TheKaiSenpai doesn't own Highschool DxD or anything else used and/or referenced in this story. Sorry for the wait!

XXXXX

Chapter Ten: Calm Before The Storm

[The Same Night As The Party] [Kai's Apartment] [With Rias]

She tried her best to hold back her disdain. For her fiancé's sake, she tried her best to ignore the burning feeling in her chest as she watched the man who tried to take her for her title and body eat right across from her. Meanwhile, Kai sat beside her, laughing as one of the girls in his unofficial Peerage made a joke. Xuelan was her name, Rias believed. The girl looked Chinese and had been dressed in some gaudy, revealing outfit during the Rating Game. It seemed she was now dressed in more sensible clothing, something Riser had initially shown surprise at.

It was crowded inside of Kai's apartment, something Rias would seek to rectify. While having a room for each pair of Pieces was all well and good, Kai needed something larger. He needed a house. A mansion. No, he wouldn't go for that. Kai was someone more down to Earth. During their time at her mansion for training, she had noticed that Kai would have trouble sleeping or making his way around the mansion. It was too big, he had told her. Too easy to get lost in. Too much.

If there was one thing about Kai that she had learned, it was that he was mostly a utilitarian. While he did like flashy things on occasion, he mostly preferred practical things. A mansion simply wasn't practical to him. Perhaps that was why he had taken Riser's Peerage in the first place. It was useful for him.

Rias noticed one of the girls wasn't partaking in the small feast Kai had cooked up for them. Kai seemed to immediately follow her gaze after calming down from his laughter. "I'll be right back," he told her with an apologetic smile. Rias returned it with a smile of his own. Leave it to Kai to refuse to leave someone on their own. He stood and walked over to the blue haired girl, leaving Riser sitting awkwardly across from herself. Rias' eye twitched at the fact. She didn't want to be anywhere near that blonde toad. The other Pieces seemed to ignore the two of them, probably sensing the tension between them. While Riser tried to hold a confident smile, it came off more as clumsy and nervous. Rias' glare was palpable.

"He seems nice," Riser finally spoke, trying hard to hide the dryness of his throat. "Much nicer than I deserve." So it was flattery he was going to try, was it?

"You deserved to have been thrown onto the street," Rias states sternly. "Kai-kun is simply much too kind for his own good. I fear someday it will get him killed." She paused, but does not give Riser permission to speak by raising her hand. "That man is going to do great things. If I learn that you have, will, or plan to do anything that harms him, I will hunt you down and turn you into soup." Riser would have laughed at the silly sounding threat if Rias hadn't been deadly serious.

"I won't," the blonde man replied, watching as Kai spoke to the weakest [Pawn], Mira. She was smiling and laughing. Xuelan, a [Rook] and Mihae, a [Bishop], had both joined them and they seemed to be having their own private discussion. "There's something about him that makes me… curious." He paused to regain his thoughts. "Kai-san is different than most people. He has an aura of purity. I hadn't noticed it before, but it's very reminiscent of holy energy." Rias' eyes widened at that. He did?

"I had not noticed that," the redhead quickly recomposed her surprise at the statement. She hadn't noticed any such energy from her [Knight]. Still, he had to have gotten those gauntlets from the Rating Game from somewhere. Could it be because he was once Iaweh's boyfriend? If so, why didn't she feel it?

"It's subtle," Riser explained, feeling a bit more comfortable around the girl now that her interest had been piqued and her deadly aura was gone. "Like a second layer of skin." Rias once more gazed at her fiancé. There was more to him than met the eye, that was for sure.

XXXXX

[Six Wing Café In Kuoh Town] [With Sona]

"You're absolutely certain that I'll be welcomed?" Sona asked her chosen, nervously. She felt like a child about to meet disapproving parental figures for the first time. Still, she held herself properly and professionally. She pulled at the hem of her red dress nervously, though. It was a simple piece with a bit of sparkle to it. She had decided to go sleeveless as well as allow the back of the dress to be cut to the small of her back. It was long enough to reach her kneecaps, and complimented the red heels she was wearing. As for makeup, she had deigned to keep it at a small amount of strawberry lipstick, a bit of powder, and a tiny bit of dark eyeliner. It had only been a day since Keito had stayed at her mansion in the underworld, and yet he was already taking her to meet his fiancés. It was a bit nerve wracking, if she were honest with herself. These two women would decide her future with Keito. Or lack of one, for that matter.

