Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

A/N: Here we are with the aftermath of the Rating Game! I'm glad to see how well the last chapter was received; at the same time, the idea of different perspectives was brought forth by one of the reviews. I initially decided to make this 1st person, simply because that's what I prefer. However, I know the limitations of it: you get an in-depth look at one characters thoughts and feelings, at the expense of relying on that specific characters interactions with others to see other characters.

If I'm being honest, I'll admit that switching perspectives isn't my strong point. If I focus on one character in a fic, then I have their specific personality in mind. Switching to someone else, who obviously thinks and acts differently, throws off my flow, thus the flow of the story proper. I've been thinking of going to a different character's perspective in a later chapter, since Daisuke will be indisposed in some way, but I'm not completely sure. Any thoughts on that? Advice? Anything would be appreciated.

In the first chapter, I said I'd be using characters from other series to in order to further the story of this fic and fill out Daisuke's backstory. I'm already using Himari, but I'll be introducing another in this fic. She is not an OC. I wanted to make that clear.

Speaking of OC's, I'm introducing an important one in this fic as well. He'll have a small part in this chapter, but he'll have a larger role later on, post Excalibur Arc. This chapter also closes off one arc and opens to the next one, the Excalibur Arc.

Harem list: Sona, Tsubaki, Akeno, Xenovia, Koneko, Serafall, *-Secret-*

Enough of my inane prattle! Onto the fic proper! Read/enjoy/review/etc.

The Bloodstained Omamori

Chapter Ten

The Prodigal Reunion

I fiddled with the tie that held my throat in a strangle hold. "Do I have to wear this damn thing? I swear, they're all out to get me. The last tie I wore tried to kill me by strangulation." I walked alongside Sona as we strode through the elaborate halls of the Gremory estate.

"For the last time, Daisuke, yes. You have to wear it. You will keep it on." Sona said with steel in her voice, not even looking in my direction as I walked on her right side.

The two of us were dressed formally for the shindig that Rias's older brother was throwing in celebration for her first Rating Game and victory. I wore a simple black and white suit with the shiny-clean shoes and the annoying, murderous tie of death that hung around my neck. The one thing I liked, though, were the cufflinks that Sona had given me to wear. They were silver with the seal for the Sitri family.

Sona was wearing a light blue dress that fell to her knees and showed her shoulders, held up by a pair of thin straps. Resting her shoulders was a decorative silk scarf, wrapped around her slender form and tied in front of her chest.

I absently fiddled with my tie, fighting the urge to just take it off but unable to stop messing with it. Grimacing, I sneakily snuck my fingers behind the knot and casually pulled it free. I released a breath and smiled lightly as I succeeded in circumventing the choking sensation of the tie.

Unfortunately, I realized my immediate defeat when I heard a soft sigh from Sona. "You are such a child." She muttered as she stepped in front of me, taking my hands and putting them down. As she fixed my tie back into place, I couldn't help but marvel at how soft her hands were. A small frown decorated her face as she narrowed her eyes at me, finishing the tie with a final tug. Regarding me stoically, she said, "Try not to embarrass yourself. We're dealing with much more than high school students at this party."

Still grimacing at the tie, I nodded once. "I may be flippant most of the time, but even I know when to act properly."

She smiled softly and stepped to my side. "I'm sure. Now offer me your arm, we're almost there. We have to follow decorum after all."

I rolled my eyes with a smile, but still help my arm out for her. "Of course, Milady. How could I ever forget something as important as 'decorum'?" We strode forward, making sure to keep my pace slowed so that I could match hers. The two of us reached a large set of double doors, in front of which stood an unassuming man clad in an extremely formal suit.

"I'm Sona Sitri; my partner and I are the first arrive of my party to arrive." Sona explained to the man, who bowed deeply to her.

"Of course, Sitri-sama. May I inquire the name of your escort?"

"Daisuke Shizuka." She said succinctly, her tone crisp and professional.

He nodded and pushed the large door open, revealing the rather banquet hall for the two of us to see. The man stepped inside and cleared his throat, which and the effect of bringing all attention to us. "I am honored to present the arrival of Sona Sitri-sama of the esteemed Sitri family and her escort, Daisuke Shizuka-sama." There was a small smattering of applause scattered everywhere as Sona and I strode into the banquet hall.

With the door shut behind us, Sona slowly pulled her arm off of mine, though she didn't step away from me. "They actually do that? Proclaim the arrival of new people? I thought that was only in movies…"

She smiled softly, "It's an old custom, far older than you would think. It's only because of tradition that we keep it." She paused and nodded, "The fact that some Devils love to be theatric."

I chuckled lightly, sliding my hands into my pockets. "I could get used to this." I looked around the large hall, not caring that I appeared out of place gawking. "When do Tsubaki and the others get here again?"

"Half an hour. They had things they needed to take care of. I had you come with me because you finished your paperwork." She paused and cleared her throat, "It's also customary for the heiress of a clan to be escorted by her fi-"

"So-tan! You and Daisuke-chan made it!" A familiar childish call pulled my attention from Sona to the source of the voice. Serafall Leviathan raced towards us, clad in a black, strapless dress with a jacket over the top. She practically slammed into Sona, wrapping the now shaken and heavily flushed girl in a tight embrace. Serafall affectionately rubbed her cheek against Sona's, smiling contently. "Aw, So-tan, Onee-chan missed you sooo much!"

"O-Onee-sama! You cannot act so childishly! You are a Maou; act like it!" Sona reprimanded her sister, looking heavily shaken and frazzled.

Serafall stepped away from her, her violet eyes swimming with emotion and hands held under her chin. "But, So-tan! Levia-tan loves you! How else can I show my eternal love for cute little sister?"

"In a more dignified manner!" Sona retorted instantly.

Before they could continue, I had to step away from the two of them, holding my hand in front of my face as I tried to hold back my laughter. My shoulders shook as I regarded the two of them with an amused gaze. That caused the two of them to give me different looks: Sona narrowed her eyes at me and Serafall cutely cocked her head to side.

"H-How do you do it, Levia-tan? How do you make…Sona look so…adorable?!" I laughed even harder, seeing Sona's normally composed expression flush even, eyes widening in shock.

Serafall, on the hand, smiled widely, stepped up to me and grabbing my hand. "You think so too, Daisuke-chan? And you remembered to call me 'Levia-tan'! I knew there was a reason I liked you!"

"You have to tell me, Levia-tan. How do you rattle Sona's cage so well?" I gave the deceptively childish Maou a wide smile as she swayed lightly.

