Edited (18/4/2018)

Why do I edit it (again)? Because, being fully honest, as I reread the entire story, I keep finding some mistakes and some 'scenes' that I don't like now and I think could've done better, and I like to fix on these things before going further into the story.

Some changes are subtle, like dialogues, some aren't, like an entire scene. How to tell if a chapter is edited? Well, look at the date above. No dates = no changes yet.

So if you're an old-timer, welcome! I am sorry for making you reread this entire thing again, and also for the current hiatus, but I do hope you'll enjoy it more than you did back then.

If you're a newcomer, then welcome! I hope you will enjoy the ride. Yes, this story has an OC as its main character, but please, at the least, give it a shot. Regardless, I'm thankful for your visit.


Disclaimer: I don't own DxD or any of its characters. Neither do I own other characters from other works. I also don't own money. So please, don't sue.


Hello, and welcome to the renewed version of Death's Journey, where everything is different, starting from the characters, plots, fluffy scenes, etc. etc.

Here are some warnings before you begin your reading:

*This story is generally rated T. Some chapters are M(+18) rated for professional use of profanity, suggestive themes and acts, limes, lemons, melons, horrible puns, etc. You know the drill. Will be notified at the start of the chapter.

*OCs. Including Gods and Goddesses. I get that OCs are generally frowned upon, but even with the current casts of DxD, I can't work with them without changing their characters.

*MC has gray morality. His character is not meant to be liked, but he is not intended to be hated. It's up to you guys. And no. He is not a self-insert.

*Issei is... well, he's Issei. Still the lovable pervert he is, but now with more backbone and an actual brain and common sense. Dense MC is the bane of my existence.

*That said, Issei is not OP. He'll start out as he is in the canon and grow in a more believable rate. Sure, he's the Welsh Dragon. But in no way can he outsmart or defeat Vali, someone who's spend their lifetime perfecting their fighting technique in just a few months of training and a dose of luck. And plot armor.

*Many of those annoying anime cliches won't appear here. Looking at you, "accidental boobgrab". Though, there might be several exceptions as there are no mistakes, only happy accidents. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*This story features several characters from other anime, but only for the sake of characters I can develop without making any of the DxD's characters OOC. The lore will be mainly DxD with a little tweak here and there as I see fit.

That means they can serve as a mere face-claim or even as a character. They may either have their canon personalities or given a new set.
For example, as there are no clear depictions of Tiamat in the canon DxD, she'll be taking Esdeath's appearance from Akame ga Kill. It can be just her appearances with a less sadistic personality, or she can be completely Esdeath.

That's all for now, so without further ado,

Enjoy!


Death's Journey: Smokes and Shadows

Chapter I

||Death of a Man||


Picture a snowy plain.

A gray sky.

A cemetery.

A father and son.

"Are you certain?"

The silvery voice wafted the blanks from his mind, but not quite so his feeling of remorse.

Wise white eyebrows arched and scrunched as He waited. Receiving silence as an answer, He raised His voice again. "After everything this World has brought unto you, you wish to stay?"

This question was directed towards a much younger man standing beside Him with a hollow look. His lifeless brown eyes remained glued at the gray stones ahead of them, staring almost emptily as if his soul had abandoned him.

Then a husky and coarse voice seeped into the air, like the billowing of a cigarette smoke.

"Yes." The son said. "I do."

His father stared at him solemnly. He was the second of the last. He was a baby compared to his siblings, but yet, the one who had matured the most. Never since the conclusion of the Eternal Conflict did The Creator thought he would feel both joy and the sting of sorrow.

"Very well," His white beard swayed lightly as He nodded. "I understand. It is your decision. But be it as it may, Malthael, you mustn't stay."

The son tightened his lips. He knew Earth was not a place for Death. There was no such place for Death. He was never meant to be here, as it was not his purpose of being.

His role was to serve the Creator as Death. Or simply put, Gods' Executioner. His duty was to prevent the second Eternal Conflict to never exist. How you ask? By slaying those who oppose Him, The Creator.

"Gods have begun to sense your absence." The Creator continued, His breath leaving in a form of misty white puff. "You may stay, but not as Death, Malthael."

He felt relieved. A much-needed sentiment to ease the violent storm brewing in his thoughts. "I understand. Thank you, Father."

"It is not wise for a God to dwell in this World. It's best for you to avoid any form of attachment to the creations of this World. They are weak, Malthael."

A customary ethics for Gods. They see attachments as weakness. It made them weak. It made them rely. Being unable to let go of something was weakness. His grief was the cause of that weakness. Him, Death himself. The God who knew everything has an end. The irony was almost comical.

"...I understand."

"I apologize if I am too crude, My son, but it is how it's meant to be." The warm silvery voice spoke again as a frail hand rested its palm above the stiff shoulder. A gesture of assurance that there will be sun after the rain. That hope still existed.

The young man showed a fragile smile, for his hope had died along with his wife and daughter.

After a light pat, the Creator vanished in an instant, leaving no evident that He had ever set a foot on Earth.

