Rose petals filled the air with fragrance, drifting in the wind as if dancing to the tunes flying in the sky.

Because it rained a little yesterday, the neighborhood was a bit damp, which made several petals stick on the rooftops or fall into small puddles.

It's a mess.

Although the sight of petals flying and the fragrance of rose is pleasant, it isn't worth the clutter and the trouble to clean it. After a while, the petals will also wither and release foul odor mixed with the rainwater.

Above a certain house, a voice resounded in the form of a song. It wasn't particularly amazing or awful. Average would be the correct word to describe such singing ability.

However, in such commotion, no other voice was heard besides it or someone to listen to it. After all, with each petal falling and a tune dropping.. a body hit the floor.

As unnatural silence filled the street, the workers who moved the furniture, the cleaners who were supposed to clean the petals, and even the shocked neighbors whom some of them were about to fill some noise complaints are now laying flat on the ground.

Their closed eyes twitched and their lips moved like they were experiencing a nightmare. It's like they experienced something terrifying.

But the figure behind this scene didn't even flinch. Nero nodded proudly at their reaction as if she's saying 'As I expected'. It seems for this emperor; such a result emerges from their astonishment and shock as they admired her singing.

It reminded her of Rome and her subjects as they listened to her songs and showed almost identical responses. It seems she didn't regress after those years, which she took for granted as Nero nodded again.

However, as Nero and her broken common sense admired the 'gift' she bestowed on the people here, a golden flash crossed the street at an imaginable speed.

The speeding golden light faced no obstacle. It phased through objects and walls as it passed from one house to another.

*Slap!* *Slap!*

"MUDA!!"

Invisible to the naked eye, Gold Experience flew across the whole street, slapping each person. While screaming its battle cry, its palms shone with a golden aura as the full of vitality mana smacked the people on the face.

The scene was like someone grabbing a healing spell and beating people with it. Gold Experience didn't spare anyone, old or young, all of them got slapped awake.

People woke up in confusion as they felt their cheeks warm, but there was no pain. They didn't remember anything and because of Gold Experience's speed, they woke up almost instantly after blacking out.

Unable to figure out what happened in these few moments, they could only shrug off this weird feeling and return to what they were doing. Of course, if they saw the red handprint on their faces, they would think something else.

Gold Experience nodded before it flashed and disappeared into the only house that wasn't affected by the demonic singing.

A small wind spirit in the form of a tiny kitten was cleaning itself on top of the roof as the air trembled around it. From its small body, an invisible barrier of wind stood as a curtain, blocking most of the incoming sounds from Nero's house.

"..."

Coming out of his room, Leo descended the stairs as his expression was clouded and dark. It was the type of face that would make kids cry. Not even Venom wanted to talk after witnessing it.

This day is just.. unfortunate. No, unfortunate would be an underestimation.

Not only did he have to cover and fix someone else's supernatural phenomena, which he absolutely hates to do, Leo got kicked to the balls by his Gacha games. Across five games, he only got one SSR.

The situation was so absurd that Leo had to come out to cool down. Yes, he was madder about his games than the idiot emperor shenanigans.

The thought of using his massive wealth to sweep these games crossed his mind, but no, that would mean he lost to the Gacha like those whales.

"For the love of.. why this day is so unfortunate" Shaking his head, Leo quickly saw his father and mother who were still flabbergasted by the commotion outside.

"Leo, did you see that?"

As taken by surprise, Richard quickly said, but his surprise wasn't shared with his son. Instead, he felt strange seeing his son a bit pissed off.

"Yeah, about that.. Can we call the cops?"

Leo opened the subject with shocking words as his father's expression changed and said "What? No, why do you want to call the cops?"

"Uhhhh, noise complaints and.. littering?" Leo pointed at the rose petals stuck on the windows.

"Leo, don't joke about such things. It isn't good and disrespectful" Minami scolded Leo's behavior like always before she returned her attention to the outside.

"I'm not joking.." Leo said helplessly, but he stopped because he knew the cops weren't enough. Maybe he should call the army.

{And how are you going to do that?} The green orb on the necklace shone.

