Chapter 12: Vulgar Exorcists

Rias Gremory sat on her comfortable, Victorian style couch watching her best friend and Queen look down at the chess board lying between the two of them. Akeno was trying to observe how she was going to get out of the situation she managed to get herself trapped in but in a few short moves she would be defeated no matter what she did. The game had actually started off much different than usual with Akeno choosing to go with the Queen's Gambit play. Normally Rias would have simply sidestepped it and gone with the traditional Orthodox Defense but she was feeling more adventurous today and instead choose the Queen's Gambit Accepted move. It was perhaps more reckless than she was used to but she found herself acting a bit more reckless lately. Ever since she had brought back to life her latest servant anyway.

Which brought her to her current predicament: the conundrum that was Percy Jackson. Ever since she brought back her latest servant she had expected at least some sense of gratitude from the man. Granted she hadn't actually brought any of her other servants back to life, though some were close to dying, but she did offer a new one away from the pain and misery they had endured before and they were all happy with this. Rias always strove to be the best King she could be for them all, providing love and care for each of them. She new how bad their lives before this were and she swore that wouldn't be the case with her. She treated them all like her family and they all acted as such.

"Rias?" the voice of her best friend said. The redhead was immediately pulled from her thoughts and realized that Akeno had finally made a move. And a good one at that as it left her the maximum amount of moves before Rias could take her King.

"I'm alright Akeno. Just lost in my thoughts" Rias said while picking up and moving a rook to the far-right corner of the board.

"I'd say. Any more scowling and I'd think I might actually beat you this time." Akeno teased self-deprecatingly. Maybe her Queen already realized that she would lose this round too. Her black-haired friend was dressed in a relaxing red silk kimono with black and white stripes going across garment. Her legs were tucked off to the side and she was sitting on them on top of the couch opposite Rias. Rias couldn't help but smile at her friend.

"So, do you want to tell me what you're thinking about?" Akeno continued as she picked up a pawn and moved it one space forward in hopes to make it to the other side. "Maybe about our absentee black-haired American perhaps?" She said that in the teasing voice she used when she wanted to rile somebody up but Rias heard something else in that voice too. Something she didn't quite recognize in her friend though she wasn't sure what exactly.

"I still can't believe he didn't go with Kiba and Issei. I told him I'd be sending people to get him this morning." Rias found herself picking up her bishop with a bit more force than she meant to and overtook the pawn Akeno just moved.

"Yes, but didn't you say that he also told you no then too?" The teasing in Akeno's voice was gone and now only curiosity resided. Rias could hear the care in Akeno as she spoke and felt herself relax in her friend's company.

The Devil Heiress let out a loud sigh at that. "Yes, he did say that. I just didn't actually expect him to follow through with it. He clearly knows a bit about the supernatural world already but he doesn't know our world Akeno. He needs to come to us so I can help him understand and teach him." Rias found herself lowering her head in worry for her Pawn. Percy had definitely proven himself capable of fighting but that wasn't the issue. Lone Devils could be problems for a whole host of reasons. They could of course go rogue and become monstrous strays, though she didn't think that was likely with him. However, they were likely to be ambushed by either Angels or Fallen Angels and with the disappearance of one of their own recently, that Dohnaseek fellow, the Fallen Ones were probably more active than usual. It could spark a war between the groups which would be terrible. Rias didn't know what to think if she or her servant was the reason a war started.

Akeno looked at Rias solemnly and slowly nodded her head in agreement. She didn't say anything further but Rias knew the girl understood what she was getting at. Percy was one of them now and they protected one another no matter what.

"You seem to be taking a bit more interest in this servant than your last" Akeno finally said after a few more moves were exchanged. The busty, black-haired girl seemed to realize that in two short turns it was over and she would lose. Again.

Rias grimaced at the thought of her other Pawn, Issei. He was very rough around the edges and was abnormally focused on women's bodies though Rias supposed she could blame that on teenage hormones. Or at least she hoped she could. Both Akeno and Koneko in addition to herself had been subject to his lustful leering already and while it might have been funny in the beginning it was slowly starting to upset both other girls. Being complimented and getting attention from others was nice but outright sexual objectification wasn't the way to endear oneself to women. However, one thing that Issei had going for him was his earnestness. He might have sucked at being a Devil but he did try his best. Hopefully in time he would improve.

"Percy feels… special" Rias answered her after a moment's pause. She brushed her long flowing hair out of her face and smiled at the thought. He hadn't even done anything with his Devil powers yet and he was already proving to be strong. She knew given time he could easily become a top Devil if he worked at it. And Rias had every intention of helping him achieve that.

"Special hmm?" The tone Akeno used while saying that drew Rias' thought back. It was teasing again as if her friend knew something nobody else did. She did love making fun of others.

"You should have seen him fight the Hydra Akeno." Rias followed up with. "He was fast and quick with his strikes. He reminded me a bit of Kiba using his Knight abilities though not quite as quick. And then when the Hydra turned his attention on me and tried to attack he used some kind of ice shield to protect me. I don't know if it was as strong as Sona's but it was definitely thick as the Hydra couldn't get through it." Rias trailed off at that remembering that fight.

It definitely surprised her as she knew Greek monsters were very rare but Percy stayed calm and collected throughout the fight. He devised a plan in a matter of seconds and did most of the work against the beast. And his sword. Rias couldn't help but feel the danger from that blade. Kiba could summon any devil sword he wanted and they each held an aura of danger but that sword Percy used… she had a feeling it was more than just a simple blade. Power radiated from it and the glowing bronze gave off an eerie feeling.

"Well if it is anything like how he fought against the Chimera then I understand. His fighting style was so unorthodox but each strike he made seemed to get the maximum efficiency and deadliest wounds possible." Akeno responded. She seemed to be thinking back to her own experience of watching Percy fight.

Both girls were so lost in their own thoughts they didn't hear the door to their clubhouse open and Kiba, Koneko, and Issei stepped through. All three Devil servants looked at one another taking in the scene before them as Issei grew a lecherous grin on his face. Koneko rolled her eyes at the Pawn and stepped away to put some distance between them and Kiba brought his hand up to slap his forehead in exasperation.

The Pawn took a few steps forward and leaned over the couch looking down the red Kimono Akeno was wearing. The front of the gown was stretched tightly over her large breasts and left a slightly open gap at the top. It was enough to show off some cleavage and Issei could see the tops of Akeno's beautiful melons.

Rias finally snapped out of her trance remembering Percy and raised her eyebrow at the scene in front of her. Issei directly behind Akeno looking down her dress with eyes as wide as the moon and drool starting to leak from his mouth. Her Pawn was mumbling about Ta-Tas and touching one when she saw his hand start to reach over the couch in a grabby manner. His hands opened and closed in anticipation of copping a feel.

