Power X Progressive [DXD/CSM AU]

Important Note: If you had read the original "New Steps" chapter, then skip to the part where I highlighted [HERE], if you are new, then ignore this message. Please consider voting, it helps me stay motivated and I appreciate your support.

***

(3rd POV)

It was midnight, around 3 a.m.

Both Aleks and Reze laid naked on the bed, their bodies tangled from hours of sex. They had explored every inch of each other, trying every position they could think of. 

Aleks had fallen asleep first, too exhausted. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either. Not that he needed any, it was only for keeping his mental health intact.

Reze, however, remained awake.

She sat back up slowly, the sheets falling around her waist. Her emerald eyes watched Aleks's sleeping face.

'He looks so peaceful when he's asleep,' she thought.

She poked his cheek, gently. Just to see if he'd wake up.

He didn't.

With a small smile, she leaned in and gave him a soft peck. Then, quietly, she slipped out of the bed and went out of the room.

Her pace quickened once she left the ryokan. She leapt across the rooftops, heading for the peak of the nearest mountain.

She always did this when she felt overwhelmed, or even too happy. Nature helped her stop overthinking. It had always helped her from becoming anxious more often.

Tonight was no different.

The Kyoto mission was near . And with it, her anxiety increased. She has grown a bit too attached to Aleks in such a short amount of time. She felt unprepared as if she was not strong enough to handle what was coming.

Their separation, her being taken away from living her happy life with Aleks, or perhaps even her death.

That thought scared her constantly. This anxiety came when she was captured by Makima in her previous life. Right when she decided to run away, she was stopped by the Control devil.

'He even said he trusts me,' she remembered. Their conversation earlier had touched on her past, something she had buried deep within her..

She only had one regret.

She wished they could run away.

Far from devils, angels, gods, and everything else.

Far from her.

'It's really just wishful thinking, huh…?' she thought bitterly, staring out at the city.

She knew that no matter how far they ran, Makima would find them.

And when she thought of their night together, she couldn't help but blush.

It was her first time feeling this happy.

For someone like her, happiness had always felt like a distant dream.

"You seem a lot happier than I've ever seen you before, Reze-chan~"

A smooth, masculine voice broke the silence.

Her heart nearly stopped.

She spun around and her eyes widened in shock.

"…Sebastian Michaels," His name escaped her lips like venom.

How had she not sensed him?

"How… How are you alive? I killed you!" she snapped, voice rising in disbelief as her hand gripped the pin on her neck.

Without hesitation, she pulled it, her body exploding as she transformed into her Bomb Devil form.

"Did you really?" Sebastian said with a smirk. "Did you ever even check the state of the body after you thought you killed me? Heh."

He laughed like it was all a joke.

"The Director…your 'mother' misses you dearly, Reze-chan. She doesn't take kindly to one of her weapons running away. And now that you're away from that woman…"

He paused , "I figured this would be the perfect moment to bring you home~"

Explosions crackled around her as her limbs morphed into torpedo-like weapons. Each punch or kick would now carry devastating explosive force. And she could detonate them freely without taking any damage.

Without wasting a breath, she launched at him with monstrous speed.

Sebastian's eyes widened for a split second.

She was far stronger than the last time they'd fought.

"Impressive…" he muttered, evading just in time to avoid a direct hit.

But she was ready to strike again.

Reze back stepped and drove a fist straight into his back. The explosion sent a shockwave through the trees.

Sebastian stumbled forward, coughing blood from the impact.

"Ah… blood. How dreadfully inconvenient." Sebasrian laughed.

"You're strong…" he admitted, turning to face her. "But so am I."

He retaliated with a strike aimed at her solar plexus, but she springed back to gain distance.

They clashed again, blow after blow, their fists collided, causing gusts of wind.

Sebastian was grinning like a madman or…a mad demon. He was enjoying this.

"It's been so long since I've fought without magic…" he said with a dark grin.

He was a demon of terrifying power, if he used magic, Reze would find herself under huge trouble.