{I have my ways}

The conversation between a dragon and an angel ended quickly.

"Don't be silly. We're just a bit shocked by such.. performance" Richard spoke as surprise still lingered in his tone.

Not even in his dreams, he thought the new neighbor would appear in such a fashion, especially if this is Japan. Such things are unlikely to happen here. But they witnessed the petals falling and the singing, even if it felt too muffled for some reason. Maybe because of the distance.

Leo gave a thumb up to a small kitten floating next to the window. The wind spirit's green eyes blinked before it tried to imitate Leo's gesture, but when the cat raised its paw, it discovered the lack of the thumb.

However, it tried anyway and ended up spinning in mid-air after hitting itself.

Holding his chest, Leo resisted the attack of cuteness and coughed.

"But now that I think about it, her name is a bit.. is she role-playing? Or maybe it's just a show name"

Richard didn't think the full name of Rome's fifth emperor was that girl's legit name. Also, who uses such long names in this day and age?

"If she is, then she's doing a pretty bad job. So, about the cops, the po-po, the barney, the army.. what?" Leo clicked his tongue before he noticed Richard's weird stares.

"Do you perhaps and by any chance know her?"

"No, she's a stranger. But as a new neighbor, such unreserved actions are rather very impolite"

{Look who's talking} Instant answer. This made Richard's eyes narrow.

".."

".."

The son and father duo stared at each other silently. Both of them didn't budge as they didn't want to admit defeat.

"C'mon, why don't you share this with your old man?"

"Hm? Share what? I think you're imagining things. Maybe it's the stress of work"

"Are you telling me your reaction is all a figment of my imagination?"

"My reaction is normal, but you should rest. As your son, I can't bear to see your health getting worse and unable to do anything. Can't you consider my feelings?"

"Is that so? I'm overjoyed that my son thinks deeply about me, but I just got an idea. How about we invite the new neighbor for dinner today? She seemed to have moved here alone. We should show her a warm welcome as she did now.. don't you think so?"

"Indeed, I think it's a great idea. You should do it now"

As if sparks would come flying between them, Leo and Richard had a calm smiling face. It's a battle between a father who wanted to dig into his son's dark history and someone who didn't want more headaches.

"Cut it off, you two. However, about the dinner, I don't know what to do" Minami felt this whole subject became a bit of a hassle.

After all, this new neighbor is unique, to say the least, and she didn't know what she should do. Ignore it? Probably the best solution, but what if this continues?

*Ding~* *Dong~*

Abruptly, when the father and son duo were still daring each other, the doorbell resounded. Considering the situation, it was so sudden and made the family of three stare at each other.

"I'll answer it"

Without giving them a chance, Leo slipped out from the living room and headed towards the house entrance.

"Pffff.."

At the entrance, Leo ignored the laugh behind him as he exhaled. His eyes became sharp and glanced habitually at the surroundings.

There wasn't much to see. A small carpet, a hanging flower basket, and a shoe cabinet, which had some souvenirs on top of it. Leo didn't think much as his eyes landed on top of one of the souvenirs.

It's an old small statue of a golden red cat raising its paw. This is a Maneki-Neko, which is often believed to bring good luck and wealth. Usually put in front of shops and similar places.

{Maneki-Neko, it has a short tail. Age above ten. Colors consist of red; distortion could be applied and turned into Bakeneko..}

In an instant, the origin of the statue was deduced and its symbolism distorted. Leo didn't stop here and continued calculation.

Because of the rain, the outside is Cold and Wet following the water, therefore the inside is Hot and Dry following the fire. The rose petals and the wind spirit brought distortion of red and yellow on the water element in the exterior. This makes the interior peaceful and the outdoor chaotic. A door stands between these two domains and a Bakeneko with a cut-off tail acts as a guardian..

Before the figure outside the door and even the Red Dragon Emperor felt a trace of mana, Leo already formed the spell and sat its domain. An Onmyoudou spell twisted by the western elemental world view.

Putting his middle finger and thumb together, Leo snapped his fingers as a tiny amount of mana flickered. No need to use a lot, just a trace is enough to act as a trigger. If any experienced magician faced this, they would back away and take defense knowing the opponent had taken over the domain.

