Grand Auburn Hotel; One Month Later.
Raynare walked out of the elevator with a tense gait. A month has passed since the dealing of the Pyromancer humiliating her and her underlings, and doing away with poor Dohaseek. She vowed to gain revenge, wherever it might lie in snuffing out this bother of a flame.
But, down inside, if she knew anything, it would be the fear that was evoked from one little boy. A child, even! Fallen Angels were said to be the mightiest of the 3 factions, and yet her skin grew pale at the thought of facing him again.
"Damn it!" Raynare cursed, throwing a small glass against the wall, its shattering prompting Azazel to speak.
"Quiet down out there!" He yelled. "Can't I conduct a plan in freaking peace?!"
Shrinking a bit to possibly avoid his wrath, Raynare walked over to Kalawarner and Mittelt, both having various bandages around them. Seeing Kalawarner struggle with looking at a piece of paper, sweat coming off her forehead and her lips quivering told Raynare she was trying, try being the keyword, to read.
"Trying again with that poem, huh?" Raynare cocked an eyebrow. Flipping her hair back, she sat down, looking at the poem; it was only 5 lines, and she barely got through the first sentence.
"This is really hard, ok?" Kalawarner frowned, rubbing her temples. "They make old dialect so hard to read."
"This is a 3rd grade poem." Raynare said, tapping the paper.
"And it's in old dialect," Kalawarner huffed, pulling at her hair. "This is difficult.~"
"This is modern English, Kala."
"It really is hard!"
Raynare patted her friend's head, walking over to see Mittelt pick lint off her black bow.
"No, you're just illiterate. And what about you, Pint-Size? Still nursing that cut on your leg?" Raynare held her focus on seeing that the two of them were doing as well as possible.
They would need to be if they were to stand a proper chance of facing the Pyromancer again, only the joke would be on him. Before, the four of them went in a little too over-confident, but now things changed. They knew not to make the same mistake twice. Fallen Angels were very persuasive, and worming out the weakness of the boy would be a breeze.
"So, Raynare," Mittelt raised a brow when her friend did the same. " Are we going to stand around or are we going to avenge our friend?"
Scoffing, Raynare stared out out the window, watching the early sun rise to its highest point in the sky. She struggled to find a concrete answer.
Her body shook with each passing second, the small chains jingling as lf crying. Her left wing still ached from her own spear puncturing it. Occasionally, it would twitch and lock up at the worst of times. Her breathing peaked in and out, causing her to clench her forehead at the thought of giving an answer.
. . .Was she really certain that the three of them could get revenge without dying?
"Of course we are," Raynare held her arm, her lips lying to her friend. "We'll see to this bug being squashed if it's the last thing we do."
Mittelt wanted to believe Raynare, but she knew better. Maybe it was the false hope or the humiliation giving her the strength to say something, but it would certainly be for naught if one or all of them were to die. Dohnaseek was their friend, and more than that, a Fallen Angel.
"Yea." Mittelt breathed out after a long pause. "We will."
The only sounds now were the very subtle humming of Raynare and the occasional crunk of paper from Kalawarner picking up her paper and trying to decipher the simplicity of the text, and the ever-present tapping of keys on a computer keyboard from the next room.
After a while, Azazel emerged from the other room, looking positively spent and also upset, though that was to be expected, given the recent events. It was a miracle that it did not cause death, to him or someone else.
"Well, now. I think that, aside from losing the countless nights of much-deserved sleep and enjoying my hobbies," Azael mostly said to himself. "I may have made a breakthrough in the case of our little nuisance."
Raynare tensed, then turned to her leader. "You mean you know his name?"
If only it were that easy.
"No. I've done all that I can, and either anyone who had a clue is either dead or never knew of him. But what I did find out is the Gremory girl has Issei Hyoudou under her peerage now, and if what you told me about him rushing to his side as he bled out, then the answer lies in the details."