The cold winter breezed through like a chilling touch. A lump of snow fell from the branches of a faraway tree. And then, silence reigned the somber place.

He shed no tear during the funeral. He didn't cry. He said nothing. What was left to be said? Of what use were words of lament if they couldn't bring them back?

As Death, he never expressed his fragile state. He's not omniscient as the Creator, but he knew the attendees were well aware of how devastated he was. To him, shedding a tear solves little if not nothing at all. It does little to heal a wounded heart. Mourning fixed nothing.

They're no longer breathing.

He knew all of these. He learned all of this; the harsh reality of life. But not as a God, but as a human. Creations whose life was a miniscule compared to a God yet valued their life far more than any Gods.

But now, there was nobody but him. Him, and the two graves upon him. Once he was the husband of a loving wife, a father of their daughter. Now he was but a lone man. A man left alone with his own thoughts,

Slowly, he crumbled. The falling snow became bleary as memories flooded his thoughts and regret spread in his heart like a plague. The very first tear he shed fell at that wintery afternoon.

Not a single minute was spent without him regretting what he didn't do or what he had done, thinking what he could've done but didn't. Suddenly everything he did was a mistake. A poor decision that resulted the death of his family. He had no one to blame but himself.

He wasn't there when they needed him the most.

And when he was, he was too late.

Before leaving, he had left a bouquet of flowers upon the grave. White Lilacs — her favorite flower.

His foot felt heavy as if chained. He was light headed. He felt not the slightest. He was right; crying didn't heal and mourning changed nothing. The crunching of the snows only reminded him to a time when his daughter was running around freely, giggling as she scurried here and there, singing a song her mother taught.

This was not the first he ever felt sorrow, but it was the first-time when sorrow crippled him so.

Standing at the black gate, a teenage girl in black had waited for his return. Once her tearstained eyes saw him, she ran towards him.

"S-Shinji-san…" she sobbed soundly, holding him tight. "I-I'm... I'm so s-sorry..."

With a soft smile but no less fragile, he returned her hug, and gently pulled her shaking head onto his chest. He needed comfort, and so was she.

"It's okay." He softly whispered. His tears had stopped flowing. He made sure they had. He was mourning but he was needed to be strong. "It's not your fault. It's one's fault."

Yet Asuka couldn't accept it. As someone who could and should had protected the family who had changed her life for the better, she had failed. She had failed miserably.

"I-I... I could've...! If— If I wasn't— I…! She would be alive! It's my fault… Shinji-san, I'm sorry…"

"Hush now. It's not your fault." He cut her short. He didn't blame her and so should she. "What matters is that we're here. You're with me. We'll get through this together, I promise."

The two shared a comforting embrace as the last drop of snow fell.


-Break-


Months passed. His once favorite season had reached its end. The snows had melted to puddles, trees ready to provide shades, flowers began to boast their bright color. The birds sang a melody that brought the joy of spring to many people.

This one particular young man was for one.

He yawned a long and voluble yawn. Escaping the enticing embrace of the soft mattress, he set his foot down to the cold floor, and stretched his arms up and entwined his fingers with each other and pushed them forward.

Pop!

Woozily, he scratched his straight yet fluffy chocolate brown mane, messing up his own bangs. Some strands of his hair covered a portion of his still sleep-induced brown eyes.

He was a man appearing on the right side of his twenties, known as Shinjiro Kawamura. Though, he was far more famous as 'Seifer'. A nickname of his during his earlier days as a mercenary. For who? For those who paid.

The name no longer held any meaning to him as he abandoned everything for her. But with his family gone, to him, 'Shinjiro Kawamura' weighed the same.

So Seifer is what we are going to call him.

After sensing the return of his soul, he set his way out. Opening and closing the door of his fairly spacious bedroom, Seifer dragged his feet towards another door. It was a few meters away from his room, but in mornings, five meters were a tough distance to cover.

Not often he let out a yawn or two during his short journey. Because it's Monday. He didn't like Mondays. Nobody in this World does. If he could, he would tinker with time and extend the holidays to Monday. But then, Tuesday would carry the hatred.

"Hey, wake up. It's late, you're going to be morning…" Seifer said to the door, lazily, partly discombobulated.

As there was yet a response from the other side, he knocked the door a few more times while saying her name.

Three knocks.

Four.

Six.

No answer. Not even a groan or a whiny beg to leave her alone.

Not wanting to waste time and stand like an idiot, he considered knocking her head if she still didn't get up. Maybe splash a bucketful of water if desperate measure was required.

The door handle twisted, and with a gentle push, revealed the content of the small yet quaint and feminine room. The room was well-organized and smelled really nice and girly. The studying table he bought recently had a filled school-bag lying on top of it. Good thing she had prepared the night before.

But of what use would that be if she's late.

On the bed before him, lied a lumped blanket hiding a teen during her daily hibernation phase. Asuka was fast asleep with her lips parted open, a side of her mouth was slightly wet like the pillow underneath her.

