"So, where should I start teaching?"

Raphael said while standing on the crater that he made. It made Shiro think.

"Dad... You really are a lord, even an archangel is your acquaintance."

Shiro told himself while smiling, he can't believe what is happening right now.

"Oi, he's merely my acquaintance. I'm just helping him every time he asks for help." Raphael replied.

"That's the meaning of acquaintance!" Shiro answered.

At Shiro's back is Kuro, she knew about Raphael, actually...

"Good morning, Raphael-san."

Raphael looked at her, and waved his hand.

"Good morning, milady. How are you?" He said and bowed to her.

Kuro became shy because Shiro had seen Raphael bow to her...

"R-Raphael's bowing to Kuro?!" Shiro told himself. Shiro looked at Kuro with sharp eyes saying, "You got to explain this later."

Kuro just laughed it all and answered Raphael.

"I'm doing good Raphael-san, I've met a kind person, he was nothing like the other humans that I've met before. To me, he is like my king."

Raphael clapped his hand and laughed.

"Is it because he's a Nephilim? That's why he's not like any other human?"

Shiro realized that he was the one who are they talking about.

"No, no. Even if he is a Nephilim, he's still a human. But even so, he's still my king. I'll gladly sacrifice my life for him." Kuro said with her hand on her chest, her face blushing red, and her eyes shining.

Shiro was embarrassed, "This is not the right time..." He told himself. But he couldn't stop it because Kuro said that with all of her heart.

"Then, what is Lucifer to you?" Raphael asked.

"He's my god."

Shiro fell down to the ground.

Then he laughed.

"Ah, so that's what it is huh." Shiro said with a smile on his face.

After serving him for thousands of years, teaching her the true way of demons, being able to kill the Nephilim because of his lord's trust, Lucifer is like a god to Kuro now. And Shiro understands it.

Kuro looked at Shiro, and smiled. And then she continued their conversation.

"So, Raphael-san. I was just teaching Shiro-kun the basics, would you mind if you teach him instead? I'll help in some cases if needed." She said.

The Demon General, Zenainiel. She may look like incompetent when talking about strategies and armies, but she really has some general-like spirit on her.

The way she talks to others, the way she expresses her position to other beings, is very general-like.

"Then I'll do it. Thank you for your generosity, milady. Let me take care of this since that stupid angel told me to do it." Raphael told her while clenching his fists out of anger.

Shiro looked at him and he told himself, "Just what kind of a relationship you two have?" With his eyes wondering.

After that, Kuro walked away from Shiro.

Raphael walked towards Shiro, with serious eyes.

"I'll teach you about sensing presences first, since milady already taught you some of it. Oh, and if you're wondering how can you do that, don't worry. I'll teach you like there's no tomorrow. Also, there is no turning back and giving up on this one. Once you resolve yourself to the test then you need to finish it. If you're just going to give up then better back out now." Raphael said with a strict attitude.

Shiro gulped. "This'll be a hard one..."

Raphael held Shiro's shoulder with his right hand. He put some angelic power on his hand, Shiro felt it. The feeling is like receiving a sensation that will make you fall asleep.

"Did you feel that, kid?" Raphael asked him, still touching Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro replied with a sleepy tone, "Ah... yes..."

Raphael smiled and tightened his grip on Shiro's shoulder.

"Then how about this?"

He put immense angelic power on Shiro's shoulder, making Shiro fall asleep on Raphael's chest.

Kuro walked towards Shiro, and she held both Shiro's shoulders.

When she did that, Shiro suddenly wakes up, with pain in his eyes.

"AHHHH!!" He screamed.

He was still panting when he realized that Kuro is touching his shoulders.

"What was that all about?" He asked Kuro who were smiling at that time.

"That's demonic power, kid. You get the gist of it now?" Raphael asked him.

Shiro thought for a second and then realized it.

Angelic power is a power that when released, it makes the you feel sleepy, while the demonic power that Kuro gave him made him feel some pain.

"...is that it?" He told them as he explained what's inside his mind.

"Yeah, but that's not all of it. We merely did anything to you, we just exposed you to the powers. Now, the real thing begins." Raphael told Shiro.

"Shiro-kun, remember what I taught you earlier? Try to do that." Kuro told him.

Kuro jumped towards the other side of the river.

"Shiro-kun!" She shouted. "When you feel pain, that means there's a demon nearby. And if you feel sleepy, then there's an angel!"

Kuro said to him while shouting.

Raphael told him to close his eyes and point at where the pain is coming from.

"Shiro, even if it hurts, don't give up. It's just the basics. If you get through this, you'll get used to the auras and feel nothing at all except that there's a being around you. Understand?"

Raphael told him while holding his shoulders.

