Disclaimer: I don't own any franchise that is used in this story nor do I make any profit from it whatsoever.
Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 3: Dreams
In the depths of a void with a landscape similar to that of a kaleidoscope, Lelouch opened his eyes. His eyes flickered around, confused at his surroundings and blinked as he realized he could not move his body at all. Suddenly a voice rang out, echoing powerfully throughout the void, yet somehow muffled. As though it were incomplete.
"-u'v- f-n-ll- -w-k-n-d." A distant roar shook the very air. "D- n-t f-rg-t y-r p-w-r, y-ng D-m-n -mp-r-r." The voice rang out once again, once again muffled. With another roar that shook the young man to his core, Lelouch could stand no more of this strange world.
The former Emperor turned Devil woke with a strangled gasp, a strange shadow of a memory from his dream lingering in his mind before vanishing, leaving only a vague unease and a sense that he had forgotten something important.
He looked out the window and decided that, since the sun was rising, he might as well do the same. He made his way to Koneko's kitchen, deciding to get a feel for it and maybe make her a nice breakfast as thanks for letting him stay in her home. After a little bit of exploring, Lelouch knew almost everything he needed to know about the kitchen.
An hour or so later, Lelouch hummed as he gracefully made his way through the kitchen the morning after Koneko had invited him into her home. There wasn't much in the kitchen, as he'd somewhat expected, but one of the few things that wasn't candy had been some pancake mix so he decided to make some plain pancakes, not knowing whether she liked chocolate chips, apples, other fruit, or something else, and slather them generously with syrup to sate her sweet tooth. It had taken him a little while to whip some of the mix up since he didn't know where she had kept her cooking utensils, but he was flowing smoothly throughout the kitchen after he hit his stride.
He transitioned from whipping the mix together to pouring it over a pan on the stove to flipping another set of pancakes on a different pan with the spatula to pulling out the syrup bottle from the microwave. And he did it all without spilling a single drop of the mix or syrup. He made roughly the same amount he would have made for himself and Nunnally what felt like a lifetime ago, but made sure to include at least an extra few in order to account for Koneko's sweet tooth.
Koneko was having a nice dream, she was sitting on a colorful throne made of hard candy being fed random bits of sweets whenever she wished for something sugary to appear in her mouth. Her nose twitched in her sleep, causing her to groan as she woke up. The Nekoshou sat up and concealed her inhuman features as she stood up to get dressed in her uniform for school. As she smoothed out her skirt, she realized that the heavenly scent that had awakened her had not come from her dream. She walked quietly down the stairs, as though she were afraid if she was too fast the beautiful sugary smell would leave her forever.
The petite Devil noticed the pullout bed had been made and the couch cushions were carefully organized at the foot of the bed, causing her to recall her houseguest. She heard sounds coming from the kitchen, something like metal beating on plastic, and made her way to her kitchen. She stared in slight awe as she watched someone who clearly knew their way around a kitchen.
Her nose twitched again as she smelled what her guest was cooking. Closing her eyes, she sniffed before swallowing thickly as her mouth watered. She nearly drooled as she recognized the scent as the one that woke her up. "Pancakes?" She murmured quietly, drawing Lelouch's attention. Pancakes had never made her mouth water like this before.
"Good morning Koneko." Lelouch said after noticing her state. She was dressed but she was still somewhat sleepy he analyzed, otherwise there was no way she would have come down with her hair all over the place. "You look like a kitten slept on your head last night, I take it you slept well?" He joked, returning his attention to the stove as he flipped another couple pancakes, setting down the mixing bowl he had been using in the sink. He'd wash it later along with the cups he'd used to pour the mix on the pans. "Breakfast will be ready soon, what do you want to drink?" He asked, ignoring her grumbled reply to his earlier question.
Koneko made her way to the cupboard that housed her cups, still somewhat annoyed she couldn't reach the higher shelves forcing her to pile everything on the lowest one. Ignoring the twitch of suspicion at Lelouch's kitten comment, as well as suppressing the mild annoyance at the joke, she mumbled "Uh-huh, good morning." She made her way to the fridge after pulling out two cups from her cupboard, replying to Lelouch's question. "You're making breakfast, let me handle the drinks." She ordered as she pulled out the milk she kept and poured it into two cups instead of one like normal. "I only have milk, sorry." It looked like she'd need to get more since he used up quite a bit when making her pancakes.
"It's fine." Lelouch chuckled. "I asked mainly because I wasn't sure if you had orange juice or something else hidden way in the back of the fridge. I didn't want to assume." He turned the stove off and lifted up one of the two plates he'd taken out before he started cooking. "How many pancakes do you want?" He asked, preparing to pick them up with the spatula.
Koneko's stomach almost roared before she answered meekly, "Five, please."
Lelouch blinked in surprise. 'Well, I made eight.' He supposed he could make do with three. 'Good thing I made a couple extra.' He piled them up on her plate, setting it down and getting her silverware before setting himself up across her small table. "I wasn't sure if you liked fruit, chocolate chips, or something else so I made them plain." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind." He chuckled, missing Koneko's shocked look as she realized he had told the truth.
Koneko stared at her pile of pancakes, smothered with syrup, holding her knife and fork like they were weapons of war as she prepared to devour the best smelling pancakes she ever had in front of her, in shock. 'They're… plain?!' She realized with surprise. She carefully cut into the pancake with far more grace than she originally intended and took a small bite. 'So good!' Were she more like Rias or Akeno she would have squealed. As it was, she simply squeaked out a quick "Thank you!" as she dug in. She didn't believe it was possible plain pancakes could taste so good.
Lelouch cut his own breakfast, taking a small bite, as he watched Koneko dig in with gusto. He grinned slightly, "I'm glad you like them." He said, his grin not fading as he watched her devour the pancakes without spilling a single crumb on her immaculate uniform.
'That reminds me, I need to get a replacement.' Lelouch remembered as his grin faded, not looking forward to the conversation to replace his uniform. All five duplicates. He hung his head slightly, eating far slower than Koneko but still at a good pace.
Kuoh Academy provided five of the uniform, as well as copies of gym uniforms, so that no one had any excuse for not wearing it during the school week and he had lost all of them. The worst part was that students were on the hook for payment if the uniforms ever got damaged beyond repair and needed to be replaced. Lelouch took a sip of his milk, watching Koneko amusedly as she hit the third pancake in about five minutes. He had just finished his first.
He enjoyed the cool milk as it washed down the sweet taste of the syrup. And decided to at least try to get the school to help. He hoped he could have the school cover for the cost since he didn't have the amount necessary to purchase the uniform five times over and still have enough to find a place to live. Especially considering he also needed to get a whole new wardrobe. His funds were generous, but not that generous. Considering his place had been absolutely destroyed, he hoped that could be considered a sufficient mitigating circumstance even if the excuse he had needed to give would be one of personal mistakes to avoid references to the supernatural nature of its destruction. And he still needed to go clothes shopping later.