Serafall crossed her arms, resting her head on her hand. "I don't know, Daisuke-chan. I just shower my So-tan with all the love I can!" She finished with a wide smile.

I sighed in exaggerated defeat. "And here I was hoping I could actually do something to make Sona flustered. I can't do that."

The Leviathan gave me a confused look. "You can't? But aren't you So-tan's fi-"

"Sona! Daisuke-san! I'm glad to see you both could make it." Rias's voice pulled our attention from Serafall. I turned my head to see her in a modest white dress; strangely fitting, as she just fought in a Game in which the outcome decided her partner in marriage. She approached the three of us at a gradual pace, though I could tell she was excited.

"Like Sona could have kept me away." I said with a snort, getting a soft glare from the aforementioned Devil. "After tiring myself training a bunch of amateurs, I deserved a break. A party is just what I needed." I grinned as I spoke, making it clear that I was joking.

Rias gave me a skeptical look. "'Tiring yourself out'? You were the only standing after every day of training. The rest of us were absolutely exhausted, even after Asia healed all of us."

"You still won, didn't you?" I asked her rhetorically. Seeing Rias's tired look, I smirked and shook my head. "Regardless, congrats on the win. All of you deserved it, especially after the hell I put you through."

"It's good that you admit torturing us." Rias crossed her arms. "I still can't believe you put poor Issei through that on a regular basis. I'm surprised he hasn't said anything to me, yet…"

I smiled fondly, "The pervert is tougher than you think." Looking around the hall, I searched for Rias's Peerage. "Speaking of the others, where are they? I want to say 'hi', among other things."

Rias pointed over to the food table, where I saw a familiar head of white hair standing next to the sweets. "Koneko's currently getting her daily snacks. She's the closest one."

I nodded and looked to Sona, "Do you need me to stay by you? Or can I go off on my own adventures?" I asked her with a small smile.

"As long as you don't start a war, you're free to do what you please." Sona explained to me, giving me a pointed look. "Though, make sure you get back to me when Sirzechs-sama begins his congratulatory speech for Rias. There are going to be some important…declarations and you'll have to be near me." There was a small twinge of pink on her cheeks, though she brushed it off easily enough.

I nodded at her and was about to make my way towards the petite Rook, but Rias's voice pulled me back into the conversation. "Oh, speaking of Nii-sama, he said he wanted to meet you and Issei-kun. Preferably before he speaks."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Serafall latched onto my arm, pulling the limb into her bust. "Ah, I know where Sirzechs-chan is! I can introduce Daisuke-chan to him."

Rias smiled lightly, "Okay, Serafall-sama. I'll leave it to you then."

The Maou smiled widely, "Let's go, Daisuke-chan!" She then began to pull me towards the table where Koneko was. I was only dragged for a few inches before I was able to match her pace. However, I heard one last thing from Rias as I made my way towards the table.

"Someone finally passed your test, I see?"

Though I was curious, I was unable to make a return trip because their conversation was between the two of them and Serafall, in spite of her small frame, has quite the strong grip. We strode towards Koneko; she was wearing a pink dress that emphasized her slender frame, held on her shoulders by a pair of thin purple straps. Over her hands, she wore a pair of opera gloves.

"Koneko-chan!" Strangely enough, both Serafall and I called out to her at the same time. As we approached her, we looked to one another, me with an entertained smirk and her with a wide grin, and laughed to ourselves.

The girl turned to face us, her stoic expression making no change as she acknowledged our call. The front of her dress had a dark purple bow with a single carnation in the center. "Senpai, Serafall-sama." She said to the both of us, her eyes not leaving me when we reached towards the table.

Serafall broke away from me, smiling down at Koneko. "I just wanted to drop off Daisuke-chan. Sona-chan likes her servants to be prompt, so I kept an eye on him." She explained to the girl, who gave no change in expression. "Where are the rest of your group? I want to introduce Sirzechs-chan to Daisuke-chan and Issei-chan; I thought I'd leave this guy to you so that I could find him." Koneko pointed off to the side, causing Serafall and I to look in that direction. Though the number of people wasn't much, there was still enough to obscure the sight of the back of the kimono I saw in that direction. "Okay! I'll go find Sirzechs-chan. Have fun you two!" She practically skipped away from us, waving as she left.

I blinked at her retreating form, releasing a tired breath. "She's a regular ball of energy, don't you think? Must have sugar running through those veins."

That brought a small smile to the girl's face as she turned back towards the table, gradually piling various foodstuffs on her plate. I couldn't help but notice that all of them were of the sugary variety.

"I can't help but notice that you snack on quite a lot of sweets. You sure seem to like them, don't you?" I inquired softly, smiling at the subtle color appearing her cheeks.

She nodded once, still moving food onto her plate. When she stopped, her hand hesitated as it hovered over her plate. Then she grabbed one of the treats and held it up to me. "Here. It's a good one."

I arched an eyebrow, but took it nonetheless. "Thank you." I then popped it into my mouth, chewing slowly to savor the flavor. Smiling lightly, I finished it and said, "You're right. It is a good one. You might have competition in the future, since I might get these on my own." Seeing the pout on her face, I grinned, "Though, I'm willing to share if you are."

Koneko nodded once. "I can share with you, senpai." Though her voice was soft, I could hear the kindness in her tone.

"Then we've got ourselves a deal. Is this everything, or should I carry some too?" She looked from me, to the table, then to her plate. After a moment of silence, I released a small breath. "I can carry the plate, letting you have your hands free. Sounds like a plan?" Koneko paused, then nodded once, slowly handing the plate off to me. I took the plate in a hand and followed after her. As we walked, I placed my free hand on the girls head, scratching gently. "I didn't get a chance to say it after the Rating Game, but good job."

I heard her purr softly as I scratched. "Thank you, senpai."

"No problem, Koneko-chan. I'm here to stay, so don't hesitate to talk if you ever want to; or if you just want me to pet you." I smiled down to her, laughing lightly. "Himari says I'm rather good at that and from your reactions, I guess you agree with her, right?"

There was a moment of companionable silence as we walked towards the group, but it wasn't until we were relatively close when I saw her nodded, her face flushed lightly.

