"So Akeno you wanted to talk?" It was three days after the incident at the church and she could tell that her queen had been wanting to mention something since then.

"Yes. Its about our resident average mage." Sensing the seriousness of the conversation she shifted her attention from her papers to be entirely on the other girl.

"Oh what about him?"

"When I healed him, after his fight, I noticed something, his body and soul… they don't match."

Rias quirked an eyebrow. That was certainly odd, it shouldn't even be possible. Unless… "You don't think he preformed magic on his soul, thats more then just taboo thats downright suicidal."

"No, doubtful he isn't nearly skilled enough for that, but still it worries me." How odd Akeno worried for someone not in their peerage.

"Oh since when did you care so much about Nanashi-kun?" She asked playfully. Another one of Akeno's lecherous smiles appeared.

"You can't blame me for worrying about fun things can you?"

"No. No I suppose not." She thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps its best if we keep an eye on him then?"

—Just A Normal Mage—

Since the encounter in the church, Nanashi had done his best to step up his training. While he hopped Rias was only messing with him, he had no clue when he might be called upon again. So in order to pad his chances of survival he needed to be stronger, or at least, more knowledgeable, more prepared. He'd taken to carrying more supplies on him in case of emergency, spell components, some alchemical mixtures, and most importantly a spell book.

He finished his breakfast, and was in the middle of packing his lunch when he heard a knock on the door.

Odd he didn't get visitors very often. "One minute!" He called out making his way to the door, not bothering to take off his apron. "Hello?" Standing in his door was an adorable blond nun and her brown haired companion. "Asia-chan, Issei-senpai, good morning. Please come in." It was a surprise but certainly not an unwelcome one.

"Nanashi-chan we came to get you for school!" Asia enthused.

"Oh your coming to Asia-chan?"

"Yeah the papers are finally though I get to go to school with you now!" Her excitement was truly infectious.

"Thats great, its not much but would either of you like a lunch?"

Both of his guests shook their heads furiously in affirmation, who'd turn down a free home made lunch?

Nanashi smiled and made his way back to the kitchen, it was nice, having them over even this early. They were his friends after all. As he made their meals, he realized how much he'd missed making food for other people, Yoshiko had never been a good cook, and mom was never awake early enough in the morning to pack a lunch or make breakfast for the twins. So it had fallen to him, and after a while he'd grown to love it.

"Hey Nanashi-chan?" Issei called from the other room, Nanashi looked up from his work,

"Yes?"

"Who is this other person next to you in the picture?"

"One minute." Nanashi finished packing the last box and brought them into waiting room where Issei and Asia were looking at a small hand sized picture of his family. He handed the two their lunches before looking at the picture himself.

In the middle of the photo stood a woman with long black hair, and grey eyes that sparked with mischief. Her hands were atop two nearly identical heads of black hair. One wearing glasses the other not.

Pointing to the older woman in the photo he said, "Thats my mother, Kana, the other one next to me is, my twin sister, Yoshiko." His words were wistful and full of longing, "I miss them both dearly."

Asia looked at him eyes teary and understanding, "Im so sorry for your loss, May the Lord guide them to eternal rest. -Ouch-" Nanashi chuckled, grateful for her prayer, one which she gave despite the physical pain such a thing caused a Devil.

"Thanks, really, but both my mother and sister were magicians as well. I doubt pagans like us get to go to heaven."

Asia looked at him upset, "Im sure they're happy at the very least." Nanashi smiled nodding, he knew Yoshiko at least, was where she wanted to be.

"So your whole family was magicians then?" Issei asked trying to change the subject, he wasn't exactly good with this kind of topic.

Nanashi nodded in response, "Thats right, we've been mages for generations, there was a time when my family was pretty well known for our powers, though now were not much at all." He looked back at the photo, back to Yoshiko, "People thought that Yoshiko would bring the family back into its golden age. She was so talented, when she was eight she had more magical ability then I have now. Well I guess that really isn't saying much."

There was a awkward silence no one sure what to say. "Well enough about that, lets get going, don't wanna be late for class right?"

—

It was around lunch time that he felt a spike in dark energy. It was from that point on that he began to fear his day was going to get a whole lot more complicated.

