Hello, Constant Readers! To the newcomers: welcome! To those of you who have read this before: sorry if the changes to the story are strange to you, but as I've said in my new story Second Year, New Classmates, I'm going on an editing binge with all my stories in order to improve upon them. It shouldn't be anything major for the first few chapters, but the changes might start getting bigger later on.

One of those major changes comes in the form of the harem. Now, when I went back to edit this, I was unsure of whether or not to keep the harem aspect. After much deliberation, I decided that it wouldn't be fair to suddenly change the format like that, so while I may be more comfortable writing out single pairings, the harem aspect shall remain in the story. That being said, the harem will be a LOT smaller than it ended up before I started editing. I feel like I can work with a small harem in as much comfort as I work with single pairings. The new harem lists will be displayed at the bottom of the chapter.

The presence of Blair does not make this story a crossover with Soul Eater, but that doesn't mean there won't be crossover elements with other things later on. In all honesty, other than one original story arc I have planned for later on, I don't know what content other than the canon plotline I'm going to be using. If you have any ideas, feel free to PM me; I'm always open to ideas.

Oh, and remember how in the original version of this I was using the animé rather than the light novels? Yeah, I'm not doing that any more; using the light novels is a much better idea, and I'm honestly not sure what I was thinking the first time around.

The last thing I feel the need to tell you is that, whereas this used to be written out in the first person, I've decided to take it to the third person. This is different to what I've been doing with my other stories, where I've been making them all first person, but I have a reason for that. See, I felt that calling this The Hyoudou Brothers and then only focusing on Shintaro was kinda false advertising on my part, so I've switched to the third person as to focus on both him and Issei.

That's all I've got to say here, so welcome to the edited version, Constant Readers!

Let's begin.

Issei Hyoudou Gets a Girlfriend!

The reputation of the Hyoudou brothers was basically non-existent, for the two of them had very different reputations despite their similarities in personality. The main difference between the two was the simple fact that one of them knew how to keep his urges to himself.

On the day all this began, both of the brothers were sitting on one of the many grassy areas located on the grounds of Kuoh Academy. With them were their friends, Matsuda and Motohama.

The older of the two brothers was Issei Hyoudou. He was relatively average-looking, as things were. He had short, unkempt brown hair, and brown eyes. He was relatively good looking, too, but the near constant lecherous expression on his face kept any girls he may have met from being attracted to him. He wore the Kuoh Academy boys' uniform, which consisted of a black blazer with white accents, a white, button-down shirt and a black ribbon, a pair of black trousers, and a pair of brown shoes – he kept the shirt open, and underneath he wore a red T-shirt. He was seventeen years old and a second-year.

The younger of the brothers was Shintaro Hyoudou. He was considered rather handsome, even devilishly so due to the grin that so often appeared on his face (though it was not so perverse as his brother's). His hair was styled similarly to Issei's, but was shorter and had a raven black colour. His eyes were a dark blue that made people feel like he was looking into their souls. He was a little shorter than Issei – by maybe an inch or two – and was slim, yet with a small hint of muscle mass; he liked to keep in shape, but did not enjoy excessive exercise. He wore the Kuoh Academy boys' uniform normally, with a closed blazer, liking the formal look it gave him. He was sixteen years old and a first-year.

Matsuda, one of their two friends, was a bizarre looking fellow. He had green hair that was short to the point of near baldness, and he had ears that looked like they'd be more at home on an elephant. He was known around school as "Perverted Baldy" or "Sexual Harassment Paparazzi."

Motohama was much more normal looking, but that normal look was deceptive. He had short, bushy black hair, and a pair of glasses that, due to the shine off of them, hid the colour of his eyes. He was known around school as "Perverted Glasses" and "Three Sizes Scouter." That was due to a strange ability he had, wherein he could calculate the three sizes of any woman simply at a glance.

Issei found it cool. Shintaro found it creepy (though that didn't stop him from appreciating the information).

Issei, Matsuda, and Motohama made up what was known around school as the "Perverted Trio." Shintaro often wondered why it was not the "Perverted Quartet," but he suspected it might have been because he never joined them on their peeping ventures. The amount of time he spent around the three of them probably should have tipped people off, though.

Half this school are blinded by their own perceptions, Shintaro thought to himself as he lay on the grass, looking up into the blue sky relaxedly. Ise-nii could show people what's good about him for a change and they'd still label him a no-good pervert.