However, ..

*Snap!* *Snap!* *Snap!*

Leo snapped his fingers several times, but nothing happened. The entrance is normal and the motionless cat statue seemed to be mocking the young man. At this moment, he realized something.

The ethereal domain that subconsciously emits from his body. The field that currently looks worse than an ill patient on their dying bed. Yeah, the AIM field is not responding.

Lowering his hand slowly, Leo looked down.. This is embarrassing.

{PFFFFFFF!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!}

As the thunderous laughter of Ddraig filled his mind, Leo didn't even have the mood to argue with this dragon.

He just didn't want to strain his currently frail body, so he used an environment-based spell. A harmless and simple illusion spell based on the shapeshifting cat, Bakeneko, to confuse the emperor outside and let her leave.

A very simple spell. So simple that most magicians will give him a middle finger for claiming that mixing two magic systems instantly is simple.

However, because of habit, he forgot that his AIM field is currently disabled, so he can't use it as a base and medium for magic. Without it, the other world's magic system is useless.

Using the AIM field as a base for magic, and Idol Theory nonetheless! Maybe if Aleister Crowley heard this, he'll finally choke on the liquid inside his upside-down tube.

Forcing down the embarrassment that rivals biting down your tongue while chanting, Leo comforted himself with the fact that no one saw it and opened the door. He's still ignoring the rolling Red Dragon inside the Longinus.

Leo opened the door with a blank face and what greeted him was a flamboyant figure with one of the biggest smiles ever.

"Ohhh! Greetings, my Praetor! After a farewell, I, Nero, have finally arrive-"

*Slam!*

Without waiting for Nero to finish, Leo slammed the door closed, leaving the emperor of Rome blinking her green eyes.

Suddenly, the door opened again and revealed Leo. He looked at Nero up and down for a moment before he slammed the door shut again. Nero didn't even know how to react at his point.

"Job well done." Feeling a little better, Leo dusted off his hands and made his way inside.

Now, he'll just say it's a random salesman and ignore the problem. After all, as a pro procrastinator, he shall deal with this trouble tomorrow!

But then, he quickly froze.

"...."

"Need help with that door answering, my good and honest son?" From the corner of the hallway, Leo saw his father wearing an easy-going smile.

"Nah, I'm good. It's just a salesman"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I'm quite interested in what they are offering, so I grabbed some cash. I'll be back in a minute"

In a completely natural fashion, Leo did a 180-degree turn and left the house from the entrance.

After Leo was gone, Richard couldn't hold it anymore and started laughing while his wife gave him a stare.

"Hahaha, how long has it been since you saw your son this frustrated?"

"Aren't you being too childish?"

"Stop trying to sound considerate. Admit it, you're as curious about this as I am, no, even more!"

Minami rolled her eyes at her husband, but she didn't deny it. She was very curious about this turn of events. For a stranger, and annoying one on top of that, it is already a big surprise to not be treated like air by her son.

Him not recalling his neighbors for more than ten years is enough evidence.

"Ah, as I expected! This was an oriental tradition! As I thought from my Praetor. Hm?"

Seeing Leo coming out of the house, the perplexed Nero finally brightened up. However, without saying a word, Leo dragged her back to her house while looking for something on his phone.

The neighbors spotted this scene as they whispered, but the two didn't give them a mind until they entered the house and went upstairs. The workers continued their job normally, even if they felt this scene was strange. But their employer seemed to be completely fine and neighbors apparently knew the previous young man.

"Now, what is the meaning of this?"

At the empty upper floor, Leo turned to the smiling Nero and asked after a long breath.

"Umu! Are you amazed? Naturally! Now, you must be wondering how I did it.." Nero's smile grew wider and prouder, but then, it crumbled from a simple sentence.

"Golden Rule A.." Leo didn't raise his head from the phone while Nero froze.

"Nero, huh? The only relative of a deceased Italian billionaire. He left his entire fortune in addition to his jewelry business to his last family member, Nero Claudius. I guess with such wealth, giving the previous neighbor a great deal and making them leave is simple as breathing for you"

"U-umu.."

