::Author's Note::

Welp, I asked for feedback and within the first hour I get messaged asking to post the next chapter. So here we go ya'll, chapter two! There's something I wanted to address before continuing the story. I don't consider Issei Hyoudou to be a bad character by any stretch of the imagination. I think he works perfectly well for what the original Highschool DxD Canon set out to do.

That being said, I wanted to offer my interpretation of the series, without being constrained by the original canon too much. If I wrote Issei, I'd feel obligated to write the character as most people expect him to be. Whereas I wanted to bring something different to the table.

With that out of the way, I present to you chapter two.

::End Note::

"A Hunter?" Akeno asked.

Rias nodded her head, still transfixed to her looking glass. "He was trained by the American Chapter of the Saintly Knights of Michael."

She frowned softly. "So not only does he possess one of the thirteen Longinus, he also belongs to the order of one of our greatest enemies. It's no wonder he is constantly haunted by dark creatures. But what is an American Hunter doing in Japan?"

"He used to belong to them." Rias very quickly corrected.

"He's been exiled?"

She nodded as a slight frown formed on her expression. "The Order betrayed him some time ago." She then added with a somber tone. "He has...nowhere to go."

Akeno clutched at her heart and her eyes closed in pain. "That poor boy."

"And yet despite everything he's been through still he persists. Coming so far as Japan to find the answers to his tragic fate."

"To have made it this far with so many tracking him down…" Akeno bit down on her lower lip, a hint of excitement in her voice, as well as the subtlest note of arousal.

Rias couldn't help but giggle at her Queen Piece. "Do you understand now what I meant when I asked you about the definition of strength?"

Akeno nodded, a look of heated intrigue on her face as she leaned her ample chest over the President's desk for a better view. "I do. And I think I understand why you've spent so much time in front of your looking glass as well."

Jon tossed the cigarette on the curb and stubbed it out before ascending the stairs up to his college campus. Kuoh Academy was a decent university for what it was worth. Small, quiet, and away from anything big enough to paint a target on his back. While it used to be a female only campus, the Private University had recently opened its doors to male students as well. That wasn't the reason he came here, sure, but Jon would be lying if he said it wasn't a nice perk.

Strangely enough, his sixth sense never seemed to kick in on campus. Something he wasn't entirely ungrateful for. It was nice having a place where he could at least pretend he was safe, and the energetic student population ensured his aura got lost in the crowd. All things considered it was a decent enough hiding place while he attended his studies.

But he knew better than to believe this could ever be a permanent solution. Eventually someone would find him again. It was only a matter of time.

"Jonathan Hyodo!"

Jon's train of thought was interrupted by a loud voice screaming his name. A short bald twenty year old came running up to him before attempting to flying high kick him in the gut. Jon easily sidestepped the attack causing the assailant to go careening merrily into the wall behind him.

"Morning Matsuda." He calmly replied as his friend peeled himself from the brick he had smashed into.

"Cut the crap, you traitor!" Matsuda pointed at him accusingly after recovering from his head wound. "You totally ditched us last night!"

"Hold on Matsuda. Let's not jump to any hasty conclusions. We should give him a chance to explain his actions and plead his case."

Jon looked behind him to see a familiar glasses wearing male with a bowl cut. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "And a good morning to you as well Motohama. You two certainly seem on fire today."

Motohama pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Jonathan Hyodo, you stand accused of severe violations to the Bro Code. Tell me, where were you the night of January 28th at 10:32 PM?"

He groaned while stuffing his hands back in his jacket. "I was with you two at the bar."

Motohama nodded before continuing his impeccable narration. "And were you or were you not seen leaving said bar with a smoking hot Perfect Ten on your arm?"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I might have been."

"Mhmm." An intense glare sheened off his glasses. "And did you not then take said beauty back to her apartment to make sweet unbelievably passionate love all night long?"

"Well I wouldn't go that far. But we did end up back at her place." Jon admitted.

"So the traitor confesses!" Motohama pointed at him just as accusingly. "I have no choice but to find you guilty!"

"Ten consecutive life sentences! One for every inch he gave her while his buddies remained blue balled!" Matsuda added.

"Come on fellas." Jon intervened, raising his hands up defensively. "I know I bailed on ya. But in my defense, I warned you not to let me drink too much. I didn't even know what I was doing."

"This court finds your defense inadmissible! Ignorance of the party foul does not excuse it!" Motohama replied.

"Look, if you'd have seen the figure this pretty thing had on her, you wouldn't have blamed me for taking off the way I did." Jon retorted.