Seeing this, a light chuckle came from him, and he took a picture to save for later blackmailing purposes. It also perked an idea on how to make his morning not so dull.

As close as possible, he hung his head without making any contact, until their faces were just an inch apart. Any closer and the tip of his nose would touch hers. Then Seifer took a short breath and blew it on her face. Cold air splashed by her eyelids.

"Mmmnnn..." She fidgeted, mouth puckering in discontent as she turned her head away.

He repeated the procedure.

"Nnnnn!" Asuka's eyes twitched again, and her whine escalated.

Alright. He's done goofing off. Seifer flicked her nose. "Oi."

She crumpled her nose and began to stir awake in mild annoyance.

Her hazel brown eyes met a pair of darker brown eyes. Hers showed confusion, while his hinted mischief. Then after a moment, her eyes broadened wide as she finally realized that was a face of a man.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Seifer stood up straight, pompously crossing his arms as he gave her a mild smug look. "What kind of a Shinobi that can't wake up on time?"

"Uughhh... My kind of Shinobi… " Asuka yawned, stretching her arms up and effectively propelling her busty chest. It was a miracle the buttons of her pajamas stayed intact. "Nnngh—! Good morning Shinji-san. Please don't do that again..."

"Morning." He spared a teasing smile, as he then sauntered downstairs to prepare their breakfast.


He sat upon a white dining table, hands folded behind his head as a place to lean on, patiently waiting for the girl. Not a minute later, he heard thundering footsteps coming from the stairs, growing louder and louder before it eventually grew violent as if something was tumbling down the stairs. Something resembling a teenage girl.

"Eeeeek!"

With a roll, Asuka reached the ground floor. Despite her poor attempt at scaling down the stairs, her landing was considerably well for someone who was clumsy enough to fall down the stairs to begin with. In fact, she landed perfectly like a gymnast.

Seifer wasn't impressed, though. "Good job. Try walking next time."

Asuka stood up, and with an unpleasant and embarrassed expression, took a seat at the opposite end of his.

"Geeze…" She pouted, a hand rubbing her forehead that got hit during her journey to the bottom of the stairs. "...Sorry I overslept..."

"It's fine." Seifer said. Sarcasm lingered in his laidback voice, and a tightlipped mean smile was gracing his face. "It's not like it's your first day or anything."

The girl sulked a bit more.

"Now eat up. At least don't be late on your first day."

"Yeee~s!" Asuka cheered and began on eating her breakfast; grilled cheese with toast, and a glass of warm milk to help her begin her day.

Kujikawa Asuka was a young girl with dark brown hair, usually tied into a shoulder length and untidy, tomboyish ponytail by a long, thin white ribbon. She was wearing the standard girl's uniform of her new school, which looked quite fancier than a normal school's uniform. But he wouldn't complain. The tuition was cheap.

Aside from her quirky ponytail, there was also a notable red bandanna wrapped around her neck, acting as a scarf.

An easygoing and cheerful girl. The kind that would ask risky questions such as, "So… does that mean I can be late on other days?"

Seifer on the other hand, while not as blatantly cheerful, was fairly laidback. He was the kind of person who could jokingly say "If you want your allowance reduced, sure." Yet still be taken seriously.

For example; Asuka's immediate panic attack.


Break


After finishing their breakfast, the two set their way to her new school, enjoying the refreshing early April air. They walked through the pleasant street of their neighborhood, greeting their neighbors.

Like the housewives that tittered as they exchanged pleasantries with the two.

They hadn't been here for long and Seifer was considered as a non-Japanese due to his looks. The first few days were moderately unpleasant. It was not until they realized he spoke fluent Japanese and was planning to live there for a whlie that they stopped seeing and treating him as a foreigner, but as a fellow neighbor.

A neighbor with nice smile and easygoing attitude. Although, if not for Asuka's merriment and her very presence, it would've been harder for him to settle in and gain their trust.

Then again, if she wasn't here, he wouldn't be here either. Nope. He would've gone to a galaxy far, far away.

"Hooooi! Asuka-chan! Shinji-san!"

There were also plenty of people who were friendly yet also a magnificent pervert at the same. This joyous young boy was a prime example.

"Ah! Issei-kun! Good morning!"

Issei's height was average for the people here, but short in Seifer's view. Then again, he's taller than the average world's height.

The boy's brown hair was lighter than him, and the same for his brown eyes. His name was and always will be Issei Hyoudou. The boy who had already bared his trademark lecherous smile as his eyes feasted at the sight of the gullible Asuka's pompous chest.

"Fuhehehe... A 'very good morning' indeed..." But then, he had a premonition of imminent pain if he was to keep his lecherous way. Immediately, Issei tore his eyes off her chest, with much dejection. He glanced towards the older young man with a sheepish smile. "A-and good morning to you too, Shinji-san!"

"Aye. A 'very good morning' to you too." His reply was accompanied by his simple smile, but Issei felt his snark. So Issei laughed guiltily.