He had a busy day ahead of him he realized as he finished his second pancake, staring up at Koneko across from him as she stared pleadingly at the last pancake on his plate. He chewed and sipped his glass of milk, tormenting her by drawing out his answer to her unspoken question.
He was sure she was trying to burn a hole through his head the longer he gulped down the milk. Eventually he finished it, and with a sigh of satisfaction said, "Go nuts." Before he knew it the pancake on his plate vanished and the last he saw of it was the small remnants dangling past Koneko's lips, making her look like a chipmunk after she shoved the pancake in her mouth to prevent him from rescinding his offer.
He chuckled at the blank look on her face as she realized the trouble she got herself into and chewed delicately so she wouldn't choke. Lelouch stood up and picked up her glass before moving to the fridge to pour her a new glass of milk, using the last of the only remaining container. "Here, this should help wash it down." He handed her the cup sympathetically.
Koneko looked at Lelouch, appreciation flashing in her golden eyes for a second before she took the offered glass. She sipped it carefully, making sure to finish her breakfast carefully so she wouldn't waste any of the delicious meal she was just given. "Thanks." She rasped out, gulping down the last of her milk and sighing in satisfaction. "You're cooking from now on." She declared with all the seriousness of a King handing down a new law. Koneko stood up and poked him in the chest for emphasis. "Got it?" She asked, ignoring their height difference.
Screw being a good friend being the reason she took him in, she was keeping him around for his cooking for as long as she could. Her friend was by far the best cook she'd ever had. She couldn't imagine what he could do with other food if he could make plain pancakes this good.
Lelouch chuckled at the petite girl's attempt at being intimidating. It was adorable. Like a kitten growling at a wolf. "I don't mind, we'll need to go shopping for more ingredients however." He pulled up the collar of his shirt to take a quick sniff. "And clothes shopping, I can't stay in these longer than today or they'll start to stink." He didn't want to go shopping, but he didn't have much choice. Everything he owned except for his money in the bank and his wallet had been destroyed.
"We can do a little shopping before classes." Koneko was glad Lelouch wouldn't mind cooking for her. "But we'll need to head in early to make sure you get your uniform before classes start today." She rubbed her hand through her hair, feeling the knots that formed overnight. Those would be annoying to brush out.
"I already thought of that," Lelouch admitted. "We still have to get more food so we'll have to go shopping after school no matter what." He was hoping a quick little shopping spree could help him get a new set of clothes so he could at least change out of the ones he was currently wearing. He'd also need to get a new backpack. And he'd need to borrow school supplies until he could purchase more. He hadn't realized just how much small stuff he'd need to get as a result of everything he owned being destroyed. He really took that kind of thing for granted before, he began to realize. "The best I can get right now would be some spare clothes that I can check out quickly before we go to school, what do you think?" Lelouch turned to his roommate, as he began to wash the dishes.
"Good idea." Koneko agreed with Lelouch's plan, making her way back upstairs. "I'll get ready to head out." She'd be damned before going out with her hair sticking up all over the place. She had some pride in her appearance after all.
"See you soon." Lelouch replied, turning back to his chore and cleaning up after the two of them with a practiced ease. It had been a while since he shared a home with another person, well another person who wasn't some kind of subordinate to him. He had lived with a bunch of people as both Zero and Emperor after all. The last time he'd lived with someone like this had been Nunnally.
He paused for a second as he wondered how she was doing as Empress. He knew she would be a great ruler, he hoped she lived up to the potential he had seen in her. As he finished up drying off the last of the dishes, he heard Koneko's voice sound off near the door. "I'm ready, get your shoes on." He walked out to see Koneko staring blankly, though he could see a hint of annoyance flashing in her golden eyes, as she tapped her foot.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." He responded easily, ignoring her irritation as he tied up his new pair of black boots. He checked his pocket for his wallet before realizing it had been in the jacket he removed before heading to bed. He picked it up from the bedside, slipped it on, and turned to his impatient roommate. "I'm all set, let's go." He didn't bother zipping up, knowing any longer and Koneko would get truly annoyed. She huffed and threw open the door, causing the two of them to flinch slightly before their eyes adjusted to the sunlight.
Unfortunately for the pair of Devils, it looked like it was going to be a bright day.
Lelouch grumbled slightly as he tugged at the collar of his new Kuoh Academy uniform, "I swear, is everyone in this school a damn Devil or something?" He murmured to the President of the Student Council, Sona Sitri who went by the alias Souna Shitori while at Kuoh. "Regardless, thank you for your assistance." He said, cutting off her answer to his previous comment. He didn't care to find out just how many people had been Devils existing right under his nose for months on end. The uniform was a bit stiff, but that was simply because he had yet to break it in. Once he was used to it, it would no longer bother him.
"It's no problem." Sona replied easily. "Rias told me of your predicament so I didn't have any issue procuring a new set of uniforms for you." Sona looked at him shiftily out of the corner of her eye as he kept pace behind her. "She also told me you are staying with Koneko," She began before Lelouch cut her off.
"Yeah, Koneko was kind enough to loan me her couch while I look for a new place." He wouldn't have Sona thinking he was anyone who would take advantage of his proximity to Koneko for unsavory purposes. "I made her some breakfast this morning as thanks for letting me stay with her." He added, figuring she would appreciate the fact he wasn't taking advantage of his underclassman's generosity.
"I see." Sona turned back after searching his face for any signs of deception. It's not like she would've found any considering his talent in that area, but in this case there was nothing to be found because everything he just spoke had been the truth. "So long as Koneko has no problem with it I won't make an issue out of this either." She stopped as she had finished leading him back to his class, she wanted to ensure he didn't skip. "Tread carefully." She warned before leaving back to the Student Council President's office.
He sighed before he stepped in and prepared to be bored out of his skull once more. That was one scary girl. Still, she was a far more stable Student Council President compared to Milly and he deeply appreciated that fact. He made his way to his seat without issue, though the teacher ended up calling on him multiple times to ensure he was paying attention.
He wasn't but he could fake it well enough to the point where the teacher couldn't tell the difference.
Lelouch found himself at the ORC clubroom once again at the end of the school day a few days later. The previous weekend had served him well, as he managed to purchase a good number of clothes as well as help Koneko restock her kitchen with enough food for two people. Although he may have to end up stocking for three considering how much she could eat when she was really hungry.
He shifted comfortably on the couch on what had become his normal spot next to Koneko, feeling much better now that he finally had some damn underwear. It had not been fun going commando for so long when the pair had been out shopping.
He was currently studying the strange crimson armor that appeared on Issei's left arm with the other members of Rias' Peerage, though Koneko was more focused on her pie. She was still upset he had shot down a number of sugary foods she had wanted to buy. So she wasn't talking to him. Not even the short sentences beyond yes or no when he offered her something to eat.