"We did see!" Matsuda responded angrily. "We saw her perfectly as you left us in the dust!"

"Bust size forty two, waist twenty eight inches, hip size 36 inches." Motohama stated from memory.

"Now you see, that right there…" Jon pointed at Motohama chastisingly. "...is why you got slapped last night. I keep telling you two to tone it down a notch and quit behaving like a dog with a bone."

"Hey, don't try to change the subject!" Motohama shot back. "We're talking about your screw ups here, not ours."

"You were supposed to help us tap that perfect ass last night! Not run off with it yourself!"

Jon shook his head in disappointment. "Remind me why it is I hang out with you two bozos?"

"Because we're the only guys on campus who speak enough english to understand that thick accent of yours." Motohama reminded him.

"Ah yeah, knew there had to be a reason." He shrugged. "Look, I tell you what. To make it up to you, we can practice talking to a few ladies on campus after my class. Sound fair?"

They both looked at him warily.

"You promise to help us out this time?" Matsuda asked him suspiciously.

He raised his right hand in the air. "Scouts honor."

They both looked at each other as if considering his proposition before nodding their heads.

"Fine. Consider this your community service."

There was nothing left of the house save for a smoldering wreck. Cops, firefighters, and paramedics surrounded the ashes of Jon's family home while the little boy sat on the back of one of the Ambulances, a blanket wrapped over him, numb to the world.

While the cops discussed evidence and set up a perimeter for when Arson arrived, a group of Priests watched from the nearby crowd. Their eyes keenly trained on the boy in the ambulance.

"Is that him?" One of the Priests asked the other.

"Yes. Father Richard managed to save him and drive the Vampire off."

"A shame he didn't survive. Still, at least the Sacred Gear did not fall into the wrong hands."

"True enough. It is God's will that we deliver the Gauntlet to the Church."

"And the child?"

"With the right training, he may be of use to us. For now, we should put him with the other orphans. As was his father's final request."

"Do you think he has any idea of the awesome destiny that lies before him?"

"With any luck, no he won't."

The two priests ducked under the caution tape and made their way over to the Ambulance. The boy, wrapped in his blanket, continued to stare at the red dragon mark that had appeared on the back of his left hand.

Jon skimmed over the contents of the old book laid out in front of him. Occasionally he would glance over the translation book he had next to the text he was trying to read. While he knew enough Japanese to be decently fluent, he wasn't nearly as competent reading it and required a translation guide for most of the book. The process was agonizingly slow, especially considering half the time he wasn't a hundred percent sure he got it right.

The thing that was most frustrating, however, was the fact that some of the words didn't even seem to be in Japanese. There were several phonetic symbols that appeared multiple times throughout the book that didn't seem to have any known meaning. At least not according to his dictionary.

Two symbols in particular kept appearing over and over again. Jon made sure to make a note of them in his research journal, but no matter where he looked there didn't seem to be anything in the University's library on the subject.

He groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose to relieve the stress. He'd been at Kuoh for three months now and he still felt no closer to any answers about this damn mark on his hand.

"What the hell does this mean?" He asked aloud to himself.

"It's ancient aramaic."

Jon's body seized and his entire frame jerked in the direction of the voice that spoke behind him. His hand instinctively clutched at the revolver he had concealed in his jacket.

The voice that spoke let out a quiet startled gasp which was quickly replaced with a small effeminate laugh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."

For a moment, Jon just stared. He wasn't sure what to be more surprised about. The fact that a student had managed to sneak up on him in the first place, or that that student happened to be a particularly gorgeous redhead. It took a lot to be able to take someone like Jon's breath away, yet she did it with little more than a glance.

"It's alright." He responded while quickly regaining his composure. "I just didn't hear you." That fact alone unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Jon could hear a pin drop from the other side of the building if he listened hard enough. The fact that she managed to sneak up behind him without so much as making a sound was a new one for him.

"I just couldn't help but notice what you're studying. Hyugo's Divinus Canticles. Very advanced stuff." She observed.

"It's for my religious studies class." He lied. "I'm supposed to write a paper on various interpretations of biblical mythology."

She quirked an inquisitive brow at him "That's an incredibly obscure subject to write a paper on. Not to mention insanely controversial."

He shrugged. "I've never been one to shy away from a little controversy."

"A man after my own heart." She teased in a slightly flirtatious manner before offering him a perfectly manicured hand. "Rias Gremory, mind if I join you?"

He took her hand in his and shook gently. Her skin was like silk against his calloused palm. "Jonathan Hyodo, Jon for short. I'd be honored if you did."