One small push of a finger. That was all it took for the Rook, Koneko Toujou to push him out of his chair. She looked down at him curiously, head tilting to the side in thought. Talk about not knowing your own strength.

"Ah. Sorry." Her lips turned down, looking honestly concerned. Adorable. Like a kitten almost. He smiled at her and picked himself up off the floor, used to doing such a thing, the girl had sat behind him for the entire year, and this wasn't the first time she'd accidentally knocked him over.

He waved his hands dismissively, "No worries, I should be more wary to this by now." He laughed slightly. Of all the members of the Gremory Peerage, Koneko was defiantly the one he was most comfortable with. Being in every class with a person had a tendency to create at least a small bond.

"Honestly Ametsuchi, how many times is the kitten gonna have to push you around before you finally wise up? Sitting at the desk to his right was Aika Kiryuu. Aika was a brown haired, brown eyed girl who wore glasses like him. With her hair in two separate braids she was the picture of a typical bookish girl. Her personality however, was contrary to that supposition. She was… an upperclassman that came to visit him for some reason? A fellow mage? A friend? Yes, a friend he supposed, they talked often enough, and could hold decent enough conversation when she wasn't-

"Be careful near this one Kitty-chan." She gave Nanashi a predatory look, glasses gleaming, "His, "Number" is a mystery even to me." This comment was made with a sly wink. And there was the real problem. Aika had the uncanny ability to accurately… 'size up a man' with nothing but a single glance. It was unnerving to say the least.

The white haired girls face fell completely flat as she looked at Aika, "…Pervert." The other girl cackled slightly, glasses glinting. Nanashi decided to try and ignore her for now.

"Did you need something Koneko-chan?"

"Well I can see this conversation is over besides, I need to find Asia, I'm sure she could use some… advice. Kukukuku." He was just going to pretend he didn't hear that.

"…Buchou wanted you to come to club." Ah it seemed Koneko had decided to do the same thing as him. But wait…

"Ah um… sorry but why exactly?" The small white haired girl shrugged, apparently just as out of the loop as he was. It was worrying, being called on by the king of a peerage, but so far she'd been nothing but kind to him. Not that he could really refuse, he was an unaffiliated mage being 'allowed' to operate in her territory.

"Right then lead the way."

—

The old schoolhouse was abandoned for a reason. Though not because it was old and decrepit as most students seemed to believe. It was a remnant of the old school that was bought out to make room for Kuoh, and was never demolished, so it seemed like the right assumption to make. But no the real reason the old school house was no longer used was because, it was being used by one sole club. More specifically the Occult Research Club, run by Rias Gremory. Though the club itself was a front for her peerage, Nanashi had always wondered why no other clubs took residence in the building. It wasn't as if the ORC didn't have wards all around their room to keep normal people away.

A tug on his arm from Koneko brought him out of his musings and into reality, "Ah sorry, I spaced out for a bit there."

She nodded once, "…We're here." She opened the door, stepping in, he followed.

The room was opulent, to say the least, not that he had expected any less, Rias' family owned the entire school after all. Red rugs, lavish red leather on the couch, a grand wooden desk. The Gremory family was very wealthy indeed.

"…I brought Nanashi-chan." When had everyone started using -chan with him? It wasn't like he was very bothered by it, he wasn't oblivious to his feminine features. And it certainly wasn't like he'd never been called that before, but he couldn't recall it ever being so common.

On the couch directly across from him sat Kiba, and Issei, the brown haired boy turning away from his conversation with the blonde to look at the door. Off to the side at a small tea table was Akeno, her kind smile turned to them. And finally seated at the ornate desk was none other than Rias Gremory.

"Good good!" Nanashi stood a bit straighter, as the head of the Gremory Peerage cast her gaze to him.

"H-hello, you wanted to see me?" It was a bit nerve wracking being so close to someone so powerful, he doubted she was doing it on purpose but just the sheer amount of power she exuded into the small room, was making it a bit hard for him to breath.

"No need to look so nervous Nanashi-kun, I just wanted to check up on you."

An expression of confusion crossed his face, "Um, check up on me?" Nanashi loosened the collar of his uniform, he would ask her to tone it down, but felt it would be rude.

