Kaleid Liner Lias' Pawn
by Lunar Wave
Disclaimer: I don't own HS DxD nor do I own Fate/ Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya. Anyone who thinks otherwise, I suggest you remember what website this is being posted on.
The Things They Gave
I didn't know what to think when I saw that.
"Illya-sama? What's going on?"
I knew it the moment I saw it. That creature is strong. Stronger than anything I've ever seen in my life.
"Illya-sama, we need to get out of here!"
It loomed in the distance, drawing ever so slowly to her. Did it spot her? Yes, it definitely did. It was headed towards me with its jaws wide open. Is it… going to eat me?
"Illya-sama, please wake up! Now's not the time to be in a trance!"
Even though onii-chan's wish should have sent me to where I would be away from the world's destruction, I still ended up facing my own.
"I guess you're too tired to even speak, let alone move… Well, after everything you went through, I suppose it's no surprise."
No. Onii-chan would never have wanted this kind of ending. There must be a way out. We need to get out of here…
"Well then, no choice; it seems to be my turn to activate my emergency system."
Emergency system? Like… what Ruby did? Wait… Ruby? Then this voice is…
"I'll probably be asleep for a while. Please take care of me and nee-san's bodies while we recharge."
Sapphire… The beast roared towards us, it was so close… And then a great magic circle appeared beneath me. It wrapped around me… Its power… it reminds me of every moment I enter a Mirror World.
"Good night, Illya-sama."
And with that I disappeared just as the creature flew, no, swam, towards me, I was left alone in a forest. I ran. I ran and ran and ran. Eventually I reached a clearing. I ran and pushed away the boy that was threatened by a black-winged woman. And then…
I, Illyasviel von Einzbern, woke up from that dream of two days past. My tears flowed so naturally, as though a dam that was keeping it all in just burst.
Issei sighed as he woke up. Looking outside, it was just as the sun was peeking out of the horizon. Too early. That was a relatively short dream, all considering. It was also too confusing. If it was his dream, then there should've been more big breasts in it. At least he hoped so. Was the world also denying him big breasts in the dream world!? That girl in the dream had barely any! Issei couldn't help but feel shocked and dismayed by that thought. Deciding that the best way to deal with the incident was to go wash his face, he stood up and stretched his legs for a bit.
'Oh yeah… Illya-chan was going to start living here today,' thought Issei. 'I suppose I should check on her.' Issei grinned and walked out the door. 'She was sleeping in that room, right?' He walked over and decided to just enter the room. What he saw was the crying form of the albino loli that he was going to check over. She was curled over on the bed, hugging the pillow for all its worth. Gentle tears fell from her eyes.
"Illya-chan?" Issei asked worried. 'What was going on?' His voice carried the concern he felt to the girl.
"Ise-san!?" Illya quickly wiped her face with her hands. She looked at Issei, with a forced smile. "G-good morning."
"Did something happen?" Issei asked, worried.
"N-no… just a particularly bad dream."
"… You want to tell me?"
"No… I'll be fine."
Issei nodded, though he still couldn't help but be worried. Though, he decided to respect it and back off. He still could appreciate the sight she was showing though. She looked cute in those old pajamas he used to wear way back when. Why his mother still had his old pajamas, he won't know though.
He then heard a laugh coming from in front of him. "Ise-san, your face looks weird." Illya mentioned. Was it really that strange? Well, he quickly made for the door.
"At any rate, you should get a bit more sleep. It's still too early." Issei waved. "If you need anything I'll probably be in my room." Issei left the room, but not before he heard the little girl say something else.
"… Thanks."
Issei grinned, and skipped happily back to his room. Maybe with his new mood would help him sleep and dream of breasts once more!
*dingdong* *dingdong*
The doorbell? Issei quickly walked down and to the door of the house.
Rias was quite nervous, all considering. Once more, she was in front of her pawn's house. While, the mere fact that she was doing so once more in and of itself was quite exciting for her, it was who came alongside her that really surprised her. Alongside her peerage, the one to join her to this trip was no other than Ajuka Beelzebub, one of the Four Great Satans of the Underworld. It was a surprise that she wasn't sure is welcome or not. His reason for visiting was sound, though, and she couldn't truly deny it.
"There is a glitch in my system. I must see to it immediately and ensure that it does not happen again." was his firm reply and he quickly had her assemble her (slightly sleep-deprived) peerage and they were on their way to see their pawns. They went via Magic Circle, of course, but not to their pawn's immediate rooms but to an alley near their home.
Kiba rang the doorbell. A few moments later, they heard a few bolts being moved and the door opened.
