And here we are, chapter 2. Honestly, didn't think I would get such a response to the first chapter in a few hours since posting. Anyway, just as a thank you, I'm posting a chapter early just for you. Also, yes, the Orochi is a parody of the Marvel Psylocke. I plan on giving her similar abilities. It wouldn't be a huge stretch as in the For Honor game, the Samurai, Vikings, and Knights all have an effect that looks similar to plasma. For the Samurai, it is called Plasma Shock and instead of blue it is purple so Betsy will be able to create an energy katana, but I plan to give her an actual, physical katana.
If any of you have a suggestion on what the katana should be as in weapon sets like how I have the Unwaking Nightmare for Dominic, I'm open to suggestion. Same goes for Eirik. I might make a Wonder Woman and For Honor crossover just for kicks and giggles but if it does well also, I'll continue it.
Anyway, getting ahead of myself, going back to the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own For Honor or High School DxD.
Chapter 2: School Day and Devils
*3 months later*
A few months had passed since the warriors had arrived in Kuoh and things have been surprisingly quiet. After settling in, Dominic, Elizabeth, and Eirik all managed to get jobs, thanks to Naomi who found a position that suited each warrior in the mall. Dominic was an employee of a bookstore and cafe. His knowledge of books was invaluable and his sense of culture. On a side note, he also made some music of his own, it was actually very good and was played in the cafe or at the local club. Elizabeth gained a position as a barista at the cafe that was connected to the bookstore. If it was Naomi trying to set up her granddaughter and Dominic, it wasn't clear. What was clear is that Elizabeth was an excellent coffee maker, making coffees using different flavoring and creams and more often then naught, did it in a flashy style of using her skills as an Orochi to give the process a little flash. Eirik got a job as a security guard for the mall and easily made his way up the ranks in no time at all, giving an in-depth look on his skills as a leader and the ability to dispell situations rather quickly. He also got the reputation of carrying a baton and riot shield wherever he went.
The trio worked weekdays, for about ten hours each day. Initially, the employers of each establishment thought the teens were joking. Oh, how wrong they were. Ten hours of work was practically nothing for Knights, Vikings, or Samurai. It was basically embedded into their genes to go for long periods of time with little to no sleep. The constant fighting made that so. They all actually really enjoyed their jobs, it gave them a chance to just be normal, or about as normal as they can get.
Getting citizenships wasn't as hard as you would think, having multiple connections to basically every government in the world. However, some interesting events did happen with the Orochi and the Warlord.
Each faction has a sort of animals that goes with them and can act as partners. For the Knights, it is a dragon. Dragons are extremely intelligent and just as curious when they are born. The size of these magnificent beasts can range from the size of a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III to the size of a parrot, and extremely rare cases, the size of an Oil Tanker. Depending on the type of dragon, they can either breath fire or some other element. Their growth rate is extremely impressive, only needing a few years of growth before they reach full size.
For the Vikings, they can have multiple animal partners. Said animals can range from birds of prey to wolves, and on rare occasion, some snakes. The most common animal for the Viking is a type of mountain ram that grows to the same size as a horse. These rams are commonly used for infantry and mounted attacks as well as scaling sheer cliffs in very little time. To add some similarities to the Knights' Dragons, the animals associated with the Vikings have extremely fast growth rates.
For Eirik, he was surprised by a gift from his parents in the form of a Gyrfalcon. This bird was actually much larger than the average Gyrfalcon which was 48 to 61 cm in length, about 805 to 1350 grams, and with a wingspan of about 110 to 130 cm. Eiriks falcon was about three times that.
For Betsy, she got something a little different, a present from her grandparents. For the Samurai, they have a type of mystical fox that lives in their homes. These animals are very much different from regular foxes, possessing unique abilities. They grow up rather quickly, but not to the same rate as dragons.
Betsy was given a fox cub as a gift from her grandparents. Now a fox cub from the samurai faction is about the same size as a regular fox. Suffice to say, both Eirik and Betsy had new responsibilities to deal with other than the potential threat of devils in Kuoh.
At the moment, however, the teens were currently relaxing in the guest house which they have since upgraded when they moved in. Dominic was reading a book, Betsy was texting some friends she made in Kuoh, and Eirik was practicing his punches on a punching bag he bought online.
Suddenly, the door to the guest house opened up and Musashi entered, carrying a briefcase and a large box.
"Hello, granddad," greeted Betsy as she put her phone away while Dominic glanced up from his book and joined her. Eirik landed a few more punches to the bag before stopping to grab a towel and dried himself off of sweat before also heading over to find out what the Kensei had brought.
"Glad to see you relaxing, but at the moment, I have some important news," informed Musashi as he gestured for them to come over to the kitchen table where he set the briefcase on the table and the box next to it, "I was able to get your registration forms and your uniforms for Kuoh Academy."