With a pleased smile she took the seat opposite from him at the table he was sitting at. As she made herself comfortable, Jon took a moment to better admire her features. Rias appeared to be a few years older than Yuma was, most likely a Senior. She wore a short black skirt that left little to the imagination and a white button up that seemed to conform perfectly to her voluptuous chest.

Her features were obviously Northern European, as opposed to Japanese. That, along with her total lack of any accent when she spoke english made it difficult to place where she was originally from. Or why, for that matter, she was here.

"You said this language is aramaic, right?"

She nodded. "Specifically, it is an archaic variant of the Phoenician dialect."

"Do you know what these words mean?" He asked, pointing to the two words that kept appearing in the book.

"Not exactly." She admitted. "That language has been dead for centuries. But I can give you a rough idea."

He nodded. "I'd appreciate it."

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms together, as well as crossing one leg over the other. "The closest we've come to an exact translation is Sacred Gear."

"Sacred Gear?" He stared down at the word again curiously. "That's a bit on the nose, don't you think?"

Rias giggled in amusement, covering her mouth to hide her small smile. "As I said, that's only a rough translation. The real words have been lost to time, I'm afraid."

"You sure do know a lot about this."

"I'm the President of the Occult Research Club." She explained. "It's sort of my thing."

He cocked a brow at her. "Occult research, huh?" That could be exactly what he needed.

"Are you interested in joining any clubs?" She asked, her voice suddenly brightening. "We've certainly got plenty of openings. And I'll bet you will find the books in our library to be a tad more helpful with your research. "

It was tempting, he had to admit. And no doubt they had information that could help him...but no. This wasn't the sort of thing he was willing to get innocent people mixed up in. The mark was his problem, not hers.

"As flattered as I am, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." He spoke apologetically. "I'm not looking into any clubs right now."

If she was disappointed at all she didn't show it. If anything, that unwavering smile on her face seemed to indicate she had anticipated his response. "Of course. But even so, if I can help you with your research do not hesitate to ask." She insisted.

He smiled at her and nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you." At that moment a thought occurred to him. Jon checked his watch and frowned. "Ah hell, I gotta go." He quickly got up from his seat and gathered his books. "I promised some buddies I'd meet them over at the track field today."

She gave him a curt nod. "Hopefully I'll see you around."

"Likewise."

Rias watched as the Hunter walked off. Her eyes practically glued to his bulky form as he left.

"Jonathan Hyodo." She repeated to herself. "Very soon, you will be mine."

"Uggh! I said get away from me, creep!"

*SWAT!*

Jon winced as the brunette track club member in the ponytail Matsuda was talking to slapped him across the cheek hard enough to knock him off his feet. Yet another attempt failed. As she stormed off in a huff, Matsuda slowly got up and limped over back to Jon and Motohama. Who were both sitting in the grassy field adjacent to the track.

"You opened with one of your pick up lines again, didn't you." Jon guessed immediately.

Matsuda groaned in embarrassment, slumping onto the grass dejectedly. "I thought it might work this time…"

"And what did I tell you about that?"

"Rule #4 of Jonathan Hyodo's guide to the fairer sex!" Motohama recited, pushing up his glasses. "Pick Up lines are for Romcoms and Pornos only!"

"But that one was really good!" He protested.

"That so?" Jon challenged. "Well let's hear it then."

Matsuda put on that same doofus look he used while he was talking to that girl. "Hey, baby. Was your mother a beaver, because damn!"

Jon cringed, that one physically hurt. "If you ever want to get within ten feet of a woman some time within this decade, do not ever say that in front of anyone ever again."

He collapsed onto the grass dejectedly. "I can't help it! I try to do what you tell me but I just end up blurting something out to sound cool."

"It's because you're nervous." He explained. "I keep telling you guys you've got to practice what you say before going in or you're gonna freeze up and fall into bad habits."

"Easy for you to say." Matsuda sat up. "You're Mr. Tall-Buff-and-Handsome after all. This shit comes second nature to you."

"Yeah! You're like the second most popular guy on campus, Little Bear!" Motohama added in a derogatory way. "Next to that Kiba Yuuto guy from the Junior class you're the man all the girls wanna sex up around here."

"Looks don't mean anything without confidence. Kiba draws attention from girls because he acts like he couldn't care less whether they notice him or not." He replied. Truth be told he wasn't entirely sure if Kiba did care. He'd seen that blonde pretty boy on campus a few times and he always struck Jon as being somewhat stuffy. Something he found to be off-putting.