We approached the group and managed to get a better look at what they were wearing. Kiba and Issei were wearing suits similar to mine, though the Gremory Knight had his blonde hair touched up and wore a bowtie as opposed to a tie. Akeno on the other hand, was clad in formal, dark blue kimono with a white obi. Her long dark blue hair was done up, hanging from the side. Upon seeing me, she lifted a hand to her mouth, hiding her smile. "Ara ara, Koneko-chan seems so attached to you, Daisuke-kun. Whatever did you do to gain the affection of our soft-spoken kouhai?"

I simply shrugged, a smile on my face as I watched her take something from the plate. "I'm just myself. Not much I can change there. How are all of you by the way?"

Akeno simply smiled, "Oh, I'm fine, Daisuke-kun. I'm just glad that we managed to beat Riser-sama. Rias was quite ecstatic after Issei-kun defeated him." She paused and gave me a look, her eyes regarding me heavily. "I really am grateful for what you've done, Daisuke-kun." She smiled suggestively, licking her lips.

I don't know why, but I felt a form of…masculine fear at that look.

"Akeno-senpai." Koneko said warningly.

She paused and lifted a hand to her mouth, "Ufufu, pardon me. I seemed to have lost myself for a moment there."

Issei and Kiba shuddered at that, "Akeno-senpai is scary." Issei muttered to Kiba, who simply smiled lightly. The Pawn chuckled lightly and looked to me, "I'm doing good senpai. A little tired, all things considered, but that's perfectly fine. Everything worked out in the Game."

Kiba was silent for a moment, regarding me for a moment, then smiled lightly. "I…guess I misjudged you, senpai. You really helped Buchou; I apologize for any problems I may have given you."

I waved him off. "It's fine, Kiba-san. Everyone has their moments. You have your inner demons, just like I do..." I paused and laughed to myself, "No pun intended."

That caused everyone to laugh at my statement. From there, we just took to mild conversation as more people arrived to banquet. Various people who were seemingly of high esteem in the Underworld arrived, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to care. Koneko, at one point, had latched onto my pant leg, gripping it with a hand. Taking an occasional piece of candy, I took notice of Serafall coming over to us.

"Daisuke-chan!" I turned around to see a pair of individuals following beside her. One was Grayfia and the other was a man I could see as a gender-flipped Rias. This man wore what looked like pale golden and armor with epic pauldrons. He was smiling lightly, regarding me with an intrigued gaze.

Seeing the man, who I assume is 'Sirzechs-sama', I couldn't help but feel a chill race down my spine. It was a feeling I've never been particularly comfortable with; it's an instinct I found that I had whenever I was on missions for the Church, facing against Fallen Angels. I've found that whenever I've had the chill, I've always stood in front of an opponent that's far out of my league. A primal fear that's instinctual, in front of a dangerous predator, set deep in my bones as I looked to the Maou in front of me.

"Ah, you must be Daisuke-kun. Grayfia and Rias have told me quite a bit about you. I'm Sirzechs Lucifer." He spoke softly, a knowing smile on his face as he met my eyes.

My throat felt dry as I tried to speak. Clearing my throat nonchalantly, I gave an easygoing smile. "I hope it's mostly positive. I know I didn't give Grayfia-san the best impression in regards to my meeting with Riser."

Sirzechs laughed lightly, "Yes, she told me of your defense of my sister. I am grateful you stood up for her. I'm also grateful that you helped her and her Peerage train." He regarded me closely for a moment, a smile playing at his lips. "I was pleasantly surprised to see how effective everyone was. No disrespect to them, of course, it's just that it was their first Rating Game; I was surprised that they did so well."

I gave him a respectful nod, "I wanted to help. I'm a bit more experience than Rias and her group when it comes to combat, so I thought I would offer my services." I shrugged lightly, "All I did was help them show off their own skills."

Sirzechs was silent as he studied me for a moment. Nodding to me, he turned to Issei. "And you must be Issei-kun, my cute little sister's newest Piece."

Issei nodded his head to the Maou. "Ah, yes, Lucifer-sama."

He chuckled lightly, "Please, call me by name. Your actions in the Rating Game showed me how much you're willing to fight for my sister."

After a moment, Grayfia stepped forward and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and turned back to me, "Daisuke-kun, Issei-kun, I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short. It was good meeting you; I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you and Issei-kun later. Have a good time today, all of you." He nodded towards us and turned, walking away.

Grayfia looked towards us and nodded once, "It was good seeing all of you again."

We replied in kind and watched as she left with Sirzechs.

I turned back to the group, unconsciously releasing a breath I didn't know I had.

Serafall stepped to my side, looking upon the plate I held. "Ah! Daisuke-chan you have sweets."

"Yeah, but they belong to Koneko-chan. She said she'd share with me, but I don't know about anyone else." I explained as I casually scratched Koneko on her head, eliciting more content purrs.

"Ne ne, Koneko-chan, can Levia-tan have some chocolate?" The Maou asked the first year, pouting softly.

Akeno laughed lightly, "I don't know, Leviathan-sama, Koneko-chan is rather territorial of her sweets. Honestly, I'm shocked that she agreed to share with Daisuke-kun." She gave me a playful, knowing smirk.

I shrugged lazily, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I just asked Koneko-chan nicely and she said 'yes'. We even have an agreement… A secret, sweet-related agreement." I looked to Koneko and winked conspiratorially, causing her to smile softly.

Looking from Serafall then to me, she nodded once, nonverbally giving me the cue she accepted.

"Boss lady #2 said you could have one." I was about to move the plate towards Serafall, but Koneko's hand quickly grabbed a piece. Serafall, upon seeing the plate of goodies, she looked over the selection and grabbed the one she wanted.

"Thank you, Daisuke-chan, Koneko-chan!" She popped the candy in her mouth.

Akeno smiled lightly towards me. "'Boss lady #2'? If Koneko-chan is your second 'boss', then who is your first?"

"Sona, of course!" I said with a roll of my eyes. "She's the Kaichou, so I answer to her… Though, I do have a problem with acting out…" I coughed into my hand and looked to side bashfully.

She then giggled into her raised sleeve. "Ara ara, who knew Sona's newest Pawn was so submissive. I wish I knew that earlier on; I could've stolen you out from under Koneko-chan's nose."

That caused me to arch an eyebrow at her; Koneko to suddenly take a possessive grip my free arm and send a half-hearted glare towards Akeno. "Bad Akeno-senpai, no stealing."

I gave both girls incredulous looks, "Oi, there will be 'stealing' of me. Besides, I am in no way submissive! I've just been surrounded by women my entire life that I know how to act. My sword-master is a woman who could probably still kick my ass in a straight up sword fight; my kouhai under her are both girls. Two of the five Exorcists I was close with are girls…" I then palmed my face, groaning softly. "I've never won an argument… Spars, I was awesome at, but when it came to a war of words…I lost every time."

