Chapter 12

Stray Devil's never have it easy. They don't truly deserve to, after all, as they usually betray their former master or even kill them. This one, however, was one of the horrendous few who went far enough as to rape and kill his own master for her troubles. He did it out of lust and greed, wanting to be free and also wishing to rob her of dignity before meeting her end. And so his current predicament was wholly deserved, as he now found himself running for his life through the abandoned warehouse on the docks of Kuoh. He was not quite deformed and upheaval as Viser, but his facial features had taken a turn for wretched. His body was still modestly small in form, the size of a human, but his arms had turned into blade like chains which he could use to lash out. Not that it did him any good in this situation.

"I've found him!" Issei called out as he was only ten or so meters behind the Stray, causing him to groan in fear before summoning a magic circle.

"Get lost, you royal family stooge!" The Stray growled, a barrage of small blades shooting out at the brunette to slow him down.

"You'll have to try harder than that, asshole!" Issei scoffed, holding up his red bracer as a green aura shined from it. A veil of it's energy formed a shield in front of him, blocking the attack harmlessly. At seeing this, the Stray Devil cursed in frustration before turning around and starting to run again.

DORA! He quickly found a fist meeting his jaw, launching him in the air and nearly losing consciousness from the strike. "Where do you think you're going?" Josuke asked darkly, his Stand floating at his side.

"D-damn it…" The Stray coughed out, holding his now broken and bloody nose. "Wh-what kinda human are you?! Why don't you just piss off!" He growled, lashing out with his deformed arm at the Stand user. Josuke stood completely still, not even sending Crazy Diamond to block the attack, only to watch as Koneko crashed through the roof and planted her foot down on the arm and crushing it into the ground. The Stray cried out in pain, whimpering as he tried to crawl away.

"It's over for you, Stray Devil." Rias' melodias voice declared as she arrived, her and the rest of her peerage starting to surround him while he lie on the ground. "Your fate was sealed the moment you turned on your master and came to my territory. You will pay for your crimes."

"Y-you royals are so damn full of yourselves…" The Stray coughed out defiantly as he realized his life was forfeit at this point. He started to raise his one good arm at Rias shakily to try and launch one final attack. "Who cares if I betrayed my master?! She was a bitch anyway, and I gave it to her good! I wish I could do the same to-"

The Stray soon stopped as he found his arm suddenly missing, almost as if it had been erased right before his eyes. He screamed in horror, only for someone to grab his collar and pull him face to face, now meeting eyes with Okuyasu Nijimura.

"Guys like you really get what's fuckin' comin' to ya." Okuyasu growled in anger before using The Hand to deliver a devastating punch to his jaw. The Stray was utterly defeated, unable to fight back and completely at their mercy, though Okuyasu wasn't done with him. "Oi, shithead. Before we turn your ass into dust, do you know anythin' about a Myrcella Lucifuge?" He asked the Stray, causing him to grunt in confusion.

What the hell is he talkin' about? The Stray wondered, almost blurting out that he knew nothing about her until stopping himself. W-wait a sec! I could work with this… "I-I ain't telling you shit about her! A-and if you do something' to me, you'll never know!" He hastily bluffed, a small smile of triumph edging in the corner of his mouth. Okuyasu actually stopped at this, biting his bottom lip and sweat rolling down his forehead.

"I-is that right?! F-fine! But you better tell us everythin', bastard!" Okuyasu warned, raising his fist as he felt tempted to strike him again despite thinking they had a lead.

"L-let me go! Let me go and I'll tell you what you wanna know!" The Devil lied desperately, preparing to activate a magic circle with his broken arm for a last ditch attempt to escape.

"Wait a sec, Okuyasu." Josuke intervened, crouching next to the two and glaring daggers at the Stray who quivered in fear now. "If you know about her, then tell me what the color of her hair is."

The Stray gulped as he was suddenly caught in his lie, forced to try and figure out the right answer or suffer the consequences. Come on, you know that family name somewhere! You heard all those long ass names and they always have the same color hair for whatever dumb reason!

"I-it's red, right?! Y-you know, like that Gra-Grayfia woman married to Sirzechs!" The Stray pointed out hastily, sweat rolling down his brow. Josuke and Okuyasu shared a knowing look before the large haired teen sighed.

"What a dumbass. Her husband had red hair. I guess this was another wild goose chase." Josuke relented, standing at full length with Okuyasu who only cursed.

"Wh-what are you going to do with me?!" The Stray cried out in fear, knowing that he was quite obviously caught in his lie.

"We're not gonna do anything with you." Josuke answered simply, looking down unsympathetically at him. The reports of his actions disgusted the tall teen after all.

"I'd like to beat your ass more for wastin' my breath, but I guess that's just cruel to do now." Okuyasu huffed, both teens looking past the Stray.

"Wh-what do you mean…?" He muttered before following their line of sight. Behind him, Rias stood there with a red magic circle shining in front of her, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Begone, filthy creature. You shall now pay for your crimes against your master." She stated firmly, a black aura surrounding her hand.

"W-wait!" The Stray cried out in fear before it met it's end, the Power of Destruction erupting from the Crimson Princess and enveloping the Stray, eradicating his entire being from existence. Rias took a small breath and smiled before turning to her peerage and the Stand users.

"Let's go home."

"Yes, president!" Her peerage answered just like before. She let out a small giggle before seeing Okuyasu grind his teeth and stomp off toward the side of the building.

"Shit! Another bunk lead!" He cursed as he slammed his fist into the wall, most of the others now turning to him. It had been a week since his brother had been killed. Over this time, the Occult Research Club had followed on several happenings throughout the city, hoping to find some clue as to the whereabouts of their enemy. They had hoped the news of the Stray Devil might yield some results, but so far it had all been for naught. Rias frowned sympathetically, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"Don't be too disheartened, Okuyasu. It was to be expected that we couldn't find them so quickly." Rias spoke honestly, the punk letting out a small tired groan and looking down at the ground. "But don't worry. We will find Myrcella and stop her plans." She declared determinedly, giving a smile before looking back at the others. "Everyone, let's do our best for my brother's sake and Okuyasu-san's. No matter how long it might…" She suddenly trailed off, her grin failing her for a moment and her eyes distant. The others looked at one another in question, even Okuyasu pausing to look at her. Rias sighed after some time, rubbing her head. "Sorry about that. I had a brief… migraine for a moment."

"A-are you alright, president?" Issei asked in concern, taking a step toward his master. She shook her head and put on a strong smile for her peerage.

"I'm quite fine. Just know we'll do what we can. Now let's head back, shall we?" She told them, turning to Akeno who began to make a large magic circle appear at her feet, the rest of the peerage joining her.

"That was a bit anti-climactic for her speech…" Josuke whispered to Issei as he walked up next to him. "What do you think that was about?"

"I-I'm not sure. But maybe we're overthinking it?" Issei suggested with a shrug. Despite his words, both boys didn't put much stock in the idea. Rias had been acting strange all week since the meeting with Jotaro. She had been caught zoning out, seeming heavily unfocused, and even once in a foul enough mood to scare both Josuke and Issei from saying much. She of course apologized later, but continued to leave them in the dark about what was wrong. Not even the rest of her peerage had known when asked, save for Akeno who seemed to have some insight. But the Queen didn't shed any light on it, most likely at the behest of her master.

"Well, regardless, it's not going to do any good dwelling on it." Josuke sighed before glancing at Okuyasu who still seemed to be put out. He shared a glance with Issei before heading to join the others at the Magic Circle, while the brunette stayed behind and punched Okuyasu playfully in the shoulder.

"Come on, don't scramble that brain of yours thinking about it." Issei told the Stand user, crossing his arms and giving a smile. "Besides, tomorrow I've got some real plans for us! You're gonna meet our other friends!"

"Other friends? You mean outside of these guys?" Okuyasu asked with a quirked brow, starting to walk forward as the two talked.

"That's right~! They're my pals from before I became a Devil! Now you're gonna see how things are really done at Kuoh academy!" Issei laughed very oddly, rubbing his hands together and huffing out of his nose as his cheeks turned red from the many ideas he had for the next day.

"Somethin' about that face you're makin' scares me…"


"Wh-what?! This guy is gonna hang out with us?!" Matsuda blurted out in shock. It was currently lunch at Kuoh Academy, and Issei was now taking the time with Josuke to introduce Okuyasu to the rest of the Pervert Trio. They had been unable to do so before because the punk teen had been getting caught up in certain classes and filling up paperwork for his stay at the school the previous week. Now, with some free time, they took advantage of it to get him acquainted with their non-Devil friends. Though the two didn't seem quite to be very welcoming to the tall teen.

"Yeah, he is. Why do you make it sound like a bad thing?" Issei asked in annoyance, quirking a brow at the bald teen among them.

"I-it's not that it's bad, per say, but it's quite out of the blue…" Motohama pointed out this time, pushing his glasses up nervously before leaning in toward Issei. "Are you sure this guy's cool? He looks more like a street punk that's likely to beat us up than anything…"

"Oi, I can hear you, dumbass." Okuyasu pointed out, standing only a couple meters away with Josuke at his side who sighed in exasperation. "You got a problem with me?!"

"N-no!" Motohama and Matsuda yelped in fear as they hugged each other and back away from the taller teen. Issei took a step between them and glared at Okuyasu.

