Lying on his couch reading a book Rory Blackwood listened to the person chatting through the earpiece he was wearing.
"Just keep an eye on things on your end." He said after the person on the other end of the call stopped talking. "I've got my end covered so you don't need to worry."
He listened for a few more minutes.
"Yes I'm sure of it. Okay I'll speak to you later then, goodbye." He switched the earpiece off and put it on the table before continuing to read.
The next day at Kuoh Academy Rory was having lunch in his usual spot in a small clearing behind some trees. Not many people came there seeing as it was nearly invisible so he found it the perfect opportunity to go and relax while having his lunch. If he didn't have this hiding place he would be swarmed with girls like he normally was when not in class. Really he couldn't blame them; most of the guys who went to this school were mostly perverts or idiots who only dreamed about getting a bunch of girlfriends. Since the school only recently turned co-ed the girls vastly outnumbered the boys.
At six feet two inches tall, with an athletic build along with mixed blue/grey eyes and short spiky brown hair which was in fact naturally spiky with no gel involved made him quite a catch to a good portion of the girls. This was only cemented by his gentleman like personality. If he acted like the most of the other boys in the school then he would lose a good portion of his followers. But he couldn't do it, his upbringing and general personality just wouldn't let him. So basically he was the bleeding man stuck in shark infested waters.
Although the fan club was just ridiculous, he really needed to find out who started that and see if he could put an end to it, discreetly of course.
At least he wasn't alone in the suffering. Kiba Yuuto was a second year student with blonde hair and grey eyes with a small mole under his left eye. He was also considered the Prince of Kuoh.
Although Kiba was known as the prince Rory was actually called the King of Kuoh, he found that slightly creepy. But he had to admit that it was a bit fun playing the role, if a bit tiring sometimes. But helping out people with their problems and giving advice was something he was glad to do. He could also safely say the girls at the school had some pretty good imaginations judging by the stories they made up about him.
A couple of days later Rory was making his way home from school when he was stopped by someone calling out to him. It was a girl around the same age as him; she had long black hair that reached her hips, violet eyes and was wearing a school uniform he didn't recognise.
"Hello?" Rory half said/asked.
"Hello." The girl said nervously. "Your name is Rory Blackwood right...M-my name is Yuuma Amano, please go out with me!"
Everybody walking through the area stopped and stared. Most of them being girls from his school, it was a slightly awkward scene.
"I'm sorry, you're a beautiful woman and I'm sure a very nice person but I can't go out with you. Any other point I would have been happy to go out with you but I can't right now, I have too many responsibilities to consider dating." Rory told her apologetically.
Yuuma looked down "Oh."
"I am sorry it must have been hard to ask me out here in public like this. It just goes to show how brave you are, any guy would be lucky to go out with you but I can't." Rory said.
It may have been a bit over the top even for him, but being watched by so many students from his school meant he would have to play his King of Kuoh persona.
Rory started to walk away but before getting to far turned around. "Hey I have no doubt that you will find someone who you will be happy with, and who will deserve such a beautiful lady as yourself."
While making his way through town Rory was approached by a brown haired woman. She was wearing a red vampire like cosplay dress with small bat wings coming from her back.
"Your wish will be granted." She told him while handing him a pamphlet.
As she walked away Rory examined the pamphlet. It was an occult looking magical circle, the same words that the woman spoke were written underneath the circle. He crumpled up the pamphlet and found a close by bin to throw it into.
Making his way home he cut through a park, only to find Yuuma Amano standing in front of him.
"So I guess you got bored following me then?" Rory asked.
She looked surprised but quickly glared at him and spoke with a voice that was sultrier, more mature then before. "I would say that this is nothing personal but you made it so when you rejected me. For that I'm going to kill you slowly, no lowly human rejects Raynare of the Grigori."
With that she changed, becoming taller and more mature in appearance. Her clothes stripped away from her body disintegrating as new clothes formed on her. If she was to walk out in the day with her new outfit she would have definitely been arrested. Black leather strips barely covered the middle of her breasts along with a strip under her breasts with another one just above her navel. The thong she wore was also black leather and she wore high heel thigh high boots along with black shoulder guards. She looked like a stripper or an S and M model, and even though the outfit was definitely attention grabbing what appeared next was even more so, they were black feather wings which appeared on her back and spread out dramatically.