"So the big surprise is that we're getting closer to the devil's lair?" asked Eirik humorously if his tone was anything to go by.
"In a way," replied the old master, a small smirk had formed, "but in all honesty, this is part of your mission."
"Wouldn't the jobs get in the way of school?" asked Dominic, bringing up a valid point. Their jobs all would have to rearranged to accommodate the change.
"Correct. But this will also test your ability to adapt to a changing environment."
"So when do we go to the Academy?" asked Betsy as she looked at the box with growing interest.
"The registration papers are in the case. Just give it to the administration once you fill them out and you will be set. Your uniforms are in the box, along with your textbooks. Your first day starts tomorrow. But going back to work, Naomi has already informed your bosses that you'll be attending school. Get some rest, you'll require it for the day ahead."
"Thank you, Mister Yamada," thanked Dominic as he shook his hand.
"Think nothing of it," replied Musashi as he left the house. Once he left, the three teens looked to one another.
"Guess we'll be getting closer to the devils, huh?" remarked Eirik as he opened the box and grabbed a uniform that was about his size and took three extra pairs that were in there.
"For me, it's kinda ironic," snorted Dominic wryly as he took a textbook and flipped through it, noting that most of the information in the book was full of things he already knew.
"I wouldn't worry too much," reassured Betsy as she bumped her hip against his, a smirk on her face, "It's not like an Inferno Knight like yourself has much to worry about."
"Who said I was worried about myself?" shot back the Knight as he gives the Orochi an amused look.
In the three months that followed, Betsy and Dominic had grown rather close. Eirik would joke that they were practically dating, but to his amusement and their dismay, they would almost always deny it at the same exact time. Relationships between warriors of different factions weren't prohibited, but they weren't extremely encouraged due to past strains. But to be honest, it wasn't that much to worry about.
"Jeez, just accept the reality already," exasperated Eirik as he walked away with his uniform and clothing, leaving both Betsy and Dominic redfaced.
"I'm not with him/her!" they said at the same time, only prompting the Warlord to let out a bark of laughter.
"Remind me to kick his ass later," muttered Betsy as she glared at the leaving form of Eirik.
"Get in line," retorted Dominic, placing a textbook on his arm.
Next Day
In a classroom within Kuoh, Rias was sitting in class with her friends Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki. Tsubaki had long straight black hair that reached down to her knees and had heterochromia eyes, her right eye was light brown and the other was violet. She wore light blue glasses which had half rim square lenses.
The four were sitting in their classroom ready to start their third and final year at Kuoh. It wasn't anything exciting really since nothing really happen for past couple months, except the unknown power they felt. They searched everywhere for the three suspects, but couldn't find a clue. It was embarrassing for them for not being able to find three boys in their territory; however, they haven't given up yet especially Rias.
Just before they could begin the teacher came in and has an important announcement to make which caught everybody's attention.
"Attention everybody, we have three new students joining us today. Please welcome them with open arms."
Rias quickly turned to Sona with a serious expression, "Did you know about this?"
"Actually, I don't. This must have been last minute transfers otherwise I would have known about this."
Meanwhile, the other girls in the class were getting very excited.
"Who do think they will be?"
"I hope they are boys. We have enough girls in the school."
"Let just hope they're not perverts like most of the guys here."
"Agreed."
Rias simply sighed at their responses and turned to the window in boredom. It was always about boys in these conversations and she was getting tired of hearing them. Every guy she saw here was the same; weak, perverted, and disappointing. Is it that hard to have a normal guy who doesn't have a perverted mind? She wasn't the only one who felt the same way. Sona, Akeno, and Tsubaki all wish the same thing and were getting tired of the male students' behavior.
A knock echoed the room forcing everybody to be quiet as the teacher smiled, "Come on in."
Entering the room through the door were two males, both wearing the school uniform if only slightly altered, while standing between the two was a female with deep purple hair. The boy on the right of the girl was taller than her, having his blazer open and swapping out the ribbon for a tie while also wearing a pair of sunglasses, masking his eyes. Hanging around his neck was a small, gold medallion. The other boy, though man would be a more accurate term, towered over the two others, had his arms crossed, the blazer was also left open, but he didn't wear the ribbon at all or a tie. Instead, he had the top open slightly. The girl in the middle had left her uniform relatively the same if only leaving one top button undone.
Every girl was ogling the sight of the two boys while the male students were busy ogling the sole girl. However, only four of the present female students were completely shocked. Three suspects, whom they have been searching for over the course of three months to no headway whatsoever just waltz into their classroom and are now part of the class.
The four were thinking the exact same thing, """"You have got to be kidding me!?""""