Knowing that Akeno would probably be uncomfortable with that but probably tease him about it all the same she moved to prevent that situation from happening. "Oh, there you are Issei" Rias said finally regaining her complete composure. Her words drew Akeno out of her own thoughts and the Japanese girl turned her head to look up at the salacious male behind her. Rather than jumping back in shock though she gave her fellow servant a grin wide enough to match his own. Rias shook her head thinking about how much her Queen enjoyed playing with others.

"Oh President" Issei said quickly scrambling to stand straight and not make it look like he was trying to grope Akeno. He failed. "I was just admiring Akeno's breasts – I mean chess game. You sure know how to play with your pieces." Rias shook her head at Issei's words and let out a light laugh at his ridiculousness. Akeno turned to look at the board and noticed that Rias had finally moved her final piece, the Queen ironically, into position for the checkmate. Rias gave her friend a smile and a wink to let her know that she was just joking around and wasn't trying to insult her.

"Thank you Issei. Now tell me, are you ready for your contract tonight? I know the last one didn't go quite the way you wanted but you have to do your best to please the customer."

Rather than get flustered though Issei instead got excited and brought his fist up in determination. He looked like one of those anime characters from the dragon show he's mentioned before but Rias found it more funny than stupid.

"You betcha President. I'm gonna get that contract tonight for sure. Then I'm gonna get all boobies! I gotta work hard so I can be the Harem King!" His voice rose at the end and Rias saw both Kiba and Akeno look at him incredulously while Koneko rolled her eyes at him. Her Rook did seem even more hostile to Issei than the others. Maybe because of those incidents with him peeping on the gym class.

Rias gave Issei a smile in response. At least his enthusiasm was high. Hopefully with that kind of attitude he would succeed tonight. "I'm sure you'll get there Issei. Here's the address. Make sure you head over there right after you finish handing out those flyers." She pointed to the backpack he left at the side in the room filled with the flyers they used to secure contracts.

"You got it President!" he said again before grabbing his bag and making his way out the door. As he left he quickly turned around one last time to say something only for the door to be slammed in his face. Koneko stood just behind it with a piece of chocolate in her hand and mumbled the word "pervert" before she joined Akeno and herself on the couch. They could hear Issei say "ow… I'm ok" from the other side of the door. Kiba shook his head fondly at the scene while Akeno brought her hand up to her mouth to laugh lightly into it. Rias couldn't help a small smile appear on her face either.

After a few moments of silence Rias looked at all her remaining present servants. She was reminded of the absence of her second Pawn when she thought up an idea. The Heiress turned her head to look directly at Kiba who looked down at his master in expectation.

"Kiba," Rias began, "did you get Percy's address from Tsubaki and Sona?" She had already been there but she just remembered asking her Knight to perform this duty yesterday night before she confronted Percy with Akeno and Koneko. She relied on Percy's mind to guide them to their destination then and now that she had been there she didn't really need it. But she did ask Kiba to do it and it was always important to follow through when giving orders. Kiba nodded his head with a smile still on his face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a postcard size paper that was gently folded in half then quarters. The organization screamed of Tsubaki.

"Yes, President. She seemed reluctant at first but was more than happy to give it to me earlier this afternoon when I explained the situation." Yes, that was just like Tsubaki and Sona.

"Good. Akeno, you'll need to get dressed into your school clothes again. Kiba, Koneko, get ready to teleport." Rias continued.

"President?" Akeno questioned standing up. She had gone back to the more formal way of addressing Rias now that the others were back.

"Well if Percy isn't going to come to us then we'll just have to go to him. Plus, I'd love to be there while his mom lectures him on having girls in his room." Rias said that last part while smiling teasingly. Akeno seemed to share her sentiments as she too smiled and hurried off to get changed.

Percy Jackson didn't understand everything he was a part of now and if he wasn't going to make things easy on her then she wasn't going to make things easy on him. And, she found she really did like his mom. In a matter of moments Akeno was back and she had created a magic circle to transport everyone to his house.

(Line Break)

When Rias and the remainder of her peerage stepped out of the magic circle that brought everyone to Percy's house they looked on at the building with admiration. It was beautiful. The exterior was designed completely from white marble that didn't seem to get dirty at all and the staircase leading up to the front door was ornate with intricate carvings in the surface. Akeno gave Rias a light nudge in the arm drawing the attention of the King to the windows. They were large and spotless but Rias thought it was more of what was happening inside that was why Akeno pointed it out. Standing in the living room was Sally Jackson and she was looking down at her sitting son with a very disappointed face. Rias could see Sally's arms moving up and down and she was pointing at Percy for something and Percy had his head hung down in shame. Rias assumed this was the lecture Sally had promised this morning. She couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped her lips even if she did feel bad.

But that only led her to the confusing thoughts as she recalled breakfast with the Jackson-Blofis' this morning. When both Percy and Rias had gotten ready and gone down to eat she had tried to work her magic on the mortal woman. She'd done it countless times before but for some reason the only person the magic worked on was the husband, Paul Blofis. Sally had eyed Rias for a minute as if assessing her worth but she must have passed some kind of test because Sally had immediately pulled her into a hug and put her in a chair while she finished making breakfast. Rias tried again a moment later and it did seem to affect her briefly but before Rias could even direct her thoughts and words to the woman her magic wore off again. Rias was still puzzled as to why that was. Instead she went with the simpler route and just explained about school. And now Percy was dealing with the aftermath or her magic not working properly on his mom.

A moment later Sally pulled the sitting Percy up and gave him a big hug that caused him to smile as well. Rias could admit that he was rather good looking and the fact that he was taller than her was nice. She didn't let herself dwell on those thoughts for long though as she scowled remembering her pending supposed betrothal to the Phenex clan and that asshole Riser.

Both Kiba and Koneko were still observing the house and she turned away from the window when she saw Percy pull away from his mother and head into the basement. The lawn in front of the house was greener than any of their neighbors and Rias saw a beautiful garden in the front under the left-hand side windows. The sun had mostly gone down and the moon was beginning to rise then when a small little flower drew her attention. It was starting to glow pure silver in the night sky and had petals that gave off the most alluring scent. A mixture of cinnamon and sea breeze was wafted in the air when she focused on it and she felt like she was on a tropical paradise.

Pulling away from the garden she grabbed the hands of both Koneko and Akeno and made her way up the stairs to the front door knowing Kiba would follow. The door was a deep shade of ocean blue and the golden trident knocker seemed a little odd but it was very impressive all the same. Maybe a little gaudy but after talking with them all this morning something told Rias it wasn't exactly Percy or his famiy's choice to have it that way.

Taking a deep breath, Rias raised her hands and used the trident to knock on the door. The sound was surprisingly loud for the little amount of force Rias actually used. Behind her she could feel Kiba looking up at the balcony above them held up by Grecian columns while Koneko shuffled her feet to the left of her. A moment later the front door was opened and the smiling face of Paul Blofis was looking down at them. He jumped initially as if he wasn't expecting Rias specifically but quickly his grin grew and he welcomed them.