{Do you think I need Clairvoyance to know stuff? Fools! I have unlimited access to the internet, but what is this?} Leo continues to dig into Nero's 'identity' as his expression keeps darkening {What is this shit? A whole new identity?! This is discrimination!!}

Putting the subject of wealth aside, Nero has a new identity. A very solid identity like she lived her entire life in this world. Leo knows by fact that Nero has no history-changing power or whatsoever, so this leaves one option.

"This world.."

A whole new identity, a wealthy one too. This is a treatment that even the Chat Members didn't receive. They didn't even get a normal identity while the completely unrelated Nero, who is like a tourist to the world, obtained a brand new one. This is pure discrimination!

After a few breaths, Leo calmed down and put his phone away. He glanced over at Nero who was feeling a bit down. She probably had a ploy to impress him, but it ended before it started.

{You should have read the atmosphere and played along} The Red Dragon Emperor gave the basic answer, which any normal person would have done.

{Then what? Going for three rounds of cliché development? I'd rather die!} Leo retorted instantly before he said to Nero "Again, what is the meaning of this?"

"Meaning of what?"

"The whole singing farce"

"Oh?! Did I fascinate you with my flawless performance? Absolutely! Although my performance is naturally out of this world, I made sure to train and prepare. After all, this is my reunion gift to my Praetor!"

Nero declared with great enthusiasm and no hint of shame or hesitation.

".. I can see that"

{You can?!} Ddraig was shocked.

{The mental pollution increased}

{...}

Unaware of the speechless Red Dragon and headache Pure Angel duo, Nero continued "Umu, I wanted to arrive faster, but I lost connection with my Praetor and a mere doll with no life (the clone) is not worthy of my brilliance. Umu, I know my Praetor waited for my performance so I delayed until you came back!"

"Ah, you mean that 'accident'. Oh well, you seem rather calm about it and.. complete" Leo wondered how Nero is still materialized if she stopped receiving his mana during that period.

"Of course! I have full faith and trust in my Praetor to succeed in his ordeal. I believe, even if I wasn't here and no matter what happens, that my Praetor would always emerge victorious"

"...." Leo stared at Nero speechlessly.

Blind trust? Maybe just overconfidence from her massive ego. He didn't know where they came from, but for someone like him, who never succeeded in anything, to receive such words and feelings.

It's annoying. So irritating. These expectations..

Leo shook his head and threw these thoughts behind him. At least, this saved him from dealing with the worried looks and words. This life or the past one, he hated those the most. He just.. can't deal with them.

"Anyway, stop it. Get some help.. No, wrong, just stop it"

"Hm?" Nero tilted her head in confusion before Leo said "The whole demonic singing, stop it"

"Hmmm, I know my Praetor liked my performance and wanted to enjoy it alone, but as an artist, my glory needs to be shared with the world! This was also my gift for the people in this place. They must be overjoyed"

"No, stop, don't say more. Also, no. No one is overjoyed and they didn't enjoy the mental pollut-.. I mean, your singing"

"I don't understand what my Praetor is saying. For my art to be something that baffles even the gods, there's no way they weren't mesmerized"

"Mesmerized in nightmares.. *sigh* why do I even bother" Leo sighed and stopped.

{For someone with anger issues, you're surprisingly tolerant about her. I guess she holds a special position for you} The green orb shone as Ddraig's voice resounded in Leo's mind.

Despite not knowing why this old dragon became so talkative these days, Leo still retorted {Special what? It's not that I'm tolerating her, it's just.. I can't deal with her and it'll be a pain to even try. Ddraig, do you know the skill Imperial Privilege?}

{Hm? It's the one that you kept cursing in the back of your mind}

Imperial Privilege is an ability that allows its owner to obtain skills that are essentially impossible for them to acquire for a short period of time. This is the ability that Nero used to get the skill [Golden Rule A] and be blessed with wealth.

{I'll tell you that everyone with this skill is self-centered blockhead whose insistence is too strong and began to distort reality. As for Nero, she's too compatible with it and has it at Rank EX! Do you know what this means?} Leo felt his current headache is increasing.