That was why Shintaro tended to keep his own perversions to himself. There was no need to make life any harder than it had to be.

Issei was the opposite. It was often thought by Shintaro that he was too honest for his own good, but Issei wore his heart on his sleeve … in the absolute worst way he possibly could. He saw no reason to keep his desires to himself because every teenage boy had them, so why should he hide them? That was the logic he arrived at, though his open perversion often ended up getting him rather badly hurt, and it was logic he stuck to in spite of all the pain it caused him in the long run. Eighty percent of his daily actions were influenced by his hormones rather than his brain, and he didn't see a problem with that.

"I gotta say, oppai are the best thing ever," said Issei, dreamily.

"Trust me, my man, you and I are on the same page," said Matsuda, sticking a thumb up.

"Me, too," said Motohama. Then an aura of depression overtook him. "But it's all pointless."

Pointless for you, maybe, Shintaro thought, smirking to himself. Unlike the other three, he didn't have a problem when it came to women, because he didn't display his perversions for the whole world to see. He didn't have a girlfriend, true enough, but that was because he didn't want to be with someone who would be a massive pain in the ass to him just for some sex. He was content to wait until the right woman – or group of women, as the case may be – to come along.

He did have a few major crushes, though.

"Guys," said Issei, getting everyone's attention. "Why did we enrol at this school, again?"

"It had something to do with the fact that, until a couple of years ago, this was an all-girl school," said Shintaro. A smirk worked its way onto his face as he looked around at all the attractive girls who were leaving the school grounds. "Seems like a good deal for any healthy, hormone-driven teenager, don't you think?"

"We had to take advantage of this male-to-female ration," Motohama agreed. "Also, the foreign exchange students here are ridiculous."

"Poon as far as the eye can see," Matsuda said, waving a hand through the air, reliving their shared fantasy in his mind. "We figured hoes would be lining up to have a go on our D-sticks, and we wouldn't have to do a damn thing. We'd be drowning in that stank!"

"Like our very own harem!" Issei yelled to the heavens, throwing his arms into the air.

"I hear that," Shintaro said, much more quietly. He didn't want to out himself as being as perverted as the other three – he wanted to be able to interact with girls without them recoiling in disgust, or reaching for the mace.

That being said, however, he did rather enjoy the thought of having a harem. Issei had been talking about how great it would be ever since his hormones kicked in, and while Shintaro didn't understand it at first, when he hit puberty and started to notice girls, he was fully on board. He was just smarter about the whole endeavour. While he would be overjoyed if it happened, Shintaro knew that, realistically, it wouldn't.

"We were gonna have casual, unprotected sex with hot chicks, then never call 'em again!" Matsuda cried.

The whole "fuck them, forget them" attitude that Matsuda had pissed Shintaro off quite severely. Even Issei wasn't quite that bad.

"That was the plan, anyway," said Motohama, depression once again entering his tone. "Yet between the four of us, we don't even have one girlfriend." He narrowed his unseen eyes at Shintaro. "I'm rather surprised that, even with your little fan club, you still haven't gotten laid yet."

"Using my popularity to my advantage would just feel like cheat," said Shintaro, shrugging. "Plus if I tricked some poor girl into a one-night stand, that shit'd travel around the rumour mill like the clap; that kind of dent in my reputation would kill any chances I have of ever getting laid again. Plus – and I don't mean to get all sappy and shit when I say this – I'd feel bad for leaving you guys in the dust like that."

What he actually meant was that he would feel bad for leaving Issei in the dust like that. He didn't hate Matsuda and Motohama, but he didn't exactly like them, either.

Issei knew that, too. And while he was a lot fonder of Matsuda and Motohama than his brother was, having gone through middle school with them, he also knew that those two were willing to go a lot further than he was. He may not have had the same negative feelings toward them that Shintaro had, but Issei could understand why his brother disliked them.

Matsuda sighed. "What's the point? It'll never happen."

"No!" Issei exclaimed. "We can't give up now! It's not too late for us!"

Unfortunately, the sound of squealing fangirls begged to differ. The four perverts turned their heads in the direction of the offending noise and saw that the school Prince, Kiba Yuuto, was walking by, and thus the girls of the school had reacted as they normally did. Kiba was a fairly tall guy, and he was good-looking, too. He had bright blonde hair and grey eyes; there was a small mole under the left one. His face was soft and smooth-looking, making him appear to be the textbook definition of a bishonen. The girls of the school were rather fond of him, which meant the Perverted Trio were decidedly less so.