"If you want to blame anyone for this then blame the god who put that sacred gear inside you." Raynare said creating a purple spear of light in her right hand before throwing it.
Rory just lifted a hand and lazily swatted the spear away like it was nothing more than an annoying fly.
"What?!" Raynare was shocked but quickly formed another spear and threw it again, only to achieve the same results.
"Are you done killing me yet because I would like to get home?" Rory asked.
Raynare formed another spear and started to fly up before charging straight at Rory. She got close before suddenly being hit by some invisible force, then all she knew was pain before darkness crept along her vision and fell unconscious.
Grimacing slightly Rory stared at the now destroyed trees Raynare had crashed into, well more like through. "Next time don't use to much force, I don't want to ruin the scenery after all. Now to deal with the other one, you can come out now Koneko, no use in hiding."
The petite white haired girl with golden eyes that was widely regarded as Kuoh Academy's mascot and member of the Occult Research Club stepped out from behind a tree and asked in her usual stoic tone. "How?"
"How did I beat that fallen angel or how did I know you were following me, meh who knows." Rory shrugged and quickly left the park before anything else could happen.
The next day at school during lunch Rory received a visitor before he could leave the classroom. Kiba Yuuto the Prince of Kuoh, a blonde haired grey eyed student with a small mole under his left eye. He was a second year student the same as Rory and like Koneko was also a member of the Occult Research Club.
"Rory Blackwood." He said approaching Rory's desk with his prince like smile.
Rory smiled back, and a good portion of the girls collapsed, some with nosebleeds. The combined might of the two boy's smiles and aura's overwhelming there fan girl senses.
"Yes how can I help you Kiba Yuuto?" Rory asked ignoring the scene around him.
"I'm here to bring you to the Occult Research Club; our President wants to have a talk with you." Kiba told him.
"I'm sorry but I have to decline, I have other business to take care of right now." Rory said as he picked up his stuff.
"I insist it is important." Kiba said.
Rory's smile widened slightly. "I am sorry but I can't, if it is that important then Rias Gremory can find me in person after school and I will probably have the time to talk but I do have responsibilities I take seriously so I can't in good conscious guarantee anything."
Inside his mind Rory was applauding his own performance.
Kiba sighed slightly. "Very well, I will tell Buchou that. She will be disappointed though."
"I admit I'm slightly disappointed myself. I may not know all the details but if it was truly as important as you are suggesting then why didn't she come to me first originally?" Rory asked and had to suppress a smirk as he heard the other students start to whisper.
Kiba's eyes flashed in annoyance but only Rory saw. He turned and left the classroom, Rory waited a few seconds before leaving himself and after arriving at his regular eating spot pulled out his smartphone.
The end of the school day had come a little too fast for Rory's liking, he wasn't looking forward to dealing with Rias. There was absolutely no surprise seeing the red haired buxom third year President of the Occult Research Club appear at his class looking for him.
"Rory Blackwood."
"What can I do for you Rias Gremory?" Rory asked.
"I would like to talk to you concerning the business you were involved with last night at the park." Rias told him. "If you would follow me to the Occult Research Club room then we can properly discuss this matter."
"Ah yes the one involving Koneko and the attacker, nasty business. But everything worked out in the end." Rory said and there were a few sharp gasps and a lot of whispers went around, both inside the class and those who were listening outside.
Rias's eyes widened slightly but she caught herself before it became too obvious. She realised just what exactly he did, while he didn't lie he was still able to get people thinking in the direction he wanted. Now the school was going to believe that Rory had rescued Koneko last night, but she could use that. She also realised he wasn't someone that she could manipulate so easily. She would have to be careful with him.
"Yes and I would like to invite you to a cup of tea at our clubroom." Rias told him.
Rory smiled and nodded. "Well then I would be more than happy. Please lead the way."
It didn't take long to get to the old school building where the Occult Research Club was located. Entering the building she led him to a large room, it was a wood panelled room with couches and chairs along the walls. There was also a large desk and occult looking artefacts around the room, on the floor was a large magic circle, the same one from the leaflet Rory received just before the incident with Raynare. Kiba and Koneko were sitting in the room along with Akeno Himejima who was a third year student with long black hair tied in a ponytail that reached her knees, violet eyes and while being shorter then Rias actually had a more buxom figure.