Truth be told, when he first met this boy, he thought he was a good-for-nothing pervert. And frankly, he was quite right. But despite he was a walking hormone and raging testosterone; he's at least trustworthy enough for him. Behind all of those perverted tendencies, he's still a good person.

As a fellow man himself, he knew all men are secretly perverted. Boys will be boys after all and boobs are boobs, as are asses are asses and legs are legs. It wouldn't be too huge of a deal as long as Issei didn't cross the line.

Lastly, although this wasn't as important like his earlier reasons, this boy possessed a powerful artifact or the like. Seifer didn't know what it was or what it could do or if the boy even realized this, but he didn't care either. He wasn't interested in that world where magic is an everyday spectacle.

"Hmm...Where's Kojiro-san? He's not tagging along?" Issei asked, just noticing the absence of his neighbor's younger brother.

Asuka's quirky ponytail swished as she shook her head. "Mmn... I don't think so. He's still sleeping I think."

"You think?" Seifer went in with his sass. "I'll be surprised if he's not."

Issei nodded a few times, sniggering a bit, but his eyes had once again glued to Asuka's torso.

Unlike the Kunoichi who ironically didn't notice the leering eyes, Seifer did. Would he ever grew accustomed to his perversion he did not know, but he knew it was getting annoying.

Standing firm by his previous statement, Seifer shrugged it off as his hands rummaged the pockets of his slim-fit black trousers, seeking for warmth. He was decently fashionable for a grown-man and the ex-vessel of Death.

"Oh man, the guys will be so jealous!" Issei squealed, clenching his fist.

"Huh? Why?"

The boy raised his nose and head to the sky, acting smug. "Hmph. Because I'm the first guy to know you, of course."

"...Huh?" Asuka didn't quite get it but went along anyway. She broke ices, not moods. "Yeah. Totally."

"That's an achievement? How sad."

"Hey! I live a sad life!"

"I'm not your psychologist; save your whining." Seifer chuckled as he switched the victim of his teases. "Come on Asuka, don't be so dense." He earned a clueless look from the girl. "Can't you tell he's flirting with you."

Asuka still didn't get it. "Eeh? That was a flirt?"

As for Issei, he fumed furiously. "What?! NO IT WASN'T! I didn't mean anything about that!"

"Wimp."

"Are you picking a fight?" Grumbled Issei. "You're a bully Shinji-san."

"A mean bully." Asuka seconded.

"Oh? Allying against me now?" Seifer smirked. His smirk wasn't as noticeable as any smirk. It was cunning. Only a small subtle tug at the edge of his lips. "Do I have to remind you I'm the one who decides whether or not your stomach stays empty or fed?"

"…I'm sorry."

Afterwards, they poured out anything that passed in their mind into a quite pleasant chat as they continued their journey, waving at more of their neighbors and acquaintances, and even a few of Issei's 'classmates' that gave him a spiteful look.

Once in a while, Seifer would gift a headslap to Issei to bring his lecherous eyes back to the road.

They finally came to realize they were already arrived in front of a school gate. The gate of an impressive school: Kuoh Academy. A school that was recently turned co-ed after being a girl exclusive school, for whatever the reason might be. Seifer guessed it was to lure in the male students such as Issei to enroll and therefore increasing their revenue. But it's merely theory.

"And here we are!" Issei announced as if he's the owner of said school. "Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"We've been here before, Issei." Uttered Seifer. Though he was still taken aback by the grandness of the school.

"Oh right."

Seifer ignored the boy. "I'll leave you here, that'll be fine, right?"

Asuka fidgeted, still anxious about her new surroundings. It is her first normal school. By that, it's the kind of school where she didn't have to learn to kill or kill to learn.

"…U-Umm…Yes…" she said despite how obviously nervous she was.

More or less, Seifer could read what was troubling her. "You'll be fine. Issei, be a man and help her."

"Uh... yeah... sure." Issei, who was not paying attention at all, his mind and eyes fixated upon Asuka's chest, imagining the treasures behind her uniforms without paying regard at the girl's current trouble.

"..."

Even a patient man has his limit on tolerance.

THUNK

"GAAH!"

"Hey. Listen to what I said." He said after landing another head-axe upon Issei, who held his head in pain. As Issei blurted his confusion of why he was handed such pain, Seifer sighed.

Perhaps he could stay for a while. It's not like he had anything to do anyway.

"Ah...Nevermind... Let's just go."


Break


As Kuoh academy was a school, gossips were the main subject of discussion among the students. The entryway was filled with talks, gossips, chatters, and more gossips. It could range from a measly debate regarding the best flavor of an ice cream to one as heated as juicy rumors.

"So, I saw this guy at the park yesterday right... I think he's a foreigner. He must be from America."

"Huh? How do you know?" Her bespectacled friend asked, "Did you ask him?"

"No, duh! Would you ask him if you're there, Aika-chan? But he's obviously American cause he's a foreigner!"

"That's racist." Another female student said, at the same time as she fixed her white hairband on her rose-pink hair.