For some reason, it gave him a headache the more he tried to focus on the energy he could sense from Issei's gauntlet. When Issei deactivated his Sacred Gear, the headache dissipated. It felt like a similar migraine compared to whenever someone referenced Him in his presence, though the pain felt… sharper for lack of a better phrase.
Apparently, the perverted boy had awakened his power after being attacked by another Fallen Angel when he was fulfilling Koneko's last summon request the other night. Lelouch wondered at the sheer amount of terrible luck it must have taken the boy to get attacked by three different Fallen Angels all in the same week. He once again found himself feeling some form of sympathy for the boy. Though he did admire the power he could sense from that gauntlet when it was no longer causing him a headache.
That power of Issei's had some serious potential, he watched Issei walk out of the clubroom with a cloud of depression following him after Rias had given him a warning to not go halfcocked against a group of Fallen Angels just because he unlocked his Sacred Gear. She probably could have phrased it better, Akeno apparently agreed as she slightly reprimanded the President for her language. He ignored the conversation though he did raise an eyebrow at Rias "new favorite" comment. "Hey, what about me?" He feigned hurt. She gave him a look, seeming to realize he was in the room for the first time. But her reply was drowned out as a headache split his skull for a moment, before leaving behind a sense he was needed. He grunted in slight surprise, not having expected the strange sensation. It flared in his mind even stronger and he looked over at Akeno. "How does it feel when someone calls for you when they use a flyer?" He asked, as the feeling grew more powerful with each passing second.
Akeno looked at him strangely. "It feels like you have a sudden urge to go somewhere." She explained. "Why? Do you think someone's calling for you?" She, Rias, and Koneko looked Lelouch as he grasped the side of his head in discomfort.
"Yes, it feels like someone has used one of my flyers." Lelouch understated the feeling. It felt almost… desperate in how it was calling for him.
Akeno walked over to the open area of the clubroom and spread her arms preparing her spell. "Alright, just tell me where you feel like you need to go and I'll direct my spell to send you there." She instructed. Lelouch somewhat stumbled over, the hand that wasn't grasping the left side of his head scratching absently at his chest. He made his way over to Akeno without issue, though he nearly tripped over the couch as his vision split.
'What the fuck is going on?' Lelouch mentally groaned as he regained his normal sight, the double vision fading as he stopped in the center of the Transportation Circle. "Kuoh hospital." He grunted out, before closing his eyes to avoid the discomfort caused by the flash of light from Akeno's spell.
He stepped out of the portal, far more carefully than he had the other night, and managed to avoid falling flat on his back this time around. He opened his eyes and crossed his arms as he witnessed the scene in front of him. A young woman was holding onto an older man's hand, as she held back tears. The individual both of them were looking at lay on the hospital bed, was an older woman who looked like she had undergone intensive chemotherapy.
'What did they summon me for?' Lelouch wondered as he took a step, the sound of his shoe clacking on the immaculate hospital tile drawing the pair's attention. "I believe one of you two may have had a flyer given to you in the past few days?" He asked softly so he wouldn't disturb the sleeping woman. "I'm the Devil who heard your request." He answered, ignoring the surprise on the older man's face. "I'm here to make a Contract with you, what would you like in return?"
The older man stood up, balancing carefully on the woman he assumed was either his daughter or granddaughter before reaching for his cane. He nearly slipped, but Lelouch dove forward and held him up before he could hit the floor after the young woman accidentally lost her grip. He let go once the man regained his balance thanks to the cane the woman gave him.
"Thank you, young man." The elderly man rasped out kindly. "I'm afraid my balance isn't what it used to be." He said with a throaty chuckle that sounded almost wet. "To be honest I didn't think much when I held out the flyer and wished for someone to come help us," the man frowned heavily. "All of my prayers to God have done nothing, my wife still continues to suffer." He looked to Lelouch, who had flinched at the mention of Him unknown to the nearly blind old man. "Are you a student? Rather strange for a Devil to be a student isn't it?" He asked curiously.
"Not as strange as you'd think." Lelouch responded dryly, enjoying the laughter the old man let out, but getting concerned at his cough. "What would you like me to do? You must have had a wish for the flyer to have activated." He asked once the man's coughing fit subsided. Lelouch turned to the woman. "Perhaps you could get him some water? I can keep an eye on your father for you." He offered.
The better look he got revealed hints that she was likely middle aged making this man her father. She excused herself quietly and left to get some water from the hallway. He turned back to the old man. "I assume you don't wish to have your daughter here what you're willing to offer for your wish. You have maybe a few minutes before she returns." The old man thanked Lelouch quietly and took a deep breath before speaking.
"My wife has had cancer for about five years now." He began sadly. "We're both rather old, so we expected the normal aches and pains, but this was more suffering than either of us expected. Physical and emotional for her, and nothing less than near continuous emotional torment for my daughter and myself. What my wish is…" the old man paused to take another breath. "My wish is for my wife to no longer suffer. I want this pain that has held a hold over our family for the past half-decade to disappear. I don't care what price I have to pay, I just want my family's pain to end." He looked up at Lelouch pleading. "Can you help us? You're my last hope. My prayers have done nothing despite how devout we have been. You're the last person I can turn to so I can ease my family's pain." He closed his eyes. "I don't care if it costs my life or my soul, I would do anything for my family." He waited with baited breath for the Devil's answer.
Lelouch stared at this old man who had such a simple wish. He smiled, this old man truly cared for his family. He admired that. He plucked a small tablet-like device from his pocket and scanned it for the going rate for this kind of wish. It was a pretty big price to pay, but not the old man's soul it seemed. "The price for this wish is half your remaining lifespan." Lelouch answered, reassuring the old man. The reason being the length of time the request would need to be in effect, essentially until the woman died. "I won't need your soul should I fulfill the Contract, but you will only live half as long as you would otherwise. Of course, if I fail then there is no price for you to pay." Lelouch looked at the old man who looked as though he was about to burst into tears. "Is that an acceptable payment?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, a thousand times yes." The old man blubbered as tears flowed down his face. "I will gladly give up that time to save my family from this pain." Lelouch held out the small tablet device and directed the man to tap certain areas to signify his acceptance of the contract. Lelouch placed his hand over it and spoke in a formal chant. "As the Knight of Rias Gremory, daughter of the Duke of Gremory, I do hereby accept this Contract. Should I fail to hold up my end of the bargain may the price be returned and the Contract unbound." There was a small flash of red before he placed the tablet back into his uniform's pocket, a few seconds later the woman reentered and gave her father his drink.
"This young Devil here thinks he can help us." The old man said, beginning a small conversation with his daughter as Lelouch walked over to the bedside of the poor older woman. He felt a cold rage as he stared down at her. The rage he felt was directed not at the unfortunate woman, but at the uncaring deity that had allowed this kind of suffering to exist in their world.
