We sat side by side on our chairs under the bridge while both of us staring at the water. It was quiet in a way that felt almost unsettling, but peaceful for some reason.

  Then, finally, Azazel broke the silence.

  "Do you know who I am?" he asked, his voice calm, but with that underlying curiosity that I had come to expect from him.

  The moonlight reflected off the rippling surface of the river. The hum of the city was barely audible from here, and the soft rustling of leaves in the breeze filled the silence between me and the man sitting next to me. Azazel. The leader of the Fallen Angels. Of all the people I expected to meet, it sure wasn't him, especially not like this.

  I gnced over at him. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have agreed to fish at this hour," I said, taking a slow breath. "I was rather surprised, though. The leader of the Fallen Angels, coming to meet me on his own accord."

  Azazel chuckled, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared out at the river. "Can't help myself, you know. After seeing you take down Riser Phenex and his entire peerage by yourself... I had to see for myself what kind of human could pull that off."

  I raised an eyebrow, gncing at him. "How did you know about that?"

  "Deviltube," Azazel replied, pulling out his phone. "It's trending. You'd be surprised how much we keep an eye on things from the other side." He flicked through the screen for a moment before showing me a video of the rating game, the moment when I turned Riser into a marble. The footage was raw, uncut, and I could see the shock and awe on his face as he was enveloped by the blue light while I was smirking like a battle maniac.

  "I see you've got some good connections," I said, crossing my arms and leaning back.

  "Connections? I just have access to everything," Azazel replied with a grin. "It's all part of being the leader of a faction. But, I have to admit, you're quite interesting"

  I turned to look at him. "You wanted to meet me, right? What's the deal? Why all this interest?"

  He smirked. "Curiosity, mostly. So, show me your Sacred Gear. If you don't mind."

  I paused, thinking about it. My mind raced through the possibilities, but I didn't know if I should give him any more than what I already had. Still, I figured it was better to show him than let him keep poking around.

  "I don't know if it's my Sacred Gear," I said slowly, pulling out the sword at my side. "But... it's something. I can create ice on my own, manipute it, control it. But this... this is different."

  I brought out the Lostvayne , the weapon I'd been using the most. Azazel's eyes narrowed as he looked at the sword, his gaze intense. But I didn't offer him any more than that. I made the sword vanish into thin air, tucking it aside in my storage space, keeping the rest of my abilities hidden.

  Azazel nodded slowly. "Never seen a sword like that before. Is there more you can do?"

  I gave him a smirk. "I don't like to reveal too much, you know. Wouldn't want to make it easier for anyone to put me down."

  He sighed, his tone almost pyful. "You're a cautious one, huh? But I get it." He then cast his line into the water, waiting for the fish to bite "So, what are you pnning to do, Kazuya?"

  I turned to him, considering his question. "I just want to protect my people... and get stronger"

  Azazel's gaze sharpened. "That's what you want to do. But what are you going to do to achieve that? There's a difference."

  I took a deep breath, feeling a weight on my chest. I hadn't really thought about the path forward too much. Sure, I knew I wanted to protect my family, my friends... but Azazel had a point. I'd have to do more than just dream about it. And having just a realm to ze around was something I had to achieve but what I have to do to achieve that.

  "I thought about joining a faction," I admitted. "But after seeing how things work in the devil faction... I don't like the idea of being tied down to one. The whole peerage system doesn't sit well with me."

  Azazel smirked, flicking his fishing rod. "Yeah, I get that. But you do realize that if you don't have strong support, someone will come after you. Even if you get stronger, there's always someone stronger than you. Solo path won't let you survive for so long, especially in this world."

  I felt a chill creep over me as his words sank in. He was right. No matter how powerful I got, there would always be someone trying to take me down if they thought I was a threat. Even if I reached the top, I could still be cornered. And when there are gods in this world and the ones from the others, it was reasonable to be not so full of myself.

  Then, after a moment of thought, I gnced over at Azazel "Are you trying to persuade me to join your faction?"

  He chuckled, the sound light but ced with amusement "Well, I was, but I think I figured it out. You're the kind of guy who'll join only as long as it benefits you. And the second it won't, you're out the door."

  I smirked. "I'm not a fan of being controlled"

  Azazel's grin widened as he reeled in a fish. "Hey, I caught a fish. Do you know how to grill it?"

  I raised an eyebrow, looking at the big fish Azazel had caught "Sure" I said with a shrug.

  Before long, we were sitting around a makeshift grill, the smell of grilled fish filling the air. Azazel had cracked open a bottle of something strong, and I had to admit, the fish tasted damn good. I had chef taking over my cooking skills as I pyed with the way of fire.

  Azazel tapped me on the shoulder, slightly tipsy from the drink. "Kid, do you have food magic or something? This is the best fish I've had in my entire life. And I am not lying"

  I chuckled. "It's just simple seasoning and a bit of time. Nothing special"

  Azazel took another bite, savoring it "You know, you're a man of mystery. It's fun. You should stick with me. We would be a great duo"

  I shook my head "It's almost time for the dinner, I gotta go now"

  Azazel blinked at me, his eyes slightly gzed. "Ah, that's too bad. But hey, before you go..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a contact card. "Here. Let me know if you're interested. I'm heading to Kyoto tomorrow for some business. Maybe you'd like to come along? You could build some connections"

  I looked at the contact card in my hand, then back at him. Kyoto... A trip to explore a different side of this world? Maybe I could use this as an opportunity to rex a bit. I'd been training nonstop, and a change of scenery wouldn't hurt. And also, it would be perfect to build new connections.

  I gnced at Azazel one more time before replying, "Alright. I'll come with you."

  He grinned widely. "Good choice. I knew you were the type who could appreciate a good trip."

  After a few more words, we both stood up, and I started heading back home, my mind already pnning for the trip to Kyoto. It had been a strange night.