Without any prompting Rory took a seat on one of the couches while Rias sat behind the desk.
"I have things I need to do today so why don't we just get straight to the point. You're Rias Gremory of the Gremory clan, you're a devil and so is everyone else in this room who are members of your peerage." Rory said accepting a cup of tea from Akeno. "Yes I know all these things now why don't we just get to the questions you want to ask me."
"Very well, who are you and what faction do you work for?" Rias asked.
"My name is Rory Blackwood, and I don't work for any faction. I'm a sacred gear user who was trained by another sacred gear user. Although I do happen to use magic as well, it's more of a hobby then anything serious though." He told them the cover story that he came up with if discovered by and supernatural factions.
"Did you know that this is devil territory?" Rias asked.
"Well I know that devils claimed this area as their own. But I don't belong to any faction, the laws I follow are human ones and unless this place is turned into an official embassy for devils then as far as I'm concerned you've got the same amounts of rights over this area as anyone else, no more and no less." Rory said.
Rias looked shocked for a second before quickly schooling her features. "I see, so you truly have no connection to any group then?"
"Nope, this tea is excellent by the way." Rory said nodding at Akeno.
"Thank you." The black haired girl smiled at him.
"Rory Blackwood I am offering you an invitation to join my peerage." Rias told him.
His answer was instant. "No."
"What." Rias blinked. "Maybe you're unsure of what a peerage is, maybe I should explain."
"No I know exactly what a peerage is and how evil pieces work, my answer is no." Rory said.
"You don't have to answer now; you can take some time to think it over before giving your answer." Rias said with a beautiful smile. "In the meantime I would like to know what kind of sacred gear you have."
"How rude, don't you know it's impolite to ask a person what kind of sacred gear they have? You're asking me to reveal what lays in my very soul to you, pervert." Rory said turning bashful.
The looks he received almost made him lose the shy look and burst out laughing.
He heard giggling and turned his head to see Akeno covering her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking slightly.
"My my it seems you've been found out Rias."
"Akeno!" Rias said shooting the black haired girl a quick glare that only made her giggle harder.
"I never thought about it like that before, but it does seem like an intimate thing when put like that." Kiba mused.
"Anyway back on topic, I already know my answer and I'm not going to join your peerage." Rory told her.
"There are many advantageous with becoming a devil." Rias said trying to convince him.
Rory had to admit she got points for persistence at that least. "Oh and what are those then?"
"Devils have a much longer lifespan then humans." Rias said smiling again.
"It's not the time that matters it's the person."
"Devils are naturally stronger than humans and can gain extraordinary power." Rias told him.
"I have all the power I need."
Rias's smile was starting to get a little strained. "You can achieve fame and fortune as you move up the ranks of the devils."
"I have all the fame and fortune I want."
"You will have the chance to get your own peerage when you achieve the rank of high class devil." Rias said.
"I don't care about anything like that. Really I have no intention of ever joining your peerage." Rory told her with an amused smile.
"And just why is that?" Rias asked.
"Well for one I like being human, also I would never join the group of someone who would watch me die just so you can resurrect and enslave me." Rory said.
"Wha -"
"Oh don't try and deny anything, it was your familiar that gave me that leaflet which had your summoning circle on. You had Koneko there following me even before the fallen angel attack. You knew they were going to make a move on me; it wasn't a coincidence that your familiar gave me the leaflet just after Raynare tried that whole act on me. When I threw it away you then had Koneko follow me so she could summon you when I was dying or at least that was your plan." Rory said and finished his tea.
The atmosphere in the clubroom had turned tense.
"Well thanks for the tea but I better get going now." Rory said standing up and walking to the door glad they didn't try to stop him, he didn't want to fight.
"That….didn't go as expected." Kiba said.
Rias stood up. "No it didn't, I'm going to have to talk to Sona about this. To think we had someone like him under our noses the entire time." She then sighed. "She isn't going to be happy about this."