'What good are Gods', he thought, ignoring the pain that split his mind once again and just increased his anger, 'when the humans who worship them suffer in countless ways all throughout the world?' It seemed no matter the world, the higher powers couldn't seem to care about people who worshipped them.
Lelouch heard a small change in the old woman's breathing, taking him away from his cynical thoughts. "I see you're awake now." He spoke softly, drawing the father daughter pair's attention. The two quickly ambled over and Lelouch moved slightly out of the way. He gave them a moment before coughing to draw the old man out of his conversation with his wife whose voice was straining with pain. "If you want me to fulfill my Contract I will need a moment alone with her." He announced, directing them to leave the room.
'What am I going to do?' He had yet to come up with a way to fulfill his end of the bargain, going on pure instinct at this point. After a moment where Lelouch felt a strange shift inside him, he clutched his head in pain. It felt similar to when his Geass had gone out of control for the first time. As well as the time he had used his Geass in the World of C.
He opened his eyes, having closed them as the pain hit a peak before beginning to subside, and noticed a familiar sensation had returned in both of his eyes. A sensation he hadn't felt since his first death. 'My Geass has returned?' Lelouch realized with surprise, before using one of the metal medical tools to take a look at his eyes in the reflection. 'Not quite.' Lelouch noticed a few differences after looking into his eyes. 'This isn't Geass.' He noticed a different sigil in his eyes than the one that he was used to, it looked rather strange.
Still, he felt that he should know more about this than he did. Yet that knowledge was irritatingly out of reach for the moment.
'I can examine this more later.' Lelouch decided before turning to the old woman who was staring at him curiously. He didn't have time to examine his powers right now, he had a Contract to fulfill. He wondered if this power functioned similar to Geass in the respect he needed it to right now.
"Hello, my name is Lelouch vi Britannia." He announced quietly, knowing that she would soon pass on to the next life. "Your husband made a deal with me to end your suffering and I plan to uphold my end of the bargain. Will you accept?" He would not use Geass, or whatever this new power was, on this woman without her acceptance of her husband's Contract. She could speak for herself, though the first thing she did when he asked her his question was chuckle.
"You are a kind young man." She said tiredly. "I have no objections to easing my pain, I can tell my time is near." She smiled, it wasn't entirely toothless, but she clearly had some teeth removed during her long life. "I thank you for this last act of kindness before this old woman leaves this world." She looked very happy at the thought of resting after living her life and, as Lelouch made his way towards her, he wondered something.
'Is that how I looked as I awaited my own death?' He ignored the thought and spoke to the woman who had a husband willing to give up half his remaining lifeforce for her sake. "Look into my eyes." He whispered, as she did so he flared the power he'd held inside his being that felt so similar to the one that had once helped him conquer the world. "You will no longer feel any pain, you will no longer feel any suffering during your life." He Commanded the woman who had no ability to resist his powers, feeling a dip in his small pool of energy, cutting the tiny reserve by about a quarter.
The power of Command faded from his eyes as he wondered if he could deactivate it unlike his Geass. 'Huh, I guess it responds to my will unlike a Runaway Geass.' Lelouch considered while watching the woman to see the reaction she'd have to his actions.
The elderly woman gasped as, after looking into the young man's eyes, she could no longer feel even the dull ache that she had come to live with as her cancer progressed. In an instant, a second she couldn't recall, she had been freed from her pain. Tears of joy filled her eyes. "Bless you, young man." She sobbed happily. "Bless you." She repeated, crying in happiness. "My pain, it's gone." She whispered in wonder. "It's gone!" She repeated to herself a few times, uncontrollable joyous laughter fleeing her frail body.
Lelouch hid his pain from her 'blessing' and let the family back in to reunite, with the father, daughter, and mother all crying tears of joy. He felt his power grow as the Contract was fulfilled, sensing the elderly man would likely join his wife if she passed on soon by the end of the year. 'Three months.' Lelouch realized that was how much energy the old man had left to live, after their Contract. He had gained three months' worth of lifeforce as a payment after using his power to ease the woman's suffering for a little while longer. 'How unfair.' Lelouch mused, feeling slightly bad for the old man even though he could sense the old man's fate was sealed by this Contract.
Still, his first Contract had completed and he could feel his base energy levels had more than doubled thanks to the high-level wish he had granted. It wasn't saying much considering they were rather low to begin with, but it was a surprising jump for his first Contract. He felt rejuvenated despite the chunk of energy that ended up being used to fulfill the Contract.
"I feel… strong." Lelouch murmured as he walked slowly out of the hospital. Staring at his palm and clenching his fist, he marveled at the change a few days could make. He had never felt this physically powerful as a human being, his Devil physique feeling the same only with enhanced versions of what he remembered from when he was human. 'Just what does this mean?' Lelouch wondered as he walked back to school, taking his time so he could enjoy the fresh air. He hadn't ever gone to the hospital in Kuoh before, but he enjoyed the little stroll he decided to take on his way back. He might as well enjoy the sights before handing in his report he figured.
He stared in slight surprise as he entered the school to witness a rare sight. Issei staring out in the distance distractedly in the hallway while Rias left and he didn't stare while she walked away. He followed her as she walked into the library. Lelouch stayed near the door for a moment as he watched as Rias sat down, staring pensively down at the table.
"Did I miss something?" Lelouch asked as he drew Rias out of her contemplative mood. She looked at him curiously. "It's unusual to see Issei not fawning over your breasts, Prez." Lelouch deadpanned at her questioning look. "For him to look so depressed like that, you must have forever denied him the right to touch them or something." He blinked. Wow that joke was in bad taste, though Rias seemed to laugh as his bad joke pulled her out of the funk she was in.
Maybe he shouldn't stick her humor as a benchmark for his bad jokes considering she found Issei amusing with his perverted antics.
"He's upset because I told him he wasn't allowed to meet up again with a cute nun he met today on his way home." Rias said. "Devils and the Church don't get along too well so it would likely end badly for him if she found out what he was and I couldn't take that risk."
Lelouch considered her argument. It made a lot of sense. "You did the right thing," Lelouch admitted, surprising Rias.
"Really? You don't think I should have let him follow his heart?" She asked, getting confused when Lelouch shook his head.
"I didn't say that." Lelouch clarified. "What I meant was that, if relations are really as tense as you say, then Issei's lust for a cute nun doesn't outweigh the risk he'd be at if he went to the church to spend time with her and ended up discovered as a Devil." He held up his hands, as though they were scales. "You needed to weigh his personal safety in comparison to his personal feelings. You believed his safety was more important and acted accordingly, therefore you did the right thing as Issei's King." He looked at her as she reacted with slight shock. "I figured, you represent the King Piece, don't you?" He asked rhetorically. Ignoring her reaction, he continued. "Regardless, I didn't say that letting him follow his emotions would be a bad thing. It's your duty as a leader to weigh what you consider important when you hand down orders to your subordinates, which we, as your Peerage, currently are." Lelouch crossed his arms and made his way to the chair in front of Rias, ignoring the stunned silence of Rias as he sat down across from her.