"You've got to learn to play to your strengths, like how Kiba does." He continued.

"I thought that's what I was doing."

Jon shook his head. "By opening with a line like that, you've told her two things." He held up two fingers for emphasis. "One, that the only thing you find interesting about her is her body. And two, that the only thing you really want from her is sex. That kind of approach may work on a very rare few, but most girls just find it creepy."

"I still don't get how complimenting a woman's figure is a bad thing." Motohama chimed in.

"Yeah! I mean...just look at the girls track team! Those skin tight shirts, those red booty shorts…" Matsuda was practically drooling. "Don't they deserve to know just how hot they all look?"

Jon sighed, rubbing his temples wearily. They still weren't getting it.

"There is not a damn thing either of you can say about their bodies that they haven't either heard from twenty other guys or thought about themselves." He stated matter of factly. "Whether they admit it or not most of those girls down there know they look good. You pointing it out first thing isn't flattering. It just comes off as desperate and pathetic."

"So what do we do?"

"It's okay to compliment their looks. Just don't lead with that. Instead, talk about something they're proud of. Something they've worked hard on." He motioned towards a girl who was busy practicing the pole vault. "See that girl over there? All the other girls have been jumping around from station to station. But she has been drilling that same exercise over and over again since we sat down. She's probably worked very hard on it."

"Damn, I didn't even notice that." Matsuda admitted.

"Probably because you were too busy undressing her with your eyes." He commented bluntly. "I bet if you went up to her right now, smiled, and complimented her form, she'd talk to you."

"If it's that easy then why don't you do it?" Motohama challenged.

"Yeah! Show us how it's done!" Matsuda demanded.

Jon sighed before shaking his head in disbelief. "Fine, if it'll get you to listen for once." He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up, tossing the butt in the trash before making his way over to her. Matsuda and Motohama, meanwhile, watched on eagerly.

The girl practicing the pole vault rolled off the landing matt and wiped the sweat from her brow before going to a nearby water bottle and taking a healthy sip.

"I wish I could be that water bottle." Jon heard Matsuda mutter to Motohama with his heightened senses, causing him to roll his eyes. Those two really were hopeless.

She noticed him approaching at which point he offered a charming smile. "Hey, I don't mean to bother you." He spoke to her in Japanese. "I just saw you were practicing and I wanted to ask you, is that as easy as you make it look?"

She gazed at him curiously before breaking into a small smile. "No, it's really not. It took me a long time just to even get over the bar without knocking it over."

"Really? In that case, I guess my next question would be when can we expect to see you at the Olympics and should I ask for your autograph now or are you gonna charge?" He asked in a playful manner.

She covered her mouth to suppress her giggling, her cheeks turning slightly red. "No no, you've completely got the wrong idea. I'm really not that good. At least not compared to some of the other girls."

"Could have fooled me." He spoke honestly. "From where I was sitting it seemed like you really know what you're doing."

She blushed a little deeper. "That's really sweet of you to say..." She peered at him as if searching for a name.

"Hyodo, Jonathan." He introduced in Japanese. Offering his surname before his given one.

"Pleased to meet you, Hyodo. My name is Chiyako, Honami." She introduced with a polite bow. Her smile faded slightly and she fidgeted in place while casting her eyes to the floor. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you really think my form looks good? I've been practicing really hard for regionals, but I'm not sure if I'm good enough to even qualify."

He could hear her heart beating at a mile a minute. So maybe he was cheating a little by using his heightened senses to gauge her reactions, but he was trying to prove a point to those bozos.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you." He assured. "I'm no expert, but I can usually tell when someone's been practicing at something. You've got a certain confidence in your form, even if you don't quite feel it. If I were a judge, I'd be impressed by what I saw."

Her eyes lit up and she beamed. "Really?! Thank you!" Her smile glowered somewhat as a thought occurred to her. "Wait a minute...you're not just saying all this because you think I'm cute are you? Because if so you're wasting your time, buddy. I already have a boyfriend."

He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "If that's the case then your boyfriend is a lucky guy. You're a very talented woman, in addition to being incredibly pretty."

She was about to respond but couldn't. Having begun to clam up and nervously shiver, her eyes cast to the ground and her face turning scarlet. Jon could hear the poor girl's heart nearly thudding out of her chest at that point.

"Oh well...if that's the case then the truth is...I uhhh..." She swallowed. "I've gotta go. Bye!" Honami quickly made her excuses and bolted. He couldn't help but snicker to himself as he watched her scurry away to the ladies' room, hiding her crimson face the whole way there. While he hated having to put her on the spot the way he did, he'd be lying if he said he didn't derive some twisted pleasure out of getting a girl worked up like that.