"Rias! It's good to see you again. Are you here to see Percy?" The happiness that radiate from the man was obvious and it was clear he was hoping yes was the answer. Rias smiled back at the teacher and nodded.

"Yes, Paul. We were hoping we could come and see him. I know it's a bit later in the day but we weren't able to see him after school."

That seemed to cause a little bit of consternation for Paul as he grimaced and nodded his head. "Yes, unfortunately Percy had another… commitment that he was required to attend to after school ended." Paul said the word commitment as if it was the most distasteful word there was. Rias tilted her head in a questioning manner but before she could say anything Sally stepped up and took notice of them.

"Oh, Rias. I didn't know you'd be back today. Please, come in, come in. No need to stay outside." Sally was waving her arms in a come forward motion and gathered the peerage inside in a matter of moments. She was dressed in a long floral maternity dress with a sweater over her arms to keep warm. Her pregnant bulge was protruding out and she now rested her hands on top of it rubbing soothing circles on her belly. Rias remembered Sally complaining this morning about how Percy's baby sister just didn't want to come out early.

"Rias honey, who are your friends?" Sally asked when everyone was safely gathered indoors. Next to Rias Akeno stepped forth and bowed down politely to both Paul and Sally.

"Hello Mrs. Blofis, Mr. Blofis, my name is Akeno it is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me in your home." Rias knew that was Akeno's Japanese manners that was leading her to be a bit more formal than she might normally be. Then again this was the first time she was meeting either of them so it was to be expected.

Sally was taken aback by the greeting and it appeared she didn't really understand Akeno's Japanese all that well if her confusion was anything to go by but she quickly recovered and pulled the girl into a hug. Now it was Akeno's turn to be shocked as she clearly didn't expect that kind of reaction. Rias could see the look of surprise on her face but Akeno seemed to give into it quickly and hug back briefly.

While Akeno was hugging Sally Kiba stepped up next and introduced himself. "Hello Mr. Blofis, Mrs. Blofis. I'm Kiba Yuuto. It's very nice to meet you both." Kiba had spoken in English when he noticed that Sally didn't seem to understand Akeno completely and stuck out his hand for Paul to shake. It was the American way of greeting someone.

"It's nice to meet you too Kiba. I've heard good things about you from the teachers in your class. I hope I'll be able to teach you myself one of these days." The smile on Paul's face when Kiba spoke in English was wide and Rias could see he was grateful for Sally's sake. The woman had just let Akeno go and quickly pulled the small Koneko into a hug herself while Koneko muffled out a quick hello also in English. Rias felt glad that she made her servants learn English when she first started them in the peerage.

"Are you all here to see Percy?" Sally asked hopefully when all the hugging and greeting was done. Rias could hear the hope in the woman's voice when she asked that. It made her feel somewhat sad that Percy seemed to be struggling to make friends. It did seem odd though as she knew for a fact that the girls from the Kendo Club had talked about him quite frequently. But now that she was here she would get him involved in the peerage and he would have them.

Around her Akeno and Koneko and Kiba all nodded and Rias confirmed that. "Yes, Sally. We were trying to get him to come to our club meeting after school but he ran off before we could convince him. According to Paul, I guess he had some sort of commitment he had to go to?" Rias partially asked in hopes that Sally would elaborate on her husband's words. Unfortunately, Sally just pursed her lips in a thin line as if she didn't approve of that before confirming the words.

"Yes. He had a meeting with his father he needed to attend for some reason. He didn't give me the details." It was clear that Sally had mixed feelings about Percy going to see his dad but that wasn't what surprised Rias. It was the simple fact that Percy even knew his father that blew her away. When she had first started following him around she had asked for some information from Sona and the Sitri heir had confirmed that there was no father listed in his school records. There was only Sally and Paul his step-father. When Rias had done a bit more digging she found out that the birth certificate that showed his record of birth didn't even contain a name for his father. Rias assumed that meant Percy didn't know who he was which is clearly not the case.

"Oh" was all the Devil could follow up with.

After a moment of awkwardness Paul spoke. "Sally, why don't you wait at the table while I finish up dinner? It'll be ready in a minute. Would the rest of you care to join us?" Koneko nodded her head before Rias could even respond and started making her way into the dining room. Paul let out a chuckle at that and ushered everyone inside the kitchen just adjacent.

As Rias made her way down the hallway she took in all the little knick-knacks and portraits on the wall. She didn't get a very good look at them last night as she was more worried about Percy and this morning she was more focused on figuring out why her power wasn't working on Sally. But now she could see everything and she had to admit they were very cute. In many of the photos were various ages of a younger Percy with Sally standing behind him and her arms wrapped around his body in a tight hug. They were laughing and smiling as if they didn't have a care in the world. The ocean was a constant theme in the background and it appeared to be the same photo every year with just different ages. Rias found herself smiling at how adorable Percy was and how much love existed between him and his mom. She was so caught up in looking at the photos that she didn't notice everyone else had continued onwards until Sally came up behind her and saw what she was looking at.

"That's Montauk" Sally finally said startling Rias. The King gave a smile to Sally in response to which she received one back.

"You both look so happy there" Rias said turning back to look at the photos. Percy was definitely carefree and his windblown hair only made him cuter.

"We were" Sally mused wistfully. She looked at that photo with such love and tenderness that Rias couldn't help but hope she'd find that kind of feeling one day too. "Every summer I'd take a couple days off of work and we'd go to a cabin at that beach. We'd play in the sand and relax and swim. And then at the end of the trip we'd get together and take a family photo. Him, me, and the sea. It's one of the only times I've ever been able to get him to stand still for a few moments." Sally laughed self-deprecatingly at that and Rias saw a lone tear stream down her cheek. Rias couldn't help but notice the happy smile on her face yet the sadness her eyes shone.

"Is Paul the one taking the photo?" Rias asked after a moment. Sally seemed to be getting lost in memories but Rias' question drew her back.

"Hmm? Oh, no. I didn't meet Paul till a few years ago. No, I usually asked a fellow beachgoer if they could take the photo."

"Not his father?" Rias asked pressingly. She knew it was intrusive but after finding out that Percy knew about his dad she wanted to know more. Plus, she viewed it as her duty to know the past of her servants so she could better help them.

Sally frowned at the thought but shook her head no all the same. "No, Percy's dad was lost at sea when he was younger. It wasn't until recently that he made his way back." Sally gave a soft laugh at that. Rias thought that maybe she was just trying to make both herself and Percy feel better by saying he was lost at sea rather than he left them. The idea that Percy had been abandoned sent a shiver of anger through the Devil.

Before either could continue with the conversation Paul's voice echoed into the hallway. "Sally? Dinner's ready hon. Come on in." Rias could smell the food in the air and she had to admit that it was appealing. There was some kind of meat aroma floating in the air mixed with the scent of garlic and some other herb she couldn't identify. All the same it caused twin rumbles to erupt from both herself and Sally. Rias looked down in surprise at her stomach's reaction but Sally just smiled at her and pet her arm pulling her into the kitchen.