"You were pretty badly injured fighting that exorcist," Nanashi flinched in remembrance, "Akeno and Asia both did their best to keep you alive, I figured they at least had a right to know how you were doing." Her tone was sweet, and he knew she meant well, but couldn't shake the feeling that she had some other motive as well.

Never the less, he nodded feeling sheepish, of course they should know, they put effort into saving him. "Well I'm doing alright," He turned to face the two girls in question, "all my wounds are gone, no scaring even, you have my deepest thanks." He bowed deeply.

Hand in front of her face to hide her smile Akeno nodded once, "It would be a shame to lose someone as fun as you Nanashi-kun." For some reason his back broke out into a cold sweat at her kind words. Odd. Perhaps the atmosphere of power was affecting him more than he thought.

Asia on the other hand shook her hands furiously in the negative, blushing deeply, "No no, please you don't have to thank me, I did it because we're friends Nanashi-chan!" Now it was his turn to blush, seriously the girl-devil was a saint.

"Don't say that," He responded pushing his blush down to respond seriously, "without you two I wouldn't be alive anymore, I owe you both my life." His words were from the heart, sure he'd… won the fight with Freed, but if he'd died afterwords he wouldn't be able do any of the things he'd fought so hard for. "I mean it. My life is all I have anymore, so thanks again."

Akeno looked a bit shocked at first but accepted the heart felt thanks with grace, Asia on the other hand was red as a tomato.

"Alright, alright, now that the 'thank you's' are out of the way, why don't we all have lunch together?" Despite her intimidating aura, Nanashi found that her offer was to genuine to turn down. He liked them, they were good people, but no matter how much he liked them they were Devils. They never did anything without a reason.

"It might be rude of me to ask this, but. What is the real reason you called me here Gremory-senpai?" Issei and Asia looked confused. The rest seemed a bit shocked at Nanashi's sudden change of attitude with the exception of Rias, who had an assessing gaze on him.

"Your making me look like the bad guy here." Her look became pouty, "Sure there was another reason for inviting you, but that doesn't mean we weren't actually concerned about you as well."

Nanashi nodded nervously quickly adding, "Ah sorry, I guess it would be better to ask; what was the other reason you invited me today."

The red head smiled, "Thank you. You are rather sharp Nanashi-kun, I didn't take you for the suspicious kind."

"You are Devil's after all." He was feeling sheepish, this was very outside his normal attitude. But then again he'd always been told you couldn't be too careful when dealing with supernatural creatures. Better safe than sorry.

She nodded, understanding, "Well I'll just go ahead and tell you then." Her smile shifted. Still genial, but something about it felt more hollow, practiced even. She had her game face on. "I want you to tell me how to kill a phoenix."

What.

Noticing his shocked expression she continued on, "There are only three documented killings of a phoenix. Once, 400 years ago, then again eighty years later, and once more a scarce thirty years ago." His face drew into a line, becoming serious.

Kiba's eyebrow rose in confusion, "Any educated Devil could tell you that, what does that have to do with Nanashi-chan?"

Akeno shook her head, "Its not Nanashi-kun, that is relevant here, its his family."

"Yes everyone of those incidents, was preformed by one of my ancestors." He smiled sadly, "The last one was done by my mother when she was younger."

"Exactly. So?" she leaned in, expectant.

Nanashi shook his head, "I could tell you how but its not like it'll be helpful."

"Ill decide that for myself. Tell me, please."

He sighed deeply, accepting the chair offered to him by Kiba. "How much do you know about phoenix?"

"They are immortal, it doesn't matter how many times you inflict lethal blows on them they come right back." The red head put a finger to her chin eyes closing in thought, "They can also manipulate fire and wind, and have the standard collection of supernatural enhancements to senses and physical strength."

The glasses wearing boy nodded, "Right, when they die, their souls flare up and they are reborn, almost instantaneously. But a soul has only so much strength, even a phoenix's. In theory there are only four ways to actually kill one." Nanashi adjusted his glasses, a nervous habit he'd always had, "If you had the strength, you could use one killing blow with enough power that no amount of its soul would be enough to revive it."

Rias waved her hand in dismissal, "Yeah sure but the amount of power you would need for that is astronomical, far more than even a satan or archangel."