Having successfully proven his point he made his way back to his two dumbstruck friends. "Well? What did I tell ya?" He asked, switching back to English. "It's as simple as that."

"I can't believe that actually worked." Matsuda responded incredulously.

"But why didn't you get her number? She was like putty in your hands there, man." Motohama asked with a somewhat disappointed expression.

Rather than explain that she was already seeing someone, Jon decided to use this as a teaching opportunity.

But before he could speak, someone else did it for him.

"Because that would have defeated the whole purpose. She would have known he had ulterior motives for complimenting her and questioned the sincerity of his words."

Matsuda and Motohama both jumped at the sound of a female voice speaking behind them. They both turned around to see none other than the gorgeous girl from last night. She was wearing a red blouse with a white skirt that complimented her figure incredibly well.

This had marked the second time today that a student had managed to completely catch Jon off guard.

Jon's buddies both turned white as a ghost as their jaws hit the floor. One over dramatic yell later and the two were collapsed on the ground much to her confusion as well as Jon's embarrassment.

"Matsuda, do you see what I see?" Motohama asked in hushed disbelief.

"Shorties even hotter than she was last night. And in that size blouse she's practically busting out of her top, yo."

Jon groaned in exasperation. "I apologize for them. I really do."

She giggled in a bubbly voice. "It's alright. I know they're harmless."

"Of course we are." Matsuda cried, throwing himself at her feet.

"Please tell us his secrets." Motohama begged. "How do we score a hottie like you?"

"Will both of you shut up?" He demanded through gritted teeth.

"It's okay, Jon. Seriously." She assured before leaning down towards them like small children. "Now Motohama, I believe it's your turn."

"Huh?" He stared up at her. "My turn for what?"

She smiled at him sweetly. "To go talk to one of the girls down there. Matsuda and Jon have both had their turn. Now it's yours."

Jon was completely floored. How long had she been standing there listening to them? But more importantly, how long had he not noticed?

"Ummm…" Motohama turned beet red. "I don't know. Maybe I should just standby and continue to gather data."

She gave him an annoyed frown whilst placing her hands on her hips. "You're never going to get any better if you don't try. Now pick a girl and go talk to her."

Sweat began to accumulate all over his brow. Motohama nervously wiped it away before wiping his glasses. He then scanned over the group of girls practicing before finally pointing towards a blonde who was jumping hurdles.

"Nice choice. That's the Captain." Yuma noted with an impressed tone.

He blanched. "W...Wait! I changed my mind!"

"Nope." She began pushing him towards the Captain of the track team's direction. "You made your choice. Now go tell her how awesome she is at jumping hurdles."

"But...but…" He planted his feet into the dirt as best he could, all to prevent her from nudging him forward.

"Come on. You've got this." She assured. "Be confident in yourself."

"O...okay." He swallowed down his remaining nerves. "I'll try."

"Remember, Motohama. Rule #3!" Jon called out to him as he slowly made his way towards the hurdle area.

"Rule #3. Eyes above the neckline at all times." He chanted to himself as he made his approach.

The Captain of the track team was busy chatting with two of her teammates after having just finished her last run. The moment he was within eyesight her eyes were on his. Motohama froze like a deer in headlights.

"Can I help you?" She asked somewhat taciturnly.

"I...uhhh…" He stammered nervously. "I was just…"

"Well?" She asked, clearly weirded out by his behavior.

"It's just…" His eye contact broke and his face turned completely red.

She rolled her eyes and turned to leave, making it only a few steps before he spoke again.

"Wait!" He called.

She turned around while asking in a somewhat annoyed voice. "What?"

"I wasn't ready!" He admitted, hanging his head shamefully. "I wanted to tell you I thought your hurdle jumping was really good, but I froze up when I saw how pretty you are. Can I please try again?"

For a moment, she looked shocked and Jon was worried she was gonna slap him. But when he saw the small blush creep over her cheeks and her lips curve into smile, he knew it would be alright. She giggled lightly and turned away before walking back to join the rest of the team. Motohama sighed dejectedly before returning to the rest of the group.

"That was great!" Yuma put her hands on his shoulders once he returned, beaming with pride.

"It was?" He asked while looking up at her in confusion. "But she didn't even talk to me."

"No, but you made her smile." She replied. "She'll remember that. You probably made her day."

"You think so?" He asked hopefully.

Yuma nodded. "Trust me. As a fellow girl, I know that she appreciated it. Maybe she didn't feel like talking, but you definitely got her attention."