"Okuyasu, these are my good friends. I know they might sound like jerks, but they're good guys. Come on you three, let's start over. Just make friends, alright?" He told them, stepping back and giving a hopeful smile. The tall teen bit his bottom lip before releasing a sigh and turning to the rest of the Pervert Trio.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'm Okuyasu Nijimura. Nice to meet you." The punk introduced himself, the duo somewhat relaxing as he did so and released one another. Motohama stepped up first bravely and held out his hand to shake.

"I-it's cool. I'm Motohama. The brains of our group." The spectacled teen bragged somewhat, earning a chuckle from Josuke.

"Yeah right, you guys only think with your crotches." Josuke teased, causing Motohama to flip him the bird in annoyance. Okuyasu was confused by what Josuke was implying, but was quickly pulled from that when the bald teen finally stepped forward.

"W-well, if Issei and Josuke are willing to vouch for you, you can't be too bad. I'm Matsuda. Former sports star of the school and most successful of the Pervert Trio." He declared, holding his chin with a cheshire smile while the other two grunted in annoyance.

"Pervert… Trio?" Okuyasu muttered, processing what had just been said. "Wait, you mean you guys are…" He mumbled, looking from Issei to Josuke, the latter of which shook his head desperately.

"I'm not one of the pervy three, that's them." Josuke quickly dismissed, pointing at Issei and the others.

"I guess we didn't have time to tell you before, but I have a dream." Issei began, ignoring the groan that came from Josuke. "A dream… to become the Harem King!"

Okuyasu blinked for a moment before his eyes turned into plates, his cheeks flaring with blush. "Wh-what?! A-a Harem King?!" He cried out in utter shock. "Wh-what kinda dream is that?!"

"A true man's dream, Okuyasu!" Motohama suddenly declared, wrapping an arm around Issei's neck and sniffling. "One that we all share and will reach out to the stars for, if that's what it takes!"

"We will have our hands on the tits of the hottest chicks of this school some day!" Matsuda proclaimed, joining the two and laughing lecherously as the three started to share an image of pure, bare skin tits of the many girls they had spied on and even the ones that were left to their imagination, doing a small dance together. It had been some time since they were able to enjoy their shared perversion due to Issei's recently busy schedule. Okuyasu watched in a mixture of disgust and amazement, while Josuke only rolled his eyes, having expected such a silly declaration from the boys.

"I-I don't know if I should be impressed or creeped out…" Okuyasu finally muttered, glancing at Josuke as sweat dripped down his brow.

"Mostly just disgust if anything." Josuke sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Okuyasu's eye twitched for a moment before blinking.

"Hey, don't you guys hang out with that Kiba guy too?" He asked curiously, causing the three to pause in their dancing and grind their teeth.

"Well, he's usually-" Josuke began until Issei jumped forward.

"We don't hang out with the pretty boy. He's the bane of our existence!" Issei declared with a huff, quickly joined by his fellow perverts as they made the tall punk slightly recoil as they moved forward intensely.

"Yeah! Have you seen all the girls that hang around him?!" Motohama asked before glancing out the window. "There! There he is now!" He said pointing. Okuyasu followed his line of sight to see the blond in mention, widening his eyes in shock when he realized he was surrounded by a group of girls. He was happily walking with them all as the girls seemed to be fawning his every step, trailing just shortly behind him as if none were worthy to walk next to him.

"N-no way… that…" Okuyasu muttered out before gnashing his teeth and gripping his fists. "T-that lucky bastard! I can't believe he's that popular!" He cried out, his eyes tearing slightly as he watched in envy. "I've never even had one girl act like that with me…"

"It's guys like him that make our lives a living hell!" Matsuda sniffled, wrapping an arm around the punk's shoulders as he now felt more connected to him. "In fact, if Josuke wasn't so chill we'd hate the hell out of him too!"

"Hey!" Josuke snapped indignantly, frowning at the perverts words.

"J-Josuke too? Is he that popular?" Okuyasu asked, looking at the three in question.

"Josuke might hang out with us, but the girls sure do love him. He tries to play it off, but he's not fooling anyone." Issei explained this time, only for the mentioned Stand user to click his tongue.

"I'm telling you guys, I'm not that-"

"Hi, Josuke-kun!" A girl called out to him from down the hall, causing the five to glance down and see several waving expectantly at the tall teen. Josuke's eye twitched at the timing of the aforementioned greeting, but as a gentlemen, he raised his hand and waved back. The girls giggled as he did so and whispered among themselves as they started to leave. Josuke slowly looked back at the four, a small bead of sweat rolling down his cheek as he saw their half lidded eyes glaring at him, including Okuyasu this time.

"... Sh-shut up…" He muttered, rolling his eyes and turning his head away from them. He suddenly felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, looking to the side to see a familiar face that caused him to sweat nervously.

"Hey~, guys! What are you all up to?" A feminine voice asked, causing the three to immediately pause in their funny dance and release one another. Okuyasu glanced at the speaker, a girl with red hair and two braids that went down her shoulders. She had a fairly normal stature, a bit short with a typical bust size. She wore large round glasses with purple rims, her eyes narrowed mischievously at the group of boys.

"A-Aika!" They cried out in fear, immediately backing away. Josuke looked like he wanted to escape, but Aika tightened her arm around his neck as a cat-like grin spread across her lips.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Okuyasu asked with a raised brow, eyes looking back and forth between the perverts and the small girl curiously and seeing the way she made even Josuke fluster up.

"Why hello there, you must be the new student! I'm Aika Kiriyuu, nice to meet you." Aika introduced, turning her grin toward Okuyasu before looking him up and down and pushing her glasses up. "Oh my, you're not bad either. I guess birds of a flock, huh Josuke-san? My big buddy?" She goaded, the tall teen blushing and keeping his gaze opposite of Aika as he barely kept his composure with his arms crossed.

"St-stop lookin' at me like that… It's like you're undressing me with your eyes..." Josuke quivered a bit before looking at Okuyasu. "To put it simply, she's basically the female equivelant of those three…"

"Eh?! You're a pervert too?!" Okuyasu cried out in shock, jaw slightly slacking. "B-but you look like any other normal cute girl…"

"Aw, why thank you! You guys have a real lady killer here, huh?" Aika giggled while wiggling her eyebrows at the tall punk.

"D-don't let her fool you, Okuyasu! She may look cute, but she's a pure-blooded lech!" Motohama declared fiercely, apparently working up his courage and pointing at the red head. "She possesses a similar skill to mine! I am able to tell the exact sizes of a girl's body just by looking at them. But Aika is able tell the size of…" He gulped once he paused, unsure what to exactly say.

"Hey, guys!" A familiar voice interrupted the conversation, saving the boys momentarily as Asia approached them from down the hall. "Ah, Aika-chan! I was wondering where you went off to." the blond smiled at the bespectacled female who smiled kindly in response.

"Sorry, Asia-chan. I just wanted a head start on seeing the boys." The bespectacled girl apologized with a giggle before Issei hopped forward.

"A-Asia! Don't tell me you're hanging out with this monster!" Issei cried out in fear, hoping that the sweet, innocent Asia would not be corrupted by Aika and her rather lecherous ways.

"Hey pot, have you met kettle?" Josuke muttered with a sigh, though the moment Aika pressed further up against him he blushed again.

"Aika-chan is very nice to me, Issei-san! She was my first friend in class!" Asia dismissed with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, come on guys. Don't act like that." Aika giggled once again before finally releasing Josuke once more, the tall teen taking a deep breath of relief as he backed away from her, and moving to Asia's side. "As her fellow classmate, I think it's my obligation to take care of her."

"I do have a bad feeling about this…" Josuke mumbled under his breath, rubbing the back of his head.

"So what are you five up to?" Aika said, deciding to ignore the tall teen's comments for now. Motohama and Matsuda quickly grabbed Issei and pulled him back with sly grins.

"We actually had some plans for lunch today while we had the chance. Isn't that right, Issei? Sorry, but no girls allowed." Matsuda declared, causing Issei to blink in question before a look of realization hit him and he grinned for a brief moment before shaking his head and trying to look serious.

"Yep, that's completely right! Sorry, Asia-chan. I promise to hang out with you later, okay? The boys and I are trying to get Okuyasu here fitted in with us." Issei declared, causing the tall teen in question to blink.

"Ah, that's fine. I don't mind spending more time with Aika-chan and the others in class." Asia assured with her usual soft smile.

"Try not to get into too much trouble, boys." Aika chuckled, apparently having some idea of what they were planning before winking at Josuke, the pompadour'd teen feeling a chill run down his spine. "Come on, Asia-chan. There's a lot I should tell you about boys since we have the time…" She trailed off as she wrapped an arm around the blond's shoulders and walked off with her.

"I-is Asia-chan gonna be alright?" Okuyasu asked with a gulp, apparently picking up on how intimidating Aika was sexually.

"She'll be fine. I'm just happy to see Asia's making some friends. Even if it's Aika." Issei admitted with a content look as he watched the two return to their classroom.

"Aika's a little… intense but she's not a bad girl either." Josuke pointed out this time as he started to relax once again, leaning against the wall and turning toward the Pervert Trio. "So, what's this big thing you guys have planned? Though I'm pretty sure I know what it is."

"Well, dear Josuke, if you must ask, I will admit that Motohama and I found a rather glorious spot that we can use for our… scientific needs." Matsuda chuckled, his cheeks turning red as he thought about it.

