Alright, thank you guys and gals for staying with my story this long, it really means a lot!
~Exo-Pen
Chapter 9: My First Contract?
Katsuro, Rias and Issei are walking to school, but Issei was still confused about what just happened.
"Issei, I swear to you, nothing happened between me and Katsuro last night." Rias said, trying to calm down the overreacting teenager.
"B-but, Katsuro said he made yo-"
"I was just messing with you." Katsuro chimed in, snickering.
"Ugh, bastard." Issei replied, "Um, I'll catch up with you guys later."
Issei stopped, staring at two female classmates.
"Well, that was interesting." Katsuro exhaled.
"Katsuro." Rias spoke.
"Yeah?" He replied questioningly.
"Today, I'm going to need you and Issei to report to the Club room."
"Uh, what for?" Katsuro asked.
"Do you know what a 'contract' is?"
"Oh, yeah! Well, then I guess I'd better 'contract' my statement." He said jokingly.
"Retract." said Rias, "You retract a statement."
"Yeah, that was a pun." He responded.
"Not a very good one. Anyway, contracts are forms humans sign in exchange for our services. A devil that gets many signatures can-"
"...become a higher class devil and gain popularity in the underworld, yeah, gotcha." Katsuro finished, with his pride in puns destroyed.
"Katsuro, what happened?" Rias said suddenly.
"I beg your pardon?" He was confused.
"Your clan, the Ukuzi clan. You were the last one, why didn't you rebuild your clan?"
Katsuro stopped walking, "Well, you see, my clan did things a bit differently. In rare cases, a whole clan wipeout can result with one survivor, from there, that devil can recruit members into their clan. After that, everyone's happy, yay, yay, yay, whatever. My clan however, had an age restriction on that. They thought anyone below the age of seventeen was 'incapable' of taking care of the clan itself, in such an emergency. So, in case of an actual whole clan wipe out with one survivor, they are marked as a stray devil and need to find a temporary clan, to keep from getting targeted by fallen angels, regular angels and other enemies, until they're of age."
"Wait, so you're-"
"Seventeen in two weeks!" He said happily.
"Hm." Rias went into deep thought.
...
During class Katsuro was sketching on one of his notepads. The image he was drawing was Rias lying down on a bed, in school uniform holding onto her skirt.
"Woah, I would have never guessed you could draw." Said a familiar voice. Katsuro looked up, it was Issei.
"Well, in my spare time, I developed my artistic skills." Katsuro replied. A hand suddenly swiped the drawing away as to view it.
"H-Hey!" He sputtered.
"WOAH!" said one voice, "You have a skill equal to that of a god!"
"This looks like something drawn right out of a manga!" said another voice.
One of them is a near-bald teenage male and the other is a stout male who wears glasses.
"Sorry about these two, this is Matsuda and Motohama." Issei spoke up, "But, the way you drew Rias-senpai is amazing!"
"Um, thanks. Uh, by the way, I'm Matsuhida Katsuro." Katsuro told them. Matsuda and Motohama were down in tears, "This a masterpiece!" said Motohama.
"This is better than an actual picture, and I know about pictures!" said Matsuda. Katsuro chuckled lightly.
...
It was dusk and all the club members were accounted for in the club room.
"Alright, everyone, it looks like we're going after a stray devil tonight. Issei, this should be a useful experience for you." Rias stated.
"Yes, Prez!" replied Issei.
Rias turned to Katsuro, "We received a contract offer requesting you, specifically. So, instead of coming with us you'll be fulfilling the contract, would you want jump(teleport) there?"
"No, I'll walk." He said.
"Okay, Club members, let's go!" Rias commanded.
"Yes, Prez!" They responded, all leaving with only Katsuro and Rias in the room. She tossed an envelope at Katsuro.
"In there is the address of the recipients' house." She said.
"Cool." Katsuro caught it and took the paper out to read it.
"Also, I'll have something planned for you if you returned with the contract signed..." She said seductively. Katsuro's eyes widened.
Rias left and Katsuro stood there with the sheet of paper, he put it back in the envelope.
Katsuro whistled, "Come on, Riley, we got somewhere to go!" Riley stood up and trotted over.
...
"Okay, this is it, boy." Katsuro said, he looked up from the paper. The address was for an old, abandoned house near the edge of town.
"Woah, this person must have some kinks." He said jokingly.
Katsuro, something is here and it is... unsettling. Verr said.
"Well, yeah, it's probably just the creepy building, also, imagine what the Prez'll have in store for me if I get this contract signed!" Katsuro drooled. Katsuro walked up to the dilapidated door and knocked on it.
"Anyone home? You asked specifically for Katsuro Matsuhida and here he is!" He said confidently.
The door simply fell into pieces.
"Well, that's not creepy at all." said Katsuro. He stepped inside, it was dark, but, him being a devil strengthened his ability to see in the dark.
"Dragon Bow." Katsuro said summoning his sacred gear, "I'm beginning to think this isn't any regular person."
Katsuro stepped forward when a dark figure lunged from the top of a staircase on the left.
"What in the-" Katsuro couldn't finish his sentence before the figure swung a sword at him. Katsuro blocked the attack with his Bow.
"Who are you?!" Katsuro asked, taking damage from the sword.
"Why are you trying to stop my experiments?" The figure spoke back. The way this person spoke, they were definitely a male.
"Wh-What?" Katsuro jumped back, "Stop your experiments?! I don't even know you! You're the one who requested the services of a devil, me, specifically!"
"Lies!" With insane speed the disguised man rushed towards Katsuro, "Kudara informed me of you tailing me. You must be quite the devil if you can conceal your presence from me." He stopped with his sword four inches from Katsuro's heart.
Katsuro froze, "Kudara...? She knows about what happened to my parents... why would you believe that poor excuse of a being?"
Katsuro and the mysterious figure stood standing there a moment before the man retracted his sword and walked past Katsuro and out the door.
"Who are you?" Katsuro asked anxiously.
"Name's Yami." He said and was gone in an instant.
"Yami?" Katsuro said, "But doesn't that mean...?"
Darkness... said Verr, Katsuro, this persons' power level is extremely high, take caution next time you two meet.
"Woah, seriously?" Katsuro was amazed.
...
"This thing you met," said Rias "It had a very strong chemical force field on the area, which is why we weren't able to detect any supernatural force there. I apologize."
Katsuro rubbed the back of his head, "Ah, don't worry about it! I've been in much more dangerous situations. But, seeing as Kudara set that trap for me, I don't think he's gonna be our enemy."
Rias looked at Katsuro.
"Also," Katsuro added, "If I want to find out more about my parents, I'm going to have to find Kudara again."
Just then, a small Gremory clan mark appeared in front of Rias pulsating.
"This is... Issei's mark! Akeno prepare for a jump, he's in trouble!" Rias said sternly.
"Yes, Prez!" Akeno replied.
"Wait, what's going on?" Katsuro asked.
"Each member of a clan is assigned with the clans' mark, each member bears the same mark but with a different look so the "King" can monitor each member's well-being even when they aren't around each other." Rias told Katsuro.
"The portal's ready!" Akeno said.
Rias turned to the other club members, "Is everyone ready?!"
"Yes, Prez!" They all replied.
Hey, you all! I know that towards the end of the chapter it seemed like everything that happened to Issei happened to Katsuro, but all of that will change REALLY soon! See ya, next time!
~Exo-Pen