However, this also did make it easier for them to keep an eye on and figure out which one possessed the unknown power.
"Would you three mind introducing yourselves to the class?" asked the teacher politely.
"I don't mind," replied the boy on the right, "My name is Dominic Blackstone."
"Elizabeth Braddock," said the girl nodding to the class.
"Eirik Ragnar," said the giant gruffly.
"If you have any questions about us, don't be afraid to ask," announced Dominic with a level tone. However, this first display of being a nice guy on his and Eirik's part would bring way more problems then either of them realized. The boys who had all witnessed what Betsy did to any guy who tried to hit on her kept quiet. They liked girls, but they weren't in any hurry to get their asses handed to them.
All the same, in literally four seconds, the class erupted with cheers and screams of joy that their wishes had come true. Dominic closed his eyes and took a steady breath in and out while Elizabeth rolled her and Eirik remained passive.
"Settle down, class, settle down," requested the teacher, before she turned to the three new students, "Now then, you can take your seats."
They nodded before following the teacher to the empty seats that were likely for them. All the while they were walking, they could hear all the whispers around them. Dominic snorted, guess some places really do have the stereotypical school girls, all gossiping.
Taking their seats, Betsy sat down next to Dominic while Eirik sat on his other side. However, it wasn't long until they were compelled to glance behind to find out what was causing them to. Behind Dominic was a girl with long flowing red hair and next to her was another girl with long black hair that was tied into a ponytail, both staring at Dominic. Two other girls wearing glasses were glancing between Betsy and Eirik, not with interest but almost analytical.
While any other guy might be having a field day that these girls noticed him, for the three warriors, it was different. Dominic sighed as he turned back forward as the teacher began the class. Eirik snorted as he reclined in his chair while Betsy flipped her hair over her shoulder and began to focus on the lesson.
While everything seems normal, it wasn't. Their action did not go unnoticed by the class nor to the girls behind them. This was the first time they witness a guy who did not lose their composer at the sight of the four most popular girls in school. All the guys here would become lost for words when they lay sight on them. Girls were an exception to this for obvious reasons.
However, this simple action illustrates that the two new male students were not perverts, which brought even more joy to them. For Rias and the others, it was different. At first sight, Dominic, Eirik, and Elizabeth seem like normal teens, but something was different about them. They couldn't tell what it was and they couldn't describe it either in words. But one thing was certain, they had to confront them as soon as possible.
Later
Time in the class went by rather quickly, and soon it was lunch. At first, the Knight, Viking, and Samurai agreed to have lunch in at least a semi-private area but were intercepted by a swarm of girls, or at least Dominic and Eirik were, Betsy was largely ignored not that she would object. However, she did stick close to Dominic when all the school girls began asking questions.
"Eirik, Dominic, where are you guys from?"
"How do you know each other?"
"What made you guys transfer here?"
"Elizabeth, why is your hair purple?"
"How come you wear sunglasses, Dominic?"
"Is Elizabeth your girlfriend, Dominic?"
Dominic had a baffled expression, while Eirik just facepalmed. Both of them should have seen this coming. But nonetheless, the Warden decided to humor the girls, if only to get them to leave them alone.
"Okay, okay, slow down," requested Dominic as he held his hands up to get them to stop asking so many questions, "Eirik, you want to go?"
"Right," replied the giant as he turned to the group, "My family comes from a small town in Finland, just outside of Rovaniemi."
"I'm from London England, in case you were curious," interjected Betsy, leaning into my shoulder.
"What about you, Dominic?" asked one of the many girls.
"I'm from Los Angelas, California, or at least my adopted family is," he answered looking down for a moment.
"You were adopted?"
"Yeah, never knew my real parents. I don't know where I'm originally from. I only my last name and so far, I haven't made any progress with that," Dominic said somberly but picked himself up before the girls could all get sorry and have an excuse to get closer, "As for how we know each other, our families go way back so we all know each other."
That was our official story. It was far simpler than to explain that none of us knew each other and that we all happen to join Kuoh at the exact same time, "Why we transferred here is because our parents wanted us to have the best education, and Betsy had grandparents here. Since we're close, Eirik and myself were allowed to stay with them."
"That's really nice of them," commented another girl, "but just curious, why is your hair purple, Elizabeth? It's a really nice color."
"Not the first time I've been asked that," chuckled the secret Orochi as she shifted closer as she wasn't used to being the center of attention, "My hair is naturally this girl. It's something genetic, I can't quite remember how exactly, but it's genetic."
"As for me, why I wear sunglasses, it's a sensitive topic so let's just leave it at that. It's personal," he said in a level tone, but Eirik and Betsy knew what he really meant. The unnatural color of his eyes put off a lot of people so to avoid earning a lot of attention, he wore the glasses, "And the last question, uh, no, we aren't dating."