"You mean about your plans? Well she does take the safety of the school's students very seriously." Akeno said.
Rias sighed again knowing that she was going to be getting an earful from Sona.
The next day Rory once again expected something to happen. He got it when two members of the student council approached him during lunch.
Tsubaki Shinra was a third year student with long straight black that fell to her knees with split bangs and heterochromic eyes, a violet left eye and a light brown right eye which were behind a pair of blue semi rimmed glasses. Also she was vice president of the school's student council. Standing next to her was Tsubasa Yura who was in the same year as Rory, she was a girl with blue eyes and shoulder length blue hair with the general air of a tomboy around her; she was also popular with a lot of the girls due to her bishounen like appearance.
"Rory Blackwood?" Tsubaki asked.
"Yes, how can I help you?" Rory answered while putting away his lunch.
"The student council president would like to speak with you." Tsubaki told him.
Rory sighed and stood up. "Of course she would, well I might as well get this over with then."
When they arrived at the office for the student council Rory was a little surprised. Souna Shitori or as her real name was Sona Sitri a high class devil was there along with her entire peerage, well her entire peerage now that Tsubaki and Tsubasa were there.
The Student Council President Sona Sitri herself was a slightly short slim figured third year student, she has violet eyes behind a pair of pink framed glasses and black hair styled in a short bob cut.
"Rory Blackwood, please have a seat." Sona nodded at him.
"Thank you." Rory said.
"First thing I want to apologise for what Rias did yesterday, she had no excuse." Sona said staring intensely, examining him with those intelligent eyes. "I can only hope it doesn't affect your own opinion on all devils."
"You don't have to worry about that, I tend to base my opinions on individuals and not as a whole for the most part." Rory told her.
"Yes well I know it doesn't excuse her but Rias is in a bit of a complicated situation and is slightly -"
"Desperate yeah I got that feeling." Rory cut Sona off. "But like you said before that still doesn't excuse her, so don't expect me to become friends with her anytime soon."
Sona stared at him for a moment before nodding. "I see, very well then I heard from Rias that you were a Magician and that you also had a sacred gear."
"No I'm a human with a sacred gear that happens to research and use magic as a hobby. They are completely different things." Rory said.
"How is there any difference?" Tsubaki asked slightly confused.
"Well a magician is somebody who is dedicated to magic, for me it's a hobby nothing more. I just have a love of researching things and magic happens to be one of them." Rory explained with a smile. "I mean there is a reason why I have the highest test scores in the school, even surpassing Sona's."
Sona had to stop herself from glaring slightly; she didn't like being reminded that she had been one upped in her academics like that. "Yes well I have to ask just what is it you plan to do now?"
"The same as I've always done, just because you now know that I have a few tricks up my sleeves doesn't mean anything's changed." Rory said.
Once again Sona stared at him intensely frowning slightly. "Would you be willing to tell me what kind of sacred gear you have?"
"Sure if you take me to a movie and a dinner first, then maybe a hotel to spend the night." Rory said smirking slightly.
The reactions around the room were….interesting to say the least. But none were more so then that of Genshirou Saji, a second year student with short blonde hair and grey eyes, he was the only male member of Sona's peerage.
The blonde haired boy stood up from where he was sitting and nearly shouted. "Hey you -"
"Saji." Sona said sending him a sharp look.
He immediately stopped and sat back down but still glared at Rory.
"Rias did tell me about your interesting views on sacred gears." Sona said looking back at Rory.
"I only said that to mess around with her a little, although I'm a little surprised she told you." Rory said. "But I'm still not going to tell you what my sacred gear is. I don't offer that information to just anyone, I'm sure you understand why."
"I can assure you we have no desire to harm you." Sona told him.
"Maybe not, and I have no desire to be anyone's enemy or to fight at all. But having a few tricks up your sleeves can mean the difference between life and death, and information has a way of ending up just about anywhere once it's been revealed." Rory said seriously.
"That is true." Sona then looked thoughtful for a moment before asking. "Rory Blackwood would you like to become a member of my peerage?"
Before anyone could react Rory spoke.
"No." His answer was instant just like with Rias's offer.