His face brightened. "Alright! I did it!"

"Nicely done, Motohama." Jon added. They had a long way to go, but it was at least a start.

As Motohama and Matsuda celebrated their first successful attempt at speaking to a girl without offending her, Jon's attention shifted to Yuma. He caught himself smiling at her without thinking about it long enough for her to turn and catch it. She returned his affectionate smile with one of her own. He coughed before turning his head away and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Thanks for that." He finally said. "That nudge was probably just what he needed."

"It was no trouble." She replied before locking her fingertips together behind her back. "Sooo do you think they would mind if their teacher disappeared for awhile? Maybe to go walk around the Main Quad?"

His smile faltered for a moment as his hesitance returned. Regardless, he found himself nodding to her request anyway.

"Hey, guys! Imma dip out. You two have learned enough for today."

They both nodded in agreement. "It's almost twelve anyway. We're gonna be late if we don't hurry, Motohama."

He nodded in agreement. "Usual spot, right?"

Matsuda grinned wickedly at him. "You know it! The Kendo team should be done with practice and heading back to change any minute now. We better hurry."

The two boys scurried off to what Jon could only assumed was a peeping hole. As he and Yuma watched them both run off, they gave each other the same awkward look.

"Guess they still have a ways to go."

Yuma and Jon walked through the Main Quad of Kuoh, talking about whatever came to mind. As guarded as he was keeping himself, he had to admit that Yuma was an excellent conversationalist, in addition to being incredibly charming.

"So what made you decide to help those two with the ladies?" She asked curiously. "I don't know if anyone's told you, but they kind of have a reputation on campus."

"I know they do." He admitted. "Honestly, I only started hanging out with them when I realized no one could really understand my accent."

She chuckled at him. "It is a little thick. Most of the students here barely speak English. Even most of the foreign exchange students seem to be from non-english speaking countries."

"It's not just that." He continued. "The way I see it, this is my good deed for the year."

"How do you figure?"

"They're perverts, no doubt about it." He explained. "But if I can steer them in the right direction, maybe help them lose some of those bad habits, they might just grow up a little."

"You really think you can help them get laid?" She asked somewhat jokingly.

He laughed in amusement while shaking his head. "Highly doubt it. But the way I see things, if I do my job right, it won't matter. They'll realize that's not what's important."

She gazed up at him with beguiled eyes. "So what is important then?"

Jon shrugged. "That you find someone who you can make happy. And will make you happy in return. That's honestly the best a man can hope for in life."

She smiled at the ground as a blush formed over her cheeks. "That is way too sweet and mature for someone who chokes as well as you do."

He chuckled in amusement again. "What can I say? I had a good teacher."

"Clearly."

At that moment, Jon stopped. From the window of one of the Private Dorms his heightened sight spotted a familiar figure with blood red hair. Rias's expression looked troubled. That friendly smile she had given him was nowhere to be seen. If he didn't know better he could have sworn she was peering back at him with that perturbed look. Though of course he knew that was impossible, she was a half mile away.

"So what about you?" Yuma spoke up again, a little quieter this time.

His attention returned to the present conversation. What was it about red hair that always seemed to get him distracted, anyway?

"What about me?"

"Do you think you'll ever find that special someone?" She asked sincerely.

Jon stopped, a wary frown forming in his expression. "I don't have time to worry about things like that." He admitted without hesitation. "Truth be told, I can't afford to think about it."

"Oh…" By her voice, it was clear she was incredibly disappointed by his answer. No surprise there, he was used to that kind of reaction. It didn't change the fact that he was dead set on not letting her get attached. "So then...I guess there's no point in asking if you wanted to go out tonight. Is there."

"Listen...you're an incredibly sweet girl." He spoke with gentle assurance. "And I can see where this is going but-"

"I'm so used to guys flaking the moment I start to get attached." She interrupted, sadness in her voice. "I know you don't remember much of last night, but I do. You're not like any other guy I've been intimate with." By the sincerity of her words, he could tell she wasn't kidding.

"Yuma…"

"I'm sick of one night stands." She continued. "I'm ready for something real. You may just think I'm a little girl with a crush, but I'm serious."

He didn't respond.

"I really see there being something between us." She continued, looking him right in the eye. "And from the way I see you looking at me, I know you're thinking the same thing. Or am I wrong?"

He was stunned. She was looking up at him so earnestly, almost pleading. "Yuma...where is this coming from?"