As they entered Rias noted that Kiba, Akeno and Koneko were finishing setting the table of dishes while Paul had place some kind of pan with a mixture of noodles and meat in the center. The dish was layered delicately in a red sauce that she knew was to be mixed together and Rias saw a loaf of bread already cut up ready to be eaten. Rias walked Sally over to the dining room table and helped Percy's mom into a chair.

"Paul, can you call Percy. He's downstairs in the basement." Sally said after settling in. Both Kiba and Koneko had taken seats though Akeno was still helping Paul put the remaining dishes and utensils on the table. Paul nodded his head but Rias saw her opportunity to see her Pawn.

"I can call him. I'll be right back." She said swiftly moving back into the hallway and towards the basement. She could hear the voice of Sally tell her that wasn't necessary and Sally then urged Paul to go and do it but Rias had already reached the door by then. Just as Paul quickly shuffled into the hall Rias opened the door and took a step downstairs. She could make out the voice of Paul trying to shuffle her back up but music drifted upstairs helping to drown him out. Pretending to not have heard her host Rias descended down the staircase wondering what was going on.

The scene she came to made Rias raise her eyebrow while a small smile appeared at the same time. Percy was shirtless leaving his numerous scars noticeable on his torso. He was standing tall swinging his sword in some kind of fast lunging motion. He seemed to be practicing the depth of the lunge because each jab forward was at shorter and then longer intervals. Every stab forward allowed his taut muscles to expand and every pull back caused them to contract making it look like his was flexing.

Rias could admit that he really was handy with that sword. It took Kiba quite some time to get to his current level and, though he had a natural talent for it from his sacred gear, a lot of his skill depended on the speed he relied on from his Knight abilities. It was clear however, that Percy honed his skills from years of hard work.

She then turned and took in the surrounding room he was in and couldn't help raising her brow further. It was a fairly large room with plenty of open space to move around in. She assumed that was most likely due to the armory that seemed to double as an arena however. All along the walls were racks of spears and javelins and swords. Some were made out of wood though there were a few that were made out of a tan metal; copper or bronze most likely. In the center of the room was a circular area made out of a soft, white sand that Percy was gently flowing his feet through. Just outside the circle were latches in the ground for placing some kind of post. She noticed that along the far wall there were wooden dummies that appeared to be designed to fit into that mold. Pennants hung down from the wall of tridents and fish and horses and in the dead center of the room hung a pure white banner with a large horseshoe – she thought it might have been the Greek Omega – with glittering golden flakes lighting up twelve spots within the symbol. She wasn't sure what it was but the banner felt right in the room, like it was designed by a master weaver and placed where it would draw the most attention.

Music was blaring from the corner closest to the staircase and it was quite loud. Some kind of American band was singing lyrics to a rock song. It was curious as the music was obnoxiously loud but when she was upstairs not a single sound had made it through the door. Clearly the room was designed to prevent sound from escaping which seemed a bit odd but considering that Percy seemed like an odd person who trained with weapons wasn't truly shocking. Paul finally made his way down the stairs and stood next to Rias with a guilty look on his face before he shuffled over and turned off the music. Rias could see that Paul expected her to have a lot of questions, and admittedly she did, but it was far from the craziest scene she ever walked in on.

"Percy" Paul began, "it's time for dinner. Clean off and come on up." Percy looked up at Paul and when he spotted Rias his eyes widened in surprise before he relaxed and nodded is head. He gave Paul a look and a meaningful head nod that seemed to put the step-father at ease and Paul turned and slowly made his way back upstairs.

The Pawn eyed the heiress for a moment and opened his mouth to say something only to close it a second later. He scrunched his eyes at her before letting out a heavy sigh and turned around to go to a sink in the back of the room. Rias stepped up to follow.

"You know, when I told the others I had no intention of joining I meant it. Why are you here Rias?" His face put on a stern expression but there sounded something like a hint of resignation in his words just the same. Rias frowned at that thought.

"Percy, you are a devil now. The world is much larger and more dangerous than you know. I'm going –" her words were cut off by a sharp laugh that escaped him. He had finished washing his hands and face in the sink – which was shaped in the style of a seashell – and gave her a smile. She initially felt angry at being cut off like that but his eyes were so mesmerizing she got lost in the swirls. They seemed to exude power and demand attention. If she wasn't careful she could seemingly get caught up in the storm she imagined flickering in his eyes.

"Rias," her Pawn said, "I think I already know a bit about the world. We did fight against the Hydra, didn't we?" Percy pointed at something behind her and when Rias turned around she saw a room to the side that had the door open. Inside Rias could make out the head of the Hydra sealed in a case along with the horns from the Chimera Akeno saw him defeat resting on the wall. It seemed to be some kind of trophy room for the "treasures" he says he won. He had moved the items from his room down to the basement and while she was tempted to enter and look around she had to focus on her pawn right then.

"Yes, I understand that. But Greek monsters are extraordinarily rare. I doubt you'll see one again." She found Percy smiling at her with a raised eyebrow but he hadn't said anything else so the King continued. "I'm talking about the other factions though Percy. You've already met two of the Fallen Angels and you've seen how dangerous they can be. We Devils need to stick together. We might be at peace but that doesn't mean the others won't attack if they think they can get away with it as we saw with Dohnaseek. Let me help you Percy."

She tried to put as much earnestness in her voice as she could and she meant it. Percy was her responsibility even if he didn't acknowledge it and she really wanted him to join her peerage. Not to mention that he was clearly very strong. Percy scowled and looked like he was about to speak but Rias cut him off before he started.

"Look, I know now that you said that you didn't want me to resurrect you and I'm sorry. I honestly thought you would want to continue living and that you were trying to make a contract with me. But what's done is done. You are back now and you can't tell me you aren't happy to see your mom and step-father. I heard how excited you were about your sister about to be born this morning Percy. We, the rest of peerage and I, want you to be part of us. We can be your friends. I will help you get even stronger with your new Devil powers. My peerage is my family Percy; in more ways than one. You are part of my household now but you already mean a lot to me personally. But I won't force you to do anything."

Rias found herself trailing off at the end of her explanation. Her voice was still firm and confident but she also felt a hint of trepidation as well. She never showed the others any sense of apprehension and yet here she was asking for this man to join them all willingly after she made a mistake. And she meant every word she said. She would help him get stronger. She would take responsibility for him. Her peerage was family and she would do anything for her family. Well almost anything she thought to herself thinking back to a certainly asshole fiancé. The Pawn didn't say anything after she finished. His earlier scowl was gone and now the ever-uncertain blankness of the sea his eyes resembled so much returned.

"Why is it so important I join you?" he asked. "You have other servants" he said that mockingly, "who I'm sure are more than happy to help you. You don't need me." Percy had crossed his arms over his bare chest and gave her an expectant look.