"Huh? Buchou? What are you guys doing so early?" Issei popped his head out the door. "I thought we agreed to leave in the afternoon?" They had agreed upon this time, accounting for her peerage's sleeping schedule. They would've woken up relatively late in the morning and mornings are a lot more lethargic to Devils. If they went in the afternoon, however, the sun would probably set eventually and they'd have enough energy for the rest of the night.
"Well, we're not headed out quite yet, Ise-kun." Akeno answered. "We're here to escort Lord Beelzebub."
"I deemed that the Gremory Peerage can be my bodyguards for my time here." The man promptly replied, "I heard there was someone reincarnated by the evil pieces but was not turned into a Devil."
"Uh… so… he's?"
"Ajuka Beelzebub, one of the Four Great Satans, leaders of the Underworld." Rias introduced. Issei nodded, bowed slightly and walked over to the gate to unfasten it and allow them entry.
"Well, you're in luck. Illya-chan just woke up."
"It's a shame I can't bring her to my lab for study, but there might be a few issues and humans might not be able to survive the atmosphere there."
"Wh… what does that mean?" By that, Rias was sure he meant about being brought to a lab for study, over the atmosphere, but Lord Beelzebub assumed the latter.
"Well, the air in the Underworld is quite healthy for us Devils; it can even give us a significant boost. But humans would not be used to such air. It's not unhealthy, just very unsettling. Unsettling enough that your heart might lead you to a stroke by just being there. Of course, there are strong humans who could survive that, so that's a moot point."
"Uh… huh… Well, you just want to see if there's something the matter with Illya-chan, right?"
"Yes. Can you let us in?"
"… I don't think I should…" Issei replied warily, Rias noted that he seemed worried, "… Well, I suppose you could come in." He unlatched the gate. "Just don't wake anyone up… I think Illya-chan should still be awake but… I told her to try and go to sleep again."
"I can check." Koneko offered, in her hands was a bag of clothing. Issei nodded and told her the exact room Illya was sleeping in. Latching the gate, Issei gestured for the group to go into the house. Nodding courteously Koneko went up the stairs. Issei directed them to the living room.
"Issei-kun seems fairly normal, for someone who is known at our school for his perverseness." Akeno said, amused as she sat comfortably into a sofa, naturally after both Lord Beelzebub and Rias sat down. Kiba had joined Issei in helping with drinks and stuff.
"Is his perverseness some sort of disguise for his true self?" Rias asked.
"I doubt it." Akeno chuckled, "I know what people look like when they wear masks, and that perverseness he displays at school is no mask. Most likely, he saw a weird dream this morning, or he just did not have the energy because he hasn't eaten breakfast yet."
"I suppose." Rias conceded. They heard steps coming from upstairs, and Illya and Koneko appeared from the door. Illya was now wearing Koneko's clothes, although they were a tad bit too baggy.
"She was still awake." Koneko straight-faced told them before settling on the sofa. Illya looked at them in slight confusion but let herself sit next to Koneko. Issei and Kiba had returned as well, but it seems that Issei was a tad bit more annoyed than when he had left. What happened between the two?
"Illyasviel von Einzbern, I presume you already know why I'm here?" Lord Beelzebub prompted.
"It's because I'm not a Devil." Illya replied.
"Yes. Are you aware of the ramifications that your failed reincarnation could have on the Devil World?"
"Not really… no." Illya shook her head. "I only learned about Devils and stuff yesterday."
"I see." Lord Beelzebub nodded, "Well, I suppose this is the Master's task." Rias nodded in reply.
"Very well, I'll explain. First, allow me to explain what the Three Factions are."
"Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. We and the other two factions have always been at war with each other. However, that war has ended, with major losses from all three sides."
Lord Beelzebub interrupted, "Even now, technically, we still are at war, but we are under a sort of ceasefire. This ceasefire is hardly the best option, but it is needed if any of the factions were to ever get back on their feet. But because of the great losses to us Devils I created a method to replenish our lost numbers. And that is the Evil Pieces System, the system we use to reincarnate devils." Lord Beelzebub sipped a bit of his tea before continuing, "The Evil Pieces were created so that anyone can be turned into a Devil. Anyone at all. And naturally, that includes humans, like yourself. And that is why you are an anomaly to us."
"Because I haven't turned." Illya replied, as though carefully weighing her words. There were signs of slight panic appearing on her body but it still seems to be being controlled. Rias admired the way she did so. Most little girls her age would be outright panicking. Of course, that may have been trauma caused by whatever happened to her home. Rias ignored the grimace threatening to appear on her face.
"By all means, yes, you should be a Devil, as long as the Evil Piece is in you."
"S-so, what do you plan to do?"
"Why, I wish to study your body, of course." Lord Beelzebub replied.
