion, but Basara made her feel emotions she had never felt beforehand.

To her, he was both her savior and a dear friend, someone who had the decisiveness she lacked and who could bring her a deep sense of security she never could truly feel in her previous abode.

But now….

“Do you want to stay?”

Just as Asia was becoming more and more depressed, she heard a sweet voice coming from right behind her.

Frightened, she jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on and turned around only to see Lucia standing there.

“Wh-What are you doing here?”

Lucia smiled faintly, making her look unnatural in Asia’s eyes, “I am here to help you fulfill your wish.”

Asia blinked a little before blushing profusely.

‘Heh. I guess little miss pure Asia isn’t that pure anymore.’

Lucia laughed inwardly after seeing the way Asia reacted. It was definitely funny to tease shy timid girls like her.   

Still, now wasn’t the time to have fun.

“Just staying here won’t help change anything. You know that Basara is a hybrid devil right?”

Asia nodded in response, while she had been out of it since the start of their talk, she still listened keenly in order to know more about Basara.   

“Then, you should know that as a high-class devil, Basara has the right to form his own peerage and I have already given him the pieces. All you have to do now is to convince him to use one of his pieces on you and make you part of his peerage.”

Lucia didn’t bother explaining the part about the Piece not changing Asia into a devil, unlike the normal one, meaning that she would still be able to express her faith.

For someone like Asia who was extremely pious, since she did not have this information, this should be an excruciating choice to take. This was a demarcation line for her, also Lucia’s final test to her.

Did she possess the resolve to break free from her status as a member of the church and follow Basara as her new master? Or would she disappoint her by choosing to leave Basara and follow her faith instead? Either way, no matter the decision, she would support her.

Asia thought deeply for quite some time before clenching her teeth, a determined glint shimmering in her emerald green eyes, as she made her decision,  

“Lucia-san, is Basara-san in his room?”

“He is.”

“Thank you.”

Asia stood up and bowed to her before leaving the room.

Looking at Asia’s receding back, which was filled with determination, Lucia shed a fake tear as she half-jokingly muttered.

“How they grow fast.”

Meanwhile… 

*Knock* *Knock*

“Yes? Asia…san?”

Basara opened his door and was surprised to find Asia standing there. Opening it wide, he let her in and asked thoughtfully, 

“Why did you visit me?”

Asia looked all around before releasing a relieved sigh. It was her first time coming to a boy’s room but she was currently so stressed that nothing could surprise her anymore.

Taking a seat on his bed, Asia finally spoke.

“Basara, I want to share something with you.”

“Oh? What is it? I am curious.”

“My past…”

She muttered, unveiling her everything to the man she decided to follow… for eternity…

———

[1]: Before anyone screams in the comments. I just need to remind you that the Japanese use the same title for cousins and siblings. So an older brother would be Onii-san and an Older cousin would still be Onii-san.