"What? How?" Mittelt asked in a condescending tone. "You think he's just gonna tell us? If it wasn't for Raynare helping us out, either Gremory or The Pyromancer would have tried and killed us and Dohnaseek. And we can't just march into the school without starting something, so-"
A hand silenced her. The Governor didn't particularly like doing this, but to get answers and to personally put the nail in the coffin without Odin, Michael, and especially Sirzechs and Rias finding out, he would.
'As a team, they said,' Azazel thought. 'Well, as a team of just me, I'm going to do this so you won't to. . .then they'll see why.'
"This is where being the boss has perks. With every businessman or woman, there lies an agenda of what they want. In this case, having an agenda like mine often gives me a hand in what most would consider bottom tier things. I have two contacts who may be willing to give us exactly what we need," Azazel chuckled, walking to the elevator. "And now it's their move."
Meanwhile. . .
Like clockwork, Jamir walked out of his last hour class, bidding goodbye to his uncle before he journeyed to the Occult Research Club to check on Issei. He soon grew accustomed to taking an extra 30 minutes out of his day to talk for a few and then head back home.
He sighed, taking in the fact that he barely managed to finish an awfully difficult Japanese math assessment. He never cared much for the quadratic formula, even in a different language. But, he began to notice a trend whenever he walked into the clubroom.
Akeno would greet him, always in the same spot, unmoving with that smile on her face. Kiba would give a nod, which Jamir took to giving him a strong handshake. Koneko would offer him treats, though gradually he wouldn't have to keep buying replacements, as she altogether didn't mind. Then he would greet Issei and make sure he was alright.
. . .And Rias would always frown away from him. Most times, she could hide it somewhat well, and others, everyone but him and Issei would question why as the others carried on.
"Better get this over with," Jamir walked a little more quickly. "This initiation of his sounds important."
Walking down the cobblestone pathway to the ORC, lined with benches and trees on either side, Jamir brushed past a man, more specifically, a man of the local church. Though Devils and Angels and the sort gave him a different perception of things. The man bumped against a bench, almost falling over if not for his quick reflexes.
"Apologies, Father," Jamir bowed slightly. "I was lost in thought."
Giving a deep-throated chuckle, the man dusted his black robes off.
"No harm done. However," the lanky man fixed his chain, pulling a bit of his shiny white hair out of it, mirth shining in his red eyes. ''I really must be going. Ta!"
"I guess. . .he was ok?" Jamir questioned himself, trying to make a effort to talk more. He would say that within the span of this past month, he has improved some. At least he refrains from sighing outwardly whenever he spoke to someone. But, no matter how he looked at it, he was making. . .friends. And though he loathe to admit it, he held some enjoyment. It was different from then it was with the girls, it was less substance to him, which he looked at it as a better chance to make this friendship better.
Walking up the stairs, he took in the world around him, the sun slowly beginning to sink underneath the horizon. The surrounding trees provided a sense of wonder as the leaves slowly picked up. As he walked forward, he began to take a note of the building in front of him, and how desperate it seemed to be for repairs as he proceeded inside.
. . .But he couldn't help but feel a vibe. . .from that man.
Issei's Pov. . .
To me, today was no different a day then since when I first became a Devil. To be honest, it doesn't feel all that bad, I just need to avoid churches and saying God's name-Grrk! . . .
''Issei, are you ok?'' Akeno asked me, peeking over the corner as I sat on the couch, looking across the table to see Kiba reading a book, completely ignoring me suffering as he just polished that sword of his. And Koneko was off somewhere getting some spreadsheets for Rias.
"Yea, I'm fine. Thanks for asking," I smiled dumbly, though it didn't really hurt like that. I had too many things on my mind, like getting used to that I'm technically dead in the eyes of some. But I had to be given this new life for a reason, and one thing is to build my harem of super sexy ladies!
If things were like I read up, I should get 20 smokin' babes at least. And I'll show my friends that I am King and they can suck it for not believing in me. It'll be a long road, but this is something only I can do.
. . .But why do I feel. . .worried? I mean, The world is a big place, even bigger with me finding out about the different factions, and I got Himura wrapped up into this, with maybe no way out.
"Everything ok, Issei?" Kiba asked, frowning and setting his sword on the table. "You don't look so chipper like you usually do."