One second, I was standing up, proud and straight. Then the next, I was on my hands and knees, feeling as though there were a miniature thundercloud raining on my form. "Dammit… I am submissive… I'm weak to the fairer sex…"

Funnily enough, Koneko was next to me, holding the plate in one hand. The other hand was simply patting me reassuringly on the back.

"Ufufu, I think I broke him." Akeno sounded like she was cloud nine, clearly looking down to me. "Now, all I have to do is convince him that he's a closet masochist and I'll have the perfect boy to bully." She laughed imperiously, causing Kiba and Issei to sidle away from her.

"Urk!" I coughed violently as I got to my feet, a shocked expression on my face. "I'm sorry! That is not the case! I like avoiding pain, thank you very much." I'll be honest, I find Akeno to be obscenely attractive, but she also scares me on at least two levels.

"You say that now~." She said playfully, giving me a measuring look, her eyes traveling along my form.

I grabbed Koneko and Serafall by their hands and pulled in front of me. Crouching down, I hid behind the two shortest people in the group. "Koneko-chan! Levia-tan! Save me from the scary lady!" I wailed comically as I peeked over Serafall's shoulder.

Koneko blushed lightly at the contact, but didn't move from where I moved her. "Akeno-senpai." She gave the girl a half-hearted glare.

"Don't worry Daisuke-chan! Levia-tan will protect you with her skills as a magical girl!" Strangely enough, she whipped out an honest to god replica magic wand, a white stick with a pink heart on the top and a yellow star in the center of said heart.

"My saviors!" I said, trying to hold back my laughter.

"I'd rather you not make a scene, Daisuke." A familiar stern voice caught my attention, causing me to stand up straight and clear my throat. I turned around to see Sona regarding me with a critical gaze. "While I don't care if you mingle with others, I'd prefer it if you remained somewhat…civilized." Rias was standing next to her, smiling in amusement.

"I don't know, Sona. I think it's good to have a carefree attitude at times like this. It is a celebration after all." The Gremory heiress supplied her point.

Sona gave her a tired look. "Rias, I've told you countless time: you have your way of working with your Pieces and I have mine. While you continually spoil your Servants, I make sure mine are disciplined and always prepared for a formal meeting." Her tone betrayed a debate that the two seemed to have had in the past.

Rias shrugged, smiling softly, "If Daisuke-san were my Servant, I'd spoil him like all of my Servants."

"But he isn't, Rias. Daisuke is mine." Sona smiled as she said that, her tone brooking no argument. The sheer possessiveness in her tone wasn't negative in the least, it was a statement of fact. Like 'the sky is blue', or 'the sun is in the sky'. However, I couldn't help but feel like there was something else hidden in that statement, a veiled meaning that I should be looking at closer.

Of course, while I deliberated all of this, I decided to act up again. "I knew you cared, Sona-chan!" At that, I pulled a Serafall and wrapped my King in a tight embrace, lifting her feet off the ground.

"Ah! Daisuke-chan! You did it! So-tan is blushing! So cuuuute~!" Serafall said excitedly, clapping her hands.

Sona was still in my grasp, feeling like she was close to letting her guard down, but upon hearing Serafall speak, she reacted. I was then treated to a swift kick to my shin. I grunted and quickly put her down giving her a betrayed look. "I didn't deserve that!"

The now, surprisingly enough, blushing and flustered Sona regarded me coolly. "You are making another scene, Daisuke." At that, I decided to ignore the pain in my shin and look around the banquet hall. Quite a few more people were here and a majority were all looking on our direction, whispering amongst themselves. I felt a devious smirk come to my face as I sucked in a breath to say something that I would probably regret, but was stopped by Sona grabbing my chin and making me look down to her. "Don't you dare."

"Ufufu, Daisuke-kun is pouting." Akeno's playful voice caught my attention, but I quickly looked back to Sona.

"You wouldn't have come all the way over here to just kill my joy. Have you heard from Tsubaki-chan and the others?" I said with a small smile, though I could barely conceal my excitement.

Sona nodded, "Yes. I just received the message a few moments ago. We're going to greet them when they arrive. Understood?"

"Yep."

That caused everyone, save for Akeno, Koneko and Serafall, to react in some way to my flippant response; if this were an anime, it would probably be a face fault, so I'll just go with synchronized face palms or sighs.

Sona simply sighed, "I'm surprised Onee-sama wasn't the one to add you to her Peerage. You'd be a perfect fit for her." She said in deadpan tone.

Serafall jumped for joy, sidling up to the two of us. "You're going to give Daisuke-chan to me, So-tan! That would be so great; I already like him so much." She latched onto my arm, smiling widely up to me.

The Sitri heiress simply said, "No. I won't give Daisuke to you, for a very obvious reason. Plus, he's my Pawn. I'm not giving him up for anything."

I grinned widely, feeling immensely pleased with myself.

Serafall gasped and gave her a teasing smile, "Is it because Daisuke-chan's being named your-"

"Now introducing the Peerage of Sona Sitri." The man who introduced Sona and me earlier called out, interrupting Serafall.

Sona nodded and grabbed my hand. "Come, we need to go." She then brusquely pulled me away from Serafall and the group. When I looked back, I couldn't help but smile at seeing Serafall's cute pout.

We quickly reached the entry way of the banquet hall and were greeted by the rest of Sona's Peerage. They strode into the banquet hall with various reactions. Tomoe, being the hyperactive girl that she is, she was looking around excitedly, taking in the various sights. Ruruko was looking around, but at a much more sedate pace. Momo and Reya were calmly walking towards Sona and I. Tsubasa was trying in vain to keep the hyperactive Tomoe under control. They all wore some form of modest dress to match the formal atmosphere.

Of course, the one person I was looking for was the last person to enter. Tsubaki was coming up the rear, her eyes searching the crowd as she entered. She was wearing a dark blue dress with a small mini cape, similar to Kuoh's female uniform, hanging from her shoulders. Upon seeing me, she smiled lightly and lifted her hand.

"Tsubaki-chan!" I jogged forward and quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, reminiscent of what Serafall did to Sona. "I missed you." I whispered softly to her.

She was surprised at my sudden action, but returned the hug gradually. "We were only separated for an hour."

"It was a very painful hour. The tie just made it worse." I said with a deadpan.