"I must say I'm a little disappointed but I understand." Sona said giving him a small smile. "You would have been a valuable addition to my peerage. Having heard how you took out a fallen angel as easily as then I could only believe you have the potential to easily become a high ranking devil."
"Let me make one thing clear, while I have absolutely nothing against you or any devils that you can call good people I absolutely hate those evil pieces. They might have been created to help insure your species survival but really how many actually see it that way? How many instead use it as a means of enslaving people, forcefully turning innocent people into devils, tearing apart families and destroying people's lives. Also the fact that a peerage member has literally no rights, there king can do whatever they want to the peerage member and nobody would do anything about it. So I will never become a devil, like I said before I have nothing against devils in general, you get good people and dicks everywhere not just with devils but those evil pieces are a system I despise." Rory told them with a serious look.
Sona sighed and said. "I wish I could deny what you said. However those are some of the things that I wish to change within our society."
"That's a good goal; I hope you can achieve it, although with your intelligence and determination I have no doubt your capable of it." Rory said with a small smile.
Sona gave a small smile of her own. "Thank you."
Rory nodded and stood up. "Well I better get going now if I want to have some lunch."
After Rory left Tsubaki looked at Sona and asked. "What shall we do now?"
"Nothing, as long as Rory Blackwood doesn't cause any trouble we have no need to do anything." Sona said.
They were surprised when they saw the door to the student council room open with Rory standing there. "By the way I forgot to ask, word is I heard you were a good chess player. It's pretty hard finding challenging opponents these days, most of the people I know are usually busy or not interested. So I was wondering if you had some time you would be interested in a game."
Sona blinked in surprise before smiling slightly. "I'm free after school today."
"Perfect, I look forward to our match." Rory said before leaving again.
It was getting dark by the time Rory left the school. His chess game with Sona was good, at first Rory pulled off some surprising tactics but Sona quickly showed just how adaptable she was. The two of them were evenly matched but in the end Rory won. Judging by the reactions of the other student council members who were actually there that was something that didn't happen so often. Also the weird glint in Sona's eyes after made Rory a little wary of her.
He realised that he was walking through the same park which that fallen angel Raynare tried to attack him in yesterday.
"So this is the human you failed to kill then Raynare?"
Amusement danced along Rory's face as he turned to look at the speaker. Really that was just stupid; if they were going to try and kill him again then they should have tried a surprise attack. It wouldn't have worked but it would have been the smart thing to do.
Standing there was his old friend Raynare and three other fallen angels, two female and one male. The male was a middle aged looking man with short black hair, dark blue eyes and was wearing a darkish grey trenchcoat over a white dress shirt, black pants and to top it off a black fedora. One of the females was a tall and buxom woman with golden brown eyes, long dark blue hair with a portion covering her right eye. She was wearing a violet top that was styled like a trenchcoat which was widely open at the chest revealing nearly everything, a matching miniskirt that lived up to its name, a gold necklace and black heeled shoes. The final one looked like a young girl who can only be described as a Gothic Lolita. She had blonde hair styled into two short pigtails with a large black bow on top of her and light blue eyes, she was wearing a black Lolita dress with plenty of white frills, a large dark grey bow at her collar with a green jewel embedded on the collar and a larger grey bow wrapped around her waist, she also wore white thigh-high socks and black shoes.
Well the Gothic Lolita and male fallen angel would be able to hide weapons on herself without having to resort to putting them in uncomfortable places. That's if they were smart enough not to just rely on their light spears or magic, but with the impression he got he doubted it.
"Shut up! I didn't fail anything, I was surprised and had to retreat that's all." Raynare nearly shouted at the blue haired woman.
"Look if you're here to try and kill me again you're only going to fail, so just go away." Rory made a shooing gesture.
"I'm going to enjoy making you scream." Raynare growled out forming a purple light spear.
"Well if you're going to be that way can I at least get your names? I already know the name of my stalker but what about you other three." Rory asked.
"I'm Kalawarner." The mature blue haired woman said forming a yellow spear.
"Dohnaseek." The only male fallen angel said creating a blue spear.
"And I'm Mittelt!" The Gothic Lolita introduced herself in an upbeat cheerful way and created a pink spear.