"They are not servants" she answered back somewhat coldly. "Yes, they are technically servants and I give them tasks to do, but they are so much more than that. They are my friends and they've been through a lot as well. It's a lot more than about need though Percy" she said. "Like I said before, it's about protection and learning. You are part of this world more intimately now and you need to know how to function in it. And you are strong too. That strength will make you a target to others."

He didn't say anything but took in her words. She didn't know what else she could say to convince him though. Just when she thought he was going to say something he grabbed his shirt hanging from a rack built into the side of the wall and threw it on. His silence was unnerving to the powerful devil but she maintained a respectful if somewhat desirable look. She wouldn't lie to him or herself that she wanted him in the peerage.

"I can see that you really mean it" he finally said as he pulled her arm and they began making their way to the stairs. All Rias could do was nod firmly in agreement.

"Alright," he said when they reached the stair landing. "I'll give your group a test run. If for no other reason than to make my mom happy." He smiled at the thought of pleasing his mom. But then he turned to glare at her and spoke forcefully. "But don't expect me to be some kind of simple pawn you can just order around. If this group will really help with protection then I suppose I'm open to it."

Rias gave out a weird cough noise that was somewhere between a sigh of relief and laughing at his lack of information. She didn't think tonight was the time to tell him about her evil pieces though. Instead she smiled at him and brushed his arm teasingly. His glare vanished as his cheeks tinted with a flush and Rias laughed at the adorableness of it.

"I promise you Percy that you'll find everyone to be friendly and helpful. I really think you'll get along with the others."

"And Issei?" the Pawn asked. "What about him? Frankly put, he pisses me off."

Now it was Rias' turn to sigh. Best to get this over with now she thought.

"Yes, Issei is part of my peerage and his behavior still continues. We mostly just ignore it. He still has a lot to learn but he's enthusiastic and hopefully with time he'll grow up a bit." She said that with a grimace. She didn't believe that herself and with the way Percy was looking at her she didn't think he believed either.

"If he aggravates me I'm gonna beat the shit out of him." Was his response. He didn't look like he was joking.

Rias sighed but nodded her head. "Just don't hurt him too bad."

Percy gave her a predatory grin and walked up the stairs.

(Line Break)

Dinner was mostly a quiet affair with everyone eating their share. Sally had consumed a very large plate of the noodle dish – American Chop Suey they had called it – while Paul only had a small portion. Percy had gorged on two helpings of the meal while Kiba had politely eaten his one plate. Herself, Akeno, and Koneko all took smaller portions than the others but ate their fill nonetheless. The food tasted as good as it looked and smelled.

As the meal was nearing its conclusion Rias noticed that Paul looked like he wanted to say something but was holding back. The mother of her Pawn was sitting in her seat finishing the dish but had a knowing look in her eyes. Rias couldn't help comparing similarities between Sally and her own mother. The mortal woman was clearly just as perceptive as her own and she had a lot of influence if she was able to prevent Paul from speaking out like he seemed to want to. It was Akeno who broke the silence though.

"This was very good Mr. Blofis. Thank you for allowing us to eat with you." Her Queen bowed her head again in thanks. She had switched her language to English which caused Sally to smile and Percy to jump in shock. He too smiled at her when he realized she did it for his mother's benefit.

"You are welcome Akeno." Paul responded turning away briefly. He kept looking back and forth between Percy and herself and she felt some amusement at how uncomfortable and confused he must be feeling after the encounter in the basement.

He probably is expecting me to be shocked she thought. I'll have to bend his mind again into thinking everything is completely normal. She knew she'd have to do that with Sally as well.

Akeno then stood up and started grabbing empty plates from people. "I'll do the dishes Mr. and Mrs. Blofis. It's the least I can do to thank you." Sally tried standing up to prevent the Queen from doing chores but Paul laid a gentle hand on her arm and Sally sat back down. She was a good host.

"I think we should talk Percy." Rias said as Koneko and Kiba both stood to help Akeno with the cleaning. Percy had finished putting the last of the noodles in his mouth and looked at her but when Rias shot a quick glance at Paul and Sally Percy nodded his head.

"Yes, I think so too. I should get to know everyone else if we're going to be hanging around so much." Rias thought his words might have underlying meaning but she let it go. Percy was still skeptical about everything even if he did accept the fact that devils and angels exist fairly easily. Percy rose then only to have his mom grab his arm.

"Remember our talk earlier Percy" Sally said giving him a light squeeze. "Why don't you guys go hang out in the living room. It'll be much cozier with plenty of room in there." Rias could hear that the suggestion wasn't really a suggestion. Percy grimaced in remembrance to his conversation and nodded before heading off into the kitchen to help the others. This was Rias' chance. She was now alone with both his parents and started laying the groundwork for her manipulation powers.

Rias looked at both parents and they her. Drawing a deep breath, she unleashed the power from her eyes and began the manipulation.

"You are both completely acceptable to having myself and my peerage in your home. We are all devils and that is completely ok with you. We are friends of your son and we don't mean him any harm. We have free access to anywhere in the house to do anything we need to." Rias felt her power wash over Paul like a wave over sand. He was easy to mold how she wanted and he accepted her words without any issues. Sally, on the other hand, was proving to be more difficult. She was somehow resisting her powers like she did this morning.

"What… who… no…" Sally whispered trying to fight Rias' ability. The Devil stepped up her powers and forced more effort into her manipulation.

"Sally" Rias began again after she felt like she had done enough to overpower the woman's surprising defenses, "it's ok. Everything is alright. Percy is a grown man now and he can make his own decisions. You want myself and the peerage in the house. He'll be alright." She thought maybe that was why the woman was resisting so much.

"Please" Sally struggled to say as Rias' words washed over her, "my baby boy… Don't… hurt him. He's been through… too much."

The words caused Rias to frown in thought. She knew Percy was bound to have some skeletons in his closets – everyone did – but she didn't have time to dig into that now. "I won't hurt him Sally. It's ok. I will take care of him. I promise."

It seemed like that was the right thing to say though as Sally stopped resisting and nodded her head in agreement with her husband. Rias let out a sigh of relief when her power finally worked. She'd have to make a mental note to ask her parents about why it was so difficult to alter Sally's mind when she next saw them.

Just then Percy and the rest of her Peerage emerged from the kitchen. She noticed Akeno had a light blush on her cheeks and was eyeing Percy up and down smiling behind a raised hand while her Pawn had a face as red as a rubber ball. Knowing Akeno she probably did something to embarrass him and was enjoying the resulting expressions. Rias felt a flair of anger twinge in her stomach at the thought but quickly forced it down. She didn't know why the thought of Percy alone with Akeno bothered her so much but she was the King, she wouldn't let it get to her.

"So, we're all finished mom. We're going to head into the living room now." Percy began walking into the hall and towards the living room when Rias' voice halted him.