"Not really." I said, chewing my bottom lip and hanging my head low. "I don't really think I'm cut out for this. I mean, it's been a month, and I haven't really been a big help to you guys. If anything, I've been more of a burden."
Kiba got up and walked to my side, sitting down. I wasn't meaning to look, but I could tell he held a deeper meaning than what he was getting ready to say, so I listened.
"You're anything but a burden, Issei. Rias would be a fool if she just saw you for your power. You give her something that not even Akeno is able recently, and they've be friends since. . .well, ever really," Kiba chuckled, never once breaking his stare with me. "We all were where you are in a sense, but trust me when I say; you're doing things. You just have yet to realize it, and maybe Himura can help you figure that out."
Huh, I guess. . .I never thought about it like that. It kinda makes sense but I just don't feel like I do anything, or at least enough. Huuawh, this is crap I don't like to deal with, and I know my parents don't give enough of a crap to do anything either.
Just maybe. . .
"Thanks, Kiba; I didn't really know if I could come talk to you. But it looks like it," I chuckled. "I won't try and make it a habit though."
"Really?" Kiba questioned. "I actually liked talking; you're pretty interesting plus you should, but not just with me. We all are here for each other. Even Koneko. . . So cheer up, Himura should be here any second."
"Right." I said, looking to see the club door open and Himura walk in. "Let's do this."
Jamir walked inside for what's felt like a year, but he knew better. Issei looked up and approached him, a half smile on his face.
"Hey, man. You doing ok?" Issei asked as the pair shook hands.
"Somewhat," he replied, a small rise in his lips indicated something of amusement. "I did take a bit of a difficult exam though." Then he turned to Kiba. "So what is this initiation of his?"
"It's not really a initiation per say, we're just trying to see if he can handle dealing with Stray Devils,'' Akeno emerged from the back. "Me and Rias think it's time to for him to see how Devils work in other fields besides completing favors for humans in exchange for power."
Jamir frowned at the information but for a different reason. He saw no connection as from his perspective, it had nothing to do with him. But, if anything his parents and the girls told him, he needed to put a little more effort into seeming interesting.
It would not be that easy however.
"So where does this leave me? I am not a Devil, so I fail to see why-"
"It's because you're one of us now, Himura. You've been here pretty much every day since Issei died, and well," Akeno chuckled a bit awkwardly at how much he was here. "That basically makes you a part of the club, more or less. And true you may not be a Devil, you do show some power of your own that I personally wish to see."
"Is that right?" Jamir asked.
"It is." Jamir heard Rias speak as she emerged from the back of the clubroom. ''And while it has been only a month or so since Issei became a Devil, but the time for change never really is given a grace period.''
''And so, Issei is about to train to be come a full-fledged Devil,'' Akeno began to gesture, bringing a magic circle to life against the window. ''We received reports that a Stray has been wandering about in a abandoned building after killing her master, and since this within the scope of Rias's influence, it's up to us to put a stop to it,'' Akeno smiled, making Jamir frown. ''The sooner we do this is the better for all of us.''
Rias looked at Issei and then to Jamir.
''Jamir, I won't ask you to do this if you don't want to, but as I've been pestered about it from Issei to at least get your opinion on going if you wish,'' Rias spoke, looking at Issei from the side as he chuckled a bit. ''But I also agree with Akeno when she says that she would like to see what it is that you really can do, also when we take into account what happened when Issei died.''
Jamir walked over, looking at Issei as he got up as well and walked over to him. ''Are you sure you want me to come with you, Issei? I wouldn't mind staying behind.''
''Heck yea, man!"' Issei exclaimed, thumping Jamir's chest with the back of his hand. ''Not to say that everyone else is very nice, but it'd be better with you tagging along. You're part of the club now, so we both might be a part of it so you can bail me out of the trouble I am more than likely to get in, am I right?"
''Right. . .'' Jamir said back, wondering how far that would go in terms in a statement. ''Friends stick together, right?''
''Always. No doubt. It's ride or die,'' Issei held his hand out for a fist bump. ''To friends.''
''To friends,'' Jamir returned it. ''To friends.