His impromptu advice on leadership came out instinctively, feeling a strange sense of being on the outside looking in as someone who had a burden similar to the one he held as Zero and Emperor. Though the position was one with far less influence, she still walked the line between respecting her subordinates' own opinions and keeping her own responsibility towards them in mind. His Geass had let him jump rope with that line and that had been his downfall, or at least one cause of it, and he wasn't eager to see someone in a similar position he had once held make the same mistakes.
"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you." Lelouch admitted, drawing Rias' attention once again.
"What can I do for you Lelouch?" Rias asked, curious what the mysterious boy in front of her could want. Unlike Issei, Lelouch was far more difficult to get a read on. Show a little skin, offer a little tease, and Issei would jump through hoops for a girl with large enough breasts. She thought his obsession was downright adorable, making her feel like she had a crazy little brother.
Lelouch seemed to only be close to Koneko and Kiba, but he seemed to absorb everything they said about being a Devil like a sponge. She didn't know him very well, but she knew he was top of his class. Without any effort it seemed since every time she had him observed he looked bored beyond all reason.
"I fulfilled a Contract that held the price of half of the person's remaining lifespan." Lelouch said causing Rias no small amount of surprise. That was one large prize for Lelouch's first Pact. "He was an old man who wanted to ease his wife's suffering, she had cancer for the past five years and summoning a Devil was the last hope he had to ease her pain before she died." He continued after taking a small breath, feeling mildly depressed at that family's situation.
"I didn't get much considering he only had six months left to live, meaning I only obtained three months' worth of energy, but something strange happened when I went to see what I could do about the woman's pain." Lelouch decided against mentioning his new power, as well as how he was familiar with something similar to it, for now. He didn't know how similar it would be to any powers that already existed in this world. He didn't want to announce his past by using a power that had no equal here.
"I felt a shift inside of me and I think I may have used Devil Magic." He said, going with a half-truth. "I want you and Akeno, or even just one of you, to explain all that you can about Devil Magic, because I'm pretty sure shouldn't have been able to use it to fulfill that contract." He was collected on the outside, but inwardly he was concerned. He didn't appreciate the sudden shift he had felt messing with him. He wanted to be in control over his own actions and not have to deal with some unknown instinct influencing him to act without his conscious knowledge.
Rias crossed her arms under her bust as she looked at Lelouch who was lazing back in the chair, staring her in the eye as he awaited her response. She closed her eyes and breathed softly, opening them to give Lelouch a serious look. "I wouldn't normally consider teaching a Devil who has been Reincarnated for such a short time," Rias admitted, ignoring Lelouch's frown as she continued. "However, as you already seem to have a knack for it I'll talk with Akeno about tutoring you after school in our spells, provided you and Koneko don't already have any plans?" She teased her Knight with a grin, pouting when Lelouch didn't even blush at her implication.
"I told you before you even turned me," Lelouch reminded her dryly. "I have no romantic inclinations towards anyone right now. I'm perfectly happy being single." He shrugged. "Although I may have to amend my previous statement and say that Koneko and Kiba are definitely more than just acquaintances as I had called them before." He smiled softly as he thought of his petite roommate and the blond Devil. "They're the closest thing I have to friends in this school." 'Hell, in this world.' He finished to himself silently, ignoring the sense of melancholy as he realized he was still having a hard time considering Kiba or Koneko truly friends.
It was something that Rias had noticed as well. "Why are you so hesitant to acknowledge Kiba and Koneko your friends?" Rias asked with confusion and concern. "You know how they feel about you, Kiba begged me to save your life and Koneko slept next to you all through the night and a good chunk of the day to heal you." She glared somewhat at Lelouch. "Those are the actions of true friends, how come you can't say you feel the same?" She asked seriously.
'Because the last person I could truly call my friend is the one who killed me in front of the entire world on my orders.' Lelouch thought before responding with, "The last true friend I had is no longer with me." He admitted with a half-truth. It would be more accurate to say that it was the other way around. "I guess I'm just hesitant to get close to others after that." Getting stabbed by his closest friend had a strange way of making it less likely for him to want friends it seemed. How shocking.
Rias reacted with surprise at the frank admission from her Knight. "Oh, Lelouch." She stood up and pulled him into a hug, ignoring the fact his face was level with her breasts. "I'm so sorry to hear that." She pulled him in harder, squishing him as she tried to physically convey her sympathy to her Knight. He smacked her hip, making her draw back in surprise as Lelouch pulled back and coughed slightly.
"Look, thanks for the sympathy." Lelouch grumbled as he regained his breath. "Just don't suffocate me okay?" He huffed, standing up before he could get smothered again. "I promise I'll try to begin considering Kiba and Koneko my friends, and I'll work on getting closer with the rest of your Peerage alright?" He swore. He truly did want to get closer to Kiba and Koneko, he didn't know if he had it in him though. His heart hadn't been open in so long after all. "Let's just go, I want to try and understand why I seem to have this knack for Devil Magic as you called it." He didn't appreciate the near suffocation. He made his way out of the library, hearing Rias' heels quickly catching up to him as she led him back to the clubroom. He looked at her in questioningly as she followed him.
"I need to get some stuff from the clubroom before I go." She answered his unspoken question. When she opened the door she was surprised to see Akeno and Issei still in the room, though it looked like Issei was packing up to leave. "You're still here?" She directed the question to her Queen, curious.
"I got a message from the Archduke." Akeno replied, making Rias hum in slight surprise.
Lelouch entered behind Rias and murmured his question. "The Archduke?" Ignoring Issei staring at him after he had walked in after Rias. "Who's that?" He was curious, he wondered who that was as he leaned up against the wall. He needed to wait for Rias before she could tell him the schedule she'd try and get Akeno to agree to so he could start his lessons, but this piqued his interest.
Akeno ignored him, focusing solely on Rias. "It was urgent, a Stray Devil's been causing trouble nearby." She told Rias seriously, none of her normal bubbly personality showing through. Issei and Lelouch shared a look and asked at the same time, "What's a Stray Devil?"
Rias and Akeno ignored their question as the red-head said to Lelouch, "Looks like we're gonna have to wait for now, sorry Lelouch." As Akeno prepared the Transportation Circle to move the four of them. "Ready Akeno?" She asked her Queen, ignoring Lelouch's nod of assent and Issei stumbling from his seated position to quickly follow them. She grabbed Issei's shoulder to make sure he wasn't left behind. "Now Akeno." She ordered once Lelouch was in the spell's range and Akeno took them to gather the rest of the Peerage.
Lelouch would find himself getting a more hands on lesson than she originally planned, but this could benefit Issei as well. She didn't like that it came up like this, but she would seize the opportunity.