"Kiba Yuuto," said Motohama, practically growling the words out in his disgust. "Class 2-C. Practically every girl in the school wants to sex him up."

"And all the guys want to mess him up," said Matsuda, clenching a fist.

"That tool!" said Issei. His face was contorted in jealous rage. "I don't get it! Just because he's hot, sexy, super smart, and the coolest guy in school, they all wanna rub up on Kiba!? Life really does blow sometimes …"

Shintaro stayed silent. He chose not to get involved with the badmouthing of Kiba because he was actually rather good friends with him. Being in completely separate years, they didn't have any classes together, but on some occasions they bumped into each other outside of class, and Shintaro found himself rather liking Kiba. He was smart, polite, and just generally a pleasant person. So many popular students were massive douchebags in Shintaro's opinion, but Kiba's popularity was well-deserved simply due to how nice he was.

Though even Shintaro had to admit that the smile on Kiba's face was so permanent it was creepy.

Matsuda checked his watch. "Oh shit!" he cried. "I'm gonna be late!"

"Late for what?" Shintaro asked in curiosity. His tone was lazy and disinterested, though. He had a feeling what the answer was going to be.

Matsuda looked at him with a huge, goofy grin on his face and put a thumb up. "I found a hole in the wall of the sports building that goes right through to the girls' changing room," he said. "The kendo team should be getting changed in there right about now, so I just thought I'd … y'know."

Issei and Motohama were up and by his side in an instant. Matsuda and Motohama looked at Shintaro expectantly, though Issei just waited for his two friends to get the hint. Issei knew that his brother wasn't into the whole peeping thing, though he didn't know why. Maybe it was because Shintaro had the option of having a girl simply show him the goods?

"I'll pass," said Shintaro, waving a hand lazily in the air.

Matsuda and Motohama sighed in disappointment, but Issei just shrugged. The Perverted Trio wandered off to do their thing.

Shintaro was a pervert, and as much as he liked to think otherwise, there was a certain temptation in regards to the possibility of seeing some naked or half-naked girls. But his morals wouldn't let him do it by peeping in on them. That was creepy and, in his opinion, really stalker-like. His hormones were at work a lot more than those of the average teenage boy, but so was his brain, and that was the one he listened to more often than not.

Shintaro got up and began to make his way to the back of the school, just outside the Old School Building. That was the go-to area for the Perverted Trio when they had to hide away from the more violent girls of the school, and he knew for a fact that the kendo team had become more perceptive to their attempts at peeping as of late, so the odds of running into them back there later were remarkably high. There was another reason Shintaro liked to hang out back there – that reason being that the Old School Building was known to house the Occult Research Club, which two of his three major crushes were a part of – but he didn't think anyone other than himself and possibly Issei needed to know that.

I don't think I even want Ise-nii knowing, to be honest, he thought as he walked. Yeah, he'll probably congratulate me for aiming high, but then he'll want to know why I haven't made a move yet. Fuck, I wish it was as easy as that …

Shintaro's thoughts, and so was his heart for one beat, were cut off when he saw who was approaching from the opposite direction. She was a short girl, not that Shintaro had the guts or the reason to say so out loud, with snow white hair and hazel eyes. Two particularly long bangs of the hair hung down the front and just past her shoulders, and many smaller bangs hung over her forehead. She wore two cat-shaped hair clips on either side of her head. She had fair, pale skin. She wore the Kuoh Academy girls' uniform – a white, button-down shirt with a thin black ribbon, a black corset with white accents and matching shoulder cape, a red skirt with white accents, and a pair of brown shoes – sans the shoulder cape the other female students wore.

This was Koneko Toujou, one of Shintaro's three major crushes in the school. She was very attractive and her small size made most of the student body regard her as being cute. The "cuteness factor" she possessed had many students nicknaming her the "School Mascot." Shintaro had the pleasure of sitting beside her in class, and he had made rather good friends with her since arriving at the school. He didn't think she knew he had a crush on her, but due to her stoic demeanour it was rather hard to tell.

"Hi, Koneko-chan," Shintaro greeted her as they passed each other by.

"Hello, Shin-kun," Koneko said in a deadpan voice. That was how she normally spoke.

Then they simply went about their business without another word between them.

