Chapter four

It was like a chemist's laboratory, combined with a machinery and splashed with a makeshift dojo and a pervert's sanctuary. There was no rhyme or reason to the set up. Tools notes and materials were strewn about in a mess that looked like chaos itself resided here. The girls took in the entirety of the warehouse, words failing to come to them.

"We started out first by gathering anything that may have been of use."

Motohama gestured to the back wall where a large flat screen computer monitor was bolted. It was blank though, not connected to anything yet but it was obviously a work in progress based on the half dismantled computer towers and broken monitors sitting on and around the desk there. Actually, looking closer, the big one on the wall looked to be a pieced together thing with several smaller ones as source material. Katase's eyes widened in awe, impressed at the engineering talent she saw there.

"After that we started trying to make our own stuff. I'm sure you can guess who proved best suited for that," said Issei with a sly grin at Motohama while Matsuda not so subtly coughed (glasses nerd) into his hand

Motohama huffed.

"I will tranq you," he said. However, when both girls shot an impressed look his way, he blushed. "B-but yeah. Issei-kun and Matsuda-kun are decent enough I suppose but I've actually always been pretty fascinated with mechanics, math and chemistry. I have a very well organized, mathematical brain and have unrivaled ability to notice even the smallest of details."

When his glasses flashed, the girls glared. "We know," they deadpanned, past experiences with him instantly knowing their measurements with just a glance plaguing their minds. Motohama just laughed nervously. "Anyway one of the first things we did after realizing that half of things we'd collected we couldn't even use or understand, was to start learning."

"And learn we did," chimed in Matsuda. He was shadowboxing, grunting dramatically and making funny faces as he 'sparred' with his invisible foe. "Martial arts, weapon handling, strategy, trap setting… We used everything, took any opportunity to make something a training exercise, even when we started working out and studying in class. It was all training in some way."

"And it wasn't just those we studied either," said Matsuda.

"We also studied Issei's sacred gear and once we felt a little more comfortable, we used what we learned to build several things able to affect them…well, theoretically."

Motohama pulled out one of his syringes filled with yellow liquid. "For example, I developed this here with the purpose of shutting down a stray devil's unique energy as well as its body. It was hard but after days of experimenting on issei-kun, we were able to finish. I found it seems to work well on anything, with the right tweaking."

Issei grumbled something about sadistic mad scientists under his breath.

"I also developed different types of grenades and I'm working on armor pieces."

"Not to mention what you used to restrain Yuuma-Chan," said Issei. Motohama sputtered. "Ah y-yes, the bola and the power suppressant cuffs and collar, until a couple days ago I'd never got to use either of those so I forgot."

Issei growled. "Except on me you mean, douche."

Matsuda chuckled. "I focused more on being a physical fighter and started working out again while also taking up martial arts. I'm pretty much a noob at it but it works well enough for now, especially since I'm a former track star and have prior fighting experience."

Issei grinned. "Me? I'm just sticking to the boosted gear for now. Apparently there's something called a balance breaker. I wanna get on that level!"

"And be so brokenly over powered that it won't even be fun to be near you anymore?" scoffed Matsuda.

Issei laughed. "That just means you can't slack off!"

"Hah fat chance! You ain't leaving us behind. We're all in this together. Harem kings or bust!"

"HUZZAH!"

The girls deadpanned at them, causing all three to chuckle nervously. "R-right," began Motohama while rubbing the back of his head. "We also started collecting things to use as weapons."

And it was then that the girls noticed the far wall to the right, near the computer monitor. They gasped.

THE FUCK!?

"W-what? What's wrong?"

The girls were absolutely stunned that these fools would have the gall to dare to act clueless, like it wasn't crazy for them to have such weapons.

"THOSE ARE MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS! WHO DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO CAN GET WEAPONS LIKE THOSE!?"

"Eh? Why? What's the big deal?" began Issei. "They really aren't that special."

"THE HELL THEY AREN'T!"

"I'm serious! These ar-

Matsuda's sudden laughter interrupted the conversation. He grinned wide and slung his arms around both girls' shoulders. "Oh wow! This is rich! Hahah!"

They almost punched him in the gut, but were stopped by his next words.

"You think these are real? Take a closer look ladies."

And they did. And a few second later they saw the truth.

The girls froze as they stared.

"Though I can't blame ya too much. They are crazy realistic eh? I can see why you'd freak out. You are kinda gullible." He grinned.

This time there was nothing keeping back the punches to the gut, their embarrassment just not allowing for them to handle the revelation in a calm mature manner.

"Gah! What the hell!?"

Motohama just laughed a bit nervously as he gestured to the weapons cache, gaining the girl's attention. "There's no way we'd ever be able to get a hold of real guns like those."