"Scientific needs? I thought you guys had somethin' fun planned…" Okuyasu dumbly mumbled, looking a bit disappointed. Josuke rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"They're basically just gonna go peek in one of the girls locker rooms or something like that." Josuke bluntly put it, a knowing look on his face. The punk immediately gaped in shock, blush creeping on his face as he looked at the three for confirmation.

"That's exactly right~! We've got the best seats in the house and haven't been caught yet!" Motohama declared proudly, pounding his chest. "It might be a tight squeeze, but we can make it work! Okuyasu, since you're gonna be one of our new bros, we can get you a seat in the locker next to us. Sorry, but you're too big to be in the same one." He offered. Okuyasu only continued to look flabbergasted, staring at them for a moment before Josuke finally put his hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I don't really mind their peeking habits at this point. Well, more like I'm numb to them now. But it's only your first week here. You don't want to get labeled as the new pervert at the school by joining these three." Josuke sagely advised, his fellow Stand user now glancing at him as his words started to sink in.

"Only because you didn't stop the girls from saying those things!" Matsuda accused, pointing a finger at Josuke. "I bet you're the one who chimed the term 'Pervert Trio'!"

"Hey, I tried to talk you guys up a bit when we first got to this school when I could!" Josuke snapped back with narrowed eyes. "But within the first week you guys ruined it by peeking. Several times. As if one ass kicking wasn't enough to teach you."

"No pain, no gain, Josuke! The tits will always be worth it!" Issei declared proudly, air huffing out of his nose before glancing up at Okuyasu. "So, are you in?"

Okuyasu suddenly felt all eyes on him now, pressure hitting him as he struggled to figure it out on his own. Sh-shit, this is why I wish my bro was here... "I-I think I'll… sit this one out. I did just start school here…" he finally answered, earning some disappointed groans from the Pervert Trio while Josuke chuckled and gave him a thumbs up.

"Well, perhaps another time. It's never too late to corrupt you." Issei cackled evilly before the three turned around, arms now wrapped around each other's shoulders. "Well then, we're off! Catch you guys after school~!" He said before they dashed of, leaving a dust cloud in their wake. Okuyasu watched them with a small sweat drop on the back of his head, glancing back at Josuke.

"They really are huge perverts. I thought it was some kinda exaggeration... " The punk admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"It's a very accurate title. But you made the right choice." Josuke chuckled, patting his shoulder with a small smirk. "Those guys always get caught. Or Issei gets left behind and caught by himself. Still, either wouldn't be good for you."

"Eh?! But they sounded so sure it would work!" Okuyasu blanched, only for Josuke to roll his eyes.

"They always act like they have the 'perfect' hiding places." Josuke huffed, making finger quotes when he said perfect, before he started to walk down the hall with his fellow Stand user quickly walking pace with him. "Nine times out of ten I have to go and help them get out of a bad situation once they've been caught. Which should be in… fifteen to twenty minutes." He mused, glancing at his phone's time. "Until then, let's get some lunch."

"A-ah, alright then." Okuyasu agreed, deciding to just go along with whatever Josuke wanted now. "What should we eat?"

"Not sure. Don't really want anything from the school right now." Josuke hummed in thought for a moment before an idea came to him. "Oh, let's go to Owsons! We can get one of their decent boxed lunches right now."

"That doesn't sound so bad, but I've only got around five hundred yen on me right now. I don't think I can get a drink with it if we do." Okuyasu grumbled, knowing that he didn't have much to spare since he had to maintain a certain amount to get by for the next few years alone.

"Don't worry about that part! I've got it handled." Josuke declared giving a thumbs up in reassurance.


As planned, the two grabbed their lunches and returned to the school, Josuke leading Okuyasu toward the old school building where their club resided. "What the hell, I thought you had some secret place you go to for drinks or somethin'." Okuyasu complained as they walked through the dimly lit building.

"I never said something like that. I just said I had it handled." Josuke waved off before holding his index finger up. "Besides, this is just as nice as anything else. Sometimes during lunch, Issei and I come to the club room. Akeno-chan is usually there, sometimes one of the others as well, and always offers to make tea or coffee." He explained, the punk now humming in understanding.

"Oh, that's pretty cool! Especially if it helps me save money for lunch." Okuyasu chuckled a little before his face turned a bit red. "Sp-speaking of the girls…. They're all pretty damn hot, huh?" Okuyasu admitted, holding his chin in thought. "The first time I met 'em, I was way too preoccupied to care. But now…"

"You sound a lot like Issei when you say stuff like that." Josuke sighed as they reached the main club room, grabbing the doorknob. "Trust me when I say he's got plenty to say on the matter."

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you're not interested, Josuke! All these chicks are scorchin' hot!" Okuyasu laughed, nudging him with his elbow as his eyebrows wiggled knowingly. "Don't say you didn't notice."

"Come on, can we not talk about girls? It's basically all Issei talks about so I'd like a breather from it." Josuke groaned as he opened the door while looking back at him. Due to being distracted, he didn't hear the faint sound of running water behind the shower curtain near Rias' desk. "Especially if it has to do with our friends."

"Ah, come on! You'd have to be gay not to notice!" Okuyasu argued,sticking his bottom lip out. He suddenly blinked and narrowed his eyes at Josuke and slightly leaned back after they entered the room. "You're not, right? I mean it doesn't matter to me, but-"

"Shut up! I'm not gay!" Josuke snapped in annoyance and grinding his teeth before shaking his head. "Don't bother trying to wrap your dumb mind around it, it's not that-wait." He suddenly stopped, turning his head to listen. Before he finished speaking though, the water had already turned off. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Okuyasu dumbly replied, having still been unaware of the sound before. "I didn't hear anythin'."

"It sounded like the show...er…" Josuke muttered before paling. "Ah shit…"

"Ah, Josuke-kun! Okuyasu-san! Good afternoon." The alluring voice of Akeno spoke as the shower curtain was pulled back. Both boys slowly looked over to see a still wet Akeno with a bathrobe on, her hair down instead of in a ponytail per usual. The robe was rather thin and short, stopping mid thigh at the bottom and sticking to her moist skin which was still somewhat showing through the fabric. Needless to say, her current state made both boys gape, Josuke's cheeks red with embarrassment while Okuyasu had steam coming out of his nose and ears, completely taken back by the beauty standing before them half naked.

"I'm sorry to have taken a shower right now, I wasn't sure if you boys were coming today since you ran a bit late. I missed the chance last night because of our mission so I thought I'd take a shower here once I got the chance." Akeno explained with a giggle, acting as casual as ever as she tried to dry her hair with a towel. "If you boys would like, I can still make you some tea."

"N-no! Th-that's alright, Akeno-chan! Don't strain yourself over it!" Josuke laughed panickedly, quickly turning and starting to push Okuyasu back toward the door. "W-we'll find somewhere else to hang out!" He tried to dismiss, though leaving became difficult as his equally large companion was nearly planted into the ground, jaw still slack as he stared upon the raven haired beauty.

"Nonsense, I'd hate to make you both run around to find somewhere else to eat." Akeno shook her head with a serene smile, leaning down and grabbing the tray with the tea pot and cups. Doing so made the top of her ample breasts stick out more, water glistening off of her beautiful white skin.

"S-seriously, no trouble for us at all! Okay we'll see you after school-bye!" Josuke hurriedly continued to push, this time actually getting the punk out the door and shutting it behind him.

Akeno raised a brow as he did so before giggling. "He's so fun to tease~."

Josuke and Okuyasu both leaned against the wall of the clubroom hall, the former leaning on his knees and taking a deep breath. "Seriously… why did they put a shower in there?"

"I'm… so happy I came to this school…" Okuyasu muttered, a goofy yet dreamy smile on his face. Josuke opened his mouth to comment before sighing in defeat.

"Let's just… go wait for Issei to get caught…"


"Are you okay, Issei-san?" Asia asked worriedly as her Sacred Gear shined from her hands. As Josuke predicted, the boy had been caught in the act along with the other two of the Pervert Trio. Their luck turned out to be even worse as it was Koneko who found them before anyone else. The petite girl had given him the beating he wholly deserved, soon after handing him over to Josuke to take back to the clubroom.

"N-not really…" Issei's muffled voice said through his swollen lips before glaring at Josuke with his black eyes. "Why couldn't you heal me earlier?"

Josuke was currently leaning on one arm against the couch, glancing at Issei lazily as Koneko moved past the brunette to join him on the couch. "A little cat asked me not to. Plus you deserved it." He explained simply. As Koneko took a seat, without even looking at Josuke, the two used their free hands to high five one another, looking as casual as possible.

"Man! You really got beat down!" Okuyasu laughed boisterously, holding his stomach as he leaned over the center of the couch. "I'm so glad I didn't go with you guys."

"Why must you always give into your desires so easily?" Rias sighed tiredly, giving a small smile.

"W-well, I just kinda went with the flow when Motohama and Matsuda brought it up…" Issei admitted to his shame, scratching his cheek as he was now healed thanks to Asia.

"I-Issei-san!" Asia cried out, her cheeks red as she looked rather determined. "If you want to look at naked bodies so badly, then…" she began before shutting her eyes and grabbing the bottom of her skirt, ready to pull it up. Josuke and Okuyasu widened their eyes as the blond did so before Issei reached out and grabbed her hands.