Tsubaki laughed lightly, "I'm not talking to Kaichou into letting you take it off." She told me, her tone brooking no argument.

"Damn." I said, clicking my tongue.

"Cute. Now please move. You're both in the way." A new voice broke into our companionable silence. I looked up from Tsubaki to see the newcomer. A pair of green eyes, which I swore glowed in the way the way the light rebounded, bore into mine, a black eyebrow arched above one of the eyes. The man stood a few inches taller than me, at what I assume to be around 6'1" and he had pitch black hair with a streak of silver along the left side of his head, no doubt signifying his age. His suit was black and silver, with a black overcoat over it.

I felt my eyes narrow as I focused on the orange-red gem that hung from a golden necklace he wore. It felt…magical in nature, though its aura was well-concealed. It's only because of my natural skill with magic that I was able to notice it.

I looked down to Tsubaki and said, "C'mon, let's go meet with Kaichou." She nodded and followed as I took her hand.

"I am honored to introduce Arturas Stolas, head of the Stolas family!" The man called out as Tsubaki and reunited with Sona.

She regarded me with a tired glare. "You made another scene."

I chuckled lightly, "Sorry about that."

"It's not me you should apologizing to." Sona shook her head.

I was about to speak, but someone else cut in. "No need to apologize. I was late, naturally." I turned to see the same guy from earlier. He regarded me intently for a moment, then looked back to Sona. Nodding his head once, he said, "It is an honor to see you again, Sona Sitri-san. I trust everything is in order?"

Sona nodded, her expression becoming a professional mask. "As it's always been, Stolas-san." She regarded me, saying, "I see you've been introduced to my newest Servant."

I was about to introduce myself, but Arturas cut in again. "Daisuke Shizuka. Former Exorcist of the Church; chosen wielder of the Holy Sword, Kusanagi; carrier of the…unique Sacred Gear; currently the second, and last, Pawn of Sona Sitri of the Sitri family." He paused and regarded me intently again. "Son to Kasumi Shizuka and…" He paused again, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a ghost of a smile. "I'll let you learn of your father on your own."

My hand fell from Tsubaki's as I focused on the Devil in front of me. The hand that was on the opposite side from Tsubaki clenched tightly. "How in the hell do you know all of that?" I demanded of him, jaw clenched.

He simply shrugged, "I make it my business to know as much as possible about individuals…involved in the world of the supernatural. The moment you became an Exorcist, you put yourself on my radar. Such is the task of the Underworld's foremost information broker." Arturas seemed uncaring about the glare I was levelling towards him.

Arturas knew much than just what he just said about me. The facts he stated were simply surface level information; there was much more about me that was below that, information that could problems for others that I know.

Plus, there's the fact that he stated he knew who my father is. I don't know who he is and, honestly, I've stopped caring about wondering who he is. If he was alive and still didn't try to contact me by now, then it didn't matter who he was in the end. I have my own life to live; I'm not going to waste my time searching for a man who left my mother to die at the hands of a warmongering Fallen Angel.

Sona placed a hand on my shoulder, "Let's go. You and Tsubaki meet up with Rias and her group; I'll bring the others."

Still giving the man in front of me a wary glance, I nodded once and allowed Tsubaki to lead me away from Arturas.

"I wish you luck, Daisuke-san. The life of a Devil in a well-known family is an arduous one." Arturas called out to me, his voice sounding vaguely amused.

While I didn't want respond and just ignore him, I couldn't ignore the man. Lifting a hand, I waved it lazily in acknowledgement.

Upon reaching Koneko and the others, I noticed a quiet coming over the party goers. Looking around, I noticed Sirzechs taking the stage, with Grayfia at his side. Frowning in confusion, I leaned over to Kiba, "What's going on?"

"Sirzechs-sama is going to speak; most likely to congratulate Buchou."

I nodded and looked to the Maou, waiting just like everyone else for one of the four leaders of the Devils speak.

"I'm sure all of you know why you are here: to celebrate with my family and me for my dear little sister, Rias's, victory in her first Rating Game." He began softly, smiling down to the girl. "I will be honest, I did not expect her to win. I knew she would fight tooth and nail, throwing everything she had at her opponent, the mighty Phoenix. However, I'm proud to see that my expectations were wrong. While the cancellation of a wedding between two great families is a regrettable event, the terms of the game were nonnegotiable."

Rias smiled, it was a combination of pride and sheepishness, no doubt at her brother's reference to her.

"When she learned of the Rating Game, she took the ten days allotted to her and her Peerage for training and I'm glad to see that it was not wasted. A mysterious benefactor offered their services, free of charge, and helped push them farther than what they could have reached on their own."

That caused muted mutterings amongst the crowd. All statements were along the lines of: who could train an inexperienced Peerage to defeat a Phoenix? Or she must've utilized her title as Head to find a suitable trainer.

Needless to say, I was thankful to Sirzechs for not calling attention to me for training them. Or, rather, maybe Sona asked him not to. I have been acting out, for reasons that I'm sure aren't very important.

"Thanks to her victory, Rias has been given the right to choose her own fiancé. To choose the man who would help her further Gremory line in the far future. Through the actions of her newest Pawn, a young Devil by the name of Issei Hyoudou, she gained the freedom she so desperately desired."

I leaned over to Koneko, whispering, "He's laying it on pretty thick, don't you think?" That brought a small smile to the girl's face.

Tsubaki squeezed my hand, giving me a look that said, 'pay attention'.

"However, that is not all. We have not one, but two heiress's here today. Both the Gremory heiress and the Sitri heiress have come here today bearing news that will set both of their families forward in the future."

That caused me to narrow my eyes. What?

"The two of them have made their decisions on who will stand beside them in marriage. Rias has used her hard-won right to decide her husband-to-be and chose who it is to be after studying his actions, his desires and his potential. Sona has found the one Devil who passed her test; seeing his ability to look towards the future and make the right decisions when it counts, someone with the intelligence to think beyond simply the first decision."

My eyes narrowed dangerously and I could feel my arm tensing, ready to challenge this so-called 'Devil who passed her test'.

"The two of them are people you would not expect; however, it is not place to inform you of who they are. If the two kind ladies who asked me to make this declaration were to step forward."

I felt someone take my hand. I looked towards the culprit, only to see Sona pulling me towards the stage. "What are you doing?"

"You'll see." There was an entertained smirk on her face as she gave me a cryptic look.