"Wha-wha-wha-WHAT?!" Well, Illya finally lost her control over her emotions and just outright panicked. Well she did well, considering how it was.
"No need for panic." Lord Beelzebub told her.
"How can I not panic when you just told me you're going to experiment on me!?" Illya yelled.
"Illya, behave yourself. This is one of the four leaders of Underworld." Rias half-told, half-scolded her, although inwardly she was begging that Lord Beelzebub not take offense to Illya's reaction. Of course, she'd have to personally fight against the idea as well if Lord Beelzebub pushes it but right now it was a mere suggestion.
"I'm not going to experiment on you." Lord Beelzebub crossly replied. "I don't need to. The Evil Pieces system is doing its job just fine. It even reincarnated the former Dragon King Tannin, so I doubt it was the Evil Pieces fault in the first place."
"So you're saying it was Illya's?" Rias asked. Rias thought back to the odd circumstances that caused Illya to obtain her Evil Pieces. Lord Beelzebub chuckled and pulled out an object. Rias noted that it was a pawn counting device, one that she also used when she scanned Issei and Illya, although this one seemed more refined.
"First let's scan her potential, shall we? She's still human, so her potential should still be more or less the same." Lord Beelzebub immediately pointed the object to Illya. "According to your letter, Rias Gremory, she was worth three pawns, correct?"
"Yes."
"… Well, according to my scanners she's worth at least eight."
"Wha-what?"
"What about your other pawn?" Lord Beelzebub pointed the same object towards a surprised Issei and frowned as well. "Why, same there! He's also worth eight pawns! How did you cheat the system and get two pawns worth sixteen?" Lord Beelzebub asked, although there was no accusation, only admiration.
"I… I didn't." Rias shook her head. "I had only intended on reviving Issei with my eight Pawns and then use my Bishop for Illya. But… For some reason, three of the Pawns that I placed into Issei went into Illya."
"Yes, you said that in your letter." Lord Beelzebub nodded. "However, it shouldn't be possible in the first place to reincarnate her, even if that did happen, as she's worth eight."
"She was worth three when I first checked."
"And now we are at an interesting conundrum. How did Illya's potential bump up from three to eight in a matter of days? That's impossible, no matter how you look at it."
"Maybe that's why she wasn't reincarnated into a devil." Akeno guessed, "She did not receive enough pawns to complete the reincarnation."
"Interesting, but that would just result in her dead, rather than her becoming human. The Evil Pieces are not that gracious."
"… Illya, do you know what this is about?"
"… I don't really know anything about how the reincarnation works." Illya said in an apologetic manner.
"Your guess would be better than ours at least."
"… I… I'm not completely human." Illya replied, and fidgeted, "… I'm half-homunculus."
"… Half?"
"My mother was a homunculus." She replied.
"Interesting." Lord Beelzebub replied, "But I fail to see what this has to do with anything. The Evil Pieces was able to reincarnate the Dragon King Tannin. Just because you are a half-homunculus doesn't mean you are immune to the effects of the Evil Pieces. Well, I suppose we should study first before making hypotheses in the first place." Lord Beelzebub told them, "Let's first check the Evil Pieces within you." He walked forward with an apparatus on hand. "This won't hurt one bit." Illya's (comically) scared face returned full force.
Issei looked slightly defiant, but that defiant face morphed into fear when Lord Beelzebub said the next words: "Oh, and the other pawn needs to be examined as well!"
"… Well… this is interesting."
"I don't think I can get married anymore…" Illya cried slightly, as she lay on the sofa, looking slightly violated. Kiba and Issei entered the room, having been sent out for the examination, Issei's face looking slightly traumatized as well upon entrance. The sound of cooking can be heard in the kitchen, courtesy of Issei's mother. His father is reading his newspaper at the dining table. Both of them were hypnotized into not trying to enter their living room for the duration of Ajuka Beelzebub's visit. Issei personally thought that they should've just occupied Illya's bedroom rather than the living room, but he wasn't about to argue. It would've been a bit cramped there anyway.
"So what are the results, Lord Beelzebub?"
"Well, suffice to say that the pieces that are within Illya don't belong to her. They belong to your other pawn, Hyoudou Issei." He bowed to the boy. Issei was surprised at this but nodded; unsure as whether that was the appropriate response.
"What would that mean?" Rias asked.
"Rias, allow both your pawns to use Promotion."
"Ah, okay."
"Promotion?" Illya asked. Issei sat next to her.
"Ah, I suppose you haven't explained the Evil Pieces themselves, have you?" Lord Beelzebub jovially replied. "Very well, let me do so. It's been quite a while since I, the creator of the system, got to explain it." Turning to the two pawns he smiled. "First, you remember what we said about your pieces. How we referred to you two by the number of Pawns you were worth."