"Doesn't mean we can't," said Betsy in a teasing tone as she looped her arm through his.
The girl's narrowed their eyes in jealousy, "Any more questions?" asked Eirik suddenly. Snapping them out of their minor tantrum before shaking their heads before parting to allow Dominic, Betsy, and Eirik to leave the room, "Have a nice lunch."
"See you around," added Dominic as he and the other two warriors left. As soon as they were gone, the school girls did exactly what they were best at gossiping. Primarily about how nice and gentlemanly Dominic and Eirik was and a few things about Betsy. Rias and her friends grew curious about Dominic and Eirik since they were different from rest of the boys here at Kuoh. Elizabeth was someone also to consider. They started thinking of a plan to be better acquainted with them and find out who they are.
"You all noticed Rias and her followers, correct?" asked Dominic as he sat down on the roof of the school to have his lunch.
"Yep/Uh-huh," replied Eirik and Betsy at the same time.
"She's much different than what I originally expected, but still, there's a chance we might be attracting her attention," continued the Warden as he held an apple in his hand.
"Three warriors with mystical powers from factions that have been around for nearly a thousand years arrive at a school that she also happens to attend, it's gonna attract her attention," deadpanned Eirik as he took a bite out of his beef jerky, "it's her territory."
"But she doesn't know we're warriors," pointed out Betsy as she brought up a valid point, "Our mission was to keep an eye on her, but also keep the factions a secret."
As Betsy said this, the wheels in Dominic's mind were turning. It was true, their mission was to oversee the devils and make sure they weren't a threat to humanity, not unlike the Catholic goal of the angels and church, but the Iron Legion catered more towards humanity than God. As for the Warborn Vikings, they had their own gods, the ones who granted them their power like how God gave the Knights unique abilities.
The Norse gods were very real, as were the nine realms. The same could be said for the Samurai and the Shinto gods and goddesses. They all had a say in the world, like God and the Devil does. The more or less steady reliance on the three factions gives them some say in the world. However, even if they do get discovered by Rias and her followers, they still won't know about the factions.
"Well, technically, we're to make sure they won't discover the factions and the other pantheons," began Dominic as an idea appeared in his head. It was a technicality, but still within the boundaries of their mission. His tone caught the attention of both Warlord and Orochi.
"Yeah, technically, we're supposed to make sure that they don't know about the factions," recalled Betsy before she realized what he was getting at, "You're not thinking-"
"No, I'm saying if we do get made, we're still technically in the clear because if we keep them in the dark about the factions, we're still following the parameters of the mission," cleared up the Warden as he stood up to explain.
"That's a technicality," deduced Eirik as he had gone over the mission parameters and he wasn't wrong, "but you're right."
"So what, we're gonna be all friendly with them now?" asked Betsy in a sarcastic tone.
"Keep your friends close; your enemies closer," answered Dominic as he took a bite out of his apple and chuckled. Betsy started nodding before a grin formed on her face.
"Let's go make friends with some devils," stated the Londoner as she started her lunch.
"Assuming the devils don't get to us first," commented Eirik dryly as he continued eating.
Hallway, Kuoh Academy
The warriors were walking down a hallway to get to their next class when they noticed that everybody was moving to the left and right of the hallway.
"What the hell?" muttered Dominic as he moved to find out what was going on. Betsy and Eirik trailing behind.
Their answer was their new classmates and targets to survey: Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. The ones that focused their attention on Dominic. Comments flew through the air about them on how beautiful and perfect they were along with a few other things. The Warden sighed as he shook his head: was every person here really that blinded by outward appearances?
"Look! It's Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima!"
"Aren't they so beautiful!?"
"I wish I could have a perfect body like them!"
"I would do anything to date them!"
Betsy just snorted in disgust, "They can't be serious."
"Come on, we're gonna be late for our next class if we wait here," stated Eirik as he walked passed Dominic and Betsy. The two following behind and to be honest, they couldn't care less about the consequences of the action.
Students were simply shocked to see the transfer students were not standing to the side like the rest of them. While the female students were stunned by this, the male half was enraged. They couldn't believe that these guys and girl had the guts to walk in the presence of the two hottest girls in school. As they slowly approached each other, Dominic noticed Rias was staring at him.
"Hey!" shouted a voice, causing the three to turn around and see the faces of a group of boys.
"Can I help you?" asked Dominic calmly as he, Eirik, and Betsy turned to face the group of boys.
"Do you know what you three just did?!"
"No/Not really/Don't really care what it was," were the nonchalant replies of the three transfers.
"You three got a lot of nerves walking pass the Two Great Ladies of Kuoh!"