"Keito-kun!" One such woman waved from a nearby table. The atmosphere was perfect for a romantic evening, and it looked like two tables had been pulled together to accommodate the four of them. It was obvious that the wait-staff was used to couples being their primary demographic. The man dressed in a navy blue sportcoat as well as dress pants and loafers walked up to the woman that had called to them. She was gorgeous, dressed in a pure white gown that accentuated her curves and complimented her auburn hair perfectly. She had a pearl necklace wrapped around her neck and a pair of silver earrings with hanging emeralds dangling off her ears. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but had a braid that wrapped around her head like a halo of sorts. She had a milky and smooth complexion of skin, but had toned muscles that begot intense training. Her hazel eyes landed on Sona. "You've brought the guest you spoke of?" Her tone rang with a professionalism Sona was all too familiar with.

"Good evening, Yuuki-san," Sona bowed before the woman just slightly, playing off of her known Japanese culture. Curses, Rias would be laughing her head off if she'd seen her, now! "My name is Shitori Sona-san. It's a pleasure to meet you." There was the sound of someone clearing her throat across the table from the woman Keito had identified as Yuuki Asuna from earlier. Across from Asuna sat a beautiful woman with golden blonde hair tied back into a long ponytail, wrapped up with a large yet tactfully black bow. Her eyes were shut, so she couldn't identify her eye color, but the woman had the same pale complexion as Keito. Her face was the epitome of serene and calm, complete with a tight smile, but Sona could identify twitches on her face that gave away her discomfort. Satou Lilly.

"Ara, ara, it seems I've been ignored," Lilly spoke up with a restrained voice. Her intent was unreadable. "Am I perhaps not pretty enough to warrant our guest's attention?"

"I meant no disrespect, Satou-san," Sona quickly covered for her mistake. "It's an honor to-" She was cut off by laughter from the three around her as Keito rested his hand on her shoulder.

"They're teasing you, Sona-chan," Keito spoke for them. Sona quickly raised her head to see the barely contained smiles on the two women that sat before her. Her face flushed red with embarrassment. "Sona-chan, this is Asuna-chan," he motioned to the auburn beauty. "This is Lilly-chan," he then swept his hand to the woman dressed in a gown much like her own. "Both of you, this is Sona-chan. She's one of Kai's… special friends." The two women's eyes dilated for a moment before they both nodded in understanding.

"That does explain a lot," Asuna smiled knowingly as she leaned on the table. Keito pulled out a chair beside the Yuuki, in which Sona happily sat. Keito then sat across from her next to Lilly. "Kai's always attracted some strange people, but I gotta say that I was surprised that he had a lot of friends in low places." Sona blinked before turning to Keito.

"They know?" she asked him. It was unusual for mortals to become involved in the affairs of the supernatural. Keito simply nodded in return. "With all due respect, is it wise?"

"I'd trust these two with my life," her chosen responded without a hint of humor. Sona bit her bottom lip for a moment.

"I just worry for their safety," she defended herself, though probably needlessly. "Our enemies and friends can be incredibly dangerous. I wouldn't want them getting hurt."

"I am incredibly dangerous," Keito replied to her, waving off her concerns. "Nothing sans anyone with godly power can touch me at this point. Not without a lot of difficulty, anyway." The black haired woman adjusted her glasses further up her face in response. "You don't need to worry about them, either. They can take care of themselves as well."

"We're far more capable than most people," Asuna spoke up, pausing only as their waiter arrived to take their order. Sona was surprised at how contemporary their tastes all were, especially Keito's. He had ordered a steak and mashed potatoes, something definitively western in nature. While she had no problem with such, she had assumed he'd prefer more traditional Japanese cuisine.

"I simply enjoy the flavors of Western culture when I can," he spoke, presumably sensing her curiosity. "I'm spoiled by these two when it comes to cooking, so I've learned to appreciate all forms of culinary designs when we eat out." The young man smiled at his two lovers. "No offense to you both, but sometimes I'd like to eat something from America without having to cook it, myself."