When we reached the stage, I found that Issei was with Rias, also standing at Sirzechs' side. I looked to my fellow Pawn, leaned over and whispered, "Are you as lost as I am?"

"Yeah, senpai…" Issei said as he looked from Rias to the crowd of High Class Devils.

Rias cleared her throat. "I fought in the Rating Game because I wanted the freedom to choose my own path in life. I wanted to be able to choose who I wanted to spend the rest of my long life with. Thanks to the strength and tenacity of my precious Servants, I was able to do that." She motioned to Sona to start.

"I swear, you and your flair for the dramatic, Rias." Sona muttered under her breath. Releasing a breath, she spoke up, "When I formed my test to find a suitable husband, I did so to find someone who could have an intelligent conversation with. I did not want to marry someone whose only concern was whether they were more powerful than the next. When my Servant passed my test, I was pleasantly surprised."

"What?" I said softly, making sure my voice was soft enough to go unheard. I also took notice of Issei's eyes widening, also realizing the situation he was currently in.

"From that moment, I realized that maybe, I reincarnated more than a simple Pawn."

Sirzechs clapped his hands once, bringing attention to himself. "I am proud to announce that the engagement of Rias Gremory and her chosen fiancé is now complete. Issei Hyoudou, please step forward."

He did so, though he appeared to be rather numb.

"I also introduce you to the fiancé of Sona Sitri. Daisuke Shizuka, take your place next to her." I did so, trying to keep my face a neutral mask.

There was a deafening silence amongst the crowd as they took in the news. I couldn't read any of their expressions too in depth, but I could tell they were struck dumb. While I was used to standing in front of crowds, due to the Church's inane desire to hold ceremonies after every major skirmish, I couldn't say the same for Issei. The poor guy was fidgeting lightly under the intense scrutiny of the crowd.

Then the floodgates broke.

"Simple Low class Devils!?"

"Reincarnated Servants!

"What benefits could a pair of brats brings to the two families!"

They simply raged for several minutes; Sirzechs simply watched with a hint of amusement in his eyes. After a few moments, he simply cleared his throat. That simple act was enough to quell the crowd for the time being. "I can see your doubts; however, I assure you, they are completely unfounded."

He lifted his hands, gesturing to the two of us. "Newly Reincarnated Devils they may be, however they both carry Sacred Gear that mark them for greatness." He looked to Rias, then to Issei. Rias, smiling lightly, nodded once. "Young Issei is the carrier of the mid-tier Longinus, Boosted Gear, making him the next Sekiryuutei."

That caused everyone to whisper, some in awe, and others in shock.

Sirzechs then looked to Sona and I. She nodded and the two turned to me. I simply shrugged lazily, my skills were bound to get out at one point. It was time to make waves after all. "Daisuke, also a newborn Devil, is the one carries the top-tier second strongest Longinus, Zenith Tempest. The newest Master of the Storm."

Once again, everyone was thrown into their whispers, even more shocked that not one, but two, Longinus users were reincarnated by such young Devils.

"With that knowledge, I hope all of your worries are assuaged. With these four at the front of the next generation of Devils, I'm sure we will flourish." With that, he and Grayfia strode off the stage, leaving the four of us alone.

Not saying a word, Sona strode towards the group of both Peerages, myself, Rias and Issei closely at her heels. When we reached the group, I turned to Sona and cleared my throat, "So, fiancé, when you were planning on telling me something this important?"

I was smug enough to feel proud when I saw her somewhat abashed expression. "…Later. We'll talk later. After the party."

I then regarded Rias with a frown, "What about you? You just got out of one engagement and you're already in another? Did you even warn Issei?" I poked the partially dumbfounded Pawn in the side, as he was clearly processing the life-changing information. "A guy likes to be warned before you just drop a bomb as big as marriage on his head!" I said with a slightly frustrated growl, both for my sake and his.

Rias had a similar expression, though it was quickly expelled. Her gaze turned sharp as she regarded me with a stern gaze, "What would you have me do? What would you have Sona do? We're the Heads of our families. People are expecting us to further our lines and bolster the Devil race. If we didn't do this, then others would've pushed and pushed until one of us was forced into loveless marriage." She crossed her arms, "At least Sona and I know that the two of you respect us for who we are."

"That's not what I'm pissed about!" I let out a heated whisper, surprising the both of them. "I'm not angry that you decided to make Issei and I your respective fiancés. What I'm pissed is the fact that you decided to not inform us of your intentions! Regardless of what you think of it, marriage is kind of a big deal!" Once again, I continued to keep my voice in a whisper. "If I'm going to marry someone, I want to make sure it works out in the long run. I'm not the type to quit because something gets tough, and I have a pretty idea that marriage is a two way street. The simple fact that the two of you did something as drastic as that does not help me think that a long term, proper relationship between Sona and I will work." I gritted my teeth, fighting back my now raging Gear, as it was reacting my agitated state of mind. I turned to Sona, levelling a stern glare of my own, thereby giving her a taste of own medicine. "Since I'm technically now a more important part of the Sitri family, I now feel a little entitled to know any other little plans, that pertain to me, you have in that pretty little head of yours."

Sona narrowed her eyes at me, not backing down. "I understand that you're angry. Anyone would be. However, that does not give you the right to question the words of your Master."

I stepped closer to her, using my superior height to look down to her. "I'm not talking to my Master at the moment. I'm speaking with my fiancé; not the Head of the Sitri family: Sona Sitri; but the young woman who saved my life: Sona Sitri. Regardless of the circumstances, I passed your test, which I'm willing to bet were those games of chess, so I'm going to follow through. You chose me, you pulled me into this, and regardless of the reasons, and I'm following through. You're stuck with me, Sona Sitri. I just hope that you know what you're doing."

"You're saying you'll take responsibility, then?" Sona asked me, her voice strong and full of authority.

"Are you?"

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my rebuttal caused Sona to flush lightly, her eyes wavering lightly as she continued to meet my eyes. For a split second, I finally saw that she had let her guard down. At that very moment, she was no longer the perpetually cool Student Council President, but just another girl that was shocked by the words of a peer.

"Ara ara, not even dating yet and they already had their first fight. How adorable; just like an old married couple." Akeno tittered softly causing Rias and several others to join in the laughter.

Shockingly enough, Sona and I moved in perfect unison as we both looked towards the Gremory Queen and gave her a warning glare.

Rias laughed into her hand, shattering the already dispersing tension that had settled upon our group. "The two of them are perfect for each other; how could I not have noticed?"