"So?" asked Dominic folding his arms as he held a strong outward aura, "I don't see the big deal about walking passed, two classmates."
"SO?!" all of the boys practically shouted, causing the attention of everyone in the hallway, including Rias and Akeno.
"YOU SHOW THEM SOME RESPECT!"
"YEAH!"
"THEY ARE PRIME BEAUTY OF THIS SCHOOL!"
"SO, GO BACK AND APOLOGIES TO THEM!"
Dominic just had about enough of this, and from what he could see in the corner of his eyes, so were Eirik and Betsy. Seems like they had to make another stand. However, while this was going on the resident devils were thinking something else.
Rias just simply sighed at the boys' comments. She was getting tired being treated like she was some sort of important figure that deserves the utmost respect. Even Akeno was getting sick of it as well. Right before she could leave, she heard something that completely shocked her.
"No."
Dead silence.
The entire hallway was dead silent at Dominic's answer.
"I'm with Dominic. The only people I respect, are those who deserve it," agreed Betsy as she shifted her weight to her right and folded her arms.
"Ditto," finalized Eirik as he clenched his fists should a fight break out.
Everyone was in a state of shock. Rias turned around to face Dominic who had a steadfast expression locked onto the boys who were widening their eyes. This was the first time something like this happen. Mouths were dropped from everyone who heard their bold statements. The boys glared at him and Eirik with great rage while the girls were curious as to why they refused.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
"You heard us," stated Dominic in an authoritative tone, "Why would I just give someone my respect? It doesn't work like that. Respect has to be earned, and so far, neither of them has done anything to earn my respect or the respect of my friends."
"OF COURSE SHE DESERVES YOUR RESPECT, ARE YOU DAMN STUPID!?"
"I'm realistic," he replied without hesitation, "until proven otherwise, to me, Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima are all shine and no substance."
"WHAT?!" they all shouted together in anger before getting ready to attack them.
Before they could even move, Eirik grabbed one of them by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up so he was level with the giant's eyes. The group of boys was about to go in and help their friend, but one look from Dominic stopped them in their tracks.
"You try something, then I'll have more than enough reason to turn you into paste," threatened Eirik as he held the boy tight by the shirt.
"What's going on here!?"
Everybody turned to see familiar faces which caused many of them to gulp hard.
"It's Sona Shitori and Tsubaki Shinra of the Student Council!"
"Oh man, Sona looks extremely mad!"
"First day of school and you already started a fight, Mr. Ragnar?" asked Sona as she walked over to the warriors, who were completely unfazed by her presence, and crossed her arms.
"Begging your pardon, Sona, but to be accurate, it's actually the other way around," cut in Dominic.
Sona turned to the Warden, giving him her attention, "Defending your friend here, Mr. Blackstone?"
"Heck no," snorted Dominic, "in fact, I personally condemn what he did. However, that is not the reason. I just want to tell you what really happened and the events that lead up to where we are now. Elizabeth can confirm or deny what I say."
"Yep," nodded Betsy as she unfolded her arms.
This caught her attention as she calmed herself down a little, "…Okay, explain what has transpired here?"
"Alright, Ms. Shitori. The three of us were just heading to our next class after lunch. As we were going to class, everyone stood to the side to allow Rias and Akeno to pass," explained Dominic before he gestured to the two in question, "Since we didn't have time to waste waiting, we continued on our way to class, but we were stopped by these guys."
He then gestured to the group of boys behind them, who were all looking rather sheepish and tried to find something, anything that could be interesting. Anything to not have to look at the glare of Sona.
"They told us to stop and apologize for the answer I gave, as well as the ones Elizabeth and Eirik gave," concluded Dominic.
"What was that answer?" asked Sona, narrowing her eyes.
"I think I speak from my friends when I said 'no.' Getting upset at our response, they were about to assault us when Eirik only defended himself and us by giving them a warning through his strength and size. What happened here was just an act of self-defense, nothing more, nothing less."
"I see," said Sona finally before she returned her attention to Dominic, "May I ask why you choose to say no and why they are so upset about it?"
"Firstly, the demanded that we were to show respect to Rias and Akeno for walking past them. Nowhere in the school handbook does it say that we have to step aside and/or show them respect," he explained before Betsy interjected.
"I'm with Dom' on this. And personally, I find it kinda sad that these guys are so willing to show respect to someone just because they're pretty," said the Londoner.
"Respect is earned, Sona, not just simply given away for trivial things or outward appearances alone," picked up Dominic, shooting Betsy a glance who only shrugged, "I'm quite safe to say that you might agree."
Sona next action surprised Rias, Akeno, and Tsubaki. She gave a small smirk and it wasn't any kind of smirk, it was a pleased smirk. In all the years they knew her, she never gives that kind of smirk to anyone other than them and a few other people. Dominic was the first one out of their group to receive this and made them question who they really were.