"We could let you starve," Asuna suggested helpfully. Keito simply rolled his eyes at that. "It wouldn't be that hard. Honestly, I'm sure Lilly-chan and I would be perfectly fine letting you wither away into nothing."

"It wouldn't be like I could see you decaying," Lilly added in. Keito hung his head in mock depression, but the hints of his smile was obvious, tugging at the corner of his lips. Lilly smiled and gently slapped her fiancé's shoulder. "I'm kidding, dear. Who would annoy my father and make silly jokes with my mother and sister if you were to die?"

"I could always fill that spot," Asuna leaned on the table with her elbows, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "Your mother really likes me, too. Unlike my parents," Asuna scowled at those words.

"She's still being a hardass?" Keito asked, the pretenses of his earlier joke gone.

"I feel like I'm missing context," Sona spoke up, lightly coughing into her hand. "Who are their parents?"

"Asuna-chan and Lilly-chan are both daughters of large pharmaceutical companies. While Asuna-chan's family is more widespread in its business dealings, they're both rivals for the same type of product," Keito explained. "Having them both engaged to me caused… complications. Hell, it was causing complications even before I officially proposed to them. Lilly-chan had been set up for an arranged marriage, same with Asuna-chan. While Lilly-chan's family was relatively easy to deal with, Asuna-chan…"

"My ex-fiancé was insane," Asuna continued without missing a beat, her expression ever pleasant as if discussing the weather. Sona couldn't help but wonder what they had all gone through. Perhaps it was a story for another time. "Suffice it to say, dealing with both of our families at once gave Keito-kun quite the scare."

"But I managed," Keito added quickly. Asuna rolled her eyes while Lilly smiled patronizingly. "What? I did!"

"And we both love you for it," Lilly told him, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Sona allowed herself to smile at the scene. If this was what Keito was like on a day to day basis out with his women, then perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to be with him.

XXXXX

[The Following Morning] [The Woods Behind Kai's Apartment Complex] [With Rias]

"Put your damn backs into it! You all still have twenty more laps!" Kai shouted at 'his' Peerage. The girls all groaned at those words. None of them except for the [Knights] had ever had to train this way. Training was putting it lightly. After dinner the previous night, Riser had made it blatantly clear that he wouldn't interfere with either Rias or Kai. Under threat of castration, of course. That said, Kai had added that training would begin the next morning at six in the morning. Rias believed she had been harsh in her own training with both Kai and Issei. Apparently, Kai was a slavedriver.

"Kai-kun? Perhaps forty laps is a tad too much?" the redhead suggested to her fiancé from behind. They had made a makeshift track that was about a half mile around the outside, which the girls were all running. Kai was jogging alongside them, but after the training she had put him through, didn't look even winded. "I don't think even the other [Knights] can keep up with you! You're simply too good!" The faces of both [Knights], Karlamine and Siris, both turned sour at the thought. Rias couldn't blame them. To be shown up by a relatively new [Knight] who was also technically their [King], even if unofficially? That had to sting their pride.

"Bah, my ladies don't know the meaning of the words 'Let us give up'!" Kai countered her.

"But we're willing to learn!" Mira complained loudly, stumbling as she tried to run. Exertion was spread across her body, something the majority of the Peerage shared. Kai looked towards the girl, then at the rest of the Peerage, and slowed. He sighed, his expression unreadable to Rias.

"Alright, take five," he told them. The [Pawns] and [Bishops] all collapsed on the spot. Even Yubelluna was resting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. All of them were dressed in running shorts and t-shirts made of easy-breathing material, though that didn't seem to do much for their physical stamina. As the girls rested, Kai walked over towards Rias and the rest of her Peerage. Kiba and Issei were both training together to the side, sparring in a match that while leaning in Kiba's favor, Issei was quickly starting to overcome him with his Sacred Gear. Koneko and Akeno had taken to the skies above in a fierce duel, where Akeno had been forced to use only melee combat and Koneko had been instructed to primarily use her magic. A suggestion by Kai, of course. "They're nowhere near where they should be," Kai comments as he sits beside his fiancé. "They've been at this longer than me. They should be stronger than they are right now."