He flinched under their scowls but soldiered on. "But even if we could we wouldn't really want to. Too much potential drama, and I'm sure I can learn to make them myself."

"That's not making us feel any better!"

It got tense for a second, the girls glaring at the boys until something glinting in the corner of their eyes caught their attention. "Hey what's this?"

Before Motohama or Issei could react, Katase was already reaching towards the object. They gasped. "Wait! DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

ZZZZAAAAP! And the whole room was obscured by a flash of white light

"ahhhhhhh! My eyes!"

"Katase! What the hell did you do!?"

"ME!? I told her not to touch it!"

"You better hope to Kami she's alright, Pervert!"

"It'd be her own fault if she wasn't!"

"WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"Uhh guys?"

Matsuda's shaking voice and wide-eyed pointing stare snapped Issei and Murayama out of their growing urge to kill each other. They turned as one, in the direction that Matsuda was pointing and both promptly started staring as well.

"Umm." Katase's hair was standing on end, her short pink locks looking like something out of an anime as static danced across the ends. She was wide-eyed, unsure of what to do as the air around her body hummed with a charged electrical current and Motohama circled her like a nervous mother bird. And in her right hand was what looked like a supersized version of one of Motohama's stun batons. The thing was as long as an average katana with a rubber laden handle and a nice evenly distributed weight. It was also plugged into the wall via electrical extension cord at the base of the hilt and positively thrumming with barely contained electricity originating from the outlet.

"… I want this," said the Kendo club vice-captain after she grew confident in the fact that she wasn't about to die via electrocution. She even swung it around in a couple of practice swings, nearly clipping Motohama as the humming rod flew by his face.

"Be careful with that!" he commanded. "And no you can't have that! It's not even the finished product! It's the prototype!"

"Then finish it! It's so cool!" she swung it again. "It's not all that different from my shinnai, just a bit heavier. Imagine the damage I could do with thi-

Bzzt!

"Ow!"

"Eep! Sorry!"

"Put that thing down before you kill someone!"

(xxxxx)

Tomorrow was the day. Wasn't anything gonna stop her this time! Hurah!

Rias stood in front of a full length mirror, clad in only lacy black underwear, one fist on her hip and the other extended out in front of her in a mock victory pose.

"That's right!" she practically sang as she did a little spin.

"My, you certainly are excited aren't you?" Akeno strode into the room, smiling coyly as she watched her king. "That anxious to get close to Issei-kun are you?"

Rias simply smiled. There was a fierce gleam in her eyes as she turned to face her queen. "Of course," she shamelessly admitted. "Issei-kun has proven to be quite tenacious. We have to act fast if we want to get close to him. Our window of opportunity is closing."

Akeno caught the double meaning behind those words and her smiled dimmed just a bit…

Then it returned full force and morphed into an erotic and terrifying amalgam of a sadism and lust as she crossed her arms over her ridiculously large boobs and asked, "Do you want me to approach him first? I sure I can…convince him to happily join our family kukukukuku…"

"No."

Rias' deadpan answer came immediately, causing Akeno to face plant. "We're trying to befriend him, not chase him right into Sona's arms. Show some restraint for once in your life."

Akeno pouted.

"Bouchou you're no fun anymore! When did you become such a stick in the mud?"

"S-STICK IN THE MUD!?"

(xxxxx)

Sona sat at her home and just contemplated. Her peerage had already dispersed for the night, knowing their goals for tomorrow, leaving her to ponder.

Sometimes she cursed her nature as a devil. Seeing the perverted trio's improvement and sudden show of the potential beneath, had called out to her in such a way that she knew that she just couldn't pass them up.

However what was truly frustrating was the fact that while she had agreed to give Rias a larger chance at gaining Issei, she just couldn't squash the competitive feeling that arose once the other devil had left.

A fair shot? Hah! Who did she think she was fooling!? There was just no friggin way she was gonna simply allow Rias to claim Hyoudou without a fight. Call it selfishness, greed or whatever but the fact of the matter is that it was the goddamn red dragon emperor! She'd have to be some kind of idiot to let that slip away without even trying! Plus, Sona had seen him first! Had seen all three of them first.

So yeah, she contemplated, schemed and planned, trying to figure out the best ways for she and her peerage to approach the trio. Because there simply wasn't any going about this the normal way, i.e setting them up to die or even outright revealing themselves to them in an attempt to convince them to become devil servants. They were already well past the stage of being wary of the supernatural. They weren't stupid. (And wasn't THAT quite the revelation!) They had to choose the right time to approach them. She gave all of her servants the freedom to decide when those times would be.

She couldn't quite suppress the slight smile.

It had been a while since such a challenge had presented itself before her.

And she welcomed it.