That led me to releasing a frustrated breath, giving up my attempt to half-heartedly intimidate them with my glare. "Great, I'm tense, frustrated and slightly pissed." Frowning, I looked around the banquet hall discreetly. "I need to let off some steam…"

"Well then, why don't you?" Sona asked me, her arms crossed as she looked to me.

"I normally blow shit up or train with Kusanagi. I'd rather not destroy such a nice place and whipping out a Holy Sword in a place filled with Devils is not a sane idea." I explained succinctly, still looking around the room.

Sona regarded me with an amused eye. "Indeed."

"Thus the only available discourse I have is to cause a scene." I replied with a smirk.

Her eyes widened and quickly narrowed dangerously. "You better not…" She growled out, much to the amusement to the others amongst our small group.

My smirk widened into a grin. "Don't worry, I won't blow anything up." I looked around the banquet hall, smirking as I realized everyone was doing their own thing and not focusing on Issei and I anymore. I was also glad to notice that both Rias and Sona's Peerage had formed something along the lines of a physical barrier around us with their bodies; leaving, Rias, Issei, Sona and I in the center. Turning to my right, I regarded Tsubaki with a small smile. "Hey, Tsubaki-chan~."

The Queen lifted her head to acknowledge that she heard me. "Yes, Daisuke-ku-" She was cut off as I quickly pulled her into a sudden, intense kiss. Tsubaki tensed at the contact, clearly not expecting it, but instead of trying to push herself away from me, she simply relaxed her body against mine.

The people who happened to pay attention to my Sona's short verbal duel, Rias, Issei and Akeno, along with Sona, were also dumbstruck by my sudden action. Thankfully, everyone else was standing around us and I was leaning down to give the kiss.

The kiss itself was rather chaste, nothing that involved tongue or heavy petting. I simply had my hands at her waist, holding Tsubaki flushed against me; while she had grasped my sleeves, on my upper arms, firmly to keep the two of us close.

After a few moments, I broke the kiss, looking down at the cutely flushed Tsubaki. She was still for a moments, clearly lost in her own mind, before her eyes widened and she realized her current position. Though she didn't jump away from me, she did drop her hands from my arms and look away from me, her face still flushed heavily.

Turning back to the group, I gave them a confident smirk, my earlier mood completely dissipated. "That is how you surprise someone."

"Ufufu, how bold of you, Daisuke-kun. You sure did surprise Tsubaki-fukukaichou." Akeno said behind a hand, smiling faintly.

Rias simply shook her head in amusement, a small playing at her lips.

My King simply gave me a measuring look, then she shook her head with an exasperated expression.

I felt someone pull at my sleeve, I turned partially to see Koneko giving me a small glare and a pout. Her cute hazel eyes regarded me intently as she met mine.

"Daisuke-chan!" I heard a familiar feminine voice call out and I quickly felt a weight crash onto my back, followed by a pair of arms wrapping around my neck from behind. "Welcome to the family, Daisuke-chan! You'll love it being Sona-chan's fiancé. After all, we'll be brother and sister now!" She rubbed her cheek against mine affectionately.

"Onee-sama, please stop causing a scene." Sona said evenly, regarding her sister with a warning glare.

"But I wanted to greet my new otouto!"

The two proceeded to childishly argue with one another, while I simply stood in the middle of them, letting out a resigned sigh. Looking towards Rias, who was watching the festivities with an amused smirk. "This is going to be a norm now, right?" I said to her, already feeling more tired than I've felt in a long time.

"That is a distinct possibility, Daisuke-san. Especially considering the fact that Serafall is going to be your new nee-san." She replied with a knowing grin. "You won't have to worry; where Sona won't spoil you, Serafall-sama will. She seems quite taken with you after all."

Hearing that, Sona scoffed lightly, flustered and off-kilter. "That's because they're both children."

I smiled lightly, letting my head fall. Feeling another tug on my sleeve, I looked over to Koneko again. This time, she gave me an amused, if accepting glance. "It'll be okay, senpai."

"I know. I know…"

"Let me get this straight: you don't care if I…create a harem?" I said hesitantly as I looked to Sona with a questioning gaze. We had returned to the house after all of the festivities and everyone had changed into my comfortable lounging clothes. There were five people currently in the living room: Sona, Tsubaki, Melusine, Himari and myself.

"Not particularly." Sona said succinctly, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's not unusual for Devils to have multiple lovers, as the overall population of Devils has dwindled since the Great War and our birth rate is rather low." She was currently playing Melusine in a quick game of chess, focusing on her moves as she explained everything. "Some Devils even treat members of their Peerages as lovers, it's a normal thing, all things considered."

"It makes sense, in the long run." Melusine spoke as she made a move in the game, her eyes moving from the board to me, then back. "Am I right assuming that allowing polygamy makes it easier for more Devils to be born in the long run?"

Sona nodded, smiling at the board, her hand hovering over the pieces. "Yes. Devils are naturally attracted to power, so when a particularly powerful Devil is made known, it is inevitable for them to attract several possible suitors; if only to have their power passed onto future children and keep the bloodline alive." Before she made her move, she regarded me intently, "I chose you as my fiancé based on several factors: in spite of the impression you make on people, you actually think ahead; you're not arrogant due to the power you carry; you're logical to an extent; and you're kind." She looked back to the board and made her move. "Pulling you into the Sitri family would better help you integrate into Devil society, along with giving you solid ground to plant your feet."

I nodded and leaned onto my hand, resting my elbow on the arm of the chair. "I understand what you're saying, I really do; however, I just don't feel comfortable stringing along several girls who have feelings for me. I'm not Issei, I'm not trying to get a harem, nor do I wish to be the 'Harem King'." I deadpanned at her.

"Oh, but, Young Master, you already have the makings of one~." Himari said with a playful smirk.

"Huh?"

The Nekoshou cocked her head to the side, her white ears twitching lightly as her tail swayed behind her. "You mean you do not notice?" She sighed heavily, "Young Master, there are times when you shock me with your obliviousness. First of all, there's Tsubaki-dono; who's rather smitten with you if the way she acts around you is any indication." Said individual flushed heavily, but looked to Himari with a soft glare. "Sona-dono also added herself to the harem with the act of making you her fiancé." There was a faint blush on her cheeks as she focused on the chess game. "I also consider myself as a part of you harem, Young Master." She licked her lips. "After watching you grow up from the impressionable young boy with immense potential, to the handsome young man with a heart of gold, there's no way I wouldn't fall you, Young Master." That even brought a blush to my cheeks, ironically unused to true, sincere compliments to myself. "Of course, Melusine-dono is also involved."