"No, no! I'm sure! He was talking with another guy in English!"

"That's still racist Yama-chan." Katase said, just now finishing fixing her hairband. "He can be from somewhere like England you know."

"Eh, isn't that the same thing?"

Both of her two friends facepalmed. "This is why you fail Geography…"

"Oh come on!" The first girl groaned, "Anyway, that doesn't matter. He's hot. And like, hot, hot. Not the 'pretty boy' hot. He has that mature and cool air and just nnnnngh-!"

"…I don't think any of us understand anything you just said."

"Ugggh, you guys! Well, doesn't matter. He's totally my type of guy. Next time I see him, I'll- wait a minute... Th-that's him!" She announced the entire Kuoh Academy's schoolhouse, catching the other students' interest — especially the female students.

"Isn't that Issei?"

"Not him, you big dummy. The guy next to him!"

"Huh. He is kinda hot. Kinda old – then again you're into older guys." Kiryuu Aika said monotonously. She was the most stoic from the three and the only one who didn't make mountain from a molehill.

No. She preferred kicking other's made mountain. "That girl is probably his girlfriend."

"Ehhhhh no way!" Murayama whined in terror, "She must be his sister or cousin or sister! Look at them, they have the same hair."

"Brown hair isn't rare."

"Shut up Katase—why aren't you backing me up?!"

"What's there to back up?!"

His arrival was soon noted by the entire students present in the entrance, and rumors began to brew like a storm. Some speculated if he's a new teacher, but others denied such theories as his clothes were semi-casual wear.

Loud whispers, slightly irritating gossips, and not-so-pleasant buzzes tolled by their ears as they walked through the school area. Seifer easily became the main attention—mainly for the girls— as well as Asuka, whose nervousness was seen as cute by the boys. Issei just sort of seen as the guy who happened to be there.

Seifer was nonchalant. Nodding the standard male nod of acknowledgment to anyone who happen to catch his gaze. A few of the male students nodded back as it was the sacred rule among men to always return the nod. As for the girls, they mistook it as a gesture of flirting. There was much tittering and squealing and misunderstanding.

Seifer stopped when he realized the squealing didn't only come from the girls. The previous vessel of Death did not swing that way.

As for the girl walking timidly beside him, who remained latched onto his right arm the whole time, became a hot topic for the boys of all classes for the rest of the day. Issei received mocks and hateful glares from the girls, and boos from the boys for being so close towards the aforementioned cute girl and foreign-looking man.

Being used to it, Issei gave them all a conceited smile, hands folded in front his chest and nose high up in the air.

"ISSSSEEEEII! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Oh shi—" Two boys of his age, one with glasses and one with a crew-cut-nearly-bald hairstyle came charging towards him, and dragged him away from the party.

"NOOOOOOO! MATSUDA! MOTOHAMA! LET ME GO! WHY CAN'T YOU LET ME BE HAPPY?! SHINJIRO-SAN! SAVE ME! ASUKA-CHAAAAAAaaan!" and his voice dimmed as they dragged him further down the hallway to a place god knows where.

And life moved on.

He then felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Shinji-san… I'm scared."

"Nah, don't be." He chuckled, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

More like popular. He could hear the sound of envy emanating from the halls; the sound of male students whose one of their wishes in life was to experience the heart-stopping 'tug on the sleeve' phenomenon.


Break


Having visited the faculty office for Asuka's class, walked several hallways filled with students and school staffs alike, Seifer and Asuka arrived at her new classroom. They waited on the door frame as they waited for the teacher to announce the new student. Even from outside, the two could hear chatters and several of the students' delightful remarks regarding their looks, wondering what kind of girl their new addition would be.

"Alright, calm down everyone." said the middle-aged teacher, gaining his students' attention as they quieted down. "As you can already tell, we have a new student today. Let's not make a commotion, alright."

"Do you think it's that guy?"

"Riiight... Look at him. Look at that stubble. Tell me he's a high school student." Her friend replied with slight annoyance. "Must be the girl."

"Oh hell yeah. We've been on shortage of 'girls with ponytails'." Cheered one of the male students, stirring a chain reaction of cheers among the boys. Hooray for ponytails.

Again, the classroom became rowdy and noisy; like a classroom. That was until the teacher turned his head towards the door frame, where Asuka stood restlessly. Silently accompanying behind her was none other than the young man himself.

"Please come inside and introduce yourself." The homeroom teacher said in a kind tone, yet Asuka still tensed as her posture straightened. "Come on in, don't be shy."

"A-Ah! Y-yes Sensei!"

Asuka trotted inside the classroom, leaving the door open for a quick getaway in case something unwanted happen, like being booed at — which was very unlikely nowadays. But better be safe than sorry.

Seifer just... stood there. He might be teasingly raising an eyebrow and flashing his half-smirk that fluttered a few hearts, but he's simply fooling around to consume his time.

"I-I'm Kujikawa Asuka... U-Umm... You can call me Asuka and uh...Pleased to meet you!" And she ended her short introduction with a vigorous bow.