The difference between their interactions in class and outside of it would confuse most people, but it seemed perfectly natural to them. In class they interacted with each other nicely and just generally enjoyed each other's company, whereas outside of class there was hardly a word spoken between them. This was because Koneko hated the Perverted Trio with a passion and she knew that spending too much time with Shintaro outside of class would lead to unwanted interactions with them. Shintaro, on the other hand, couldn't spend a lot of time with Koneko outside of class simply because he wasn't a member of the Occult Research Club, and they didn't accept members who signed up, either. It was either they chose you or you didn't join.

She probably knows I like her, Shintaro thought suddenly as he walked. I told her she can call me "Shin" because that's what my friends call me, but by now she's probably noticed that no one but her calls me that. Not even Ise-nii calls me that.

The shortening of his name to "Shin" was something he'd decided a long time ago was only to be done by people he felt exceptionally close to. Issei had the option and he knew it, but he carried on using "Shintaro" regardless. Or, on occasions when he wanted to be affectionate, which wasn't often, he would simply refer to him as "Otouto."

Just seeing Koneko had put Shintaro in an elated state of mind. His hormonal side had looked her up and down so quickly that even he had barely noticed it until afterwards. Her thin frame and curvy body more than made up for her lack of breasts (another thing Shintaro never dared to mention to her) and her pretty face sent his heart aflutter. He had had this crush on her since shortly after he'd met her, but it had only grown in strength since.

Shintaro reached the back end of the Old School Building and sat himself down against the wall. It's only a matter of time, he thought, awaiting the arrival of the Perverted Trio.

The first to arrive were Matsuda and Motohama, both of them practically dropping to the floor and breathing heavier than a paedophile in a playground. (Shintaro honestly wouldn't have been surprised if that description turned out to be accurate.)

"… You ditched my brother again, didn't you?" asked Shintaro in a deadpan, but his eyes held a threat. When the two of them failed to answer, his eyes and his tone got harder. "Do you two want me to utilise the rumour mill as a weapon against you again? 'Cause I fucking will."

The rumour mill of the school was good like that. All Shintaro had to do was say the right words to the right person, and Matsuda and Motohama would be physically assaulted by the entire female student body rather than just the kendo team. He had done it once before after they had thrown Issei at their attackers in order to save their own sorry asses.

Matsuda and Motohama looked like they were about to make some plea for mercy when Issei turned up and unknowingly cemented their fate. Issei was covered in so many bruises and red marks that Shintaro thought he'd just gone ten rounds against Rocky Balboa.

He glared at Matsuda and Motohama as he sat down with them and Shintaro. He was angry with them but he only had himself to blame for the beating, really. Every time he went peeping with them he was reminded of why that was a very bad idea, yet he still jumped at the chance to do so. In a way he wished he had Shintaro's ability to prioritise his brain over his dick.

"I think attacking me with bamboo swords was a little over the top," he grumbled.

"Did you at least get to see some nip?" asked Motohama.

"No I didn't get to see any nip!" Issei snapped at him. "I was too busy getting my ass handed to me for looking through a tit-hole I didn't even get to look through because of you ass … holes …"

He trailed off at the end because his eyes had caught something up above them, within the Old School Building. The beauty of the young woman he saw through the window – who he could swear was looking at him – was the same beauty that had captivated the entire school. She was a beautiful third-year girl with flowing red hair, flawlessly pale skin, and blue-green eyes that reminded Issei of the ocean. She had one of the two curviest bodies in the school, and Issei could hardly take his eyes off her. Even without Motohama's measurement ability Issei could tell that her breasts were Double Ds at least.

The other three followed his gaze and they were all captivated, but none more so than Issei.

The redhead didn't seem to notice, however. Her eyes remained on Issei alone until the moment she stepped away from the window.

"Did you guys see that honey?" asked Matsuda. "Her sugar has got to be sweet."

"Her name's Rias Gremory," said Motohama as if none of them could identify her by reputation alone. "Thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six. She's the president of the Occult Research Club. Word is, she's from Northern Europe."

"No wonder," said Shintaro. Rias wasn't one of the girls he was crushing on, but he could appreciate her beauty and sex appeal all the same. "What is it about foreigners that makes them so fucking hot?"

They sat there and talked about girls for awhile more. Eventually the topics turned to movies, TV shows, and video games, subjects Shintaro was willing to speak about more freely. After an hour or two of social interaction they all went home. But Issei lingered behind, still staring up at the window. Shintaro ended up going home without him.