"A-Asia-chan, no! That's not what this is about!" he desperately tried to discourage Asia so that she wouldn't go so far.

"Issei! What did I say about corrupting Asia?!" Josuke growled in anger, tempted to get up and punch the brunette out.

"I-I swear, I haven't done anything to her!" The brunette cried out waving his arms in surrender.

"She does have a point, though." Rias supplied, getting back on topic. "You really don't have to keep peeping. You can just ask me if you'd like to see my own body." She offered very freely.

"Huh?!" Josuke and Okuyasu cried out in complete shock, Issei standing up and gaping at his master.

"S-seriously, president?!"

"Of course. After all, you have seen me naked several times." Rias reasoned, Issei blushing as he rubbed his head sheepishly.

"W-well yeah, but…" He muttered before groaning in pain, Asia reaching out and grabbing his cheek and tugging on it hard.

"Geez, Issei!" She cried out jealously, her own cheeks a tint of red again. Rias raised a brow before letting out a soft giggle and giving a smile as she watched the two.

"Wh-what the hell?! You lucky bastard! Havin' two girls offer t-th-that!" Okuyasu snapped at the brunette, tears starting to fill his eyes. "I-I thought you understood what it meant to not have girls like that?!"

"W-wait, Okuyasu! It's not like that!" Issei exclaimed, feeling ashamed that he made the punk feel left out now.

"Seriously, though. You two shouldn't just be offering him that kinda stuff so easily." Josuke declared with a criticizing gaze at Rias and Asia and pointing a finger. "You're just enabling his shitty desires of peeking. He should be a man and get a girlfriend if that's what he wants."

"Aw~, are you feeling left out, Josuke-kun?" Akeno suddenly spoke, leaning over his shoulder from behind the couch, putting her quite close to his face until Josuke scooted away a bit from her nervously. "If it'll help, I can show you my body."

"Pl-please stop. I'm still recovering from earlier, Akeno-chan…" Josuke nearly pleaded, looking sideways as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. The raven haired beauty only giggled in response before straightening up and walking over to a stack of papers on Rias' desk. Okuyasu was visibly drooling, apparently lost in the memory.

"Wh-what exactly happened earlier?!" Issei asked, now curious. But Rias held up a hand and shook her head.

"Sorry, but you've all wasted enough time as it is. It's time for you to head out for your contracts." She ordered, making the brunette blink and rub his head sheepishly.

"S-sorry, president. I'll be sure to get one today!" He said confidently, jumping to his feet and smiling at his fellow Devils. "Come on, guys! We're burning daylight!" He called before heading toward the door with his chest held high.

"I-Issei-san, wait!" Asia called out before quickly following after. Koneko only sighed before sparing a glance at Josuke,nodding to him before standing up and walking out.

"We'll see you guys later." Kiba called out as he walked in line with the small white haired girl. Their master walked over to the window of the room, watching the four walk off to their jobs. She listened to their idle chatter, her eyes landing on her lone pawn with care. She truly was happy to have made the boy part of her peerage, despite his misgivings. He was very caring and a hard worker, with much room for development. A small frown fell upon her features, knowing that things hadn't been going too well for him of late with his contracts.

"Isn't it quite funny?" Akeno suddenly spoke, pulling Rias' attention away from her pawn to look back at her. "Issei has yet to make a single successful contract with anyone. Despite this, he's been highly praised in the surveys we've received from our customers."

"Surveys?" Josuke repeated curiously, who had decided to start reading an issue of Ultra Jump once the others had left with Okuyasu sitting next to him doing the same. "You guys actually have people fill out a questionnaire like ones for customer service at a grocery store?"

"That's right. It's always good to receive feedback from customers about how our servants are doing." Akeno confirmed, holding the forms out to Josuke across the table. The tall teen raised a brow before taking the stack of papers in his hand and looking them over for himself. "Issei is quite popular with those he meets with, many appreciating his company. Sadly, he's still yet to form a pact with any of them."

"Devils sure have weird jobs…" Okuyasu hummed as he leaned in next to Josuke to read some of the papers that he was going through as well.

"Issei's probably just being way too chill with the people he meets." Josuke suggested with a small smirk, reading each compliment with a bit of pride for his friend before handing the papers back to Akeno. "He's pretty selfish, but not so much that he can straight out ask someone for payment just for hanging out, you know?"

"Perhaps, but it's not doing him any good." Rias suddenly suggested, causing the three to glance at her in question. "If this continues, I'm afraid he'll lose confidence in himself. He might take his failures, such as with the familiar incident, to heart and lose faith in himself. I need to focus my attention to him, so I can help him to keep trying." she declared thoughtfully, her eyes becoming focused as she glanced back out the window. Josuke and Okuyasu glanced at one another in question before shrugging, unsure of what to say to that. Akeno, however, took a much more bemused look.

"You seem more assertive than usual." The raven haired beauty pointed out, her master turning back to her queen with a raised brow.

"Is there something wrong with wanting to assist one of my servants?" Rias asked, sounding slightly sharp in her tone.

"It just seems a bit strange to me is all." Akeno admitted with a knowing smile. "You're usually one for sitting and observing when it comes to one of us. You do help when we need it, but you stay on the sidelines until our most desperate times of need."

"That does sound a bit like what happened with the whole Raynare thing." Josuke mused, leaning on one arm and glancing at Rias in question. "I didn't want to say anything until now, but is there something going on with-"

"I appreciate all of your concern." Rias quickly cut off, her jade green eyes shining as she spoke. "But these are my problems which I will deal with. Which includes Issei's training. I am the president of this club still, correct?" She added more kindly, a small smile gracing her lips. Akeno seemed to consider a response before releasing a sigh and forcing a smile.

"Of course, president." She answered before standing from her seat. "If you don't mind, I think I'll head home now."

"We'll walk you out. I was planning to stop by Owson's to get some more Jump magazines anyway." Josuke declared, standing up with Okuyasu now.

"So no big monster chase tonight?" Okuyasu asked curiously, knowing it wasn't usually routine to do so, but nonetheless used to the idea of pursuing leads with the group.

"Jotaro-san is currently following any available leads we have and there are no Stray Devil incidents at the moment. We'll just have to wait and see if anything else happens." Rias informed the punk, who nodded slowly in understanding. As the three headed for the door, Rias leaned on her desk with both hands, her eyes shut tight as she considered her next action carefully. Finally she released a breath, looking up at them once again.

"Josuke-kun, Akeno. Please wait a moment. There's something I'd like to discuss before you leave."

Josuke's hand was on the doorknob before he stopped once she spoke, glancing back at the crimson haired princess. "Oh, sure thing." He agreed, walking back while Akeno followed after him.

"Wh-what should I do?" Okuyasu asked dumbly, unsure if his presence was necessary at the moment.

"Just give us some time and wait in the hall, Okuyasu-san. We'll be done shortly I believe. Depending on the direction of the conversation." The crimson haired princess informed him. Okuyasu shared a glance with Josuke who only shrugged in response, unsure what this was about as well.

"Got it. I'll be outside then." Okuyasu agreed before walking out alone. Josuke turned back to Rias and walked back to the table.

"So, what's on your mind?" Josuke asked casually, tucking his bag under his arm as he stood across from her. Akeno made her way to Rias' side, glancing down at her master curiously. The crimson haired Devil stared at her table for a long silent moment, her hands interlocked in front of her before she turned her sincere gaze up to the tall teen.

"Josuke-kun… please join my peerage." She said with not a slither of humor in her tone. Akeno's eyes widened for a moment at the sudden request, though she knew it was eventually coming. She glanced up to see Josuke's own reaction, which nearly caused her to giggle if it weren't for how serious her master was currently being. The tall teen's left eye was currently twitching, seemingly taken off guard by the suggestion before finally laughing awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"C-come on, prez. You just had to throw one in right before I go home… don't go joking like that…" Josuke nervously dismissed, but as he met her eyes it started to sink in that she was dead serious.

"We've been dancing around the subject for some time now, Josuke-kun. I haven't persisted because I know that you have your own personal reasons for not wanting to do so, and that was fine. But surely you know the benefits of making you one of us officially." Rias reasoned, her jade orbs almost piercing Josuke's own. "Your lifespan will become far longer than you could imagine. Your senses and physical capabilities would become greatly enhanced. And just like those that Myrcella is turning into servants, you would gain even greater potential for improvement upon your Stand abilities." She listed off, her posture straightening as she leaned back into her chair. "I think you should give it some serious thought before just dismissing it. Please."

Silence fell upon the room once Rias had said her peace, the crimson haired girl watching Josuke carefully for his reaction. Akeno remained silent as well, seeing the benefits of having Josuke among their ranks and hoping he would agree. Not to mention he was basically one of them at this point, even if it was somewhat unofficial. Josuke bit his bottom lip, glancing at the ground and shading his eyes with his hair.

Rias waited for a moment longer before sighing and speaking up. "If you need time to think, you don't have to answer-"

"I'm sorry, but… no." Josuke finally answered, Rias and Akeno's eyes widening. He looked back up at them, a soft but firm atmosphere surrounding his gaze. "I can see why it'd be tempting to become one, but I… just can't. I'm sorry."

Rias and Akeno shared questioning looks before the Devil master frowned and looked into his eyes with a more defeated expression. "But why?" her voice echoed her feelings, more somber than Josuke was used to hearing from her. He wasn't sure what to answer with at first, walking over to the window by her chair and staring out at the school.