"Pawns… as in the chess piece, right?" Illya asked, and received a nod.
"That's right." Lord Beelzebub cheerfully said, "Yes. The evil pieces are based on the game of Chess. We Devils have a strange fondness of the board game, so I decided to base my system on it." He then pulled out an entire chess piece set and placed it on the table.
"Every piece has its worth: King, is the leader of the group." He pointed at the piece, "We only give this to people who become High Class Devils. In your case, your King would be Rias Gremory." He pointed at the crimson haired girl.
"And that's what you are aiming for Issei, in order to reach your goal of Harem King." Akeno told him. Issei was immediately pumped up.
"Alright! Then I'll definitely get it!" Issei's eyes were burning brightly.
"Now let's start with the Bishop Piece, worth 3 pawns." Lord Beelzebub chuckled, "This is the piece that Illya was supposed to be given, isn't that right?" Rias nodded in affirmation. The Satan then said, "This piece boosts the owners Magical Ability. Essentially, it boosts your ability to manipulate magic power, or demonic power if you were a devil." Illya nodded.
Pointing at the horse, "Next is the Knight Piece, worth 3 pawns. This piece gives a considerable boost in speed, befitting of a Knight. Kiba Yuuto would be your group's example." Kiba waved his hand at them.
He then tapped the tower chess piece, "The Rook Piece, worth 5, gives the user a significant boost in strength and endurance, capable of shrugging off quite a lot of damage. That would be Toujou Koneko in your case."
"Now this is the Queen Piece." Lord Beelzebub continued on. "Worth nine pawns, and its wielders are granted the abilities of Bishop, Knight, and Rook combined. Although I only intended for Bishop and Rook, some naysayers were dissatisfied and had me change that." Lord Beelzebub scowled. "Instead, I had it so that the Queen piece didn't get much of a stamina boost that the other three pieces had, as a counterpoint."
"The Queen Piece" Rias added, "is also traditionally used for someone that the King trusts the most. Usually they'll be the one the King confides in when something is troubling them. Akeno would be our Queen, and she's my closest friend. However, it's not uncommon for the Queen of many peerages to actually be the marriage partner of the King."
"It could actually be considered a proposal of sorts; something along the lines of: 'You are the most valuable member of my family.' You can understand why it's so important to us Kings."
"And then finally, the Pawn Piece. Naturally, they're worth one pawn apiece. But you do get eight of them, and they're quite useful, especially with its ability, Promotion. In your group's case, that would be you two. Now, what do you think Promotion does?"
"We can become any of the pieces aside for King." Illya replied.
"That's right." Lord Beelzebub said, looking pleased. "And that is why you two are worth so much. Rias has essentially sixteen pawn pieces and only needed her eight to gather you two. Now, although that's interesting, can you try to use Promotion first, Illya. Issei can do so after you.
"How?
"Just say: 'Promotion: Bishop'. That should turn you into a Bishop."
"Promotion: Bishop!" Illya cried out. But nothing happened. Lord Beelzebub quickly scanned Illya again. "Still a pawn. Your Promotion failed. Now, Rias, don't worry. I think I know the reason why. Issei, promote. This time promote to Rook."
"Okay. Promotion: Rook!" Illya felt a surge of power course through her when Issei said those words. Lord Beelzebub scanned Issei first and confirmed it.
"Alright, he turned into a Rook. Now Illya." Scanning the girl he then mentioned, "Hmmm... Lift the table."
"Eh?" Akeno and the others moved to remove any objects on the table.
"Just lift the table." Illya nodded mutely and held her hands on the edge of the living room table. She pushed all her strength into it. Which turned out to be a mistake as she successfully flipped the table three times in the air. Koneko moved to intercept the flying furniture and secured it on the ground.
Lord Beelzebub nonchalantly looked at the panicked face of Illya and noted, "Well that solves that mystery."
"What is it, Lord Beelzebub?" Rias asked.
"Simple. Illya has promoted. To Rook."
'We knew that the moment she flipped the table.' But none of them mentioned it out loud for fear of disrespect.
"And this is what I meant by Illya's pieces belonging to Issei and not to Illya." Lord Beelzebub smiled, "The pieces she has is controlled and owned by Issei, therefore if he promotes his pieces, so does hers."
"I see; that makes some sense…" Rias nodded, "Those pieces were originally for Ise in the first place. But that doesn't explain why she remains human… homunculus."
"Yes, the only real mystery is why she's not a devil. For some reason, Illya's pieces have their ability to turn Illya into a devil sealed away, if not outright removed. There's also a strange seal there and it's one of the strongest seals I've ever seen in my life."