Lelouch quickly gathered himself as they all appeared in a forest on the outskirts of Kuoh. "We're about to face off against a Stray Devil." Rias declared, as they began their trek through the woods. Her Pawn, two Knights, Rook, and Queen were all gathered together for a single fight. Lelouch was curious if this amount of power was truly necessary, considering he and Issei didn't have much direct fighting experience. Well, he didn't with Devils at least.
The group remained quiet as Kiba explained just what a Stray Devil was for Lelouch and Issei's benefit. "A Stray Devil start out as Devil's servants," Kiba began before Issei interrupted him. "You mean like us?"
Kiba reacted strangely, his eyes flickering to Koneko causing Lelouch's to do the same and he noticed her clenched fists at that insinuation.
"Not exactly, a Stray Devil is one that has betrayed their Master and either killed them or fled from their service." Kiba responded to Issei, treading the topic carefully. Lelouch wondered why Koneko would have such a reaction to being compared to a Stray Devil, making a mental note to ask her later if she was willing to answer his question.
She was still somewhat mad he had not gotten all the sweets she wanted when they went shopping over the weekend.
"This one has been tricking people into that abandoned mansion." Akeno gestured up to the enormous building they could see towering over the trees atop the hill. "According to the report, she's been devouring their souls to grow stronger." Issei's grossed out reaction was shared by Lelouch, though he didn't verbalize it.
The group fell silent for a while as they made their way to the mansion when Issei asked, "Why do some Devils betray their Masters and become Strays?"
Lelouch snorted quietly, but not silently enough as he drew Rias' attention before she could respond. "You want to field that one Lelouch?" She asked in response to his dismissive action with a tone of warning. That was not a good example of trying to get along.
He blinked, well he didn't plan on it but it couldn't hurt. "Devils likely betray their Master," that term still made him feel uncomfortable but he bore with it. "For the same reason humans betray each other." He held up his hand and began ticking off the list from starting from personal experience. "They feel like they've been lied to, they want more power, they hate their Master, or they simply want to." He ticked off his list, drawing a few looks of surprise at his cynical response. "Some humans will betray each other no matter what reason they have, often at the slightest provocation." Lelouch shrugged. "I don't see why some Devils wouldn't be the same."
The group fell silent at that, though just before they arrived at the mansion Kiba whistled. "Dude, that is a really depressing outlook on life." Kiba looked at his friend, who didn't respond except for a slight twitch over his left eye.
"You wouldn't betray us." Koneko pulled on his uniform's sleeve. "Right Lelouch?" She asked. Lelouch turned to stare into her eyes and saw that she was exposing a genuine fear that he might actually do what he said and betray them for little to no reason. That had been the first thing she had said to him beyond yes or no the past day or two. He found himself slightly surprised at this show of vulnerability from the normally implacable Koneko, but decided to respond honestly, surprising even himself.
"No, I won't." He blinked as he looked away from the relieved Koneko's eyes as he realized he actually meant it. There hadn't been anyone back in his world he had not been willing to betray when push came to shove, not even Nunnally had been spared once he had become dead set on his goal of completing the Zero Requiem.
He had betrayed everyone he knew and loved at one point or another in his short life and yet he could not see himself betraying Koneko, Kiba, or the rest of the Peerage. They were all decent, kind, caring individuals who welcomed him into their family despite not knowing him well if at all. And without the threat of the Britannian Empire or the desire to create a better world for his little sister regardless of the personal emotional toll it took on his soul, he just couldn't find a reason why he would possibly betray this group.
He eventually wanted to strike out on his own, but he couldn't see any reason why he would betray them after becoming independent. Unless things changed drastically, he didn't see betrayal as any reasonable action he could take. All he wanted right now was to get strong enough to the point where he could develop his own power and there wasn't any reason why he couldn't do that with this group.
Lelouch disregarded the philosophical bent of his thoughts as they approached the entrance to the mansion. He needed to focus so he didn't get himself hurt by the Stray Devil.
"These monsters are pure evil." Kiba declared to prepare them for battle, though Lelouch was already willing to kill this thing that had devoured human souls. "They don't care about anything except their own selfish desires." Kiba opened the door carefully, acting as the first target before opening it wider to allow the rest of them to walk inside. "The end result is always ugly." He finished, closing the door behind them.
The formation was designed to provide a strong attack and defense while protecting the backup and the newest members, Lelouch realized as he noticed the order Rias had them enter the decrepit building. Rias and Koneko were first, followed by Kiba and Akeno, and then him and Issei.
He wondered if Rias was using herself as bait or if she had her own spells that would be able to serve as an effective attack. He already knew that Koneko was likely meant to be a shield and sword, the Rook was the only piece capable of Castling with the King in chess after all, and he assumed Akeno, the Queen, and Kiba, the more experienced Knight, were meant to serve as backup in case one of the other two needed assistance while he and Issei were supposed to tag along as a learning experience. Once they were fully inside, he and Issei were surrounded with each member of the rest of the Peerage maintaining a lookout for the Stray.
It was a good, if basic strategy Lelouch decided. Not bad, not what he would have done, but not bad.
"Issei, Lelouch." Rias spoke to the pair as they walked through the building. "Are you familiar with the game of chess?" She was curious since if they knew at least a little bit it would be easier to explain.
Issei answered unsurely, "Yeah, sort of." What did chess have to do at a time like this? "I've played it but I totally suck."
Lelouch blinked before outright laughing for a few seconds. "Familiar?" He chuckled, surprising everyone present at the genuine humor in his voice for once. "I'm virtually a Grandmaster." He answered to Rias' surprise. At her questioning glance, he shrugged. "It's a gift I suppose. I've only ever lost to one man. I've beaten hundreds of other players." He admitted, still feeling sore at his loss to Schneizel. Still, he had won when it counted.
"Good," Rias decided to ignore the sudden reveal of some of Lelouch's past. He seemed to be revealing more of himself day by day. She hoped he would trust them all eventually enough to share his story. "This will make this explanation go a little easier." She took a deep breath and began to describe the Evil Pieces.
"As the Master, I'm the King." She said, confirming Lelouch's earlier suspicion. "My Empress is the Queen, my Cavaliers the Knight, my Tanks the Rook, my Clergyman the Bishop, and finally my Footsoldier the Pawn." She looked at Issei out of the corner of her eye to make sure he wasn't getting overwhelmed like the night of their induction. Seeing he was following her, she continued. "High Ranking Devils can grant the characteristics of each of these Pieces to their servants."
"That sounds kickass." Issei interrupted before shutting up at Lelouch's slight glare.
"We have a special name for these." Rias ignored the comment by Issei. "We call them our Evil Pieces."
Lelouch hoped she'd get to some new information soon, Koneko had already explained most of this to him the first day. How Issei had gone this long without asking the right questions he'd never know.
Issei nearly spoke but noticed Lelouch's intense look and decided against it, letting Rias finish without comment. "I want you and Lelouch to watch and learn what these attributes mean in combat."