(xxxxx)

School once again started without any out of the norm incidents, well if you didn't count the disturbingly increasingly familiar scene of the perverted trio entering the grounds with the kendo club captains that is.

People were still trying to get used to this. Especially when Katase seemed particularly close to the nerdiest of the trio, whispering to him in secret about some subject that would get him to sputter indignantly.

"It'll be done when it's done! And no I'm not adding that!"

"Gosh, Spoilsport." Even the girl's adorable ass pout wouldn't budge him.

Ohh man there were so many people that wanted to rush the fivesome and grill them on how the fuck this friendship came to be! But no one really had the guts. Katase and Murayama were fuckin scary as shit and there was just no way anyone was risking taking a bamboo sword upside the dome. So they kept their distance.

Still didn't stop some of the other male students from hating hard on the trio though. Especially when they saw Murayama actually give Issei a rare genuine smile before she and Katase split off to join the rest of the kendo club, who had finally looked like they'd reached their breaking point as they swarmed the two.

However, no sooner did Katase and Murayama depart from the trio did someone else approach. The three of them, had been ready to head off to class, eager to get a bit of last minute studying in before the day actually started. But the startling presence of Aika Kiriyuu seemingly morphing out of the fuckin shadows like a bespectacled golden-eyed she demon made them damn near jump out of their skins.

"Holy fuck woman what the hell!?" exclaimed Matsuda while Issei and Motohama twitched in the background. However the girl didn't say anything. She simply stared at them as they passed, a curious and very unnerving smirk on her face as she pierced them with her golden gaze.

Aika was a mystery at the school. She was out going enough for sure. But her nature was akin to that of the perverted trio itself. She actually has a very disturbing amount of things in common with Motohama, right down to that scouter ability of his. But unlike the trio, she hadn't been ostracized and ridiculed by the school. We all know the reasons but it didn't just change that fact that it was unfair as hell.

The boys might have even approached her in the beginning of the school year. She was attractive, with a supple, slender body and soft brown hair. She was spunky and had a great personality, and those glasses! However a combination of nerves and the rabid horde that consisted of her female friends had quickly killed any plans on that front.

But now, seeing her just staring at them, as if trying to solve some great mystery unnerved the shit out of em and they quickly shuffled past the girl and headed to class with a pace akin to a speed walk.

It got weirder throughout the day too. Aika wasn't the only one they caught staring at them and by the time lunch came around they were a bundle of nerves.

"Okay what the fuck?" growled Matsuda as Issei and Motohama took their places on either side of him near the track. Lunch couldn't come fast enough in his opinion.

Issei sighed. "I know," he muttered. "What the hell's everyone's deal? I swear it's like we're being followed. I mean I keep seeing Rias or Akeno out of the corner of my eye," he muttered. Matsuda laughed.

"Hah! Get real! Someone's full of themselves! Hahaha!"

"Shut up! Don't tell me you haven't noticed anyone following you around!"

"Not so loud idiot," said Motohama. Then he adjusted his glasses. "Though I have seen a more and more common presence in the forms of both the student council and the occult research club, as well as more and more members of the Kendo club and Ms Kiriyuu."

"Well the Kendo club for sure."

Murayama and Katase sat down unpacking their lunches as they greeted the three boys. "We may or may not have said you guys would be down for a spar this weekend."

"YOU WHAT!?" they screamed.

Katase giggled. "We're kidding we're kidding. Relax sheesh."

Murayama interrupted before the boys could finish sighing in relief.

"But seriously, expect demands for a spar when you come to the club on Saturday. We kinda hyped you guys up a bit."

"Since when are we going to the kendo club!?" demanded Issei.

"And why are you hyping us up dammit!?" asked/yelled Matsuda.

Murayama scowled. "Shut up! It was either that or they swarm you! Look!"

And friggin sure enough there they were off in the distance back by the school, all eating their lunches in the shade of the trees…but staring disturbingly in their direction. Some of them hadn't even changed out of the kendo uniforms!

Matsuda started crying. "Once Again I say God has a sick sadistic sense of humor!"

Murayama laughed. "Oh lighten up will ya? Eesh, I know you guys are paranoid of being attacked by monsters but I promise they are all human." Then she hummed to herself. "Well, at least I think so."

"Ugh, just shut up already."

More laughing.

"But seriously, what's this about people following you?"

The conversation turned serious in an instant. The kendo club captains listening as the boys voiced their concerns.

When it ended, both girls gave grim smiles. "We'll do a bit of investigating," said Murayama. I'll have the rest of the club subtly do a bit of digging, see if we can determine if the occult club and the student council really are stalking you guys all of a sudden. You guys keep your eyes open as well."

Because come to think of it, occult research club was a very suspicious name.