"It's not you, if that's what you think. You guys are my close friends now, and I don't doubt your intentions any more." Josuke declared, giving a small smile to her from the side before becoming more contemplative. "But when you made Issei your servant, it was because he was dead. There was nothing else that could be done. And from then on, he would always serve you. His decisions in life were decided for him at that point." He shifted back to Rias, his eyes gentle as he spoke. "I don't want that. I want to be able to pick what happens to me from now on for as long as I live. Whether it's helping you and hanging out with everyone or deciding to go and fight who I need to. I want to be able to choose for myself."

"But Josuke-" Rias began before she finally realized something. This was exactly what she wanted for herself, and was half of why she was even asking Josuke this question in the first place. It hurt her inside, for the crimson haired Devil had tried to take what she sought away from one of her closest friends so that she could keep it herself. At this point, Rias knew exactly what she would do. She clutched her chest and smiled in understanding, looking up at the tall teen with greater empathy. "Okay. I understand."

"I knew you would." Josuke chuckled, a small goofy grin crossing his lips again as he started to relax once more. "I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but that's just how I feel about it."

"That's perfectly fine. Now that I have a better understanding, I fully support your decision." Rias declared kindly, standing from her seat and holding out a hand. Josuke quickly took it, shaking it with care. "I trust that you'll be able to handle our enemies even as you are."

"Just leave it to me. We'll take them like we always do." He confidently proclaimed before slinging his bag over his shoulder. "If that's all, I'm going to head home now. But I'm glad we had this talk. Thanks for understanding."

"Thank you for being honest with me." Rias replied in kind as she leaned against her desk and watching him leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Josuke-kun."

"Later." Josuke waved goodbye before closing the door behind him. Rias smiled for a moment longer before sighing and turning her attention back to the pages of feedback on her peerage.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Akeno suddenly inquired, causing Rias to glance at her queen. "Josuke-kun might have been far more willing to become one of us if you explained the situation."

Rias watched her for a moment before shaking her head. "It wouldn't be fair to put that burden on his shoulders. As much as I'd like his help in the matter, I can't do that to Josuke-kun." she admitted, her hand gripping anxiously. "He's the type of person that would do anything to help his friends, even if he won't admit it. Abusing that kindness would be terrible of me. I'd be no better than him."

Akeno observed her master for a moment before nodding perceptively. "I see. It is a shame, though. It would have been fun if Josuke had joined us. He's been very good to us. Not to mention he's fun to tease."

"Why Akeno, are you taking an interest in a boy? I thought you said you hated boys." Rias mocked in a sweet tone, smiling playfully at her queen.

"Oh, stop. It's just fun to see him become so flustered." Akeno giggled dismissively before turning around. "I'm going to head home now, if that's alright."

"It's no problem, I'll see you tomorrow." Rias approved as she watched the raven haired girl take her leave. She turned back to the window, staring out at the school. She had little chance to think of much else though, as soon after a magic circle glowed with life at the center of the room. Rias' eyes widened as she immediately recognized the power, biting her thumb. I had less time than I hoped after all.


Later that night, Josuke found himself at home playing a game of Overwatch, relaxing peacefully despite the previous conver-

"Will someone get on the damn payload?! I can only do so much as Lucio!" Josuke snapped as his fingers danced away at his Playstation controller. "And why do we have two Widowmakers on attack?! I swear to god, there is so much autism in this game!"

"Josuke! Will you get off that damn game already! You're making too much noise!" His mother called from downstairs. It was the weekend and so he was allowed to be up late and play. Though that didn't mean his mother didn't get annoyed by his constant cursing while trying so hard in a game.

"Will one of you get on the payload with me?! I have my ult and-" he soon died and the clock ticked down toward the end. Josuke slumped his shoulders as he heard the computer announce their defeat, his head bowed in exhaustion. "We lost…" He grumbled as he left the game and started to search for another. "I am not going to bed until I have a good game, damn it!" He proclaimed despite being alone. He heard his phone ring with life, glancing at it from the side though felt half inclined to ignore it. As it kept ringing he groaned before grabbing it and looking at the name listed. Of course, it's Issei. "Goddamn it…" He muttered before putting it between his head and his shoulder. "What's going on? Hop on Over-"

"Dude!" Issei barked through the phone, nearly blasting Josuke's ear out as he winced from the volume and dropped his phone. He fumbled with his phone as he tried to grab it in air before finally catching it and putting it back to his head. "You will not believe wha-"

"Don't go shouting in my ear soon as I pick up the phone, dumbass!" Josuke quickly shouted back, hearing Issei grumble from the volume this time before turning back to his game with a puffed out lips. "Now what's going on?"

"You didn't have to shout so loud…" Issei complained from the other side, though Josuke imagined him shaking his head before speaking again. "B-but seriously! Something really… incredible just happened to me!"

"What, did you walk in on Asia-chan in the shower again?" Josuke sighed as his next game started up.

"N-no! I-I mean, that happened earlier, but-that's not what I'm calling you about!" Issei quickly dismissed though Josuke was starting to lose interest at this point as he tried to focus on his game. "I-it was the president! She just tried to… sleep with me!"

At that Josuke immediately stopped his game, blinking as he processed what he just heard from his best friend. After some time thinking, there was only one thing to say that came to mind. "Bullshit. You're lying." Josuke casually replied as he spawned his character again to keep playing.

"D-dude, I'm telling the truth!" Issei tried to affirm, though Josuke could only give a disbelieving grunt.

"Oh, really~? Man you sure are lucky…" Josuke drawled, sarcasm thick in his voice.

"I'm being serious here!"

"Are you sure you didn't just have a wet dream? Seems like the more logical conclusion." Josuke lamely suggested, chuckling a bit at his own joke.

"I swear on everything that it's what happened! I wouldn't lie about this!" Issei urged on, only earning a sigh from Josuke in response. "Pl-plus, I couldn't make up or dream what happened after! Right as we were about to get into it, a hot woman in a maid outfit showed up!"

"That sounds exactly like something you'd dream up." Josuke bluntly retorted as he used Lucio to slide along the wall of a map and into the checkpoint.

"O-okay, maybe I put that wrong. But it's who she was that mattered!" Issei attempted to recover.

"Look, I'm trying to focus here, so if you're done fantasizing-"

"It was Grayfia Lucifuge! You know, sister of that chick that's making Stand user Devils!"

Josuke once again visibly paused and seemed to pay more attention now. Of course, his reasoning made it hard to fully believe him, chuckling somewhat disbelievingly. "N-no way, you're making that up." Josuke tried to dismiss, though he had a bead of sweat on his forehead. "You're thinking too much about the… case…" He trailed off as a light started to shine across his room from the ground. He slowly turned his gaze to it to see it was a magic circle, though it was white in contrast to the red one that Rias usually made. Slowly, a figure started to form in the white light.

"I'm telling you, it wasn't a dream! She had silver hair like I've never seen!" On cue, the figure's head started to become visible, revealing locks of shining silver, "She was really pale skinned, but in a fair kind of way, not a sun deprived!" The figure's face soon became apparent, revealing a beautiful woman with rose red lipstick and fair skin. Josuke was currently shaking in confusion, unsure what exactly was happening as he continued to listen to Issei's spot on description. "And like I said, she wore like an old, victorian style maid outfit! She had an amazing body!" Finally, her entire body came into form, revealing a very obvious maid outfit. Josuke's jaw slacked a bit as he stared at the woman, questions filling his head.

"I-Issei… I'm gonna have to call you back…" Josuke muttered on the line, interrupting the brunette's tirade. He didn't bother to listen for his response as he lowered his phone and stuffed it into his pocket. The beautiful silver haired Devil watched him with cold eyes as he stood up.

"So, you are Josuke Higashikata. It seems that Rias-sama was not exaggerating in her description of you." The woman finally spoke, her voice rather stern and void of emotion. Josuke took a deep breath and put his hands together as he tried to collect himself.

"What are you doing in my house?!" Josuke cried out as his composure completely collapsed, pointing at the maid in question.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Josuke-sama. My name is Grayfia Lucifuge, wife of the Maou Sirzechs Lucifer. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The Devil bowed politely. "It is rare to meet one of your bloodline."

"U-uh, oh… Nice to meet you…" Josuke answered as politely as possible, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "B-but is there a reason you came here? I wasn't really expecting company…"

"Yes, there is. Again, I apologize for my intrusion upon your household, but there is a personal matter I'd like to discuss with you." Grayfia declared, glancing around the room. "If you would like, you can take a seat again as we talk."

"Y-yeah, okay…" Josuke mumbled as he sat in the computer chair of his room. Grayfia seemed to be waiting for him to sit before speaking again.

"I would like to discuss my sister and her actions here if you don't mind." Grayfia explained, getting straight to the point. Josuke's brow furrowed a bit.

"N-not to change the subject, but I thought that… Rias was trying to keep this from her brother?" Josuke asked honestly, remembering the words his president spoke some time ago. "How do you know about this?"

"So I've come to understand. But because my sister is involved, Rias-sama elected to share this information with me. In return, I gave my word to withhold from telling my husband until the time is right or in case of emergency."

"Ah, I see…" Josuke muttered in understanding before leaning on one hand. "So… what is it you wanted to discuss then?"