Finally, Lelouch was hoping he could see just how the attributes of the Evil Pieces could be used in battle. 'It's about time.' Lelouch thought to himself, genuinely surprised Rias hadn't explained all of this to Issei until just before they were heading into battle. 'I hope that doesn't become a habit of hers.' He hated it when he got new information sprung on him mid-battle.
Nothing good ever came as a result of surprise on the battlefield.
"Pay close attention to my Devils as they do battle for tonight." She ordered her two newest servants. Issei mumbled a quick, "Okay" while Lelouch said, "Understood." Before turning to look at a pillar as he followed Koneko's line of sight at the sound of her voice.
"It's here." Koneko's quiet voice reached his ears easily as the building made her voice echo slightly around them.
A seductive voice called out from the shadows, "Now what could that foul smell be?" She, and by Satan, Lelouch hoped it was a she, moaned. "Something smells delicious. I wonder if it tastes sweet." Lelouch noticed that a disturbing looking form appeared behind the pillar Koneko had looked at as she noticed its presence. "Or bitter?"
Issei exclaimed in joy as he saw the full chest of their enemy and Lelouch at least knew one thing. 'Welp, it's definitely female.' He thought dryly to himself, ignoring Issei's exclamation about breasts with practiced ease by this point.
Rias began a dramatic speech declaring their purpose here in eliminating the Stray Devil before them as well as listing out her crimes, giving her a final warning that felt more like a formality than anything else, but Lelouch was rather distracted as he tried to figure out what the hell made up her lower half. Because it sure as Hell wasn't humanoid as far as he could see. Not that he could see much thanks to the shadows that covered it up.
And when he did see what made up her lower half, he kind of wished he hadn't. "Holy fuck that looks disgusting." Lelouch murmured, it hadn't been shadows. That was black fur and an absolutely monstrous body. He threw up a little in his mouth after seeing her lower half revealed, as the Stray fondled herself. Issei was loving everything going on above the waist, but Lelouch noticed something that disturbed him greater than before. And that was saying something since he was feeling more disturbed tonight than he had been in a long time.
Lelouch noticed some energy begin to gather around the Stray at a rather… specific spot. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" He cursed with a scream as he jumped away, far faster than he last remembered he could, from the nipple lasers that were being used by the Stray to target them. Rias tackled Issei out of the way while Lelouch dove behind a pillar. The attribute of Knight, granted to him by Rias, allowed him to move far faster than he could before.
Unfortunately, as he was not used to moving at such speeds he crashed into the pillar and hurt his shoulders after landing back first into the stone. He grunted in pain, shifting his arms and wincing as he felt the pain flare. 'Note to self, work on getting used to new speed.' He had been so weak and slow as a human that this massive increase was going to take some serious work to get used to.
Koneko dove behind the same pillar and was giving him a look of mild concern before he waved her off with a slight flinch. "I'm fine, just not used to my new speed yet." He whispered, taking care to not draw the attention of the Stray.
She nodded in understanding. "Stay safe." She whispered with her finger over her lips, moving behind the pillars and stuck to the shadows, preparing her own assault on the Stray.
He ignored Issei's cry of "This is a porno I don't wanna be in!" as Rias brought the pervert near him, "Be careful you two, I don't want either of you involved in this battle." She made her way to the main battlefield, leaving her two new Pieces together in the back. Lelouch leaned against the pillar as he stared across the room, curious how Rias would handle herself in a combat situation.
"Kiba." Rias ordered and the blond boy seemed to know exactly what she wanted as he manifested a sword by his side, drawing it, and charging the Stray almost in the same motion. Lelouch looked on, impressed at the blond's form as he managed to score a good hit on the Stray while she was distracted somewhat firing her ridiculous, yet still dangerous attack. He had managed to sever one pair of her arms entirely, the blood splatter coating the ground as a result of the monstrous body that made up the Stray's lower half losing its arms. The Stray screamed incoherently, before searching for another target.
Rias began to explain that he was a Knight, granting him a speed boost which, when combined with his skill with a blade, made him an incredibly dangerous attacker. Lelouch agreed wholeheartedly with that assessment, impressed with the blond's technique. 'Not a single wasted motion.' He frowned slightly as he realized that wasn't entirely true. 'Except for that pose just before he struck.' Kiba would need to break that habit before it got him injured, there was no time to be posing on the battlefield unless your enemy was totally defeated and even then, it wasn't a good idea.
Dramatics weren't always the greatest strategy.
He noticed that the Stray's attention was quickly turned on Koneko, causing a spike of worry to shoot through him. He made a break to tackle her out of the way while Issei wasted time shouting at her to move, but she looked at him and shook her head slightly before she got swallowed by the Stray's lowest mouth. He stopped in shock at what he had just seen.
"Koneko." He muttered as he walked slowly close to where she had been standing, feeling a cold sensation begin to burn at the center of his chest the greater his rage became. But Rias' voice drew him out of his angered state.
His eyes widened and he sighed in relief as soon as he saw the mouth shaking open with Koneko forcing it wide. "She's alright." He muttered absently as he scratched the center of his chest, feeling the cold sensation stop burning. 'Strange.' He ignored the weird sensation and watched Koneko use her immense strength force its lowest mouth wide open.
Her wide eyes were lit up with a spark of happiness, though her clothes could be in a better state considering he, and everyone else, could see the lemon colored underwear she had picked out. It was a battle though so clothing damage was practically a given considering Kuoh uniforms weren't meant to be that durable. Lelouch just smiled at her, happy she was still okay.
She smiled back slightly, apparently forgiving him for his slight over the weekend, before adjusting her grip on the Stray and, to Lelouch's surprise, punching it. "See you on the flip side." He chuckled at her snarky comment, as he watched the enormous Devil quite literally flip as it crashed through a pillar.
She landed next to him and spared him a quick look, brushing off her sleeves. He just patted her on the head slightly, brushing off some dust as he said, "I got worried. Glad you're okay." He whispered looking down at the petite, yet powerful Devil.
She flinched almost as soon as he touched her head and Lelouch noticed, he slowly moved his hand from her head. 'She's shivering.' He noted, as he also saw her eyes wide in reflexive panic before she composed herself.
He knew signs like that, and he wondered who had hurt Koneko in the past to make her fear physical contact like that. He knew it would be a bad idea to get distracted by something he could find out later however as he turned back to where the Devil landed. "Nice punch." He complimented, making sure to avoid bothering her any further. He decided to pay attention to the last part of the battle, having tuned out Rias and Issei during his slight panic over Koneko's predicament.
"Akeno, finish up." Rias ordered her Queen. Lelouch was surprised to hear the noticeable change in tone from the normally bubbly Akeno. "Oh, is it my turn now?" Her voice trembled with a dark excitement. "I do so love this game!" She declared with a twisted giggle as she walked to the Stray that had been disarmed by Kiba's blade, defanged by Koneko's punch, and nearly knocked unconscious by the pillar she had flipped into as a result of Koneko's strength.