"Stop dodging and just fucking die already!" Reze shouted.

She launched herself into a flying kick packed with crackling explosions, landing it squarely on his face.

The impact sent him crashing through the forest, smashing through tree after tree like a missile.

She didn't waste a second.

Reze turned and sprinted toward the Ryokan….toward Aleks.

She wasn't stupid.

She knew Sebastian was just testing her while holding back.

She kept running. One rooftop to another, faster and faster. But no matter how far she pushed herself, her thoughts kept coming back to one person. 

Aleks.

He was the only one on her mind right now.

She didn't want to be taken.

She didn't want to be separated from him.

She didn't want to become a weapon of that woman again.

'Why am I so damn unlucky? Why does this always happen to me?!' Reze gritted her teeth, her heart pounding in desperation as she leapt across another rooftop.

She was close—so close to the ryokan.

But then, she felt it.

The air changed. Moisture began sticking to her skin, elevating unnaturally. Within seconds, her body was soaked. Her crackling explosions long gone.

'Damn it…Not again!' she thought, eyes widening.

She knew what this was. Sebastian's magic.

Before she could react, he appeared.

He teleported in front of her.

Now drenched and unable to use her explosions, her bomb devil powers were neutralized. She was now back to her human form.

All she had left were her enhanced physical abilities, remnants of her half devil heritage.

She turned to run. But suddenly, her legs gave out. The gravity around increased, pressing down on her like an invisible weight.

Sebastian had used a powerful gravity spell.

Her limbs trembling from the pressure. She hit the ground, her knees digging into the rooftop.

Then, with his usual casual grace, Sebastian knelt beside her.

He lifted her head gently by the chin, forcing her to look at him. His gloved touch was cold and too calm.

"How insulting, Reze-chan," he said smoothly, eyes glowing with amusement. "Did you really think you could run from me?"

He smiled , soft, almost kind. 

"A moisture manipulation… paired with a touch of gravity augmentation. That's all it took to bring you to your knees."

He sighed theatrically. "You've grown weak."

She looked at him and spat, "Go fuck yourself, your nothing more than her slave! I'm not coming with you," Reze said, still struggling against the weight of the spell.

"Helpless as you are, your words don't suggest any form of resistance, my dear," Sebastian replied, a smug grin adorning his face.

"Sleep well. See you in Russia," he added, almost sweetly, as he cast a sleep spell over her.

Reze felt her eyelids grow heavier.

She resisted with everything she had, fighting the magic affecting her body, but her strength was slipping away.

Magic had always been her greatest weakness. Unlike her previous world where magic did not exist and devil powers were not all encompassing like magic in this world, she realized how vulnerable she was in this world. 

Worse…she also lacked demonic power. A rarity even among mixed heritage devils in this world. So she had always relied on her Bomb Devil abilities. But water… water made her powerless. If she was wet, her explosions wouldn't ignite.

And Sebastian knew that very well.

This was happening to her again, and she was too powerless to overcome this situation. In what felt like her final moments, she recalled her time spent with Aleks, how happy she was…even if it lasted for a short time.

'I really, really love you, Aleks-kun… the truth is…I have never loved someone as much as you before.' Those were her final thoughts before the darkness took her.

Reze fell unconscious and vulnerable.

Sebastian was about to pick her up and leave until he sensed an overwhelming presence.

He looked around and found the source.

It was none other than Aleks, and this time he was oozing with killing intent. He hovered in the sky, defying gravity as he looked at Sebastian, his eyes piercing straight into his soul.

"You have some fucking nerve bat, taking whats mine." Aleks spoke, every word he spoke carried venom.

Aleks pointed directly at Sebastian.

"Red."

A crushing wave of cursed energy blasted from his outstretched hand. Sebastian was thrown off the rooftop, sent flying deep into the forest with violent force.

Aleks landed swiftly, the rooftop cracking beneath him as he knelt beside Reze.

She was soaked, unconscious, but still breathing.