"You're quite the analyst, Mr. Blackstone," complimented Sona as she adjusted her glasses.
"I'm not, just being honest," corrected Dominic keeping a professional exterior, "and I'd prefer to be called Dominic if it is alright."
"I see. You can call me Sona. I must say you have quite a detailed defense for your friend and brought out a few good points," added Sona.
"Won't need a defense if being honest," he replied with a shrug.
The hall was frozen in time. This transfer student managed to become friendly with Sona Shitori, head of the Student Council and third most popular girl in school. Boys were enraged that this guy was able to become friends with her so easily and wished he would burn in hell.
"Eirik," addressed Dominic, turning to his friend who was still holding the poor kid in his clutches, "could you put the kid down."
Glancing at the Warden then to Sona, who returned to her serious manner and was now facing him. He could tell by the look on her face that she wanted him to let go of the boy. To avoid an unnecessary trouble he forcibly let go of the boy, but gave one last glare at him and his followers, "Beat it punks, we're done here."
The boys nodded quickly in fear before backing away. Sona rubbed her temples and sighed, "Mr. Eirik Ragnar, do you have anything to say?"
"Anything I would've said was done by Dom'," answered the giant who gave his friend a nod of approval, nailing almost exactly what he would have said for himself, "respect is something I don't give away like a pair of worn shoes. That has to be earned."
"The same goes for us," agreed Dominic as he stood beside the Warlord as did Betsy, "respect isn't given, it's earned."
"And how do we do that?" The group turned to see Rias who was smiling at him.
Dominic narrowed his eyes, which were still hidden behind his glasses, preventing her from seeing it. The sudden curiosity was expected. They got their attention, now the tricky part of avoiding becoming a willess slave.
"Actions speak louder than words, so unless you do something extremely noteworthy, my stance won't change," he answered, playing along to avoid suspicion.
"That's all?" asked Rias, a little intrigued that was all he was asking for.
"For me anyway. I won't assume what it takes to earn their respect," corrected Dominic glancing at Betsy and Eirik, "but until otherwise, you're all shine and no substance."
The boys growled in rage at his comment while the girls were commenting on how bold he was. Instead of being angry, Rias was intrigued. Dominic knew he was playing a dangerous game; the intrigue in her eyes had grown and more than likely, the odds that she might make an attempt to bring him into her service.
"Well then," spoke up Rias, her smile growing wider, causing Dominic to raise an eyebrow, "I guess I will have to prove you wrong."
"Good luck and trust me, you're gonna need as luck as possible," he shot back. He was certain now; Rias Gremory was likely going to keep an eye on him and by default: Eirik and Betsy. If he was going to keep within the parameters of his mission, he needed to keep an eye on her.
"Thank you", she sarcastically said before sticking out a hand, "Let me introduce myself, I'm Rias Gremory."
"Dominic Blackstone," he replied, and despite himself and what he was trained to do when encountering a devil, he took the hand and gave it a firm squeeze. He was not entirely surprised to feel a similar strength being returned, "Nice grip."
"My father told me that a firm handshake is a good sign of trust."
"Smart man."
Akeno stepped forward in front of Eirik with her hands behind her back and smile on her face, "Nice to meet you, Eirik Ragnar. I'm Akeno Himejima."
"Since you already know my name, I won't bother saying, but nice to meet you," said Eirik coldly, however, he raised a confused eyebrow when her smile grew a little and she slowly leaned forward a bit and stood on her toes. However, this still only brought her up to just below his chin.
She started to look at him with a seductive stare which would cause any other boy to be flustered, "I might not know a lot about sports, but I can take a good guess that you lift weights and workout a lot. Still, I'm curious about just how you work out. Would you mind giving me a-"
"Look, Akeno, I get that you're interested, but right now, I'm not looking for a girlfriend. Not when I just transferred here," cut off Eirik already knowing where this was going if when she started to loop her arm around his in order to get a feel. He pulled his arm away and caught her wrist, preventing her from getting any closer. This surprised everyone, minus Dominic and Betsy, however, none were more so than Akeno. This was the first time a boy had touched her in the way Eirik did. The giant let out a sigh as he let go of the girl, "I'm not shooting you down, I'm just calling for a raincheck. Got it?"
"Ara, ara, a forceful type huh?" she replied with a pleasing grin while placing her hand on her cheek. The warriors were slightly unnerved, wondering if she was some sort of sadist.
Rias, Sona, and Tsubaki sweated a little because they recognized that smile, 'Oh no, her sadist side is acting up.'
Betsy then noticed a girl standing behind Sona, "And what's your name?"
"Tsubaki Shinra. Please to meet you."