Both the male and female students looked at her with gleaming eyes. Her bashfulness was found to be adorable and irresistibly cute. Several of the males looked at her with an obvious hint of perversion, but immediately shrunk and averted their eyes away as they saw and felt the pressure of Seifer's deadpanned death glare.

The teacher cleared his throat. "R-Right... Er, Kujikawa-san, take a seat. Pick any empty seat you want."

"H-Hai!" Again, Asuka bowed. Afterwards, the girl glanced towards Seifer, beamed her smile, and quickly strutted away to her seat; an empty table by a window overlooking the schoolyard. She had always wanted to sit by the window, like all the main characters in the shounen manga she often read.

The teacher nodded once and looked at the young man standing by the exit. "As for your guardian, he has to leave since school is starting. Is that okay? Uh..."

"Kawamura. Kawamura Shinjiro." Seifer completed, knowing the teacher was about to ask him his name. If not him, then one of the female students would. "I'll be leaving her in your care, Sensei." with a small nod, he then panned towards the students, who was surprised by his voluble Japanese. "You guys get along with her, yeah? She's not shy, just nervous. It's cute, but she's cutest when she's chirpy."

"M-mou! Shinji-san!" Asuka's face went beet red. That promotion was unnecessary.

"Will do Kawamura-san!" squealed one of the girls from the class, Murayama, causing the class to erupt to woo the girl and him.

Seifer simply chuckled. The air of the classroom was certainly something else. He wondered what it would be like to be a student in high school. Well, it's too late now for him, and all he could hope was for Asuka to live a happy school life.

"Silence!" The teacher fumed as Seifer closed the door and went elsewhere.

"Aah... such well mannerism... You kids should learn by his example, especially the boys. Now, be quiet. You can 'get along with' Kujikawa-san when we're not learning, or Sensei will do a surprise test."

Steps away from the classroom, Seifer wondered why the class suddenly became silent.


Break


Now that he had absolutely nothing to do but wait for Asuka, Seifer found himself wandering around the schoolyard. As it was school hour, there were no one but him and a few other school staffs, whom he politely greeted. Chatted a little while too. He was allowed to stay, as one of the staffs said, though he should leave in few more minutes.

The size of the schoolyard was already impressive, not to mention the well-trimmed grass. He hadn't been to any school but this, and he thought all schools have this kind of scenery. That, or maybe this one was simply just that special.

Regardless, he didn't expect a school with reachable fee and a passable exam test would be this massive.

But just as he was about to leave, just by the corner of his eyes, standing behind an open window of a smaller building separated from the main building, he caught a glimpse of a female student. Her crimson locks seemingly danced along the gentle breeze. Her hand rested by the window's frame, while her eyes gazed down at him with a trace of inkling curiosity.

He smiled for The Creator knew for the umpteenth time. And for the countless of times, his smile hid the lingering uneasiness he had felt. Before, inside the school, he had felt this certain uneasiness. It vanished as soon as Issei was kidnapped by the two boys from earlier. He shrugged it off back then, but now, he was finally aware of the cause of that unease.

Replying his fake smile with hers, the girl slunk back inside.

Yet now as she left, the uneasiness thickened.

For months, he had never used his power. He had never even touched it or thought of using it to smoothen his life whereas the him from several years ago would had no hesitation. But at ths day, he put his run to an end.

'A Devil... Why am I not surprised...' A school this splendid shouldn't be that cheap to enter in the first place, even with the rumored 'hard' entrance exam that Asuka passed with semi-flying colors.

It was because they're looking for those with potential.

He was certain the Devils only attracted to those who interest them. Him? He's too human for them Devils. His human vessel was imperfect, there's still essences of Death lingering in his soul, but any unnatural power he had should be concealed. Not a single soul in this world could pick a lint of trace of him unless they're Gods.

So unless she's a Goddess, he should appear as a normal human being in her eyes.

Then again, maybe he's not the main concern here.

Seifer gritted his teeth.

What about Asuka?

She might hold lesser power. But could they sense it? Ultimately, she will meet that Devil. And who knows if there's more Devils inside?

Another unpleasant thought beckoned. Carefully, he calculated the possibility of Asuka becoming a Devil, but in all of his honesty, he cared little if she was to become one. It was her safety and her life that he was so concerned about. For a fact, he knew Devils can turn a human into one of their kind, but how they do it was what bothered him the most.

They had too many tricks up their sleeves. Dealing with their kind and the Fallen Angels were always a hassle.

However, that as it may, mulling over the future was not something he preferred to do. And his day was too young and innocent to be ruined by such meticulous thoughts. So he opted to spare the obnoxious musing for another time, and continued to wherever his feet carried him.


Break


It was still an early morning when he found himself sitting on a lone, green, park bench. Here, at the vibrant part of the city, was where he often stayed and spent his afternoon, admiring the city's natural beauty. The melodic chirping of the lively birds, the cooling spring breeze, the scent of blooming flowers, all was good and peaceful.