Shiro nodded and closed his eyes.

Raphael stepped backward and counted one to three, after that Shiro have to point out where he had felt the aura of pain.

"One, two, three. Now!"

Shiro focused. He felt intense pain in his chest. But even so, he still pointed his finger to the place where he felt the aura. It was on his left side. After he pointed it out, the aura vanished. And Shiro felt another pain in his chest.

He pointed his finger again to his front. And just like earlier, it vanished again. Leaving himself hurt.

The same thing happened again and again. Until Shiro can’t hold the on anymore because of the pain.

He’s panting like he’s been chased by a cheetah in the desert. It was like the cheetah that chased him had bitten off his heart instantly. And it’s the same every time the aura appears.

But, even if Shiro fell down to the ground because it hurts so much, he didn’t give up. He let the pain inside his body, accepting it and pointing out where did it came from.

After Shiro pointed out the aura, he fell into the ground. Unconscious. It seems like even if his will didn’t want him to give up, the body that he has right now is already breaking because of the pain.

Even so, this is remarkably a good start for him.

“Ah, he only lasted a few minutes.” Raphael told Kuro that was flying towards them.

After Kuro landed, she immediately ran towards Shiro that was unconscious, and she examined him.

“His mind is okay, it didn’t break. But his body, it can’t take any damage. What should we do Raphael-san?” Kuro asked Raphael.

Raphael stopped for a second to think, and then he replied, “Let's make him rest for a few minutes. While sleeping, give him some of your demonic powers every two minutes, milady."

She looked at Raphael with angered eyes. “Isn’t that enough, Raphael-san? Shiro had enough for today, let’s make him rest.”

Raphael bowed to her.

“I’m sorry milady, but I can’t do that. There are only two months or maybe less, it depends on when the asmoriths, the angels and the demons move. If we didn’t train him enough, he’ll destroy himself if he gets back the power that Lucifer has taken from in him.”

Kuro looked at Shiro with sad eyes, she knew that it hurts. But she can’t do anything since Raphael was right, if he didn't train hard enough, he’ll get killed. A strong power is worth the pain.

“I’m sorry Shiro-kun, but we need to do this. If we don’t, you’ll get captured. If you don't know how to fight by yourself then you're as well giving yourself to the one who gets ahold of you. Forgive me, Shiro-kun.”

She kissed Shiro’s forehead, and a small red lighting came down from her lips and traveled from there to Shiro's forehead into his head. She gave him demonic power. It flowed through Shiro’s mind, making him feel pain even while sleeping.

When the lighting covered all of Shiro's mind, it made him dream about something.

He was walking in the light, at first, he can't see anything. But when he kept on walking and walking, he saw a little girl playing with a middle-aged man.

The girl has a wing, a tail, and horns. She was a demon.

The girl asked the man, "Mister, how can demons be born?" She said.

The man answered with a smile and said, "Demons are born because of the pain and suffering that humans feel. But, you're an exception. You're not born because of their suffering, you are born because of their sadness." The man told her.

The girl didn't understand what he meant, so she replied with, "I don't know what that means mister."

The mister said, "You'll know, some time."

The girl played with the sand at the ground. And as she played with it she realized something.

"Hey mister. How can angels be born?" She asked.

The mister was surprised, maybe he didn't expect the girl to know about angels since she's so little.

"Angels? Angels are born when a human is born. The angel that was born with the human will be the human's guardian for life. But when the human die, the angel won't have anything to guard anymore. So, he'll stay in heaven."

The little girl was amazed, as her eyes shone bright like the stars.

The little girl replied, "Then mister, that means I have an angel too?"

The man became silent for a few seconds. The girl didn't know that she was a demon.

He thought that the girl already knew it, since she asked him how demons are born.

But, she didn't. The man patted her head and said,

"We all have an angel, angels are good. They are kind. They protect people wherever they are, they guide people whatever decision they made. So, if you became good too, then someday, you'll meet your own angel." The man replied.

The scene vanished like a sand that was blown into the sky by the wind.

Then, another scene was formed in front of Shiro.

He saw a woman, in her teen-ages.

The woman is fighting at a war, she was killing angels. She's using a greatsword, an enormous size of it, and she used it to slice open the angels.

The way she moves, the way she kills her opponents are all like she's destined to do that for eternity.

She was a soldier, she was fighting for the demons. The war broke out because at that time, the demons were only following the dark lord's orders, as they don't know what is right and wrong.

She ordered them to go and fight the angels, the demons blindly followed her orders.

The demons were winning at that time, so they killed all the angels.

The demons went back to hell to report to their lord, while the woman stayed behind by herself.

After the war, the woman who has been fighting rested at the top of the rocks on where she can see the battlefield.