It was on his way home that Issei would have the meeting that changed his and Shintaro's lives forever.

It was growing dark when Issei finally left the school grounds to go home. The quiet made him feel a little uncomfortable, as he normally walked home with Shintaro and they chatted animatedly about whatever came to mind. It actually felt pretty lonely now that his brother wasn't around. The feeling of loneliness was dampened quite a bit, however, because of an image that Issei couldn't get out of his mind.

That long red hair … those dazzling blue-green eyes … that voluptuous figure …

Issei wasn't sure he knew what love felt like, but what he was feeling as he pictured Rias Gremory in his mind was definitely a far cry from the usual lust he felt when looking at women. (Though that was there, too.)

"E-Excuse me," someone said from behind him.

Issei turned around to see who was speaking to him and his mouth dropped open. It was a girl – a gorgeous girl. Her hair was raven black and flowed right down to her hips. Her eyes were a beautiful violet that Issei found it easy to get lost in. Her body was slender and it was one of the curviest, most provocative bodies Issei had ever seen on a woman. She was wearing a school uniform different from the Kuoh Academy uniform that hugged her body so well it looked like her breasts were about ready to break through the fabric.

Issei was struck dumb by the beauty in front of him. He was even more surprised that she was talking to him and not avoiding him like the plague.

"Um … can I help you?" he asked awkwardly.

"Y-Yes," said the girl shyly. It was adorable. "Y-You're Issei Hyoudou from Kuoh Academy, r-right?"

"Yeah, that's me." He tilted his head in confusion. "How do you know my name?" He found himself really hoping that his reputation hadn't spread outside the school.

"M-My name is Amano Yuuma," the girl introduced herself. "I … I've seen you on the way to school quite a lot now, and you always seemed so … gentle. V-Very handsome." She took a few shy steps toward him. Issei stared blushing; was this really happening? "And well, I'd … I'd like for you to be my boyfriend!" She seemed to have to force the words out at the end, like it was taking all of her nerve to even talk to him.

Issei stood stock still for a few moments. Whoa! Is this for real!? he thought in excitement, but managed to keep the eagerness off his face. A super hot girl just asked me out! Yuuma was standing rather close, and Issei found his eyes drifting down to roam over her body. She either didn't notice or didn't mind. Issei's heartbeat quickened.

"O-Okay," Issei said, trying not to sound as eager as he felt. He didn't want to blow this chance. "Yeah, sure, Yuuma-chan."

Yuuma smiled sweetly at him. "That's great!" she said enthusiastically. "So, how about having our first date this Sunday?"

"Sounds great," said Issei. He rubbed the back of his neck. "So … I've gotta get home now, but …"

"I could meet you here tomorrow morning and we can walk together."

"Sure thing, sounds awesome." Issei's face stretched into a grin he couldn't contain.

"Well, I'll see you then." Yuuma started to move away but she never took her eyes off him. "Bye! I'm real glad you're my boyfriend!"

"Ditto." Issei waved with a dumbstruck smile on his face. "Bye-bye!" Then Yuuma left his line of sight and he let all of his excitement explode outwards. "Oh hell yeah! A girl asked me out, I've got a girlfriend, I'm totally gonna see lady parts!" He practically ran home, whooping and cheering as he went. I can't wait to tell Shintaro about this! he cried in his mind.

He never noticed the familiar form of Koneko Toujou watching him as he went.

When Shintaro got home he'd had a quick microwave dinner before heading upstairs to the solitude of his bedroom. He rarely ever left his bedroom if he could help it, not that he knew why. He wasn't anti-social or anything like that, he just felt more … at peace in his room. In control. It was his room, his space, and he could do whatever he liked in or with it. This freedom lead the relatively small bedroom to being messy as all hell, though Shintaro could still point out exactly where everything was with an almost terrifying accuracy. The walls were practically smothered with animé posters; there were several bookshelves filled with animé DVDs, manga, and, of course, books. There were so many that he'd begun piling them up on the floor due to a lack of space on the shelves.

He had been lying down on his bed reading Mirai Nikki practically since getting home. So absorbed was he that he didn't really feel the time passing. It wasn't until he heard the knock on his door that he realised how long he had been reading.

Fuck me, he thought as he stood up and stretched out his numb limbs. The cracks and pops emanating from his body satisfied him immensely. I should set a timer for myself or some shit if I'm gonna make a habit out of this.