As she was doing that however, Issei saved Rias from being impaled by the severed arm of the Stray by attacking it with his Sacred Gear.
Lelouch and Koneko turned around to watch and both were surprised at the force behind Issei's attack as it managed to divert the arm's path away from Rias. Unfortunately for the pair, it ended up flying towards them.
Lelouch's eyes flashed before Koneko stepped in front of him and conjured a shield, deflecting the arm away from the two of them. He had reacted reflexively, despite having no idea what his new power could do in this situation, and the cold fire in his chest burned again. Lelouch clutched his head in pain for a moment before he felt Koneko tap his shoulder, causing the pain to fade once more as he turned his attention to her. Her eyes widened for a moment. "Your eyes." She said simply and he realized his new power was still active.
'Shit.' Lelouch thought before deactivating his power once again. "Later." He whispered, as he turned his attention to Akeno as she finished up the battle. This strange power had reacted to a threat before Lelouch even thought to use it, he wondered why that was.
Akeno raised her arms up and prepared to end the battle. But not without a little fun. "You're not the only one who likes to play rough here." Akeno declared with a voice Lelouch was having a hard time associating with the kind young woman he knew. Lelouch watched in shock as he watched Akeno giddily torture the Stray with her lightning magic.
"She… has issues." He murmured, before blinking at the sheer amount of hypocrisy in that statement coming from him.
Koneko just stared blankly before muttering, "Sadist." Lelouch nodded in agreement, sweating slightly before Rias finally called her off.
He overheard Rias saying Akeno was really into S&M. Lelouch felt that was a serious understatement as he watched a blushing Akeno whine about not being able to finish after she was called off by Rias.
He didn't know if she meant the battle or something else and he really didn't want to know.
Lelouch and Koneko walked over to the defeated Stray along with Rias and the others of her Peerage. Lelouch wanted to see what Rias could do, he had seen everyone else, including Issei for as quick as his Sacred Gear had been used, and he wanted to see what the King could do in this interesting twist on his favorite game.
He was glad to see Rias didn't treat true battle like chess. Despite his love for the strategy and the game itself, Lelouch knew that chess and war didn't mix very well. He was happy Rias knew that as well when she was ordering her Peerage into battle.
"Let's get this over with." Rias declared before requesting everyone stand back. Lelouch stopped around where Akeno stood, keeping about a foot of distance between himself and her, with Issei and Kiba taking up her other side. Together, the five of them all watched as Rias used her own magic. A magic that intrigued Lelouch as he could feel the sheer destructive force the spell contained.
"Game over." Rias declared as a dark power began to gather before her, making Lelouch shiver as he felt the concept of Destruction be unleashed upon the Stray. In an instant, the Stray wasn't just killed.
It was absolutely annihilated. There was not a single sign that its body had even existed.
Ignoring Rias' statement that they were done, Lelouch disagreed. "What… was that?" He hadn't felt anything that destructive since he witnessed the F.L.E.I.J.A. and even then that weapon was produced by humans for large scale warfare. Rias' spell, it was almost similar in sheer destructive force to that terrible weapon, yet it only targeted the Stray. Everything surrounding it was completely unharmed except for what had happened during the battle.
"That was my Power of Destruction." She answered her Knight. "It is a gift from my bloodline and, unlike other Devil Magic, cannot be learned by those outside of my family." Rias turned. "That's enough of a lesson for now, let's go home." She smiled at them before beginning to walk out.
Issei remained silent before asking a question. "What Piece am I?" The young boy wanted to know what kind of attributes he'd have. "Am I something badass like a Knight?" Rias giggled and answered. "You're a Pawn." Issei began complaining, but Lelouch ignored it as he walked out with Koneko following him along with Kiba and Akeno.
He was tired, this day was depressing and exhausting. Lelouch just wanted to go home and get some sleep. Still, he looked appraisingly at the mansion just before he left. 'Perhaps I can use this.' He thought to himself, putting off further considerations for another day.
The Peerage began to split up as they had to take different routes to get home. Issei split first, with Kiba and Akeno leaving in different directions as well. Leaving just the small group of Rias, Koneko, and Lelouch.
"I'll talk with Akeno before the end of classes tomorrow to set up a training schedule for you, alright Lelouch?" Rias asked, making sure to remind him about his request to learn Devil Magic. "I don't quite know how well you'll do considering your reserves aren't that high, but if you already used it during your contract on some level it should come to you easier the more you practice." She didn't feel much magical energy coming from the dark-haired boy, but if he already did it once working on the basics shouldn't give him too much trouble.
"Thanks Rias," Lelouch responded tiredly, barely holding back a yawn. He blinked as he realized he and Koneko had arrived home. "See you tomorrow." He waved tiredly before unlocking the door, Koneko slumping slightly next to him. He glanced at her, ignoring Rias' own goodbyes, noticing she looked about as tired as he felt. Her uniform was in tatters.
"If you want I can help you buy a replacement uniform." He offered, it would be another way he could repay her for helping him get new clothes after he lost everything. "I don't think that can be repaired easily enough for you to keep it." It had been shredded by whatever was in that Stray's mouth.
Koneko looked herself over and shook her head. "The Student Council can get me a replacement easily enough." The petite girl yawned, slowly making her way towards the stairs. "We can talk about your eyes later." She felt her head beginning to dip tiredly. "I just wanna sleep." Koneko murmured, leaning against the wall near the stairs and reminding Lelouch about his strange power activating during the battle. "Goodnight, don't forget breakfast." She demanded sleepily before heading up the stairs.
"Goodnight." Lelouch responded, not able to conceal a yawn this time around. He shook his head slightly in amusement at the order for breakfast. Koneko could never get enough of his food it seemed.
He fished out some pajamas from his shopping trip and changed into them, enjoying their softness compared to the stuffiness of the uniform. Lelouch crawled into bed and meditated as he'd done every night, trying to immerse himself in his own power.
'I wonder what I'll learn tomorrow.' Lelouch thought as he nodded off.
He wondered what learning Devil Magic from Akeno would be like, she seemed like she knew her stuff.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's by far the longest one of this story yet. I hope you don't mind me skipping over some parts (like the shopping trip) as well as jumping a few days. It didn't seem to make much sense to write those scenes out, they're just background stuff.
I'll be describing some of Lelouch's new clothing when it becomes relevant though, so you at least know what he looks like.
Anyway, I think I have a plan for Devil Magic training, but I need to learn more before I can post the next chapter so it might take a while for that one to come out. I'm still new to the DxD series after all. Also, if anyone has ideas for Contracts/Pacts for Lelouch to complete, feel free to let me know.
I'm taking this story as it comes to me for the most part, but I like how it's coming along for now. I have made a few edits to earlier chapters, if you like you can read them so you can follow what changes I have made easier.
Feel free to review if you like.
King Draconias Over and Out.