After introductions were made, the warning bell rang and everybody began heading to their next class, "Well, this was fun," said Betsy as she grabbed a hold of Dominic's arm and yanked him away while gripping Eirik's wrist, "but we have a class to get to."
"Right," agreed Dominic as he straightened himself out before turning to look at Rias, "Guess we'll see lot around?"
"We will. Bye, Dominic," nodded Rias. She headed to class with her friends in the opposite direction. Dominic didn't need to see her face to know that a small smirk appeared on her face, along with a lot of interest.
The heiress was now planning ways to recruit Dominic into her group. One way, or another.
Several weeks later...
Since the school year started, events for the Warriors have certainly changed.
In the beginning, they were just another group of transfer students, but now, they were extremely well known. They even got nicknames, rising rapidly through the social status of the school before gaining the nicknames. Each of them found their new names rather appropriate for each of them. Since they were so often seen together, they were given a group name, affectionately dubbed the Three-Rulers. The nickname originated based on where their ancestry is from.
Dominic's ancestry was German so he was named The King of Kuoh. Dominic didn't really like the name, but he didn't object to it.
Eirik was placed as Chief Ragnar: The Unbroken. His Finnish background was a little stereotypical, but for the Viking Warlord, he didn't mind at all.
And lastly was Betsy, the Twilight Empress. Betsy found it funny and ironic since the Samurai were once part of the 'Dawn' Empire. And to be honest, she rather liked the sound Empress.
Dominic earned his name as King due to his moral compass, belief in helping others, and a little bit of his ancestry. In debating club, which Dominic joined about a week after starting at the Academy, he displayed his political attention and reasoning, winning every argument and settling every difference with incredible efficiency. He was offered a place on Student Council by Sona, but he declined, saying that political things weren't really his interest. He was also extremely affluent in math, physics, chemistry, and many other subjects. Becoming on par with Sona in no time at all. He would provide tutoring to anyone who needed it, but despite this, Dominic knew that any girl who came to him was only interested in his looks. But it wasn't his debating skills and intelligence alone that won him the title King.
In gym class, Dominic displayed incredible feats of strength by lifting more than any other boy in the school, minus Eirik, and performed incredible athletic prowess. His affluence in athletics and sports easily won him invitations to multiple clubs, which greatly angered many male students. However, Dominic decided to give these games a try, but his forte wasn't in the sports. That was something Dominic was proud and ashamed of.
The kendo club was where he really shined, much to his own displeasure. The club invited him over and asked him if he knew how to do kendo. When he asked if it was similar to fencing, they said yes, which actually prompted him to try and expand his prowess with the longsword. He made a not to mention that he practice many different forms involving the longsword, which allowed the girls to explain the rules a bit better.
When the match took place, Dominic first asked if he could use the style he learned to fight with to determine the skill levels of the club members. When they allowed it, Dominic wielded the bokken in a unique stance, obviously ancient, but something seemingly familiar, but that curiosity was outweighed by how exactly skilled with a sword he truly was.
One after the other, club members would duel Dominic and each of them were defeated. He could see that they had potential for more, telling them where their flaws and strengths lay. Though he added that if they could beat him, then they should be just fine against anyone. While he may not have joined a club or any of them for that matter, he did something a little different and he would get help from Betsy and Eirik for this.
Eirik gained his notoriety by his physical strength, but also his leadership skills and unwavering attitude. While he wasn't a genius, he was still very bright. He was more than a match for Dominic when it came to debating and thus also gained the attention of Sona who made the same offer to him. Eirik agreed if only to have a wide range of things to do. When it comes to leadership, Eirik was easily on par with Sona and while he wasn't the most intelligent, he was bright and could often be seen doing whatever he could to help whoever needed it. Physical strengths were without question for Eirik, being able to bench press 250 pounds with ease.
As for Betsy, she gained her title for her uncanny ability to always somehow sneak through the shadows and escape with ease and sneak up on some people. Betsy joined the gymnastics team though, she was often seen as a solo act, but that didn't mean she didn't have friends. Despite being initially shy, Betsy became a bit more open to some people. While each warrior had their unique traits, they all pooled together to do something as a team.
One of the most notable changes to Kuoh, aside from the popularity the transfers had, they had set up a new club in Kuoh: The Medieval Club. In some senses, it could be viewed as a history club, but that would be taking away from the fact that in the club, you could also learn how to use medieval weapons. The club was run by Dominic, Eirik, and Betsy, each taking the reigns for different areas. They would help people with history and tutor them if they were falling behind, but would also act as sort of coaches and teach them to use whatever weapon they choose. While they may not be experts in other weapons, each of them had a good understanding of how they were used. Most girls who joined the club only really did so for Dominic's and Eirik's looks.