"Actually," Rias said "I think we should head into the basement to talk. It's a bit more private down there."

Percy spun around and shook his head in disagreement but then his mom's voice spoke out and surprised him. "No. It's ok Percy. Why don't you head into the basement for more privacy?" Sally's voice was slightly dreamlike as she spoke and Percy immediately turned to her and took in his mom's status. She was still seated in her chair and Paul was nodding his head next to her in agreement. "Yes, that is a good idea Percy. Go into the basement to talk." Both were speaking the typical trance-like words that Rias' always noticed happened when she altered mortal minds. Percy gave them a thorough once over but it didn't seem like he could figure out what was wrong with them.

"Mom," Percy said, "are you alright? Didn't you just say a minute ago to go into the living room?"

Sally nodded and responded. "I did. But then I remembered that you are an adult now and can make adult decisions. You and your friends can go anywhere in the house." Sally was giving a dopey smile but her demeanor quickly reverted back to her normal behavior relieving some tension that Percy was obviously feeling.

"That settles it" Rias said rising from her seat. Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba all joined behind her and she moved forward wrapping her arm through Percy's. "We'll be in the basement then Sally. Just give a holler if you need anything." Sally nodded her head as if that made complete sense and Paul helped her rise herself. Together both parents made their way into the now vacant living room to watch television.

"What was that about?" Percy asked watching his parents move into the other room. He eyed Rias and the others suspiciously but the Devil King just gave him a comforting smile.

"I just told her that you're growing up into a respectable young man who can entertain his friends appropriately. She must have agreed." Her Pawn just gave her another confused look before sighing and untwining his arm from hers. Before he could comment further on it Rias started walking towards the basement. "Come on Percy, we have much to discuss."

(Line Break)

When Percy finally made his way down the stairs he noticed that the rest of Rias' Devils had stepped further into the room and were looking at everything in awe. Rias had made her way to his little trophy room he found when he got home from Olympus and where he kept all his spoils of war. Akeno and Koneko both were staring at the pennants and banners hanging on the walls and were admiring the designs on them.

Most he assumed were done by Atlantean nymphs at his father's order but the huge white banner with the symbol of Olympus was clearly done by a child of Athena that inherited his or her mother's mastery of weaving. It was so skillful it might even have been done by the goddess herself though he didn't think that was true. Kiba went straight to the racks on the back wall and were staring at the few swords there. The Celestial Bronze glowed brighter as he approached.

"Ok Rias," Percy began drawing everyone's attention, "what did you want to talk about?" He was going straight to the point as he didn't really like them snooping around his training room too much. If they started asking too many questions about the banners and weapons he knew he would have to lie to them. Especially considering they were now pretty much his enemy, as much as he didn't want to acknowledge that. But his father did tell him he needed to get along with them and try to act normally until they were ready. And Percy figured at some point he would have to give in and join them anyway. There was that famous saying after all: 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.'

Percy went straight into the sand arena in the center of the room and watched as everyone gathered around him. Kiba was still eyeing the weapons on the wall as if trying to figure them out and Akeno and Koneko both were just looking at him. Though Akeno seemed to have a hungry look on her face while Koneko kept glaring at him when he made eye contact only to give soft kitten eyes when he turned away. Rias finally stepped out from his trophy room and asked a question.

"What are all those treasures?" she asked first. It wasn't what he expected her to ask but he felt himself slightly smile in thought about them. He nodded his head and figured he'd answer her question. Slowly, he started making his way over to her and the others fell in line behind him.

As everyone filtered into the room he couldn't help but admire the set up of his treasures. He felt Tiamat resonate with his thoughts and it seemed she was smiling as well. The room was a deep shade of sea-green with hints of glowing silver mixed in. All the colors were swirled together perfectly and while it might have looked like a child painted it if anyone other than the gods had done it, it was actually one of the most beautiful displays he'd seen. It reminded him of his father's throne room back in Atlantis with its regality and majesty.

Throughout the room were pedestals and casing to fit his treasures. The outside of the pedestals were pure silver and Percy noticed pearls and coral and other sea gems intricately placed around each one. Before he first brought down his spoils they were simple pedestals that he noticed in the room but once he actually placed the treasure down he noticed that they changed to fit the theme of the spoil. On the pedestal that held the Hydra head was a raising that fit the head perfectly with a silver bowl underneath to capture the leaking Hydra poison. The front of the pedestal showed a faint sketching of Percy slicing the head of the beast with a picture of Rias behind him with her glowing hand and a fierce expression. Rias seemed to be seeing the same thing he was and he heard a faint gasp escape her.

"President?" Kiba asked hearing her gasp. "Is everything alright?"

Rias took a moment to compose herself but quickly she adopted the relaxed and confident posture Percy had grown used to seeing on her. "I'm alright Kiba. Just was surprised by the picture is all." The others all looked down at the pedestal then and noticed what Rias was referring to. Both Kiba and Koneko did a double take when they saw the image though Akeno seemed to have already known what happened as she merely smiled at him. He felt his face flush remembering how she "accidentally" splashed some of the spaghetti sauce on his face earlier and used her finger to wipe it clean before seductively licking it off.

"Is that…" Kiba trailed off once he looked at the head. Percy didn't think he knew exactly what it was so he took pity on him.

"That's the head of the Lernaean Hydra. Rias and I fought him last night." His statement caused Kiba to turn around suddenly and look right at Percy. Percy stepped back at the unnatural speed of the movement but before he could question it Kiba started talking.

"You guys fought a legendary monster from the Greek Pantheon?" Percy felt himself gulp afraid of what might be said next. He simply nodded his head in confirmation refusing to look at Rias. "Man… that's awesome!" Kiba gave him a big smile then and Percy let out a deep sigh. He felt himself smile back in response and Kiba gave him a slap on the back before looking at the head of the monster again.

Koneko had made her way over to the horns of the chimera that were hanging from a plate design on the wall. The plate showed off his two encounters with the monsters. On the left side of the plate was when he stood defiantly against it and Echidna on the St. Louis Arch when he was twelve and the right side showed his much more recent encounter when he finally killed the beast. One horn to reflect each time his battled it. He smiled at the thought when Akeno interrupted him.

"You fought against it quite bravely. I saw you from the bushes. I thought it might have gotten you a couple of times but when I saw you finally drive your sword through its neck…" Akeno spoke those words like they were the most sensual she had ever said. Her eyes turned glassy as if remembering the fight and she brought her arms across her body giving herself a big squeeze. Percy looked down and saw that the action caused her already large breasts to bulge out further. If he didn't know better he might actually think the thought of him slaying the Chimera was arousing to her.

"Percy" Rias said from the other side of the room. She had made her way across the feathers from his fight against the Fallen Angel and a couple of the Hellhound pelts he left resting on a shelf closer to ground level. The others started making their way over there and Percy followed already suspecting what she might have seen. "Which treasure is this one?" she finally asked.