Her face turned the prettiest shade of pink imaginable. From his heightened senses he could hear her small heart thudding like a drum in her chest. This was different from Honami, who was clearly just flustered. Yuma had something she was burying under that racing heart. A confession she'd kept hidden.

"The truth is, when I told you yesterday that I never saw you on campus, I lied. I've been watching you for awhile now." She finally admitted, her tone quiet, almost shameful. "God, I never thought I would admit this. It's beyond embarrassing, but…" She was starting to get choked up. "...but I don't know. You pass through campus all the time and you just seemed so...gentle, in addition to being incredibly handsome. I wanted to talk to you so many times but I just...couldn't. I was too afraid you'd think I was a creep or something."

This cannot seriously be happening right now. He thought to himself. Dammit, Jon! What the hell were you thinking?! You just slept with a girl who has a massive crush on you!

"But last night…" She continued, her eyes glassing over. "...last night was even better than I could have possibly imagined. I've never felt a connection like this with anyone else before. Jon...please...I really don't want this to just be another one night stand." Her bottom lip quivered. "If you feel even a little bit like I do, then please, I really want you to be my boyfriend."

His heart shattered. In that instant, every fiber of his being wanted to kick his own teeth in.

Way to go, you damn fool. He mentally berated himself. You went and toyed with the poor things heart, and now she's attached.

He'd told himself so many times to stop flirting around so much. That someone like him had no business messing with young girls hearts. No matter how lonely he got, or how much he wished he could just be normal for awhile, nothing had changed. The vampire from earlier that morning was a testament to that. So long as he bore that mark, he would always be a target. And anyone who got close to him would just end up as another victim.

Just like his family was.

This wouldn't be easy. She'd be crushed, but with time, hopefully she would get over it. And if he never got her forgiveness for breaking her heart the way he was about to. That would just be yet one more thing he'd have to live with.

It was better, in the end, if she hated him anyway.

He opened his mouth to speak, sure in his words, yet nothing came out. Yuma could see the look of hesitance in his eyes, and her own began to glimmer with hope.

She peered up at him expectantly. "Well...say something." Her voice sounded desperate.

Come on. Just get it over with. Just tell her you're not interested. She'll hate you, but it's for her own good. Now quit pussyfooting around and just do it.

Yet no matter how he tried to convince himself, he just couldn't. Jon was sick of being alone all the time. He was sick of having to hide. More than anything, he just wanted to live a normal life, if only for awhile. But that didn't change the fact that she deserved better than what he had to offer her.

So instead of breaking her heart. He would tell her the truth. Either way, she'd back off.

"Yuma, can we go somewhere private?" He asked nervously. "There's something I want to tell you."

Neither of them said a word as they made their way to the city overpass. Dusk had set in, providing a beautiful twilight vista over the small bridge. Jon's mind was clouded with doubt. What the hell was he thinking? He barely knew this girl! There was no way she was going to understand his fucked up past.

"So what did you want to tell me?" She asked, her voice cautious. Yuma had been incredibly patient with him the entire walk, which only made him feel worse for how nervous he knew she must have been.

He finally stopped at the midway point of the overpass, with a deep breath he lit a cigarette and took a puff of its calming carcinogens. "Yuma...the truth is, I like you too. Just between breakfast this morning and hanging out with you after class today, I can tell we have a lot in common. But we can't be together, and not for the reasons you think. The truth is…"

He hesitated. Was he really going to tell her? This wasn't exactly something he just let out into the open. It was one of his darkest secrets.

"The truth is what?" She asked, doing her best not to break down.

That stung him. She was working to compose herself, and he knew it had to be for his sake. So he finally relented.

"The truth is, I'm being hunted."

The visible look of shock on her face was far more subdued than he might have anticipated. Though she appeared more confused than anything. "Hunted? What do you mean by that?"

"My family...no...I am cursed." Jon explained, doing his best not to sound nearly as crazy as he felt for admitting this. "Do you see this?" He asked, holding up his palm.

"Yeah, your Dragon tatoo. I remember."

He shook his head. "It's not a tatoo. It's a birthmark."

"A birthmark? But...how? It's clearly a dragon." She asked in disbelief.

"I don't know how. It appeared when I was eight. That was the night…" His skin paled.

"The night what?" She asked hesitantly.

"That was the night my family was butchered."

She cupped a hand over her mouth to hide the shock. But there was still visible horror in her eyes.

"My mother, my sister, my father: all of them are dead because of me. Because of this." He said, referring to the mark on his hand.

"But why? And who killed them?" She asked, her mind still reeling from this revelation.