As they introduced themselves each one had wings appear from their backs. It reminded Rory of some type of anime, although when things like devils and angels, yokai and dragons actually do exist the saying truth is stranger than fiction is generally a proven fact.
"I would say it's a pleasure to meet you all but under these circumstances it would hardly be appropriate." Rory said.
"Just die already!" Raynare threw her spear which was the signal for all of them to throw.
To the surprise of the fallen angels all four spears stopped in mid-air halfway to Rory. He took a moment to look at their shocked expressions before the spears shot back at the fallen angels who barely moved away in time.
"What was that?!" Kalawarner asked as she took to the air spreading her wings. "That wasn't magic, your sacred gear just what is it?"
"Like I'm going to tell the people trying to kill me." Rory rolled his eyes.
Then he flung a hand out and Dohnaseek found himself pulled straight towards Rory. Then he felt something hit his face and realised nothing more.
Looking down at the unconscious Dohnaseek Rory then looked up. "You can take your friend and go, or if you stay and fight but if you do I will hurt you."
"Kill him!" Raynare screamed.
"Very well." Rory sighed and grabbed the pink spear that was thrown at him before throwing it at Raynare then grabbed the throat of the charging Kalawarner while avoiding her spear and throwing her towards Mittelt. This series of events happened so fast that Mittelt couldn't dodge Kalawarner and the blue haired woman crashed into her with the force crashing them both into a tree and Raynare couldn't dodge the spear completely receiving a large cut on her arm.
"AHHH!" Raynare's scream wasn't of pain, but anger. "How dare you pathetic little worm harm me! You should just die like the insect you are!"
"Wow she's lost it." Rory muttered.
Raynare then launched another spear, only for it to crash straight to the ground shattering into small pieces before disintegrating. Then an immense pressure fell on top of Raynare crashing her straight into the ground and creating a crater with her in the centre. It felt like every bone in her body had broken at the force. The pain and the pressure quickly caused her to pass out. Mittelt and Kalawarner stood up but froze when Rory held a hand out towards them.
"Listen and listen carefully, I do not want to fight and I want nothing to do with the three factions. So just leave me alone or else you will regret it. This is your last chance, come after me again and I won't give you another." Rory said.
The two were sent flying back into the same tree as before. When they looked back up they found that Rory had disappeared.
Mittelt groaned in pain. "That…..didn't go as expected. Really just who was that guy? Why didn't we know that he was this powerful? Raynare really screwed up this one."
"Yes she did." Kalawarner said.
Sona sighed as she looked at Rias. "I think that you should just drop it Rias, it is clear to see that Rory Blackwood does not want to become a member of your or anyone else's peerage."
Rias opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Sona's cell phone. The student council president checked the number that was calling but didn't recognise it.
"Hello who is this?" she asked after answering the call. "Rory, just how did you get this number…..how do you know Rias is in the room? What do you mean it was easy? You can hack into our cell phones! Wait what!" Sona shot from her seat with a slightly worried expression. "You were attacked by four fallen angels, how did you escape? What do you mean you beat them?!"
Rias blinked surprised at seeing her friend begin shocked like that, it was a pretty rare thing to see.
"Are you okay?" Sona asked after a moment's pause. "Not even a scratch that is an impressive feat. Very well thank you for informing me."
Sona hung up the call and sat back down.
Rias was the first to speak. "He was attacked by four fallen angels, and managed to beat them all without a scratch? Now I really want him."
"After your interactions with him the chances of him ever agreeing to join you is non-existent." Sona sighed.
"Well it'll be a challenge but that isn't going to stop me." Rias grinned. "He just needs to understand that what happened before was a misunderstanding and it'll work out."
"I doubt it." Sona said before standing up. "Now I need to gather my peerage and examine the park."
Rias nodded. "I need to go as well; I have a stray devil to hunt down."
Back in his home Rory hung up the phone with an amused smile. He then turned back to his open laptop and his smile faded, he had some calls he needed to make. He was going to deal with the fallen angel problem once and for all if they came after him again. There was also some other things he needed to set up, after all it looked like things were starting to get complicated. He didn't think he could just sit back and stay out of the spotlight for much longer with everything that had happened. Well at least things were going to be interesting in the future.
Rory grimaced when he realised he more than likely just jinxed himself.