"Firstly… I'm sorry for the loss of your grandfather. I heard that it was one of her servants that… did it." Despite her previous stony visage, her features seemed to soften as she said this. Josuke's eyes became somewhat downcast, nodding in response.

"Yeah. It was one of her servants. Though I'm sure that she gave the order to kill me." Josuke declared firmly, gripping his right hand in frustration over the incident. Grayfia noticed his anxiety but could only nod.

"There is nothing I can say to excuse her actions, nor shall I justify them." The silver haired Devil said calmly before meeting Josuke's eyes once more. "But my question now will be this: do you personally hold a grudge against my sister?"

Josuke raised a brow at this question, unsure what her purpose would be in asking. "I definitely don't have any love for her, but…" Josuke took a moment to think his answer over before meeting her gaze. "I wouldn't say I personally hold it against her. Any anger I had over that was dealt out to Angelo who's now down the street as a tourist attraction." He said jerking his thumb toward the window. "But that doesn't mean I forgive her for anything. She still deserves justice."

"You are quite right, she does." Grayfia agreed with a nod before releasing a sigh. "But even so, I still must make a selfish request."

"And what might that be?" Josuke hummed, though part of him knew the answer.

"Please, if you are capable of doing so should you encounter her, spare my sister." Grayfia said without hesitation, her voice softening its colder tone. "I know you have no relation to me nor owe anything to me for that matter, but please… if you can, spare her life."

Josuke crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back into his chair. "I'm not really one for killing people anyway, even if they deserve it, but-"

"I am also referring to your alternative means of eliminating a threat." Grayfia pointed out, shaking her head. "I do not wish for my sister to befall the fate of which her knight suffered at your hands."

"Okay, I get it. You just want us to catch her, not kill her." Josuke nodded in understanding before leaning forward on his knees. "But will she still be punished for what she's done?"

"Of course. While I do wish for her to be spared, she cannot act so brazenly without punishment." Grayfia explained, a more hardened glare spreading across her eyes as she spoke of it. But this only flashed by for a moment before fading back to her more neutral expression. "To give her the proper punishment, though, I would prefer if she were not fused with stone or the like, something which is only repairable by you."

Josuke turned his head away in thought for a moment, considering Grayfia's words and what he might do. Finally he released a breath and nodded. "Alright, if I can avoid it, I'll make sure your not to totally mess your sister up." He said before holding a single finger up. "But, that doesn't mean Okuyasu feels the same. If anyone has a grudge against your sister right now, it's him. He lost his brother right in front of his eyes and without being able to stop it. I doubt he'll have similar sympathy to me."

Grayfia was silent in thought for a moment before nodding. "I see. I suppose events will play out however fate intends." She turned away and moved back to the center of the room.

"You going to Okuyasu's place now?" Josuke asked curiously, but Grayfia only shook her head.

"No. His hatred for Myrcella is well deserved. Rias-sama has told me you are reasonable, but Okuyasu has a deeper connection to the enemy. Asking him to spare her would be in vain." she turned back to him for a moment and bowed. "I thank you for listening to my request, Josuke-sama."

"No problem…" Josuke muttered as he felt somewhat awkward being addressed as so. As her magical circle appeared, Josuke suddenly waved his arms. "W-wait! Just one question!"

"Yes, Josuke-sama?" Grayfia's magic circle remained but she did not disappear just yet. The tall teen rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, unsure how to ask the question without sounding lewd.

"S-so my best friend, Issei, called me up right before you came and told me that Rias tried to… sleep with him. Then you showed up." Josuke explained carefully, gauging her reaction which remained stony. "I-is it true?"

"Yes, it is." Grayfia answered without hesitation. "Rias-sama was attempting to have her chastity taken by her servant to effectively negate her engagement."

Josuke sat quietly for a moment staring at her before putting his hands to his face. "Oh! My! God!" Grayfia slightly flinched at the mention of God. "I-I can't believe he was telling the truth! Now I'm going to look like an idiot tomo-wait." Josuke suddenly processed her final words and raised a brow. "Engagement?"

"It is perhaps best to allow Rias-sama explain it to you instead. Have a good night, Josuke-sama." The Strongest Queen bid farewell as the light enveloped her again.

"W-wait! What are you…" Josuke trailed off as Grayfia disappeared from his room completely. He bit his bottom lip and scratched the back of his head. "Just great. Now I've got more questions than answers…"


"I told you I was telling the truth last night!" Issei mocked with a victorious grin as he and Josuke now headed to the club room.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time." Josuke sighed, rolling his eyes. "But it's the reason that it happened that I want to know. Something's going on."

"Yeah, she has been acting strange…" Issei trailed off before he noticed Asia and Kiba approaching them. "Be sure not to tell anyone what happened to me, especially Asia!" Issei quickly whispered before the two came into earshot.

"Hello, you two. What are you whispering about?" Kiba inquired kindly, smiling at the pair.

"A-ah, nothing much!" Issei tried to play off, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh, where is Okuyasu-san? I thought he would be with you both." Asia asked, glancing around for the punk.

"Ah, yesterday I was talking to him about getting a registration paper for the club like I did. I think he went to go get one from the main office." Josuke explained to the two.


Across the school in the main office, Okuyasu finally received his club registration paper. "Awesome, now I can head over to everyone."

"Hello, Okuyasu Nijimura-san." He heard a familiar voice behind him, blinking as he turned to see Sona Sitri and her Queen Tsubaki greeting him with kind smiles. "I'd like to ask you a few questions about your Stand…"

"Uh… okay then…"


"He shouldn't be too long." Josuke shrugged as they walked into the old school building. "Hey, Kiba. Have you noticed Rias acting strange? I've been trying to figure it out what's the cause but can't really think of it."

"Strange? Hm, perhaps…" Kiba hummed in thought as he contemplated the past couple of weeks. "But I can't say I know the source of it. If anyone did, it would be Akeno-chan. As her Queen, she knows just about everything involving our master." He suddenly stopped in his stride, causing the others to pause and watch him curiously. "I can't believe I haven't noticed until now. What's going on?" He muttered to himself, almost sounding ashamed that he had been ignorant to his master's distress. The other's glanced at one another, unsure what to say before all four moved on. Once inside, the they quickly reached the clubroom, Issei pushing the doors open first.

"We're here!" He announced, trying to sound casual as possible. Issei soon widened his eyes as he saw the familiar form of Grayfia standing with Rias, the two looking as if they had been in the middle of a discussion.

"Grayfia-san?" Josuke blurted in question. "What are you doing here?" The silver haired Devil turned to regard them for a moment before looking back at Rias.

"If you wish, I can explain the situation to them for you." Grayfia offered only for Rias to shake her head in dismissal.

"No, that's quite alright. Everyone, please take a seat. I have something to discu-" Rias started to explain, stopping as a blinding orange light shined from the opposite side of the room. Without warning, a magic circle appeared on the ground before exploding in flames, causing the group to shield their eyes for a moment before it quickly dissipated. From the center of the circle, a man appeared.

"And so Raiser Phenex returns to the Human world." He spoke, his voice causing a bit of annoyance in Josuke for some strange reason that he couldn't place. He wore a suave red suit and a white dress shirt under which was open at the top of his chest. His hair was blond and he looked to be in his early twenties. His face had a rugged yet handsome presence, something most girls would find attractive. "I've come for you, Rias my love." The words seem to make Rias's skin crawl, the red haired Devil glaring daggers.

"W-who is this guy?" Issei grunted out, feeling angry just from the way he regarded Rias.

"This is Riser Phenex, a high class upper level Devil and heir to the Phenex family. He is also fiance to the Gremory Family heiress apparent." Grayfia explained to them, Issei and Josuke's eyes widening in bewilderment.

"N-no way… you're not saying that…" Issei muttered before glancing at Riser.

"That is to say, Riser-sama that is engaged to Rias-sama." Grayfia finally confirmed for them rather blatantly.

"Engaged?!" Josuke and Issei cried out in complete shock, both boys looking at the man in question who only gave a rather smug smirk.

"Would you mind if we take a seat together, my love?" Riser inquired in a rather sweet voice now, walking over to the couches at the center of the room without her approval. Akeno walked stiffly past him, her face as void of emotion as any of them had ever seen as she grabbed her tea set and started to make a cup. Koneko, who was already in the room, joined the rest of the peerage and motioned to them to follow her. They moved to the wall of the room by the window, all including Josuke standing against the wall silently.

Rias seemed hesitant, but still joined the man on the couch, sitting down and crossing her legs, eyes closed as she seemed to try and pretend the situation was not real. Akeno handed a cup to the upper class Devil, who sipped at it with a smile.

"The tea of my love's queen is quite delicious." Riser supplied as he placed an arm over Rias' shoulder, Issei immediately welling up with anxiety. He couldn't stand to see him messing with his master so casually, his hand twirling her crimson locks.

"Thank you for the compliment." Akeno said with a bow, her voice stiff and obligatory as she walked over to join the others. She glanced at Josuke to see he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, hair shading his eyes and hiding his feelings on the situation. After a moment, Akeno turned back to watch Riser and her master talk, though not much talking was going on. Riser was merely rubbing her leg rather sensually, feeling her up with no shame.

This slime is supposed to be her fiance? Issei mentally growled, barely containing his outrage over the situation.

"That's enough, Riser." Rias finally spoke up, standing from her seat and leaving him on the couch. "I told you before, and I will tell you again. I do not intend to marry you." She spoke firmly, her voice trying to leave little room for argument.