"We will. Thanks a bunch lovely samurai-himes! We'll never forget this! If you ever need anything just ask." Then Issei wagged his eyebrows. "And I do mean anyth-OW!"

"Just shut up already!"

(xxxxx)

When school ended the boys all went off in different directions. Motohama and Matsuda opted to hang back at the school for different reasons and Issei had agreed to rendezvous with Murayama back at the hideout in order to discuss any potential discoveries while Katase went to prepare for the weekend.

Issei was kind of lost in his own world, fantasizing about the potential scenarios that could play out in such an isolated…intimate environment with Murayama-chan! Ohh he could see it now! Those wonder ful-

"Hello."

And that fantasy instantly faded away as the melodic female voice greeted him from behind. He spun, a nervous greeting on his lips as he turned.

"Hell-ack!"

Rias Gramory smiled at him dressed in the suddenly Loveliest school uniform he'd ever seen! Or perhaps I was the girl herself making the uniform look lovely! Or the other way around or…gah! Whatever!

Rias giggled at Issei's suddenly flabbergasted, sputtering self. "Issei Hyoudou-Kun. You have no idea how bad I've wanted to actually meet you."

….beeeeeeeeeeeep.

Rias continued on, unaware of the fact that Issei's brain had shut down. "I was wondering if you weren't busy if we could simply hang out for a bit? Perhaps get a bite to eat while we get to know each other?" she seemed suddenly nervous, her purple eyes looking down at the ground shyly.

"I know you've had some recent girl trouble, but I promise I'm not up to anything."

It took fifteen whole seconds for Issei to snap out of it and when he did he just couldn't bring himself to fucking believe it!

"A-are you serious!?"

Rias giggled again.

(xxxxx)

Motohama was in the labs once again rapidly taking notes and drawing sketches, lost in his own world, muttering to himself, completely unaware of the girl standing in the doorway. She just stood there, watching the three size scouter dart about the labs, messing around with the chemicals there, taking notes and indulging himself to his heart's content, fascinated by what she was seeing before she decided she'd watched enough.

"Well well well, look at you! So focused!"

Motohama stumbled and almost dropped what looked like sulfuric acid on his jeans! "Gah! What the hell!?"

His glasses covered face darted up, and met the equally glasses clad gaze of Aika Kiriyuu. She was grinning at him, arms crossed over her modest chest. For a whole five seconds they just stared, locked onto each other's gazes until the girl gently took the vial from his hands and carefully placed it on the beaker carrier on one of the desks.

"Want some help?" she asked. There was that gleam in her eyes again, that unnerving smirk that sent a chill up and down his spine…

But there was something else there too. Motohama paused for just a second, assessing the girl in the span it took to blink before he gave her a smirk of his own, his glasses flashing. "Only if you can keep up."

Her eyes shined brighter with that something else as she settled in beside him, a soft laugh coming from her throat. "It's me who should be worried about your performance Moto-kun. Don't disappoint me now."

Motohama's smirk grew.

(xxxxx)

"Hmm, I'm getting faster…finally." Matsuda gave a self-satisfied smile as he stretched his arms out. He was sweaty and dirty but he was happy and determined. He'd almost forgotten this feeling already, so caught up in the drams of the last few days.

He quickly took a swig of his water bottle and toweled himself off before taking a few deep breaths. "Alright," he muttered. "Time to do it even faster now." He crouched, touching the tips of his fingers on the asphalt in a typical runner's pose, ready to blast off at any second. The sunset seemed to illuminate him as he counted down.

"Three…two…ONE!"

He shot off like a bullet, sprinting as fast as he could around the four hundred meter track, his face strained from the exertion, his legs refusing to slow down for even a second as he raced to beat his current record.

By the time he finished, he was gasping for air, but not exhausted. He checked the timer on his stopwatch…the wailed in despair when he realized he forgot to start it.

"MOTHERF-!"

"Wow, that was actually impressive for a wimpy pervert like you. Why the hell aren't you on the track team or something?"

Matsuda was taken from his thoughts by the seemingly sudden appearance of a girl dresed in sports shorts and a white T-shirt. She was smirking at him with fierce blue eyes and light blue hair, her stance was challenging, as was the cocky smirk on her lips.

"The name's Tsubasa Yura, and guess what? You've just earned yourself a race! Prepare to lose punk!"

"EH?!"

AN: ANND here the next chap at last! Sorry for the delay. Been kinda randomly doing bits and pieces of several fics but not hold a strong enough muse to write more than like a paragraph at once. But did good today, super focused and shit! Haha anyway as you can see its starting to pick up just a bit. The devils are starting to make moves, as are humans both affiliated and non affiliated with the trio.

Tell me what you think! And all that. Till next time!