"You can't break it, Lord Beelzebub?" Rias asked.
"I think it would be impossible, I'm afraid. It seems as though something powerful has sealed it away. And, like I said, it's a stronger seal than any I have ever seen in my life. I'm afraid that even If I bring her to my lab back in the Underworld, I would still not be able to unseal it." Rias nodded mutely, unsure as to how she should cope with that information.
"How did it get sealed in the first place?" Akeno asked.
"Hmm… It's possible that it's the holy artifact that I found within Illya, but that seems unlikely."
"Holy?" Kiba asked, shocked. Illya stiffened slightly.
"Yes, there's a holy artifact lodged in her soul. I don't know how to extract it though. Illya, would you be able to pull it out?"
Illya closed her eyes and concentrated on trying to get the object out. Nothing happened. After a minute or so, Illya shook her head, "… I don't know if I could."
"Well, that's fine." Lord Beelzebub shrugged, "Do you know its identity?"
"My mother said it was an object that would protect me." Illya replied. "It was her last gift to me… but I don't know what it is. She never told me."
"… Then there's nothing I could do right now. For now, we'll go with this story: Hyoudou Issei is worth five pawns, and Illya is worth three pawns, therefore totaling eight. However, during the process of reviving Illyasviel, something intervened with your revival and caused her ability to be turned into a Devil be sealed. You do not know what intervened, but you do know it did."
"That would cause more questions."
"Merely tell them that I'm investigating the matter and I did not want the information to fall in the wrong hands. You're not lying, mostly anyway. The only lie is the two's worth. However, as she's not a Devil, I'm afraid that I can't, in good conscience, allow her to promote to any rank. She cannot even be considered a Low Class Devil without being a Devil, understand?"
"Understood. Thank you, Lord Beelzebub."
"It's the most I could do. In the meantime, find a way to remove the holy artifact from her soul. Once she's capable of doing so, come to my laboratory."
"Thank you, Lord Beelzebub." Rias nodded, "I suppose I should prepare the Magic Circle to send us home."
"Our shoes are still in the front, Buchou." Akeno pointed out.
"Yuuto." No response.
"Kiba-sempai." Koneko poked the Knight. Kiba jerked out of his trance. Koneko pointed at the door, "Shoes at the front." Kiba nodded, walking to the hall, only to be completely shocked when a voice echoed into the room.
"Oh my, leaving so soon?" Mrs. Hyoudou poked her head into the room, shocking everyone. Wasn't she hypnotized not to do that? Did her motherly instincts break the hypnotism? "Why not stay to eat? It's been a while since Issei brought home friends!" Koneko, Akeno, and Kiba were hit by a massive protest from their stomachs reminding them that they have yet to eat anything, only drinking tea. And… the temptation of a mother's cooking was very, very tempting to all three of them. Rias was also tempted as well, although she hid it better than the others.
"Well, I have somewhere I need to attend to." Lord Beelzebub said, though he seemed tempted as well.
"Do you need to attend to it immediately?"
"Unfortunately, I need to return. I did not inform anyone of my visit here, and people might start getting worried." Lord Beelzebub said, disappointed. "Don't worry, Rias, you and your peerage can stay behind."
"But I'd hate to impose…" Rias said, unsure, but was quickly cut off by another voice.
"Impose?" Mr. Hyoudou poked his head in as well. "Nonsense! This is a celebration! Both for Illya's arrival and Issei's newfound friends!"
"Well, I suppose it would be fine." Rias chuckled. "Would there be enough seats?"
"Hmm… 4, 6, 8, the young man's not staying right, so eight. Yep, there should be enough for us. If okaa-san and I eat at the kitchen counter, it might be a bit of a tight squeeze but I'm sure we can make six people fit on the dining table." The others looked at each other while Issei sighed.
"Come on guys, okaa-san's not gonna budge about this. Let's go." Issei motioned.
"Hai, Ise-san." Illya replied.
The others looked at Rias for confirmation. Rias looked back and nodded. They walked soon after, leaving Ajuka Beelzebub to ponder on things. 'It's interesting that I was able to meet two people worth that much, and in one peerage at that. Future Rating Games are going to be much more interesting.' He chuckled as he started creating a temporary transportation circle on the floor.
Then he silently laughed, 'Also… I may have decided not to inform them… but there's something else strange in Illyasviel von Einzbern's pieces other than just its seal on the reincarnation system. And… that strange energy within her body… Yes, everything is going to be a bit more interesting than before.'
Breakfast with the Hyoudou Family is an interesting affair. Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba were barely able to stop themselves from devouring the food. Rias herself was also rather unable to eat with as much grace as she'd prefer.