"But my love, I thought your family could not afford to accept your selfish request?" Riser knowing shrugged, holding his hands up with an amused smile.

"I will not bring my family down." Rias quickly dismissed with a glare as she looked back at her fiance. "I will take a husband, but it will be one of my choosing."

"The Underworld struggles to keep pure bloodlines among the royals after the previous war. We have become a rarity." Riser countered with a smirk, crossing a leg over the other. "This marriage was arranged to make keep our bloodlines pure and ensure they would continue strong."

"My family is merely impatient and rushing too much." Rias claimed, turning her back to him again. "I won't repeat myself again. Riser, I am not marrying you!" She said fiercely, turning to him with a fire in her eyes. She was soon taken off guard, Riser grabbing her chin and inching his face closer to hers.

"You know, my love, that I am the face of the Phenex family as well." Riser pointed out lowly, a dark grin crossing his features. "I will not have you sully my honor."

"President!" Issei cried out as he and the rest of the peerage prepared to jump in between them. Josuke remained in his same position, lifting his head a bit so that his eyes became visible. He was glaring heavily in anger but seemed to be unmoving for the moment.

"I'll take you back to the Underworld." Rias declared before turning his gaze toward Issei and the others. "Even if it means turning your peerage to ash to do it." Energy welled up within both Rias and Riser, the two seconds away from attacking one another.

"That's enough." Grayfia suddenly intervened, causing both to immediately pause and look back at her. "Milady, Riser-sama, as I am here on Sirzechs-sama's orders, I do not intend to stand idly by."

"Coming from you, the strongest queen, even I am scared." Riser admitted with a shrug, his killing intent dissipating.

"You both know what Sirzechs-sama recommended should negotiations break down." Grayfia pointed out with her cold visage again. "You will settle this problem in a Rating Game."

"A Rating Game?" Issei repeated in question. "I remember hearing that somewhere before…"

"Sona brought it up once." Josuke recalled, breaking his silence finally as he continued to stare at Riser.

"A Rating Game is a competition between two high ranking Devils and their peerages." Akeno started to explain, pulling the brunette's attention to her now. "It is a game that resembles chess and is the reason why peerages are likened to pieces. That is why they're called Evil Pieces."

"I see…" Issei muttered in understanding.

"I have already competed in several Rating Games and won the majority of them." Riser proudly declared, glancing at Rias smugly. "But you are not yet even qualified to play and therefore lack any experience in the matter." he pointed out, Rias narrowing her eyes in annoyance.

"Rating Games are most usually only allowed to be played by seasoned Devil's." Akeno spoke once again.

"S-so president is at a disadvantage!" Issei blurted disheartenedly.

"It's even worse than that." Koneko declared knowingly.

"Rias, just to make sure, these are all of your servants, correct?" Riser asked, glancing at the crimson haired Devil.

Rias spared a glance at Josuke for a moment, who met her eyes with a bit of guilt,before looking back at Riser with a glare. "What if they are?" Riser didn't bother trying to hold in his laugh before holding up a hand and snapping his fingers. Soon after, an orange illuminated magic circle appeared from where he arrived, soon a flame flashing up in a larger arc before dissipating. From it, a large number of women, all ranging in age and size. At the forefront was a blond girl small in stature similar to Koneko, wearing a pink victorian type dress and large pigtails.

"As you can see, I have a full set." Riser pointed out with a smug smirk, crossing his arms.

"B-beauties! Fifteen beautiful girls!" Issei proclaimed in astonishment, gripping his hands in front of him. "I-it's unbelievable!" He started to tear up a bit and looked on the verge of crying. "What a true ma-"

Josuke quickly silenced him by slamming his elbow into the top of his head. "Hey, don't go on about that shit! You'll just make us look bad!" He growled in disappointment.

"B-but look at that! He's got such a large harem of women! I can't help but be jeal-" Issei started to complain before Josuke threw him in a headlock.

"I said shut up about it!" Josuke snapped again, hoping he could knock the brunette out. Riser watched them both in bemusement, unsure what to make of the two before glancing at Rias.

"What exactly are they going on about, Rias?" He asked, now genuinely curious.

"Issei dreams of gaining a harem of his own." Rias sighed honestly, seeing no point in hiding it.

"How creepy." The blond at the head of Riser's peerage stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Oh, is that right?" Riser hummed before smirking and snapping his fingers again. "Yubelluna."

"Yes, master." The eldest of his peerage spoke, walking forward. She was a busty woman with long purple hair and a revealing dress to match it, the front only going down in straps from her shoulders and draping over her breasts and a white cloak over her shoulders that draped down her arms like a robe. She soon stood in front of Riser, who took her chin in his fingers before meeting her lips with his. Rias' face distorted in disgust, Josuke's eyes widening as he finally released Issei from his grip before glaring darkly at Riser silently.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Issei stuttered out, watching as their kiss evolved into something very passionate as the purple haired Devil wrapped her arms around his neck. He couldn't help but envy the Phenex heir who broke the kiss and stood behind his servant before starting to grope her, his hand moving inside of her shirt.

"You'll never be able to do things like this. You're just a low class Devil with no chance of advancing any higher." Riser taunted, his free hand trailing down her leg and rubbing her thighs.

"Shut up! A guy like you would mess with any girl around you even after marrying president!" Issei snapped back, grinding his teeth in frustration. "You promiscuous chicken shit!"

"Don't you know your place, you lowly Devil?" Riser spoke with a bit of surprise as he stopped caressing his servant for a moment.

"Issei, stop." Rias sighed, thinking her servant was just acting up.

"I know my place exactly! I'm president's servant, no one else's!" Issei declared with pride, causing Rias to widen her eyes slightly as she felt touched by the sentiment.

"Issei…"

"We don't have to play some stupid game!" He declared as he summoned his red bracer over his arm and glared daggers into his eyes. "I'll take you all down right now!" He declared before jumping forward, Boost! His Sacred Gear proclaimed.

"Issei-san!" Asia cried out in worry as she watched him move forward.

"Oi, don't do anything brash!" Josuke called out without receiving any heed from his best friend. Riser only chuckled before turning slightly to his Peerage.

"Mira." He spoke before a blur jumped from the group of girls. Issei stopped quickly when a girl met with him first before he could get to Riser. The girl was small with blue hair up in a bun on top of her head with a short training gi and a red jacket while wielding a staff.

"Wh-what? This small girl? I can't fight her." Issei muttered, unsure what to do. In a flash, the girl jumped forward and struck Issei in the stomach faster than most would expect.

At least that's what she had attempted to do, only to be caught by the brunette's armored arm. "That's what I would have said before… but getting my ass kicked by a loli-vamp made me a little more cautious about that." He chuckled as he strained a bit against her strength, but pushed back. The girl narrowed her eyes silently before quickly pulling back on her staff, Issei losing his grip and stumbling forward before she spun around and delivered a powerful blow to his gut, the brunette gasping in pain before being launched into the ceiling. He bounced off the the roof before falling to the ground with a thud.

"Issei!" Rias cried out in fear, quickly dashing to her fallen servant's side and kneeling next to him. "Issei! Hang in there!" She pleaded as she cradled him in his arms. Issei was barely conscious after the blow, struggling to look up at his master for a moment.

"I-I'm sorry, president…" He muttered out before fading into unconsciousness. Riser could only laugh mockingly, shaking his head.

"I hope the rest of your servants aren't so weak. Who knew that the wielder of one of the most powerful weapons known to Heaven and Hell, Boosted Gear, would be such a worthless guy?" Riser further insulted with a malicious grin. He waited for Rias to respond for a moment, only to watch as Josuke stepped forward, summoning Crazy Diamond and using it to quickly heal Issei.

"You idiot. If you're going to rush in like that, at least look cool." Josuke sighed before turning a fierce glare toward Riser, hands placed in his pockets. "As for you, your face is really starting to piss me off."

"Josuke, no! That's enough, please!" Rias cried out in worry. Issei was naturally sturdy but feared for Josuke's safety even with his Stand. The tall teen elected to ignore her as he strode forward, his aim solely on Riser.

"Your servants don't seem to learn, do they? Though… you don't feel like a Devil…" Riser commented off handedly before nodding at Mira. His servant quickly returned the nod before dashing forward, ready to strike once more-

DORA! Crazy Diamond growled as in two swift movements destroyed the staff in her hands as she approached before stopping a punch just short of her face, the petite bluenette gasping in shock as she became still with fear. The large humanoid Stand stared her dead in the eyes while Josuke only glanced at her from the side.

"Stay out of the way. I don't want to, but I'll knock you out if you come at me again." Josuke warned as an intimidating aura radiated from him. Mira suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and sweat drip down her face before she took a step back, her body visibly shaking. He then continued forward without bothering to look at her again, his eyes plastered on Riser.

"Stay back, you lowly-" Yubelluna began to growl before Riser held up a hand and silenced her, smirking smugly as he walked forward to meet Josuke. The two stopped when they were only a meter apart, both men testing their wills as their eyes met. Josuke was a bit taller than him still, but that didn't seem to cause any discomfort in Riser.

"You look like you have something to say, human." Riser chuckled, his hands now resting on his hips. "Go ahead and say it. I heard about the Stand user who was becoming familiar with Rias and her lackeys, but to think you'd be so bold to stand here so defiantly…" Riser hummed, observing Josuke for a moment. The tall teen was silent for a moment before raising a single hand from his pocket slowly, pointing at Riser with a strong glare.