Luckily, he wasn't alone. His thoughts couldn't destroy this fine day.

Just beside him, sitting, fretting, and hungry, was another a menacing-looking young male. There was a scowl above his smooth jaw, and his eyebrows were furrowed. Medium-length messy black hair and matching set of sharp eyes that glare perpetually granted him the vibe of a delinquent.

As brothers, their styles contrasted hard like ice and fire. His was casual but fashionable and easy for the eyes. The younger brother looked like he's about to murder someone with that scowl on his face, not to mention the all black outfit. Black shirt, black jeans, and even black sneakers to top it all. And hell, for all he knew, he could be wearing black underwear.

"Whose funeral are you attending to?" Just looking at him made him felt like burning. Imagine sitting out in the summer.

"Yeah." The younger male grouched. "My own funeral if you keep starving me."

Feeling no guilt whatsoever for famishing his freeloader of a brother, Seifer casually "Oh."-ed.

"..."Oh"...?" A vein popped. "Your brother is dying and an "Oh?" is all you've got to say?! And don't you smile! …Bastard."

Seifer was not a horrible brother, of course. He'd buy him something, but unfortunately, the food stands were yet to be opened. The park itself was empty, slightly eerie perhaps. The waterfall was running, the dirt path was uncluttered by trashes, but it felt empty as there was no one running around. Not even a cat or a dog.

"Did you lock the door before you leave?"

"...Yeah." Kojiro grumbled.

"Made your bed?"

"What am I, a child?! Of course not!"

"So no food for you."

"WHAT?!"

As he growled, so did his stomach, and the young adult carped in sorrow. Seifer considered treating him to a fast-food restaurant later on. He did neglect his brother's stomach, and he would be lying if he didn't feel the slightest bit awful about it no matter how amusing it was teasing him to death.

So Seifer propped himself off the surprisingly comfortable bench. "...Alright then, let's find some dirt for you to eat."

If he didn't know his brother's moderate use of euphemism, Kojiro wouldn't had agreed without hesitation. Beaming a look of hope, he leapt off the bench as the mention of food brought him his lost energy.

Walking down the dirt path, Seifer noted there was another foreigner in the park, and it was a girl. A short blonde girl with an impressive heart. He had never encountered a girl with that clear of a heart since… since ever.

She was looking around, turning her head left and right. It's an apparent fact that she's lost and was in need of help.

Seeing that there wasn't anybody that was going to help, Seifer decided he would feel awful for not helping.

So he sent for his brother. "Hey, go help her."

"Huh…? Who?"

"That girl." He nudged his chin at the girl with the dark green dress. "She's lost."

"Okay. Why me?"

"The more you ask the less you'll eat."

Kojiro grunted and approached the girl with much grumbling.

His grumbles disappeared sooner than Seifer expected, however. "Are you okay?" The young brother asked with concern, much to his brother's surprise. "You lost or something?"

Maybe that's the effect of hunger did to the man who saw girls as a waste of time.

Now to wait for her reaction… Seifer stood idly. He wouldn't be surprised if she ran and screamed for help.

"Uuu... Yes."

"Right." Kojiro replied with a smile unfitting for a guy resembling a felon. Granted, he's better looking than most of the delinquents, but that didn't make him any less frightening. One time, a convenience store cashier thought he was a robber. "Where d'you wanna go."

Seifer was about to interlude in case the girl ran away. But surprisingly, she didn't.

Upon realizing the young man also spoke the same language with her, the girl stood up straight, placed her small suitcase, and clasped her hands together.

"Oh! You can speak English! Thank God!" Her emerald eyes gleaming with amazement as she looked into Kojiro's—surprisingly—calm black irises. It was then the brothers finally got to look at her face.

'...Cute.' Was all that the two men could think of, and indeed she was. Long shimmering blonde hair, innocent looking emerald eyes and the sincere smile of a maiden. The girl was undeniably adorable. The fact that she was wearing a nun's clothing did not reduce her cuteness at all.

And maybe he was getting hungry himself, because Seifer couldn't believe he just saw his asocial brother's cheeks blooming red.

"Uh... no problem." Kojiro said. His tone was stoic at best, but the older brother could see his nerves were jumping around.

"Umm... I'm trying to learn Japanese..." She muttered, now in Japanese. Her pronunciation was a bit messy, and her Italian accent latched onto her words like a loose string to a shirt. "So... If-if it isn't so troubling... can you please use Japanese as well?"

That red blemish on his cheeks expanded and deepened in color as the foreigner tilted her head to one side, looking at Kojiro with genuine innocence. Seifer couldn't hold it anymore. A chuckle burst out from him, and Kojiro sent a warning glare that he blatantly ignored.

The girl's cheeks pinked a little, feeling a bit embarrassed. "...Umm... A-are you come from around from here?" she mumbled in broken Japanese.

"Ah... Y-Yeah... Uh... We... came here often?" Kojiro stuttered in broken Japanese.

"You can say that. Yes." Seifer helped in fluent Japanese. He was going to stay back, but this was going nowhere. "Are you looking for some place?"