"You really went all out, okaa-san!" Issei said, amazed. "They all look so delicious!"
"Of course. It's been a long time since we had these many guests."
"I'll pay you back soon, okaa-sama." Rias bowed, "This is just too much… You fed me yesterday and now you're feeding my friends."
"Oh, don't worry, Rias-chan." Mrs. Hyoudou laughed, "Just eat."
True, Rias and the others had food that could be considered higher quality than this, but there was this unique flavor within the meal that they just couldn't get enough of.
"A mother's love… huh…" Akeno said; a slightly bitter expression on her face. She simply bit into her meal once more.
"Illya, I'd like to ask a few questions." Rias interrupted, hopefully keeping the mood light. "I'd like to know a few things about you."
Illya nodded, as she finished her rice.
"First, how do you spell Illyasviel?"
Illya replied easily enough.
"That's a lot of katakana." Issei winced, "You write that every time you take an exam, huh? That's difficult."
"Yeah." Illya replied sighing. Rias chuckled, spending the rest of that time fielding a few questions. That was when they learned Illya was most certainly well off, as her family was able to hire maids. Things like her parent's identities, and her extended family. When it comes to friends, she only spoke about their strange teacher who got stuck with the nickname Tiger and a handful of friends.
After breakfast, since they were already nearby, and ready, they decided to might as well go to shop for Illya's stuff. Issei and Kiba were assigned to carry most of their stuff. They first headed to buy some clothes, leaving Issei and Kiba to stay outside the shop without anything to do.
"So… looks like we'll be working together as servants of Gremory." Kiba brightly started a conversation. Issei grudgingly nodded.
"Yeah… please take care of me." Issei reluctantly replied. "How is it to be a devil?"
"… Easier than before, for me at least." Kiba shrugged, "The Gremory family is known for treating their servants as family so we're actually well off in comparison to other Devils."
"I see…" Issei nodded.
"Say, Ise-kun (I can call you that, right?), what's your opinion of the group so far?"
"… Family. No two ways about it, this group is totally something like a weird family."
"Yes, I suppose that is a good way to see it." Kiba chuckled, "We all get along easily enough, that it's hard to believe we're still total strangers to each other."
"Eh, strangers?"
"I think you'll understand easily enough." Kiba shrugged. "Well, any questions for your senior devil?"
"Eh?... Uh… How do you get the girls to flock you so much, you damned handsome?"
Kiba looked stumped, as though he was hit by something unexpected. "… I'm afraid that I don't know how to answer that."
"… Damn you."
"Well, devils are supposed to be damned in the first place." Kiba replied with a small grin.
Issei looked at the boy with a challenge in his eyes, "I'm definitely going to be a Harem King, with or without your help!"
"Alright, alright. Say, what does that mark on your right hand mean?"
"Huh? Isn't this part of being a devil?"
"… We just sent Beelzebub-sama home; please don't bring up more issues after." Kiba sighed, "Well, I'd think he saw it already; he did look over you a lot," a shudder from Issei, "If he thought it isn't an issue, I guess we don't need to worry about it."
"I guess so…" Issei shrugged. "But should I wear gloves or something to keep it hidden?" He was dismayed at the thought of having to do so, as if he ever had an opportunity to grope anyone's breasts, he would only feel the texture of the glove.
"Hmm… I think just wrapping it in a bandage for a while will be okay. A bit of make-up could probably hide the mark."
"How about magic?"
"You've barely been a devil for a few days, Ise-kun." Kiba teased. "Learning magic is a bit more difficult especially to you who doesn't come from a supernatural background. Speaking of which, how are you holding up as a Devil?"
"Huh, doing fine. Can't believe I'm no longer human. When I got home, I realized that my strength was better last night, and now, in the morning, I'm a bit lethargic."
"Don't complain when you didn't need to work last night." Kiba replied, "I still needed a bit of sleep and then Master called us up to escort Beelzebub-sama. I actually plan on getting some more rest at the clubroom when we're done with the shopping."
"Clubroom?"
"Of course. You and Illya still need to be completely inducted to Devil Society. Master is probably going to assign a few books for you two to read about us Devils."
"Uh, are we really allowed to talk about this in public?"
"Do you really think anyone would take two high school students talking about fantasy seriously?" Kiba joked. "You can talk about anything besides high-class secrets. At any rate, I also erected a subtle misdirection magic barrier in the area to make normal people not pay attention to us. Not advanced, mind you, something akin that they won't even bother listening to us as we're too uninteresting to be bothered."
"Huh, why did you learn a spell like that?"
"You do realize how many girls chase me, right?" Kiba asked. "I use it sparingly, but it's useful for getting away from them."