"You think because you're from a high family that it makes you a man?" Josuke spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "A man doesn't make women fight his battles for him, nor does show off his damn concubines in front of his future wife."

"J-Josuke…" Rias muttered as he spoke, unsure what to do at this point. She glanced at Grayfia in question, thinking she might intervene, but the strongest queen remained silent and idly watched almost as if interested by the encounter.

"Hmph. A lowly human has no understanding of what Devil's truly are." Riser scoffed as his grin widened. "A boy who probably doesn't even know the heat of a woman against him shouldn't speak on such matters either."

"That's right, I'm a virgin." Josuke immediately confirmed without hesitation before his teeth gnashed in anger. "But that's because I respect women too much to ever want to mess with their hearts so casually. And I sure as hell don't treat them like they're goddamn toys to be played with for fun like you do, asshole!" he finally snapped part of him wanting to summon his Stand and lash out. But unlike Okuyasu or Issei, Josuke wouldn't be so quick to lash out. That is, to say, if he wasn't provoked in some way of course. "Rias deserves a guy a thousand times better than you!"

Riser felt his anger bubbling over, frowning at Josuke's words before fire started to surround him. Without either man's knowledge, the petite blond from Riser's peerage seemed to be rather stricken by Josuke's declaration, watching him with a bit of admiration as her cheeks flushed despite the fact that he was now their opponent. "You sure do run your mouth with no knowledge of who you stand before, boy!" Riser growled, flames erupting from his hands. "Perhaps I should teach you!"

"Go ahead and try it!" Josuke retorted as Crazy Diamond appeared behind him with its fists ready to strike. "The moment you make a move, I'll beat your ass into the ground!"

A tense silence fell upon the room as Riser took a moment to consider his next move, coming close to launching his fire without hesitation before a thought suddenly came to him. He let his fire die down and grinned evilly at Josuke before straightening up and chuckling.

"What's so funny, bastard?" Josuke spat, disappointed now that Riser made no move to attack.

"Rias, my love. I am correct in assuming that we shall be settling this in a Rating Game still, correct?" Riser suddenly asked, glancing at his fiance from the side who glared for a moment.

"That's right." Rias answered before Riser started to chuckle again, shaking his head.

"No wonder you're making so much noise. You're not even able to participate in the Rating Game." Riser declared, pointing a finger at Josuke. "You're not capable of defending her pride without creating a fight here, right?"

Josuke's eyes widened, at first having trouble to reply before turning to Grayfia. "Oi, is there a way I can participate in this Rating Game for Rias?! There has to be some way in without being her servant!"

Grayfia watched him with steady eyes before shaking her head silently. "That is not possible. You are required to have a piece from her set to be apart of the Rating Game."

The tall teen's breath hitched, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as he bit his bottom lip. He looked down at the ground, feeling all eyes on him now, Riser sneering as he watched Josuke struggle.

"What's wrong, human? All you have to do is sign your entire life away to my fiance. Is that so hard?" Riser chided further, crossing his arms victoriously as observed the tall teen. Josuke felt his emotions well up, frustration starting to take over as he considered his final options. This wasn't just about avenging Issei, this was about saving one of his close friends from a loveless and eternal marriage to a man who would treat her like nothing more than a baby maker and a status symbol. It was not something he would ever wish upon anyone, especially Rias. He gripped his hand until it was white, teeth grinding together as his eyes became shaded by his hair.

"Josuke-kun…" Rias muttered, watching him with a pit of guilt in her stomach. Riser watched him silently for another moment before chuckling and starting to walk away.

"If that's all you have to say, then I'll be off." Riser said, wrapping his arm around Yubelluna's waist. "If I were you, Rias, I'd take some time to train your-"

"Do it." Josuke suddenly muttered out, causing Riser to pause and glance at him as well as Rias who blinked in question.

"Wh-what did you say Josuke-kun?" Rias questioned, hoping against hope that he wasn't saying what she thought. Josuke looked up at Rias with some strain , sweat trailing down his brow but conviction showing in his eyes.

"Make me part of your Peerage!"

To Be Continued…

Hahahaha~! I'm soooo evil :3 The ending to this chapter was a bit difficult with how I wanted to end it. So yeah, big cliffhanger decision! Will I stick with what I wanted originally or have I changed my mind and decided to do whatever I want? I guess you guys will have to find out next chapter~! Lol but seriously, this was a long chapter. Longer than I had intended or predicted it would be.

Also, regarding Okuyasu's stance on the situation, it will be handled next chapter. But all I can say for now is don't hold your breath if you're expecting him to play a big part in this arc.

Also this chapter's ending I wanted to go one of two ways: the first being how I had it go, OR the way with Josuke doing a bit more than talking. Soooo why not, I'm going to give you guys the alternate ending as well. Just remember that this is not the in canon ending, this is just what I would have liked had I not been focusing on a plot point.

Take 2

"You look like you have something to say, human." Riser chuckled, his hands now resting on his hips. "Go ahead and say it. I heard about the Stand user who was becoming familiar with Rias and her lackeys, but to think you'd be so bold to stand here so defiantly…" Riser hummed, observing Josuke for a moment. The tall teen was silent for a moment before raising a single hand from his pocket slowly, pointing at Riser with a strong glare.

"You think because you're from a high family that it makes you a man?" Josuke spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "A man doesn't make women fight his battles for him, nor does show off his damn concubines in front of his future wife."

"J-Josuke…" Rias muttered as he spoke, unsure what to do at this point. She glanced at Grayfia in question, thinking she might intervene, but the strongest queen remained silent and idly watched almost as if interested by the encounter.

"Having that Stand has made you headstrong." Riser retorted, grinning in amusement as he crossed his arms. "You think that because you beat a couple of worthless Fallen Angels that you can measure up to the likes of Riser Phenex? You're just a lowly human."

"Oh, is that right?" Josuke sneered, grinning anxiously as Crazy Diamond appeared at his side. "You care to see if you're right?"

"Of course. In fact…" Riser turned his cheek to the Stand user, pointing right at his cheek. "Go ahead. Punch me as hard as possible."

"What?" Josuke replied, frowning in annoyance as he realized what the man was saying.

"You heard me. I want you to punch me with your Stand. Hit me with all you've got, human." Riser told him without hesitation, grinning in anticipation.

"Are you underestimating me?" Josuke muttered, a small bead of sweat going down his cheek as he saw how confident Riser was.

"Riser-sama, perhaps you shouldn't…" Yubelluna tried to deter, reaching out for her master only for him to hold up a hand to stop her from moving.

"Humans are built with many limits. I have heard that Stands can be fearsome, but I have many doubts about their so called strength." Riser declared, taking a step closer to Josuke. "After all, exactly how strong can something controlled by a worthless human b-"

DORA! Crazy Diamond proclaimed as it launched an unbelievably fast and powerful punch square into Riser's jaw. To say that the Phenex heir was unharmed would be a lie, many across the room widening their eyes as his head whipped back from the impact and blood escaping his mouth.

"Wh-what the hell? F-fast…" Riser coughed out, barely able to keep standing as he tried to balance himself.

"Keep dreaming, asshole!" Josuke growled as he launched his Stand forward to continue its attack. DORARARARARARARA~! It roared as it landed many more blinding hits in an instant, causing several large fist shaped dents in his body and face.

"Big brother!" The blond of Riser's peerage cried out in worry as the rest of his servants started to move forward, only for Grayfia to hold up an arm and halt them. They immediately froze, knowing none could compete with her power and were forced to watch as Riser took more damage.

"H-how does a Stand have so much power and speed?!" Riser struggled out, regenerating some of the broken bones in his face only to have another fist smash into his jaw.

"If you're going to keep daydreaming, I'm going to put your ass to sleep!" Josuke growled as he ordered his Stand to deliver another powerful blow, knocking him back. Riser skidded against the ground, trying to keep his place before letting flames erupt from his body.

"You'll pay for that, you lowly whelp!" Riser roared in fury, preparing to launch a storm of fire upon the tall teen, only for Grayfia to step in between them.

"That's enough from both of you."

"Wh-what?!" Riser cried out in anger and confusion. "Why?! You would let this human trash dishonor me without giving me the chance to destroy him?!"

"You are the one who goaded him into striking you, Riser-sama." Grayfia simply replied and giving an uncaring stare. "And I would be careful who you call 'trash'. Josuke Higashikata comes from a long line of heroes that is highly regarded in both Heaven and Hell."

Riser grinded his teeth in anger, trembling as he wished he could fly past the strongest queen and destroy Josuke outright. The tall teen was only grinning tauntingly behind Grayfia, daring him to come closer for another fight. Finally Riser let out a heavy huff and turned his back to them both.

"This shall be settled in the Rating Game!" He proclaimed as he walked back to his peerage. "If you have the balls to try that again, be there human!"

"Count on it, asshole!" Josuke retorted before the magic circle's light enveloped Riser and his servants completely before they disappeared. Josuke waited a moment before taking a deep breath and turning to the others with a grin. "That went well!"

End

Well, there you go! For all your fanservice-y needs (outside of standard fanservice lol). But yeah, I hope you all enjoyed and that you take the time to post a review and give the story a favorite and follow. Thank you and see you next time!