When Percy walked up he found his suspicions were right. Hanging from a similar plate on this wall was none other than the horn of the Minotaur. The picture on the plate showed his wild ride on top of the bull-man where he snapped the horn off his head just before he killed it. Thalia's pine was in the background and Percy could make out flakes of powder off to the other side of the picture that he knew was the essence of his mom. The thought of losing her again snapped him out of any potential of going down memory lane with this spoil.

"That's the horn of the Minotaur." He said quietly. There was no other sound so everyone in the room heard him but they seemed to understand that this spoil meant a bit more to him than the others. Fortunately, rather than pry into the details they let it go.

"I see" Rias said after a minute of silence. She was taking in the details of the picture on the plate though she too didn't question him. Percy felt grateful for that right then.

"You have quite the collection" Kiba said then. "Based on the pictures you seem to be a swordfighter. Would you care for a spar?" He asked that innocently but Percy could tell he wanted to gage just how good he was. Well Percy had been dying for an actual real life sparing partner since he got here so he wasn't going to turn down this opportunity.

He smirked back at Kiba and accepted. "I could use a good fight. You're on pretty boy." Kiba smiled back and everyone began making their way out of the trophy room ready for the training match.

"So," Percy began, "how do you want to do this? It's our first training match so we should probably use the wooden swords first. We can always grab the real metal if we feel we can handle it."

Kiba only shrugged in response. "I'm ok with real metal but if you want to use wooden swords first that works for me."

Percy thought Kiba might be trying to goad him a bit but when he looked over he saw his fellow devil had a completely serious look on his face. Guess that's just the way he talks Percy thought to himself. Together, both devils made their way over to the wooden sword rack on the wall and grabbed swords that suited them.

Percy grabbed a wooden sword almost identical to Anaklusmos. It felt lighter in his hands but the thickness of it offset most of the weight so it was similar to his normal blade. Kiba on the other hand took a few minutes to choose a wooden blade he liked. He tried a few that were similar to Percy's but he apparently didn't like those and quickly returned them. After a few minutes Percy saw him pick up a bastard hand and a half sword that extended about four and a half feet. It gave him an extra foot and a half reach compared to Percy but Percy knew how to handle that.

When they both had got their practice weapons they walked into the center of the sand and were about to begin the match. Koneko stood to the side and was apparently going to referee the fight.

"How do you want to do this?" Kiba asked when then were both ready. "First to land a fatal blow? Or do you want to go until we just run out of stamina?"

Percy thought about it for a minute before deciding that he really wanted to get a feel for his new partners style. "Let's just go until we run out of energy" he responded back. In response, for the first time, Percy saw Kiba give a smirk at that.

"That's fine by me" he said. "Koneko? Will you do the honors?"

The young petite woman nodded her head at that and raised her arms to signal the fight. Percy felt himself tense in anticipation and saw his opponent do the same. Kiba had gotten into a high stance which left his body turned slightly to the right side and his sword was raised high above his head with both hands on the wooden blade. It was a power stance meant to drive Percy into the ground with force. That surprised Percy as Kiba's body seemed designed for quicker speed attacks but maybe he was just trying something new. Percy responded by getting into his typical Greek Hoplite stance. He might not have his shield but the same principle applied.

"Begin" Koneko said completely monotone. Percy expected Kiba to move first but when the devil didn't move Percy narrowed his eyes. It seemed Kiba was probably a bit more of an experienced fighter than Percy anticipated as normally novices charge immediately. More experienced fighters wait and let their opponent come to them. When Kiba stood still Percy knew he was going to have to initiate this fight.

Just as he was about to charge though he heard Rias from the side yell to stop the fight. She was looking at the side wall opposite his sink as if she was seeing something that was happening. Percy made out a frown on her face and was about to ask what was wrong when Kiba beat him to it.

"What's wrong President?" he asked.

Rias didn't answer right away but when she did Percy noted the seriousness in her tone. "Something is wrong. Issei is in trouble. Everyone, gather round and prepare to travel to his location." Next thing Percy knew there was that giant red circle on the ground in the center of the arena.

He stepped forward and into the circle with the others as Rias looked worried. The Redhead was the last to enter the circle but when she did there was a bright flash. Percy closed his eyes in reflex thinking about his family but when he opened them he saw the familiar background of his basement.

"Umm… well that was exciting but are going to help out that pervert?" he asked the others around him. Koneko snorted in response though Percy saw Rias looked even more worried then.

"It seems they've set up a barrier to prevent us from traveling to him." She answered the question. Percy felt Rias tense up next to him and he grabbed her shoulders in response. He gave them a squeeze and she looked back at him with big blue eyes. He really did like those eyes.

"It's going to be alright Rias" he said to her trying to offer assurance. "Can we transport to just outside his location and just barge in that way?" he asked hoping he might be able to spark some kind of idea. Unfortunately, she just shook her head negatively. "Ok then maybe we can keep trying to get in this way. The barrier can't last the whole time." This seemed to give her some of her confidence back and she nodded.

The redheaded devil took a deep breath and formed another circle. This time it was vertical and looked like it was meant to be run through. Kiba did just that at a slight head nod from Rias and he charged through the circle. The first time, he just ploughed right through to the other side of the circle not going anywhere. So, he tried again. And again. And Again. After about five minutes of trying Kiba ran through the circle one more time and actually disappeared into it. The second Percy saw Kiba go through the circle he was hot on his tail.

Traveling vertical through the circle felt slightly different than when he just teleported in it with Rias last night but when he finally made it through he found himself staring down a grisly scene. Kiba stood in front of him locked in combat with a black sword against a white-haired man only a couple of years older than Percy. He had red irises and was dressed in clerical garbs though the smile on his face was psychopathic. The sword the white-haired man was using seemed to be made of light much like the Fallen Angel had used and Percy realized it was probably the same.

Percy took in the rest of the scene and found it beyond disturbing. Issei was kneeling down in the corner holding his knee that seemed to be bleeding. However, when Percy looked down there was way too much blood for a minor injury like what Issei obviously had. Something else had clearly drained the blood of someone and if Percy was a betting man he would pick the man locked in combat with Kiba. But all of that was merely small stakes compared to the scene Percy saw along the wall. His eyes widened in shock at that.

When Percy got a good look at the wall he saw none other than Asia Argento seated against it after what appeared she was pinned up top by a sharp object. Most likely that sword of light. Percy could see that Asia had her clothes cut down the middle exposing her entire upper body: breasts and all.

"Asia!" Percy found himself shouting before he even knew what else was happening. Akeno quickly filed through the circle then was followed by Koneko. The blonde-haired nun looked up from the floor at his shout and Percy could see the tears pool in her eyes. He felt anger at the asshole who did this to her and even though Issei might have wanted to look at her Percy knew the pervert wouldn't do this. That left only one culprit.