When spirits like demons and angels die, they don't leave a corpse. The body that they have will vanish into small bits of crystals and different colors according to their race.

So, she sat down on the rock. Looking at the place where she killed angels.

Suddenly, an angel appeared in front of her. The angel emitted so much light that it covered the angel's body. She assumed her battle position and created a greatsword out of nothing and posed as to slice the angel down.

She knew that the angel was strong, stronger than any angel she have seen.

She knew well that she can't defeat it, but she still stood up, and when she looked at the angel, she knew she was going to die.

But, the angel said, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I'm not here to fight, I'm here to talk to you."

The woman replied, "I don't trust you. I don't trust angels."

The woman admired angels the most. To be honest, she loves them more than her own race. She loved them because they are good, kind, and caring. Unlike the demons. They are worst, they torture humans, and they were having fun of it.

She was different. She knew she wasn't just a demon, why? It's because she's not the same as them, they bring humans into the path of darkness, they kill them then torture them at hell. And they were having fun of it, so they repeated it again and again.

She looked at the humans with sadness in her eyes.

But, her trust on them was lost, when she saw the angels kill the demons without mercy.

They kill whoever it may be, just because someone ordered them to do it. She thought they came to stop the war, but they were the ones who started it.

The demons may be the first ones to go there and waged a war against them, but the angels were the ones who started the war, without mercy.

She wasn't really going to fight back then, but when she saw the angels do it, it made her lose her will to just watch.

She was crying back then, when she was killing them. She said, "I'm sorry." every time she killed an angel.

To her, angels are beings that should be idolized. But, when she saw this mess, that made her think they are just the same as the demons.

The angel landed behind her, the light that was covering the angel has gone, and when she turned around she saw him.

It was the man that the little girl was talking to before.

The woman loosened her grip to her sword, and the sword vanished.

She looked at the angel with sad eyes. She said, "Why... why didn't you tell me you were an angel?!" She said with anger on her voice.

She wanted to know more about them, she wanted to talk to them, to play with them, to be good with them.

That's what her dreams are. She wanted to be an angel like them.

But, her dreams was shattered because of this war.

The woman's dream should've been fulfilled a long time ago, if the man told her that he was an angel. But he didn't.

The man answered, "It is because I don't want you to learn about me, for I am a failure of the race that you admired the most." He said to her.

The woman cried, she cried because she knows how much she loved angels, but still murdered them in cold blood.

She fell on her knees to the ground and cried.

The man walked towards her, he looked at her and he gave her a pat on her head.

"There, there. Don't cry. I'm still here, I won't loath you for killing my kind. I killed some of them too, and even your kind. I killed them. So, we're at the same boat, aren't we?" The man told her.

When the man said that, the woman stopped crying and bowed to him.

She knew that the man she was talking to was a lord, a powerful being.

So she bowed. She pledged to be one of his servants, and the man answered; "Servants? I don't have any servants. And I don't want any servants. I have a family, stupid as they may be, but they are all still my family. Is it okay to you?" The man asked her.

The woman answered with a nod.

The man then smiled at her and told her to stand up.

For she will be the general of Lucifer's army of demons.

Lucifer back then didn't reveal himself to Sanata, he is still gathering as much power as he can to try and oppose the demon lord.

It was a long time ago, back when asmoriths didn't even exist.

Shiro looked at them and said, "Ah. This is Kuro's memories. That's why she's a kind demon. But she never mentioned anything like this to me. It's okay, I don't have to ask her. She has her own reasons why she didn't tell me this."

Shiro was talking to himself when he noticed something in his face.

It was tears. Tears are falling down from his eyes.

"What is this?" he said to himself while trying to stop the flow of the tears.

He couldn't stop. He started to cry, he released all of the pain while crying.

He couldn't stop crying.

It was when he saw an image right in front of her.

It was Kuro, she was smiling at him.

Shiro looked at it, and he stopped crying.

He held out his hand, and tried to reach her.

And when he did that, the image that he was catching vanished, as he woke up.

He was still holding his hands at the air.

Kuro noticed it, she was talking to Raphael when Shiro wakes up.

She ran towards Shiro and held his hand.

"What is it Shiro-kun? Are you okay?" she asked.

Shiro looked at her, he saw a demon with sad eyes.

He remembered what Lucifer had said, "You're an exception. You were born because of their sadness."

He hugged Kuro as he gets up and cried.

"I'm sorry, I'm not there when you need me." he cried.

Kuro was confused, "W-What are you saying? I don't understand." and she started crying.

Raphael was looking at them and said, "What kind of crazy couple are you two?"

But Shiro and Kuro didn't notice him.

After that, they looked at each other and laughed.