"I really mean it! Damn you! I want girls chasing me too!" Issei could feel tears streaming from his eyes.
"Ahaha, I suppose you do." A nod.
"Yuuto, Ise, we're done. Please carry the bags." Rias came around and ordered the two. Kiba and Ise looked at each other, and nodded. The two stood up and walked over, seeing the amount of bags in their hands. There were two bags of what appeared to be clothes, a few shoe boxes, a bag full of toiletries, and and another bag of other various necessities. Kiba naturally strolled over and took what appeared to be the two heavier bags of the group. Muttering a few curses for the boy, Issei took the others. He admittedly expected them to be heavier, but he supposed that being a Devil made him stronger as well.
"I think that's enough shopping for the day. There are still things I need to finish, like filing Illya's transfer into the Elementary Department."
"When am I going to start school?" Illya asked.
"You could properly start tomorrow if I finish this soon." Rias shrugged. Kuoh Academy is administrated by her father so it's not really a big issue. She can send it this afternoon and it will be processed soon after.
"But first Buchou, why don't you treat us to lunch?" Akeno asked, "It would be a nice bonding exercise and we wouldn't need to go home to eat first. We can head straight to the clubroom afterwards."
"Alright." Rias smiled, "We'll eat then we'll head back to the clubroom to rest." With a cheer the group headed to a restaurant that Rias usually frequents.
That afternoon, the Rias Gremory's Peerage went to the clubroom after their lunch. Kiba and Koneko occupied the sofas to sleep a bit more. Issei on the other hand was out handing pamphlets for his first job. Rias and Akeno were looking over the forms before sending them to Rias's father.
"It's a bit of a shame we can't send Illya out to do a job yet, huh?" Akeno said perusing through the forms.
"It can't be helped. There's no real point on sending Illya, who's human, to do a job that people expect Devils to do. And if we make Illya give away pamphlets, we might run into an issue of child labor. Right now, it's best to see how we could get Illya to turn into a Devil first." Which is why Illya was in the corner, trying to meditate. She's trying to see if she can coax the holy artifact in her body out, but since she never needed to meditate in her life, she was not really succeeding.
"Illya, you're supposed to empty your mind of unnecessary thoughts." Akeno mentioned. "Don't think so hard." Illya nodded, sheepishly. Akeno shrugged and created a small barrier to block out noise for Illya.
"Maybe I should let her promote to Bishop to help." Rias said, then she remembered Illya's problem, "oh… wait, she can't promote without Ise…"
"I suppose it's a bit difficult to wrap your head around that." Akeno chuckled.
Rias nodded, "Illya's like a chess piece that doesn't follow the standard rules of chess; a sort of Fairy Chess Piece."
"Fitting." Akeno chuckled, "If I remember correctly, one example of a Fairy Piece is called Rias' Pawn."
"That's Lias' Pawn." Rias corrected, "Although I suppose it does make sense that my pawns would be non-standard, if you take that into account. Illya not becoming a Devil, however, is unfortunate."
"But because she's not a Devil (Normal Piece), she also exists outside the rules of the Devils (Standard Chess)." Akeno noted. "She has the unique position of being a part of the Devil Faction but not being one. Most Devil allies have either turned into Devils or have their own faction which they are loyal to."
"Yes, I suppose it's possible for Illya to become the biggest trump card in peace negotiations. But would you really give that job to a grade school student?"
"No, but it's a possibility you need to be aware of. But I suppose there's really no point talking about it." Akeno shrugged. "So to complete this little family, you'll need to get a Bishop, a Rook and a Knight. Anyone in mind?"
"… No, not really. I ran into all of my peerage members by chance, in case you haven't noticed." Rias said almost jokingly.
"Yes, I suppose you're right. It's so weird that that IS the case, though. Some people might believe that it was you who orchestrated our situations."
"Now that is hardly fair!" Rias rebuked, "How am I supposed to know how to do that?"
"There are conspiracy theorists everywhere." Akeno lightly replied. "Oh, Buchou, did you see the strange mark on Issei's hand? The one that looks like Illya's hair accessory."
Nodding, Rias answered, "Lord Beelzebub didn't seem worried about it so I didn't think it would matter much."
"Well, if you're certain, it shouldn't be a problem. Next issue is to get Illya into the school."
"Yes, I think we completed all the necessary forms." Rias said brightly, "There's no reason to delay anymore, I'll send it at the earliest convenience." Rias turned to Illya who was still struggling to meditate. Akeno sighed and removed the barrier. Rias coughed, causing Illya to fall out of balance.
"Illya, we have all that we need for you to transfer into school. I'll take you to the registrar's office, come along." Illya nodded.