Aleks sighed. 

 "Seems like getting a break is not an option huh?" He muttered under his breath. He felt like he was walking on a thin line where every step he took, was riddled with obstacles he was forced to face.

Without hesitation, he channeled cursed energy into her body, carefully jolting her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, emerald green meeting his bright blue.

"…Aleks-kun?"

"I'm glad I made it in time." He exhaled, his breath shaky with relief as he smiled gently.

But Reze's face twisted with guilt. "It's my fault…wasn't it? I keep dragging you into this. I always get in trouble and you have to come save me."

She turned her head away.

"I hate myself. I couldn't even fight back. One spell and I was useless again… I'm just a burden. I'm weak. I'm—"

"Reze."

His voice cut through her, calm but firm. He gently cupped her face, making her look at him.

"You're not weak. Not to me."

She tried to protest, but he didn't let her. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her softly.

Their lips locked as they poured everything into the kiss. Her body trembled against his as she melted into it, her arms wrapping around his neck.

When they pulled apart, her forehead rested against his. A long silence stretched between them, filled with nothing but the sound of their breathing.

Reze finally broke it, her voice quiet. "You know, I hate feeling like this. This world is more unforgiving than my previous one…"

"I know," Aleks said. He held her tighter. "That's why we'll fix it together."

She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"…If we go to Kyoto like this," Aleks continued, "we might not last long. This month was supposed to be for training. Let's make it count."

Reze looked up at him, her gaze clearer now.

"You're right."

She gave him a small smile, tired but determined.

"I'm done being weak. Let's get stronger together!"

*** [HERE]

Aleks glanced toward the forest—the same place he'd sent Sebastian flying through trees earlier.

He hadn't killed him at first because Reze had been too close.

Now, Reze stood behind him, already dried off, her eyes sharp. She was just about to transform into her hybrid form but Aleks raised a hand.

"Don't," he said.

His voice was calm and…cold. He then looked back at her.

"Reze, let me handle this," Aleks muttered, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm in desperate need of beating someone to death."

Reze hesitated… then nodded.

"He might be weak, but be careful. This guy's mastered some really annoying spells," she warned.

Just then, a gust of air cut through the clearing.

Sebastian shot back out from the trees, wings spread—black and feathered like a fallen angel.

He hovered midair, eyes locked on Aleks with predatory calm.

"I must say," he began, voice smooth, laced with venom,

"Reze-chan bonding with a human is… delightful to witness."

Aleks didn't react.

"Tell me why you're after her," he said flatly. "Speak, and I might grant you a painless death."

As he spoke, black tattoos began etching across his face, as if he was becoming a curse incarnate like a certain king of curses.

Sebastian's smile didn't waver.

"Her mother wants her back. I'm merely her agent, sent to fulfill her will."

There was something off about the way he said "mother."

It wasn't maternal, it almost felt like fascination and… worship.

Aleks turned to Reze, waiting for her answer.

Reze exhaled. Her voice was calm, but her fingers trembled slightly.

"He's talking about that war-obsessed woman. The director of Russia's supernatural hunter bureau," she said.

"She's not my mother."

Aleks then turned towards Sebastian.

"And who are you then? Devil? Fallen Angel? or something in between?" His voice dropped lower.

"At least give me your name before I kill you."

Sebastian chuckled softly as if he found whatever Aleks said funny.

"Oh? You think you can win?"

He floated down slightly, then gave a gentleman's bow.

"I am but a humble butler, loyal to my lady Yoru," he said, his tone had false grace.

"My name is Sebastian Michaels. A pleasure to meet you."

Aleks stared at him.

That name flickered in his mind… Sebastian Michaels.

'Isn't he that demon butler guy from that trash anime? And his master's name…' Aleks thought but then he paused, realizing as if he had found the secret of the universe.

His pupils shrank.

That "director"… wasn't just anyone.

She was Yoru. The War Devil, one of the Four Horsemen from the Chainsaw Man world, and…

Makima's sister.

***

***

***