"Not everyone has the same potential, Kai-kun," Rias reminded him. "You're simply lucky that your potential is extremely high. I'm sure Riser thought nothing of it when he made these girls his pieces."

"I never said that they didn't have potential," Kai defended them quickly, making Rias quirk an eyebrow at him. "I can feel it. They're each extremely powerful in their own right. But I don't think Riser ever thought about maximizing their power. Take Mira for example," he motions to the weakest [Pawn]. "She'll be the strongest out of all of them." Rias was unable to contain the short laugh that came to her. "Mira! Come here!" The girl blinked, her sky blue hair tied back in a single ponytail, and she jogged over to the couple.

"Hai, Kai-san?" she asked, standing in front of the two. "What is it you need me for?"

"I was wondering something," Kai started. "If Yubelluna suddenly went rogue and turned Stray, what would you do?" Mira's face instantly hardened.

"I'd hunt her down and bring her back no matter what!" Mira shouted with fierce determination, her fists clenched.

"You wouldn't kill her?" Rias asked, curious. "And what makes you think you'd even be strong enough to do such a thing?"

"I might not be strong on my own…" Mira admitted, looking forlorn for a soft moment, before her determined expression returned. "But I have the rest of my friends to help me become even stronger! Strong enough to help me bring her back!"

"Again, you wouldn't kill her?" Rias repeated, Kai held a smirk on his face.

"Never!"

"And why is that?" Kai interjected. Mira flushed and looked down, pressing her fingers together. "Don't be shy. We're just curious."

"U-Um… because… she's my friend…" Mira spoke slowly, glancing over at the violet haired woman. "She's helped me so much and I r-really admire her! It would be wrong to just kill her…"

"Even though you know it would be harder to bring her back alive? And willingly on top of that?" Kai pressed. Mira looked down at her feet, not responding as she nervously played with her own fingers. Kai stood and rested his hand on her shoulder. "You've got a lot of potential. If something like that ever happened, I believe you'll be able to pull it off." He patted the girl's shoulder and smiled at her. "Go rest up with the others. I was just curious."

"H-Hai," Mira nodded and moved to join the other girls while Kai turned to Rias.

"I'm still not sure what you see in her," Rias told him, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Strength is all well and good," Kai explained to his [King], "but without the willpower and determination to drive you to become that strong, then it's strength wasted. Yubelluna has plenty of power at her disposal, but she's complacent and is happy with how strong she is. She won't get much stronger that way. No matter how much I push her, she won't ever become stronger because she thinks she's good enough. Mira, however…"

"Will always keep pushing herself to become stronger," Rias realized. "Because she needs to be?"

"Because she wants to be," Kai corrected. "She'll be the strongest among them all because she knows what it's like to be weak, and wants to become strong for her own reasons. She's got guts." Rias hummed in thought as she mulled over the details. It seemed like something that Mira and Kai had in common. However, Kai had always been absurdly strong. No, that wasn't true. Kai had been relatively weak before the Rating Game against Riser. He'd become strong through sheer willpower and determination. Did he expect Mira to be the same way? Rias' gazed turned over to the group of girls and women. Out of all their gaudy costumes, they looked like regular girls, not like Riser's puppets. They laughed, joked, and seemed to enjoy one another's company. It was there that Rias realized how much they were their own people. For so long they'd always just been Riser's Peerage, but here… Here she could see each individual. Mira, specifically drew her interest. The girl was arguing with Xuelan about something trivial. While Xuelan seemed to be holding back laughter, Mira was in her face shouting about something that sounded like ice cream being the best dessert. Rias couldn't help but smile and wonder how childish she'd been to classify them all together before. Maybe it would be best to get to know them as individuals. With that, Rias stood and brushed the dirt from her clothing before taking Kai's hand.

"Why don't you introduce me?" she asked him, leaning against his shoulder. "I don't think I've been properly acquainted with them, yet." Kai smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead, drawing giggles and 'ooohs' from the girls while the women gave the couple knowing smiles. Still Kai walked his redheaded fiancé over to the group of pieces.

XXXXX

A/N: Three short scenes that I had written out before I became busy. I'll be writing another chapter for this fic after I re-acquaint myself with where I want it to go. My writing style has changed since these chapters and I want to try and do a better job with writing. Until the next one!