The blonde nun seemed to work her brain to translate his words one by one, before she exclaimed giddily.

"Y-Yes!" She bounced a little, catching Kojiro off guard as he took a step back. "O-Oh... My name is Asia Argento, pleased to meet you."

"Kawamura Shinjiro, nice to meet you too, Asia." Seifer said, smiling casually. "He's Kojiro."

"Yeah... I'm… Kojiro..." Kojiro said sheepishly. "Err... There are a lot of places in this city, what kind of place are you looking for...?"

Seifer was considered as a brilliant poker player, but he had to tried his utter best to not laugh. His brother was killing him.

"Uuh..." She mumbled with a downcast look, having a hard time translating the language to her own, and then translating her reply to theirs. "G-God Ch-Church? I need to go to a church. B-but I think I'm lost."

"You think?" Seifer raised a single eyebrow. She didn't miss his sarcasm either, and her cheeks reddened.

"A church, huh…?" The word was not foreign for him, but it certainly was not something he would hear here often. Kuoh was a city where most of the residents adhered Shintoism, Buddhism, or Atheism. As for the place, Seifer only knew one as he had saw it by some part of the town somewhere.

Regardless, he will gladly help anyone in need if it wouldn't trouble him that much. He's not a hero. Besides, when else can he saw his brother being a nervous wreck in front of a girl?

So in order to make his day—and possibly Kojiro's as well—, Seifer said slapped the back of his brother, and said; "It's a bit far away, but my brother here will guide you there."

"…What?!" In an instant, Kojiro gaped towards his tease of a sibling. Eyes wide and—to save space, his expression was beyond priceless. "I haven't agreed to this!"

"You just did."

"Really?! Y-You will?!" But Asia was too innocent to understand Seifer's intent, and too naïve to not realize she shouldn't be so willing to follow the first person she met. She's lucky she met them and not some conspicuous person.

She grasped the awestruck Kojiro's hands with her delicate ones. Eyes gleaming in hope and glee.

He couldn't refuse. How could he refuse that? "O-Okay..."

Alas, Seifer watched with a triumphant smile as his younger brother and the girl seemingly became smaller as they walked side to side, exiting the park. His brother's murderous smile was easily spotted. It was easy for him to dismiss, of course, and it was even easier for him to pull off a taunting smirk at his brother.

With them gone, Seifer decided to return back to his seat.

As he walked, he rifled his trousers' pocket, digging out a small, rectangle, sturdy pack colored in a mix of black and dark green. 'Black Menthol' imprinted upon in a generous font size. As he gently pulled the tab, the neatly arranged white cylinders containing cancer-inducing toxic greeted him.

Seifer plopped back at the same bench as his fingers tugged a single cylinder of the container and slipped it in between his lips. Putting the cigarette pack to his pocket, he took out a lighter and brought the lighter to his roll of tobacco. With a flick of his wrist, the Zippo lighter opened, igniting a slick yellow tongue as it licked the cigarette aflame.

An interesting musing echoed in his head as soft smoke whiffed by, tainting the clear air with its old gray color.

He never believed in love in first sight, and if anyone, his brother would be the last person on Earth he'd expect to be infatuated by the staple of fairy tales. He didn't have anything against it or any of the Greek Gods whom he met and knew, but this is the vessel containing a fragment of a soul of the Harbinger himself. His kind of Gods don't normally attracted by a human.

Then again, that's what he thought at first. Granted his late wife turned to be not a human, but still, he didn't know that when she infatuated him. All he knew was that he fell in love with a human, the weakest amongst all creations.

But then again, he was daring himself to be a human and live as one. Such was not the case for Kojiro.

Nonetheless, he'd be happy if his brother could find someone to love in such a short time. Maybe a girlfriend could stop him from being a hopeless deadweight. Maybe his brother could succeed where he had failed.

'Oh,' His voice filled his head, sweeping the lugubrious thought aside. 'He hasn't eaten yet.'


To be continued


Azrael is no longer known as the Former God of Death like the first story, but instead he will bear the title of "Harbinger of Death". Him and Seifer is like the Death Bros.

And for you who have just read this story the first time, Asuka is a girl from "Senran Kagura".

The reason why I added her aside from keeping some original content, is because I wanted to bring a cheery-kind of person in this story, but not as cheery as Irina or as hyper as Serafall.

I want another tomboy type of girl and one that I can freely shape her character. I guess you can say. Why I choose her from all the tomboys that are better? Well, because I saw an image of her with Rias in bikinis via internet.

I dunno why or how she got there, but she just is. You can google them if you want.

Besides DxD could use a ninja-girl.

On a lighter note and kind of a fun fact, Japan starts their first school term in April, not July. So that is the month where this story starts.

Usually I won't ask for any, but do leave some reviews or comments or PMs if you're willing.

As I stated above, the OC won't get a harem.

Anyway, I'm taking too much spaces here. So, we'll continue this later on.

As always, have a nice day, and see ya!