{Her skull is thicker than a bolder and her ego has more mass than a black hole, especially if it's about arts such as singing! No matter what I say, it'll basically not reach her..}

The Roman Emperors were no different from the Gods to their people. It could be said to be the ultimate unfair advantage. An ability that may well only be described as an unreasonable cheat code.

{This damn world isn't letting me use a simple spell, but it lets the walking cheat code do whatever it wants!? This is true discrimination! Screw you, world!} Leo cursed the entire world and rubbed his temples to ease the headache "Ugh"

Venom tried to cast a soothing magic from DXD, but it had little to no effect. Leo's condition is just bad and this headache is uncalled for.

{Uh-huh.. What are you going to do?}

{I'll do nothing. Even if I somehow managed to pass her thick skull, I'll be lucky if she didn't fight me to death for her artistic integrity because of my criticisms. Maybe my head will fly too..}

Suddenly, Leo's thoughts came to a halt as a bad feeling filled Ddraig. He raised his head and was sure it was there. The damn grin. The one could even mistake it for a slight smile, but Ddraig has seen enough.

The Red Dragon Emperor jumped deep inside the Longinus to sleep. He doesn't want any of this.

"Well, maybe this isn't too hopeless.." Leo nodded for himself a few times as Nero was watching.

Nero felt Leo is a bit different today, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Although the moment he seemed normal, then in pain, were weird, they weren't what she's feeling.

However, her Praetor didn't give her time to think. Walking to Nero, Leo stood closely in front of Nero.

The Roman Emperor had to raise her head a bit to meet Leo's eyes because of the height difference, but this didn't change her expression at all. Her aura of proudness and confidence didn't even flicker at something trivial as height.

"Nero.." With his eyes locked on Nero, Leo said "What I'm to you?"

"Someone very beautiful. So beautiful that your gorgeousness shines magnifice-" Nero answered instantly.

"Stop!"

Leo almost took out Black Barrel again, but he held it in and said " What do you usually call me?"

"My Praetor, of course! Umu!" Figuring the question, Nero said the title and position she bestowed on Leo energetically.

"Good, then by this title and position, you should hear and understand my opinion. After all, the emperor needs to understand the situation to make a wise decision. Of course, your decision is always correct as an emperor, but you should listen to your people for a bit"

Thinking about it, Nero nodded her head slowly. There was nothing wrong with it. The emperor's decision is absolute, but like her Praetor said, it's also nice to listen to the thoughts of her citizens.

"I'm glad we could reach an agreement. Now, Nero. My thoughts about your previous singing.. From a human point of view, it's bad. Too bad, in fact, the people outside didn't pass out from amazement. They blackout because of how horrible it was" Leo stated the truth bluntly as if it's a casual thing to do.

Silence.

The atmosphere seemed to be freezing at this point as the two figures stared at each other.

{Well, it worked..} Leo's eyes met Nero's as he saw several emotions flash in them.

Confusion, disbelief, and anger. Too much wrath that it made Leo quite surprised she didn't attack him on the spot.

{I guess I hit a big nerve..}

For someone who considers herself as an artist before an emperor, Leo's words hit the final nerve.

Nero without doubt loves her art with burning passion. She will even go to great lengths to protect her artistic integrity.

There was once her friend, Tacitus, who she almost murdered on the spot just because he said he doesn't understand 80% of her art.

Meanwhile, Leo's words were more like ' Lol, you suck, git gud'. The fact that he's still safely standing still amazes him.

"Are you aware of your words?" After a long time, Nero spoke with a heavy voice.

"Yes, completely aware" Leo felt the anger in Nero's eyes will turn into flames at this point, but he still stared without backing away and said " Nero, what I'm to you"

No answer.

Nero continued looking at Leo as the latter did the same. Not until another period of time she spoke "... My Praetor"

This time it was much heavier.

"I see. Then by this title, I should do my job, which is to advise you. Think about it, do you say it's okay for your audience to pass out each time you play?"