Shiro said to her, "I'm ready now. Let's continue our training."

Kuro's eyes widened, and she accepted Shiro's challenge.

"Ohoh? Are you really ready now Shiro-kun?" she said.

Shiro smiled, "You bet I am."

"Well, try to not lose your consciousness this time." Kuro replied.

"I won't." Shiro answered.

Then they stood up and get into their positions.

Shiro closed his eyes to find where the aura is coming from.

Then he felt something behind him. He pointed at it, and the aura vanished.

He felt something at his right, and pointed at it. Then vanished.

Raphael was amazed, "Woah. This boy has got some nice guts." He said.

They kept on doing that both for an hour.

Then Raphael clapped one time, and then the aura stopped.

Shiro knew it was something, so he braced himself.

Then, he felt something so powerful right in front of him.

He straightened up his body, and looked directly at his front.

He walked towards it, and then stopped.

He held out his hand, to try and reach something.

Then, he touched a soft and warm skin.

He opened his eyes, and he saw Kuro.

Kuro, with her arcana on.

Her back was filled with red blazing rays, like the ones at the surface of the sun.

Her armor was glowing red, her eyes burning red, you can't even see her eyes because of the light.

Shiro was touching her cheeks.

Shiro told her, "Kuro, it's okay now. I don't feel anything now."

He knew Kuro was releasing all of her demonic aura.

Shiro felt it, it indeed is very strong, stronger than anything he had felt before. But what he didn't feel was the pain that he had felt before.

There was no pain, only the feeling of something strong in front of him.

And by this, he passed the first test.

"Good work, boy!" Raphael told him while clapping his hands.

Kuro undid her arcana and smiled at Shiro, she held Shiro's hand that were at her cheeks at that time, and kissed it.

"You did great, Shiro-kun." She said.

Shiro became very happy, and he hugged Kuro because of that.

"When are you going to notice me you kids?" Raphael said to them both while laughing.

"Ah, whatever." he added.

Shiro looked at Raphael, and bowed to him.

"Thank you so much, Archangel Raphael. You helped me so much this time. I hope you keep on teaching me, sensei." Shiro said to him.

Raphael released his wings, his wings are white as the clouds, they are big as they were told in the stories, and they are glowing.

"Sensei huh? I like that, boy. You keep on calling me that, because from now on, I'll teach you everything you need to do. Hey, don't get cocky, okay? You're still at the starting line. Even though you're milady's husband, I would still be strict to you. Understand?"

Shiro laughed and said, "Yes. Thank you."

Raphael's wings started to fly.

"Well then, let's continue this tonight. You rest first." he said.

Even though he asked Kuro to train him hard, he knew it was something that he can done in just a week. Without even training hard. He asked Kuro that to test Shiro's will, and Shiro passed.

Raphael flew to the sky like a shooting star, passing through the sky.

Shiro and Kuro looked at him with amazed eyes.

"He's amazing, isn't he?" Shiro told Kuro.

"Yes, that's why master asked him to teach you, Shiro-kun." Kuro replied.

Shiro looked at her, he saw happiness in her eyes.

She finally had let go of her pain from her past, without even knowing it.

"Kuro..." he said.

Kuro heard it and turned her head towards him.

But, just before she knew it, she was already been kissed by Shiro.

Kuro liked it, so she held Shiro's cheeks and kissed him back.

Shiro remembered something.

"Hey, Raphael said that I'm your husband. So, can we have a baby now?"

Kuro's face blushed, she slapped Shiro's face.

"W-W-W-What are you saying?! Idiot!" She said while blushing.

Shiro laughed, "I was just kidding. Let's finish everything first before we do that. Let's finish this war that I started ever since I was born. Would you help me, milady?"

Shiro bowed to her and held her hand.

Kuro was amazed at him. He looked like a prince.

So she replied,

"Yes, I gladly will."

After that, they went back home and prepared their things.

They forgot that they have classes today, since the break ended last night.

But they still have time, so they didn't rush it.

After Kuro prepared her things, she went to Shiro's room to check him.

She saw Shiro sleeping.

She walked towards him and sat on his bed.

"Shiro-kun, I love you." she said.

But, she felt something at her back, a hand was touching her.

She was pushed down right into Shiro's chest.

They are facing each other.

Shiro opened his eyes and said,

"I love you too."

Kuro blushed and stood up.

"Y-You were awake?!" she said.

"Of course I am, I was reading a manga when I felt your aura coming this way."

Kuro forgot it, they taught him how to sense auras.

"You really amaze me, Shiro-kun." she said.

Shiro smiled and asked her, "You wanna play some games?"

Kuro nodded and smiled,

"Yes."

- End of Chapter 9 -