Returner in DxD

Interlude: The Hero Faction.

The meeting chamber was deep underground, sealed behind layers of magic, wards, and reinforced barriers. It was not a place the public would ever see, nor one most members of the supernatural world even knew existed. Illuminated by pale blue crystals, the vast hall held a long obsidian table, around which sat several powerful individuals—each a member of the infamous Hero Faction.

Some were descendants of legendary heroes. Others were reincarnated warriors, mad geniuses, or wielders of Sacred Gears. But all of them shared a singular trait: ambition.

A dark-haired young man with sharp demeanour leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he listened. Cao Cao, the current leader of the Hero Faction, wore a calm expression—but those who knew him could sense the sharpness in his silence.

Kuroka stood before him, arms folded, tail flicking behind her with a nervous rhythm. Her usual flirtatious smile was nowhere to be seen.

"...So he refused," said Jeanne, voice flat as she sat beside Cao Cao. "Shame. He could have been a powerful asset."

"'Asset'? I'm not sure if anyone here could control him," murmured Georg, adjusting his glasses as he reviewed the notes he had been taking. "You're sure of the pressure he exuded?"

Kuroka nodded slowly, ears pinned back. "I felt it. The intent to kill. It wasn't magical pressure—it was just... him. I've felt god-killing powers before. This was different. It wasn't strength—it was resolve. Absolute."

Her voice trembled slightly. Whether from excitement or fear was difficult to tell.

"Interesting," Cao Cao said at last. "And his exact words?"

Kuroka swallowed. "'If they dare touch the people I care about… even if a God is backing them—I will destroy them.' Then he said that next time, he won't speak first."

Silence settled over the chamber.

Leonardo, the quiet child who commanded terrifying Beasts, looked up from the shadowed corner of the room. "That sounds more like a warning than a rejection."

"It's a declaration," corrected Cao Cao, standing up. "He made it clear. He doesn't care about ideology. He doesn't care about change. His loyalty lies with the people he loves, and that alone gives him terrifying resolve."

Jeanne's gaze narrowed. "If he's not with us, he's in the way."

Kuroka scoffed softly. "You wanna try putting a sword through him? Go ahead, nya. I'll be hiding behind ten layers of barriers."

Cao Cao raised a hand, silencing the table.

"No," he said. "We won't antagonize him—yet. Kuroka made the right call not pushing him further. For now, we let him be."

From the far side of the room, a voice finally chimed in—soft, feminine, amused.

"Well. That certainly sounds like our Hero."

They all turned as Morgan le Fay stood from her seat in the shadows. When she had arrived, none of them had noticed. She had been sitting there all along, blending into the quiet with her usual unnerving grace.

She wore long violet robes embroidered with mystic sigils, and her eyes shimmered like distant stars—always knowing, always veiled. Her presence exuded nobility, magic, and mystery.

"Don't speak like you know him," Jeanne said, eyeing her warily.

Morgan only smiled faintly. "I don't. But I recognize the type. A true Hero. Not the kind who marches under banners—but the kind who acts on instinct. The kind who saves a village not because it's his mission, but because he must."

"Hmph," Georg muttered. "You speak like you've watched him."

"Perhaps I have." She turned to Kuroka. "So. He refused our invitation. That's fine. Not everyone sees the truth at first glance."

Morgan slowly circled the table, her steps light but measured.

"He's dangerous," Jeanne said bluntly. "If he's not with us, he's a threat."

Morgan tilted her head. "Or he's just a man trying to live in peace. Until someone gives him a reason not to."

The room went still. The implication was clear. Jeanne frowned. "You're defending him?"

"I'm advising caution," Morgan said with a faint, cool smile. "We don't know what made him that way. But if he truly meant what he said... then picking a fight with him would be... unwise."

Cao Cao watched her carefully. "You're unusually interested in him."

Morgan paused by the far end of the table. "A being who appears out of nowhere with no clear allegiance, immense power, and no fear of factions or gods? Anyone with sense should be interested."

"Still," Jeanne muttered, "you're not usually this vocal. And you rarely come to meetings."

Morgan's smile remained unchanged. "I go where I'm needed. Today... I felt the need to listen."

Kuroka stared at her from across the room, her eyes narrowing slightly. Something about Morgan had always felt off. Everyone believed she was the reincarnation of the legendary witch, born into this era like the others in the Hero Faction.

But no one really knew where she came from.

Not even the magic that tracked heroic bloodlines could confirm her origin. She had simply appeared one day, offered her power, and proven herself indispensable. No one dared question her. Not openly.

Cao Cao eventually broke the silence.

"Regardless, we move forward. If this Kousuke interferes again—we'll respond accordingly. But not yet."

He turned to Morgan. "Any objections?"

"None," she said, inclining her head. "Though... if you do plan to challenge him, be certain you don't touch the ones he cares about."

Jeanne scoffed. "Why? Afraid he'll come for you next?"

Morgan chuckled. "Quite the opposite. I'd rather he come to me. On his own."

With that, Morgan shimmered and vanished in a flicker of runes—leaving behind only the scent of crushed lavender and the tension of veiled threats.

The room fell silent again, but the temperature felt colder.

"…Should we be worried?" Kuroka asked hesitantly.

Cao Cao's gaze lingered on the space Morgan had occupied.

"Yes," he said. "About both of them."

...

Elsewhere.

In a forgotten manor built on overlapping leylines, Morgan le Fay stood before a mirror, removing the circlet from her brow. Her reflection shimmered faintly—not with magic, but with memories.

The Other World's sky. A promise unspoken.

"...So you finally returned," she murmured, brushing a hand over the glass.

She had waited so long. Longer than he would ever know. When she first arrived in this world, she had been lost and confused. Everything around her was foreign and unrecognizable. It was his words that rang in her mind, giving her the motivation to keep moving forward. Maybe one day, he would return—and when he did, she would look forward to their reunion.

Everything started the day she realized the truth about the Other World. Then the Demon God appeared before her. That was the last memory she had before waking up on Earth.

After traveling around the world, she found the reincarnation of 'Morgan', killed her, and took her place. Eventually, she joined the Hero Faction, which led to this moment.

"I wonder," she whispered, eyes glinting with something between longing and calculation, "will you recognize me first... or will I have to make you remember?"

Her lips curved slightly.

"Either way, we'll meet soon, my Hero."

...

That's the end of Volume 1: Returner.