"Thank you for all your hard work." Illya bowed.
"You're welcome, but it's not over yet." Rias merrily said, opening the door. Illya followed soon after.
"So, Rias-chan got her enrolled in Kuoh Academy too, huh?" Mrs. Hyoudou chuckled as she scooped some seconds for Issei. The boy gleefully took the meal and placed it in his stomach.
"I feel like I bypassed so many regulations…" Illya murmured as she ate dinner. "Yes, and they said I should be allowed to start school as soon as possible."
"To think Buchou's father is the administrator of the school!" Issei mentioned in between mouthfuls. "I'm honored to be part of her club!"
"Yes, she appeared so high class, it's not that hard to imagine." Mr. Hyoudou smiled, "Of course, that also means that you have to do better with schoolwork, Issei. Now that you are in her club, I doubt you would be let off for doing bad."
"I do just fine!" Issei shot back.
"You failed your math quiz last week." Mrs. Hyoudou shot back, causing Issei to look down in apology. "What about you, Illya-chan? What subjects are you bad at?"
"Huh… oh, not much really. My English can do a bit of work, but I usually am part of the top ten in my grade." Illya replied. "And most of the topics are probably about things that I've already been taught at my previous school." After all, in her time, she was technically on Summer Break before everything went crazy. She also mentally erased a year from her age, because it feels weird to have the same birthday but age a year the upcoming summer.
"Oh, is your previous school some high standard school?" Of course, that would be how people see it.
"… It has Fujimura-sensei as a teacher so I don't think so." Illya replied honestly. Then she heard something she isn't sure of. And by the sound of it, the other members of the family heard it too. Silence abounded the table. Not one of them dared break the silence.
"… Did anyone hear a tiger just roar in the distance?" Issei decided to be brave and say what everyone was thinking.
"… nope." Illya concluded and slowly started eating once more. The rest soon followed suit.
Koneko stood quietly in her dorm room, unsure of whether to mention it to her Master or not. Koneko knew that she was the only one in the group who has intimate knowledge of the half-homunculus's body, as she had been both the one to give her a bath, and the one to have seen it when given the clothes. She had asked about it to Illya, but she only replied something along the lines of "a gift from my parents".
Should she tell her Master? It didn't seem to be a bad thing. But she could tell that those strange markings on Illya's back were not normal. After all, she could sense a strange form of energy seeping through them. So should she tell them? Koneko decided to let Illya reveal that information on her own.
Issei dreamed once more that night. This time, he dreamed of fighting a strange purple haired-woman. She had a strange blindfold with an eye in the middle. The purple haired woman was starting a strange attack that he doesn't understand. A magic circle was in front of her and being primed for what he could definitely tell would be a powerful attack. In front of him was the same girl he saw in last night's dream, the girl wearing a red turtleneck, creating a barrier.
But then… a strange girl, clad in a very skimpy blue-violet outfit. In her hand was a red spear. All she said was thus:
"Gae Bolg." And in an instant, the spear was lodged in the purple haired woman's heart.
Chapter End
Hah, another extremely long day for the group. Well, Asia Arc should start around next chapter, either halfway, or at the end. Some answers:
Illya's True Worth:
Eight pawns. Yes, Illya is worth eight pawns. Reasoning is simple: Illya is the Holy Grail of the Fate series. Not the real one, mind you, but still a Holy Grail. There is also a Holy Grail in High School DxD, and it's a Longinus-class Sacred Gear, Sephiroth Graal. Illya's new position is quite interesting: She basically introduced a non-Sacred Gear Longinus among the thirteen, making a total of fourteen. And yes, Illya's Holy Grail is a Longinus albeit one that no one else knows about. After all, an omnipotent wish granting artifact and it's not ranked up there with the ability to split the earth? So, someone once asked me why I had to have three pawns within Illya when the Holy Grail could've made Illya worth a single pawn. That's important so yeah.
Illya's Current Abilities:
Now that I've revealed her limited Promotion abilities, that should be enough for me to reveal things. Include is limited to her Kaleidostick which are both asleep so she can't do it. Install, while I had Illya note multiple times she could try to do, she isn't willing to try. She's willing to think about it, but she is afraid of the card overtaking her consciousness so she won't use it. She'll only use it in dire need and by the time she gets in such a situation, the Kaleidosticks are probably good to go. So what CAN she do? Uh... right now, nothing except risk an Install.
Taiga:
It's just a joke. Taiga is not in the story. Or is she? Probably not. Though it would be amusing to suddenly have Taiga show up as a sudden addition to a random Peerage... Uh... Say, aren't there three pawns still left with Sona? Guh, bad Lunar, temptation away!