He went over to his bedroom door and opened it. Issei was standing on the other side with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face that Shintaro had ever seen.

"What's up, Ise-nii?" he asked with a tilt of the head.

"Shintaro, beloved otoutou, you are not gonna believe this," Issei said dramatically. "I have something to tell you and the guys tomorrow that'll blow your fucking minds!"

"Sounds great," Shintaro said dryly, somewhat irritated that Issei had roused him from his immersion to tell him basically nothing. But then a dirty smirk made its home on his face. "Though, personally, I'd rather have a hot girl blowing something else." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

An equally perverted smile appeared on Issei's face. If it weren't for the differences in hair and eye colour, plus Shintaro's glasses, they almost could have been mistaken as twins for a moment. "Me, too, man," said Issei. Then he wandered to his own room.

Shintaro closed his door, sighed, and slumped down on his bed again. He was suddenly rather tired. He got up to prepare for sleep, then the talk of blowing hung in his mind again. A certain black-haired, alluring beauty from school came to mind, and that was all Shintaro could take before giving in.

What better way to end the day than with a little stress relief?

The next day, Issei sent Shintaro on ahead of him so that he could meet up with Matsuda and Motohama revealing whatever fantastic thing he had to show the three of them. Finding Matsuda and Motohama wasn't difficult; they always waited just outside the school for Issei and Shintaro.

"Hey, Shintaro," Matsuda greeted him. "Where's Issei at?"

"Getting some big surprise ready, apparently," said Shintaro. "I dunno what it could be. Last night he told me that he had something that was gonna blow our minds, so I guess it's something good."

"Intriguing," said Motohama, pushing up his glasses. "I wonder what it could be …?"

It wasn't long before they found out.

A few minutes after their conversation had ended, Shintaro pegged Issei walking toward them. Wait, there's someone with him, he thought, trying to focus his eyes on the two approaching forms. His eyes widened when he saw who his brother was walking with. He's walking with a girl … and she's hot!

Shintaro couldn't help it as his eyes roamed over this girl's body. Long, silky hair, smooth skin, curves that most girls would kill for … He was having trouble reigning in his lust in a manner that he only had trouble doing for one other person. Now that he thought about it, this new girl had a similar feeling about her to a girl who goes to Kuoh Academy, one of Shintaro's three crushes …

Probably just because of how hot they both are, he thought, shrugging it off.

"Oh please God no!" Matsuda cried, figuring out exactly what was happening.

"Wha …?" Motohama said in a baffled state.

Issei and the girl arrived at the front of the school. The girl wore a polite smile and looked a little shy, which Shintaro thought was absurd, considering just how attractive she was.

"Hey, guys," Issei said coolly. "This is Yuuma Amano, my girlfriend." He said it so casually you'd have thought he had always been confident about getting one. "These are my good buds, Matsuda and Motohama. And this is my cool little otouto, Shintaro."

"It's nice to meet you," said Yuuma, bowing politely. Her voice was sweet on the ears.

"And here's the best part, dudes." Issei spoke his next words in a whisper with a giant grin on his face. "She … asked … me."

Matsuda and Motohama's mouths were open wide with shock; they were speechless. Shintaro had a wide smile on his face, genuinely feeling happy for his older brother. He held his hand up for a high-five, which Issei happily and enthusiastically gave him.

Issei looked at Matsuda and Motohama, grinning even more widely. "Hey, stop whackin' it and you'll find one, too," he said to them. "Let's go, Yuuma."

Yuuma gave them one last bow before she and Issei walked off together.

Matsuda and Motohama immediately decided that Issei was a traitor to the cause. Shintaro sighed, still grinning widely, and made his way into the school. Harsh as it may seem, the thought running through his head filled him with a confidence he had never really felt before. If even someone like Ise-nii can get a girlfriend, then I shouldn't have a problem.

He decided that he was going to ask Koneko out when he got to the classroom.

He got to his classroom a little before class actually started. He took his usual seat next to Koneko, a smile on his face and a fast pace in his heartbeat. It was always like that when he was near her.

"Hi," he greeted her cheerfully.

"Hello," she said. If she noticed his cheerful demeanour, she gave no signs.

"So, how're you doing?"

"I'm doing well. How about you?"