"Exactly. The second way would be to devour its soul." The room was silent, eerily so.

"Thats taboo, even for devils!"

He nodded, "Yes it is, though it is also the safest and easiest way to do so."

Akeno looked at him with sharp eyes, "Even doing that wouldn't give you nearly enough power to kill a phoenix, an unwilling soul is not nearly potent enough, nor would you be able to use the power from it to harm those it was taken from."

A shrug of the shoulders, "Thats just it though, this method doesn't rely on an all out attack. In fact you don't even have to absorb the soul just, put a… leak of sorts in it, and then let the victim bleed out." The senior devils in the room looked at him like he was a madman, "But the problem with that way is, how do you make the hole, what causes the leak?"

"…Enough with the theory how did your ancestors do it?" Not amused it seemed.

"And that brings us to the third way. The amount of power needed to make that leak is indeed astronomical, though less so then just vaporizing it would take. Just a portion rather than the whole pie."

He paused briefly, unknowingly his smile turned grim, "But, Its like Akeno-senpai said, an unwilling soul wont give you enough power to kill a phoenix in one shot, nor would it give you the strength to pop the leak. So you just use a willing one instead."

A look of realization passed around the room, "Thats right, you use a portion of your own soul, channeled into a single attack to create a leak."

"Thats… Thats insane a soul is… its irreplaceable, the thing that makes you… you." Rias looked at him, expression somewhere between, shock and rage.

"You're right. Its not something done lightly. Even a devil knows not to mess with a soul. And it certainly isn't possible for an average mage like myself." He looked around the room noting the dark expressions.

"And your family, they-?"

"Yes." He didn't explain the context, it didn't change how intrinsically wrong their actions were.

"The forth way." She was curt now, perhaps reconsidering him as a person.

"You bind them. Its a long process but you can bind their ability to regenerate, though only temporarily. Though the ritual requires quite a bit of time and preparation. Once the binding is complete you can kill them just like anything else."

He looked at the disgusted faces of the Devil's he was coming to know, "I told you it wasn't going to be helpful. Soul magic is taboo, and unless you can either muster up godlike strength or buy yourself an hour or two to set up the ritual to bind the phoenix, then you're out of luck."

Rias looked at him, face still dark, "Why?"

He was confused by her question. "Im sorry?"

"Why did she do it. You mother I mean. Her own soul, her very essence, used to power an attack like that."

Nanashi stared at her, their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity. "We're just humans. Just normal mage's. Nothing special. We don't grow as fast, can't attain such godlike magical power through hard work and training. When it comes down to it we don't stand a chance against supernatural creatures. Its all we can do just to level the playing field." His eyes blazed with conviction and steel entered his voice, "But if its to protect the people we care about, no price is to high. I'd sell my soul a million times over if I could save even one person I care about."

She looked confused, unable to understand, and how could she. She'd never been powerless, never been in a situation where her own strength wasn't enough.

"I can't tell you why she did it. She never talked much about it. But. She had something to protect, to her I'm sure that was worth it." Rias gave him a long look before smiling.

"She was a good woman. Wasn't she?" Nanashi was confused but nodded anyway. "I can't agree with what she did, but the look in your eyes doest lie to me." She looked away from the long haired boy, frowning, "Looks like that plan is a bust…"

His eyes widened, "You mean you actually need to kill a pheon-"

Suddenly there was a burst of flame from in front of him throwing him and his folding chair onto the ground in a painful heap. He looked up from the ground, gaze falling on the newly arrived, full peerage of Devils. They were strong, he could feel their passive magical pressures crashing into him, threatening to drive him further to the floor. The two groups began to talk, ignoring him, a fact he was more than okay with.

It was obvious that they were at odds with each other, or at least, Rias didn't much like the only male Devil in the other peerage Raiser if he heard right. Though the same couldn't be said for the tall blond, if the lust filled looks he had been giving the Gremory heir were of any indication.

Apparently there was some sort of marriage contract, Rias was engaged to Raiser, and though Nanashi felt bad for her, it wasn't any of his business. He gathered his will and brought himself back to his feet, fighting against the magical pressure in the room the whole time.