"I shouldn't be surprised." I said as I released a breath. "I really shouldn't be…"

Melusine smiled faintly, her naturally grace coming forth as she regarded me with her intense yellow-golden eyes. "While I have not known you as long as Himari-san, I do believe I am a good judge of character. This is also not the first time someone of my species has entered into service of a Devil. We ryu only join ourselves with someone with a genuinely kind heart." The end of her tail, which was already resting at my feet, wrapped affectionately around my ankle. "This also isn't the first time someone of my species has entered a union with a Devil, but it's still a rare occurrence. I did say you'd be a fine Husband, after all."

I released a breath, smiling lightly if a bit exhausted. "I got it; I got it. I have a harem. That doesn't mean I'm going to flaunt it or brag about it. If Issei knew, he'd probably curse my name or worship the ground I walk on…" I paused and groaned softly, "I'm keeping this from that perv…"

"He'll probably learn of it eventually." Tsubaki said with a small, amused smile. "I mean, there are two girls in Rias's Peerage that have their eyes on you."

I let my head fall backwards, hitting the back of the chair. "Let me guess… Koneko-chan and Akeno-chan?"

"So, you noticed, Young Master? Not as dense as I thought." Himari smiled proudly.

"Oi, I am not a stereotypical shounen, harem anime protagonist. I have eyes and I can see when someone's interested. It's just I was hesitant about what to do, considering I'm not only getting married, I also have a girlfriend." That caused Tsubaki flush lightly, though she smiled. I laughed lightly, "Oh, I can imagine the gossip that'll result of everyone in Kuoh learning of my situation." That led to the others in the room to laugh lightly, as I had made my distaste for the gossip of the school known several times. I cocked my head to the side, watching the game with faint interest. "You know, I can't help but think that this is entirely your fault, Sona."

She smiled lightly, regarding me knowingly. "But do you regret accepting my proposition?"

"Nope." I said without hesitation.

The next day, Sona, Tsubaki and I walked towards Kuoh Academy early that morning. The two of them were in front of me, walking at a rather sedate pace. It was a start of a new week and Sona wanted to get the paperwork for something called 'Class Observation Day' done early, so she had forcefully enlisted me. Normally, I'd be the last person to wake up in the morning, something I find that I'm immensely proud of and don't like to change. Unfortunately for me, she decided to get an early start on the stereotypical duties of a wife and wake me up after her.

Of course, the moment I pointed out this out in a fit of lethargic frustration, I was surprised when a blast of water slapped me in the face, sending me back on the bed. I laid there for a few moments, blinking in confusion and trying to get the sleep out of my eyes. I did not notice her carrying a bucket and thus came to the conclusion that Sona used magic in order to get juvenile revenge for a quip I made.

It seems I'm rubbing off on her. Good, very good. Soon, the 'rubbing off on her' will be more than figurative.

I actually stopped walking and released a tired groan.

Damn Issei and his perversions. It's starting to affect me…

Shaking my head, I resumed my pace behind my King and her Queen. Yawning softly, I pushed a hand through my hair and tried to fully wake up. I'm exhausted enough as it is; hopefully with Rias's engagement problems resolved I can sit back and relax, doing the occasional Contract and help train my comrades in Sona's Peerage.

Of course, Murphy's Law felt the need to be a dick and killed my joy.

A chill raced down my spine as we came closer to Kuoh Academy. Kusanagi pulsed in sequence, causing me to narrow my eyes in anticipation.

"Sona, Tsubaki." I caught their attention; the fact that I didn't use my familiar honorific made them wary. "There's…a notable Holy presence nearby. I'm assuming it's a Holy Sword."

Sona narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure?"

"I'm a wielder of one of the strongest Holy Swords in existence; I'm sure I can recognize another Holy Sword in the distance." I said with a frown; the presence of the Holy Sword that I recognize is far stronger than that of an Excalibur Fragment. There's only one person I know that holds a Holy Sword stronger than an Excalibur Fragment. Xenovia…

"Hmm. That's not good. I can't feel it yet; can you pinpoint it specifically?" Sona asked of me, turning fully to face me.

I was about to respond in the negative, but I paused. Could I use Kusanagi as a reference point? Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on the distant Holy Sword. "Not specifically, but since it's not moving, I'm assuming she's waiting for someone."

"She?" Tsubaki arched an eyebrow.

I frowned lightly, "She was my kohai under my sword master." I said succinctly, looking to the two of them.

Sona regarded me intently, her eyes searching mine. After a moment, she nodded and said, "At least we won't be surprised. Regardless, we should stay prepared."

Tsubaki nodded, adjusting the strap that held her wooden Naginata on her back.

At that, we resumed our trek towards the school.

Within moments, the three of us reached the front gate of the school. A cold feeling set into my stomach as I recognized three white-cloaked figures that stood at side of the gate. Two of them had their hoods up, while a third had her hood down, looking around, appearing to do so lazily, however I recognized the sharp look in her eyes.

When the three of us came close enough, the three cloaked Exorcists turned to acknowledge our presence. The turned and approached us cautiously; however, when they caught sight of me, they stopped. The two hooded Exorcists lifted their hands, pulling back their hoods to reveal their faces.

The girl on the right had light brown hair tied in a pair of ponytails, each held up by a blue scrunchy. She currently wore a white cloak with blue trimmings, with a black leather bodysuit with leather stockings; handing by a silver chain around her neck was a cross. I could tell without a doubt that under her cloak and wrapped around her left bicep would be a white rope. Her eyes were an unassuming violet color, focusing intently on me.

In the middle of the three stood a young woman with short blue hair with a green fringe in her bangs stood with a large cloth wrapped sword on her back. She regarded me with a faint glare, her dark yellows strikingly sharp. She wore the same uniform as the first.

The third woman stood a few inches taller than the other two with long silver hair, flowing down to her thighs; she regarded all three of us clinically with her blood red eyes, though he gaze ended on me. Pursing her lips, she crossed her arms and gave me a silent gaze, her expression unreadable.

The twin tailed girl was the one who spoke first, "Long time no see…senpai."

I frowned lightly, looking to each of my former comrades. "I wish I could say 'nice to see you again', but I don't think you're here for a pleasant reunion." I quipped on reflex alone, flinching lightly at my naturally flippant tone. "In spite of our circumstances, I am glad to see you're all okay. Irina, Xenovia…Moka."