"I'm good." Shintaro suddenly felt very nervous. He breathed deeply in an attempt to get control of his heartbeat and his nerves. "Hey," he said, getting Koneko's attention. She looked at him and he felt his nerves slip. "Do you wanna … I mean, would you like to … If you wanted, we could …" All of the confidence he'd had a moment ago left him rather swiftly. "Y'know what? Never mind." He quickly became very interested in his desk.

"… Are you all right?" Koneko asked him. He might have imagined it, but he thought he heard genuine concern in her voice.

Shintaro's face went red. "I'm fine," he said unconvincingly. "Just … forget I said anything, I'm being stupid."

"I don't think you're stupid," said Koneko, and that was the end of it.

Shintaro felt very happy after she said that, but he still couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. He felt embarrassed. He felt ashamed that, while he could flirt with girls he had next to no interest in, he couldn't work up the nerve to ask out the girl he had genuine feelings for.

I'm fucking pathetic, he thought, then class began.

Issei got home late again, but this time Shintaro knew for a fact that it was because he was with Yuuma. Shintaro was happy for his brother, happy that he was taking a step toward accomplishing his dream, but there was also a small part of him that was rife with jealousy. Shintaro was a confident guy, and the people at school actually liked him, yet his brother, who had never done anything but repulse the girls of the school, had managed to get an incredibly beautiful girlfriend with little to no effort at all. Meanwhile, Shintaro was struggling to ask out a girl he had grown to know over his time at Kuoh Academy, one that he hadn't literally just met and started going out with.

Ise-nii is one lucky sod, Shintaro thought to himself as he sat in the living room, watching Game of Thrones. A certain amount of depression had set in after his failure to ask Koneko out on a date earlier in the day. He wanted to detach himself for awhile, and what better way to do that than by watching a show in which growing attached to a character is a big fucking risk?

When Issei eventually came home, Shintaro didn't even notice his presence until he spoke up from directly behind him.

"Shintaro," said Issei. Shintaro turned around to look at him. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Depends what it is," said Shintaro. He loved his brother, but he wasn't going to do anything too crazy for him.

"I've got a date with Yuuma on Sunday, and I don't wanna mess it up. "So … do you think you might be able to keep an eye on us and make sure I don't do anything stupid?"

Now you're just trying to rub it in, Shintaro thought, but out loud he said, "Won't it be awkward to drag me around on your date?"

"You can just watch from afar. She won't even know you're there."

Shintaro considered it for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, but you owe me one," he said. "Maybe you can see if she has any hot friends she can introduce me to."

Issei smirked. "Sure thing," he said. "Thanks, Otouto." He clapped Shintaro on the shoulder and wandered off to his bedroom.

I'm starting to think I'm some kind of masochist. Shintaro then did his best to continue watching Game of Thrones, trying not to think about how this coming Sunday was going to make him even more depressed about his lack of an actual love life.

For Issei Sunday couldn't have arrived quick enough. And now, standing in the middle of the busy street, he felt incredibly nervous. This was the first date he had ever been on, and all he had to go on in terms of what goes on during a date was what he had seen in movies and video games. It was still relatively early in the day, so there weren't as many people around as there would be later, but to him the place still felt crowded.

He couldn't see Shintaro. He knew Shintaro had followed him out of the house and walked behind him on the way there, but he couldn't see him now. He could feel his little brother's eyes on him, however, and that brought him some measure of comfort.

"Here, take a flier," said a woman's voice. It was an attractive, curvy woman in a bat-themed outfit. She handed Issei a flier, winked at him, and walked away.

Issei, for once in his life, was too distracted by his thoughts about his date to ogle to woman, no matter how attractive she may have been. He looked down at the flier in his hands. "'Your wish will be granted,'" he read. "Yeah, right. I wish." Normally he would have thrown the flier away without a second thought, but something compelled him to keep it on him, so he shoved it in his pocket and continued to wait for Yuuma to show up.

"Hey, Ise-kun!" Yuuma was wearing a cute, casual white dress with a purple jacket over the top. It gave a nice view of her cleavage. "Did I keep you waiting long?"

"No, please, I'm just glad you showed up," said Issei. Yes! he cheered in his head. I've always wanted to say that to a chick!