"Not who...what." He answered honestly. "I know so little about this thing, or why the ones who hunt me are so desperate to claim it. Even the Monastery I grew up in knew very little about it. All I really know is that it draws evil to it….to me."

"What do you mean evil?" She asked.

He hung his head, taking another deep breath. This was it. The part where he let all the crazy out and scared her off for good. Either she'd think he was nuts, or she'd accuse him of making it up. Either way, she'd back off, just like he needed her to.

"There are things in this world, Yuma…" He began, gazing up at the setting sun. "...that defy logical explanation. Beings of dark power that feed on the light of men. I spent the better part of my life training to fight and kill these creatures. To keep myself alive, and to fight back against the darkness."

"But what darkness?" She asked again. "Jon, you're not making any sense."

"The thing that killed my family was not human. It was a creature that sustains itself on the lifeforce of our species." He then added hesitantly. "We call them vampires."

She was stunned. He could tell by her expression she was trying to process what he just said. "You're...you're telling me you think vampires exist?" Yuma asked incredulously.

He chuckled in a melancholy tone. "Not just vampires. I've seen all kinds of dark creatures talked about in myth. Vampires, werewolves, angry spirits. They all exist, right under our noses. And they all have one thing in common...they all crave power."

She didn't say anything. He knew he lost her, now it was just a matter of hammering the final nail in the coffin.

"I'm a Hunter, Yuma. A warrior trained to fight and kill these beings using the powers of the divine. I've killed so many, and yet still they continue to thrive. There's a whole underground world of dark and twisted beings out there, and the ones I've encountered aren't even the worst. I've heard of Demons living amongst humans, spirits of both heaven and hell with power beyond mortal comprehension. If any of them were ever to find me Yuma…" He shuddered at the thought. "I don't expect you to believe a word I'm saying, if you were to turn around and forget you ever met me I wouldn't blame you." Jon gave her a melancholy smile. "But for what it's worth, I'm glad I finally got to tell someone. Thank you for listening."

For a moment, she didn't say anything. The sound of cars rushing along the road below them, and the far off noises of people heading home from work were the only thing that could be heard. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke.

"Did you kill it?"

"Did I...did I what?" He asked, as if not quite believing what she just said.

"Did you kill the vampire? The one that murdered your family."

Of all the responses he could have anticipated, that was one of the last ones. Was she being serious? Or just trying to distract him while casually calling for the police? Either way, he was in too far now. There was no sense in lying at this point.

"Yes, I did. It cost the life of one of my closest allies and I very nearly died in the process, but I killed her." He sighed. "It didn't bring me any peace, if that's what you're asking. Another one just as strong took her place. As they always do."

Again silence. Christ this was agonizing. He wished she would just hurry up and get it over with already.

"Okay…" She finally replied with a small nod.

Jon was floored. In that moment, life had completely stopped making sense.

"Wh...what did you just say?"

She looked up at him with honest, loving, eyes. "Okay. I believe you."

There was no way. He refused to believe what he was hearing. After all that crazy he just threw at her, there was simply no way in hell she was going to be that accepting.

"You were listening right? You caught everything I just said?"

Yuma nodded and smiled at him innocently. "I'm not sure I believe in vampires, or ghosts, or any of that. But I do trust you. I believe that, whatever your past was, you're just trying to protect me."

"How can you possibly believe me?" He asked in a breathless whisper while shaking his head in denial. "I wouldn't even believe me. No one would."

"I already told you." She continued, getting far too close to him for comfort. "I choose to believe you."

His heart was racing out of his chest even as hers pressed up against him. He could feel the heat of her skin radiating off her cream complexion. Her bust pressed firmly into the top of his abdomen. Every inch of her gorgeous frame was on him, a look of deep yearning resting behind her two beautiful violet eyes.

"I don't care about your past. Or whatever danger being with you might bring." She reached up on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her gaze never once breaking from his. "I want this Jon. More than I've ever wanted anything in my whole life. I want you."

He was petrified to the spot. Any rational or coherency of the situation was lost. His senses failed him, his disciplines failed him, his mind failed him.

"Yuma…"

Before he could say anything else she found his lips and pressed her own to them, gripping the back of his neck firmly, refusing to let go.

The shock in his eyes subsided as her tongue begged for entry. His gaze slowly shut as he relented and allowed her to pass through, slowly reaching out and grasping her waist in his hands. She responded by moving her hips for him, desperate to show how badly she wanted this.

The two kissed on that overpass as the setting sun began to fade. By the time it had vanished and darkness had enveloped them, Jon was completely lost.