However, clubs and other students aside, their relationship with certain four devils changed. They were getting more interested in the three student transfers. The four most popular girls in school were taking chances to speak with them at every chance they could get. Rias was normally speaking with Dominic, Akeno would often chat with Eirik, while Sona and Tsubaki would often talk with Dominic or Eirik. Betsy was talked to by all four at times, but not to the extent Dominic and Eirik were, which she preferred.
However, throughout all of this, the one relationship that caught the most attention was Akeno and Eirik's. The two were pretty different and yet, they got along fine. After meeting each other, Akeno would often hang around the gym or weight room waiting for Eirik so she could talk to him, and recently she started to call him Eirik-kun, or Erry-kun. Out of all the times, Eirik would ask her to call him just Eirik, but after the tenth day, he just gave up.
But despite the seemingly friendly terms, the warriors were still incredibly cautious around them. They knew the devils were trying to get them into their service. Becoming a slave was the last thing that was on their bucket list.
"I swear, I don't know if hanging around them is worth it anymore," sighed Eirik as he leaned on his elbows on the kitchen table inside their home. Perched n his shoulder was his falcon, which he named Heimdall.
"I have to agree," said Dominic as he was typing on his computer.
There was a welcome relief of peace in the house. Being given the day off by their bosses, Betsy, Dominic, and Eirik were spending it doing nothing but relaxing in their home. Betsy was sitting on the couch, watching CSI with her fox, Luck. The fox in question was resting its chin on her lap while the orochi scratched its back.
There was a sudden knock on the door.
"Come on, they can't be that bad," teased Betsy as she looked away from the tv and at the two. Dominic sighing as he went to answer the door while Eirik just grumbled as he laid his head on the table.
"It's not bad for you, but along with the devils, there's like a hundred other hormonal teenage girls who are undressing you with their eyes," countered the Warlord, not bothering to lift his head as he said it.
"Any other guy would think it was a dream come true," snarked Dominic as he answered the door to find a delivery boy with a box in hands and a notepad resting on top, "at least any guy in Kuoh."
Taking the notepad, he signed it and took the box before handing the notepad back.
"Thanks," said the Knight, the delivery boy nodding before leaving.
"From the family?" asked Betsy as she turned the T.V. off and joined her friend and unofficial boyfriend to see what it was that Dominic received.
"Probably," he answered as he used a knife to slice it open and opened the flaps. Among the packing pellets was a familiar figure to the Knight. The box itself was about the size of a housecat, but it was what was inside that Dominic was really caring about.
Pulling out a childhood figurine, Dominic held a custom rubber figure of a Pokemon dragon. The dragon looked similar to a theropod, a dinosaur that walked around on two legs. It was primarily white, grey under arms, sharp claws, two fins along the back that looked similar to wings, a fin that went up the back of the head of the dragon. The forearms were molded in a way to look like gauntlets while purple bands went across the wrists. On the shoulders were large jewels, that looked similar to pearls while purple bands originated from the jewels.
"Was wondering if I left this at home or it was lost in baggage," said Dominic as he placed the dragon down on the table.
However, before anyone could say anything else, an alarm started sounding. Though muffled, Dominic could easily tell it was coming from his pocket. Reaching towards it, he pulled out his phone before narrowing his eyes.
"What is it?" asked Betsy, seeing the look form on the Warden's face.
"There's a stray in the forest not far from here," answered Dominic as he put his phone away, "get your weapons. We're gonna hunting."
No one needed any more encouragement.
Betsy summoned her katana in its invisible form. Eirik also summoned his shield and gladius, as well in their invisible form. And lastly was Dominic who summoned Unwaking Nightmare, keeping it invisible until he needed or until they were in the forest. They wouldn't need their armor, strays for competent Knights, Vikings, or Samurai were fairly easy to deal with.
Before they left, the Warden grabbed his sunglasses, he still wasn't comfortable with revealing his unusual eye color to the public. As they were leaving, the dragon figure was left unattended.
Eirik was the last one out so he had the duty of shutting the door. He accidentally shut it a bit too hard which caused some objects in the house to jump. One of those objects was the figurine which teetered forward. But before it could fall, the leg suddenly shot forward and stopped it from falling.
A low rumble echoed from the dragon as it sniffed the air. The eyes of the dragon were glowing red as it looked around for its charge. It took a few steps forward before it took a sharp sniff and growled lowly as it turned its head to a window.
The dragon spread its wings and the body began to glow a pinkish purple while the jewels in its shoulders also glowed. The dragon lifted into the air and flew to the window and opened it up. A devil was keeping an eye on him and his allies, but it didn't seem to know their true allegiances.
Opening the window, the dragon leaped out and flew into the air after Dominic and his allies.
To Be Continued...