From there the date commenced. Issei decided to play it safe and go for something traditional. He took her to the shops to look at clothes and other things he thought she might like. He ended up buying her a white scrunchy to wear on her wrist, which she thanked him for with a radiant smile. Shintaro, who was still watching from a distance, found himself wishing he could have been doing something similar with Koneko today. Then Issei took Yuuma for ice-cream, and this was the only point on the date that Shintaro had to get involved in order to stop Issei from doing something stupid. It was a hot day, and Yuuma was sweating, so the skin of her breasts shined and drew Issei's attention to them.

Shintaro, being the dedicated brother he was, threw a small stone at the window just beside Issei in order to snap him out of his breast-induced stupor.

From there the date went as normal. They walked around for awhile, did some more shopping, and eventually just seemed to be enjoying each other's company. As the day drew to a close and the sun started to set, the two of them wandered off, heading toward the park. Shintaro followed along.

"I had a really great time today," said Yuuma as she and Issei walked through the empty park. There was an edge to her voice, though, like she was conflicted about something.

"I had a great time, too, Yuuma-chan," said Issei. The two of them descended into silence and, feeling bold, Issei took her hand in his.

Yuuma blushed heavily. She quickly removed her hand from his and ran ahead a little. She turned back to face him. "Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"You can ask me anything," said Issei.

"I want you to do something for me, to commemorate this special moment." She looked hesitant, but steeled herself, knowing that, as hard as this was to do, it had to be done. "Will you die for me?"

Issei was confused. "Sorry, what was that? I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

Yuuma stepped closer and whispered in his ear. "I want you to die for me." Her voice was more mature now, almost seductive in its tone.

Yuuma's clothes suddenly tore off her body, exposing her luscious round breasts to both of the boys watching (though Shintaro was further away, hiding behind a tree). This lovely view didn't last long, however, as a pair of black, feathered wings sprouted from her back and moved to cover her breasts, her vagina, her hands, and her feet in what looked like a leather dominatrix outfit. Even as demonic as she now looked, she was still dead sexy.

"I really am sorry about this," said "Yuuma," sounding strangely sincere and regretful. Light appeared in her hand and took the shape of a spear. "But you're a threat to us and must be dealt with. If you're looking for someone to blame, blame God, he gave you the Sacred Gear, after all."

What the hell is she talking about? Issei wondered as he backed away in fear. He was too late, however, as "Yuuma" flung the spear of light toward him and it went into his chest. A torrent of blood spewed out of Issei as the spear vanished and he fell to the floor.

"Yuuma" was about to fly away when the sound of rapid footsteps met her ears.

"You fucking bitch!" a familiar voice yelled, and somebody came running at her out of the trees.

Startled, "Yuuma" formed another spear and threw it at the approaching figure. It hit him in the chest and he went to the floor, a pool of his own blood forming beneath him. She looked closer at the person she had just killed and saw that it was none other than Shintaro Hyoudou.

"Oh no …" she muttered to herself, fearful. "Lutanyek-sama is going to kill me …"

Now panicked, she flew away, leaving a trail of black feathers behind her.

As the two boys lay there, their blood pooling under them, Issei couldn't get the image of Rias Gremory out of his mind.

Quite suddenly, a red glowing circle formed a little way away from the two brothers, who could barely see it at all due to blood loss. Out of the circle a redheaded figure emerged. "I have come," said a feminine voice. She looked at Issei. "You are the one who summoned me, are you not? Since death is upon you, I will gladly take you in." She paused for a moment, glancing between the two of them. "Both of you. From this moment forward, you will live your lives for my sake."

And then both brothers passed out.

Not all that different from the first time, I admit, but it is a drastic rise in writing quality, in my opinion. I hope you guys enjoy the newly edited chapters of The Hyoudou Brothers as much as I'm sure to enjoy writing them.

Now, I promised you the harem lists, didn't I? While these aren't going to change, I'm going to be posting them at the bottom of each chapter just to remind you who's in it, in case you forget or something. Now, here are the lists!

Issei: Rias, Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarner, Le Fay, Kiyome, Tsubasa, Kuroka, Ophis, Fem!Gasper.

Shintaro: Koneko, Asia, Akeno, Xenovia, Sona, Serafall, Ravel, Rossweisse, Fem!Vali, Blair (Soul Eater, Familiar).

Those are the harems, and I'm sticking to them. I realise that some of you may not be happy with this development, and to you I apologise, but I'm just a lot more comfortable writing out the harems if there are fewer people involved. They have ten girls each, which I'm sure is enough.

I hope you've all enjoyed the edited chapter one, and I'll see you all in the edited chapter two!