"Don't answer me yet. I know it's your art and you'll not change it. Of course, why change it for some nobodies. But.. think about it. You watched those idol concerts, right?"

Leo's words seemed to work as the wrath in Nero's eyes decreased.

"Don't you want your audience to cheer for you? Don't you desire to hear them screaming your name? Don't you wish for them to share with you the joy of art, instead of unconscious admiration?"

As if he hit a different type of nerve, Nero started to calm down and nodded slowly. Even so, the light in her eyes still burns brightly.

It was so bright as Leo saw the burning passion within them. {She really loves art, huh..}

One of the main reasons why Nero's Imperial Privilege is so high is because of her strong passion. It fueled this cheat-like ability into something even more extraordinary.

However, for the person in front of her, this only gave Leo a weird feeling.

He and she were the complete opposite. After all, his passion has long since it died, although there was a time when he was passionate about everything, especially...

This thought only left bitterness and a rather annoying feeling on top of it.

Nero frowned. Although it's for an instant, the look in Leo's eyes didn't escape her.

"My Praetor.. Even if you said so, I, Nero Claudius, will n-"

"No, you don't understand! If you continue, who will look at your art again and share its joy with you? Think, Nero, think! What will you have left if you proceed like this?"

Leo put his fingers on both of his temples and asked Nero.

"You, my Praetor. I'll still have you" Without a second thought, Nero said as Leo lowered his hands.

"....." Staring at her for a few seconds, Leo said "Don't think this will work on me. Anyway, I said what I have. Be free to ignore it"

With those words, Leo walked away. There's nothing more for him to say.

But then, a voice resounded from behind him.

"Hmmm, after insulting my art that rivals Apollo, you want to leave simply.. Umu, if my Praetor said all of that, what would you suggest?" Closing her eyes for a moment, Nero's gaze landed on the leaving Leo.

Leo subconsciously wanted to say 'Yeah, I'm leaving after insulting you', but he flinched when he heard the second part.

{Impossible. Did I actually reach through her massive ego?}

Although Leo knows Nero is only asking verbally and she'll do whatever she wants, the fact she asked is a big progress.

This crazy feat made Leo even think of finding a way to Naruto world to challenge the master of Talk no Jutsu himself.

"Well, start by making your song a bit digestible to the human mind"

"I know a way... several ways to do it, but think of it yourself. I believe that you'll succeed. After all, the person needs to figure his path in life on his own, blablabla, shonen this, shoujo that.."

"Hmph! Then what are my Praetor's thoughts about it?" Nero said to the disappearing figure.

"You need more practice. By the way, try to mentally pollute my parents again and I'll gladly offer you a one-way ticket to the heroic throne. Byeeee~~"

Hearing the voice getting further and further, Nero's wrinkled eyebrows loosened a bit, but the look in her eyes still showed her anger.

However, she did nothing except look out of the window as if she's thinking about something.

The feeling Leo gave her today was a bit strange. If she would put it into words it'll be "Embers smother by the wind"

Shaking her head, she glanced at this house.

Very lacking. Too lacking for her presence. A smile of challenge crossed her slips. She's now prepared to remodel this house from upside down.

Meanwhile, Leo left his previous neighbor and the current Nero's house and headed back home.

"Well, with this, she'll be too occupied to spread mental pollution here. I guess she'll succeed by that time. Jeez, I feel like I opened a Pandora box just now" Leo shrugged.

It's rather one of his hobbies these days to open Pandora boxes. This pandora and her scattered boxes everywhere. She has no shame.

Leo shook his head at such audacity before he heard a voice in his head {You seems to be believing she'll definitely succeed, my lord}

"Of course, unlike me, she's an almighty genius" Leo replied to Venom before he opened the door and entered his home.

However, Leo didn't even make it past the hallway before he faced the prying eyes of his father.

"What?"

"Nothing. But it seems you took quite the time with this salesman and bought nothing"

"...."

Leo sighed secretly. Then, as if he raised the white flag, he said " Do you really want to know everything?"

Richard's eyes flashed and said " Of course, I'm all ears"

"Fine.." Holding his fo-->>

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