"Oi, Rias, who's the human runt." Nanashi froze as the attention in the room shifted to him.

"No one important Raiser. Leave Nanashi out of this."

A smirk spread across Raiser's face, he sniffed the air a bit, "And whats this pitiful magical power? What a weakling." Raiser sent a wave of magical pressure over the young mage and he collapsed to the floor.

"Hey!" Issei made to lunge at Raiser, but Rias stopped him. "Buchou what are you doing!? He's hurting Nanashi-chan!"

Rias grit her teeth, her fury obvious, "We can't do anything Raiser is a guest and isn't harming a member of my peerage, Devil law is on his side. If we act now we'll lose our chance at the rating game."

The young mage gathered his strength again, and began to pull himself to his feet, but found he just wasn't strong enough, falling once again to the hard wood floor.

Raiser walked over and kicked him once, hard in the ribs. It hurt, he struggled to not make noise. "Stay on the ground where you belong." He didn't try to get up again. Fighting back would just cause problems. "Human mage's. They are scum, worthlessness beyond measure. Your kind should be eradicated. The way I see it, Im doing the world a favor."

Raiser aimed another kick this one between the eyes. Nanashi didn't want to die. But there was too much pressure, too much going against him. He couldn't summon up the strength to cast a spell and couldn't move his limbs enough to defend himself.

His eyes locked with Raiser's as his foot lashed out in a kick that with his Devil strength would splatter his brains all over the room. He was going to die here. This was a real Devil, not the softhearted and innocent ones he'd slowly begun to know. This creature held nothing but contempt for him. He was going to die. But, he just couldn't accept that.

He was sure he saw Raiser's face twist into an odd sort of recognition and fear, just before his booted foot sent the young mage into a the blackness of the unconscious realm.

—

"Did you see Raiser's face?" It was the end of the day, Raiser's peerage had packed up and left, and the day of their mock rating game, for Rias' freedom, had been set. The other ORC had left, going home for the night, leaving only Akeno and Rias in the club room.

"He was afraid. Afraid of Nanashi." Rias' gaze returned to the wall she and Akeno were scrubbing down, it was splotched with blood. Human blood.

Akeno continued to scrub, her once white wash cloth, now red. "I can't believe we had to just watch," Her hands clenched the cloth making it ooze red onto the floor, "I hate politics…" She sighed getting control of her emotions, "We were lucky, if Grayfia-sama didn't show up when she did he wouldn't have made it."

"Probably not. He's only human after all." A thoughtful look overcame her, "But still…" She looked back to the couch, to the form of Nanashi, still but for the steady rise and fall of his chest. His head was still caked in blood but there was no wound in sight. "… I wonder what Raiser saw in that moment?"

—

Slam! Large arms fell onto a table cracking the wood. "Are you sure it was hers?"

Raiser cowered slightly, "Y-yes father, 'her' spawn, it was unmistakable."

"Than..why…" The older blond man trembled with rage, voice low and calm, though Raiser knew that his father was anything but calm. "…Why did you let it survive!?"

"Grayfia!" The word was said quickly as his hands moved to shield his face from the blow he worried would come. It didn't and his father looked at him for an explanation, "It was Grayfia she intervened, I couldn't do anything with her there."

The older man tapped his finger in annoyance, "Damn… you know it must die."

"O-of course father. I'll-" His father slammed a hand on the table. He stopped talking immediately.

"You can't just kill the thing. No the Gremory will have a closer eye on it now. Before we could have claimed to have not know it was affiliated with them. But now, if it dies by your hand, it won't be overlooked. We can't afford the Gremory clan's ire." Raiser ducked his head lower, a cold sweat breaking out down his back.

"So, what do we do father?"

A cold smile crossed the older Devil's face, "They can't blame us if the thing, happens to wander into the battle ground and die in the cross fire now can they?"

Raiser understood. He nodded once. Backing away to the door before bowing and hurrying out.

The older man looked to his desk, to three photos in their portraits. They had been family, but now they were dead. He hated that word. Dead. These three, they were the only three who'd ever died. And once this… Nanashi was dead, they would be avenged. The last Ametsuchi mage would die for its mother's transgressions. The Phenex clan would have its pound of flesh.