Before Percy even knew what was happening he had surged forward and drew Riptide from his pocket. His heart was racing with adrenaline and his eyes were narrowed on his target. His blade thrummed with the power of the gods and when the white-haired freak saw Percy approaching he quickly disengaged from Kiba ready to meet Percy's strike.

"So, blondie here has a boyfriend? I figured the weak devil in the back was the boyfriend as he seems so familiar with that kneeling position but maybe I was wrong. Tell me, do you prefer pitching or catching?"

"The only thing I prefer is cutting your head off!" Percy shouted back in response. Behind him he could hear Rias finally make her way through the portal and Asia began talking to him from the wall.

"Percy!" she shouted in her girlish voice. Percy feared that any sense of innocence she might have once had was dead after tonight when this dickhead probably groped her. He turned his head just slightly to see her in his periphery and noted the hand mark on her chest. This only incensed him more and Percy felt his strikes become stronger and quicker. The white-haired man seemed to be struggling to keep up with him but he somehow found a way.

He could make out Rias telling Akeno to make another circle to head back to the clubhouse while Rias was assessing Issei. Kiba seemed to want to jump into the action but with Percy and the priest's wild duel he didn't have a good opportunity.

Finally, just when things were starting to get out of hand, Percy noticed that the man was slowing down. He was clearly getting tired and the manic smile he once had was now a vicious angry look. He had tried to comment a few more times but whenever he opened his mouth Percy merely pressed him harder forcing him to focus on defending. With that, he feinted to the left before using one of the very first sword moves he ever learned: the disarming technique Luke taught him in his first week at camp. It was simple really as Percy had the shorter blade and simply stepped closer towards the priest and ran his blade down the priests. With a flick of the wrist he spun the sword out of the priest's hand in the direct of Kiba.

"Grab it" Percy shouted at the blonde devil and glared furiously at the priest before him. He looked frightened now though Percy could still see madness in his eyes. Percy was breathing heavy but his pointed his sword directly at the neck of the priest and began talking.

"Who are you?" he asked first.

"I'm none other than Freed Sellzen! Exorcist extraordinaire and purveyor of beautiful nun's bodies." Percy growled at that but didn't let him get under his skin too much. If Percy could deal with Ares he could definitely deal with this asshole.

"Asia" Percy then said a bit more quietly. He was pissed off and furious but he wouldn't take it out on his new friend. Especially if what he suspected happened actually occurred. "Asia, did he touch you?" Percy didn't take his eyes off Freed though he knew Asia was nodding her head sadly. Her lack of a verbal response only confirmed it for him. Behind him it seemed Rias was done with Issei and the others stepped up with her.

Blind fury overtook Percy and without saying anything further he brought his sword back and swung with as much force as he could right through Freed's neck. He expected resistance but the next thing Percy knew his blade passed right through the man. His eyes widened in shock. Freed's too before the mad priest laughed and suddenly pulled out a gun from his robes and pointed it right at Percy's chest.

"You're mortal?" Percy asked completely surprised.

"And you're dead devil scum!" Freed laughed manically and pulled the trigger.

Everything happened in a split second then as Percy heard both Rias and Asia yell out his name while Kiba tried to push Percy to the side. None of that saved Percy though. No, what saved Percy was the blue armor that formed on his chest completely stopping the bullet in it's track. He still felt the impact of it though and felt himself fall over backwards from the unexpected force of the bullet. His sacred gear had activated just in time allowing him the protection he needed though he figured he was still going to have a massive bruise on his chest tomorrow.

As Percy slowly got up he saw Akeno form another magic circle while Koneko threw a bureau at Freed. Kiba sat in a defensive position ready to defend both himself and Issei who was seated on the ground near Akeno.

"Nobody hurts one of my servants" Rias said as Freed tried to dodge the bureau. Her hands glowed with her dark power and she threw a few balls of it towards the priest who somehow avoided them.

"Fallen Angels are here" Koneko said suddenly and Percy saw a strange portal appear on the ceiling above them. Nothing had come through yet but Percy figured it was only a matter of moments until one did.

"The portal is ready President" Akeno said in response.

"Koneko, grab Issei and get to the circle." Rias said then. The short white-haired girl picked up Issei like he was a sack of flour and threw him over her shoulder as she stood in the center of the circle. Kiba quickly followed suit and then Akeno. Rias made her way over to Percy before extending her hand and helping the demigod up. He was still in shock at what happened but he knew he had to get out first and then deal with the fallout.

"Asia! Come on! Let's go!" he yelled to the blonde nun. She gave him big eyes before smiling at him apparently thankful he was still alive.

"Only those of my household can travel by my magic circle Percy. I'm sorry but it wouldn't work." Rias said solemnly. She looked like she really regretted saying it.

"We can't just leave her!" he shouted back at the redhead.

"We have no choice!" Rias shouted back. The magic from the circle started working then as little flair ups of light sparkled around them. Percy was about to jump free from the circle when he stopped in his tracks at the voice of Asia.

"Go without me. Please go. It's ok Percy" Percy heard quietly from the side. Freed was reloading his guns with more bullets. "I'll be alright. I'll see you soon. Trust me I will." She looked so confident in that fact yet Percy could still see the tears in her eyes. She was pulling her nun outfit tight across her body to cover up but even with all that he saw one last smile from her.

"No! Asia!" Just as Percy was about to leave the circle though the teleport magic worked and the next thing Percy knew he was gone.

(Line Break)

When Percy stumbled out of the circle he was in a large room that was stylized in the Victorian fashion. The furniture was antique and fancy and Percy saw a chess board on a coffee table between two couches. None of that mattered though and he collapsed to the ground and brought his armored fist down hard on the tiled floor. He failed to save Asia and while this wasn't the first failed mission he felt this one hurt a lot worse for some reason. Probably because he saw Asia as such an innocent girl.

He pounded on the floor a few more times when he felt hands wrap around his shoulders. He looked up through hard eyes into the face of Akeno who gave him a sympathetic look. Slowly, the anger he was feeling was dissipating as those violet eyes stared back at him in understanding. Akeno sat down on the ground with him then and gave him a hug which he eagerly returned. He barely even knew this girl but somehow, he felt that she truly understood his feelings.

After a few more moments of hugging he slowly pulled away and stood up. He was still in his armor but he willed it away realizing he no longer needed it. Rias was seated on the couch with Issei still clutching his knee though it appeared both Koneko and Kiba had left.

"I'm truly sorry Percy" Rias finally said when he met her eyes. Percy could see the blueness in them had taken on a watery aspect which Percy assumed meant she was sincere.

"What the Hades happened!? Who was that guy?" he asked after composing himself. He gave Rias a nod acknowledging her apology though he was still angry about the situation.

"That was an exorcist. Priests who go around destroying devils. He could have done a lot of damage tonight if we hadn't acted when we did." She looked down at Issei who had somehow managed to fall asleep despite the pain he was in a few minutes ago. It was then that Percy noticed a dark light emitting from Rias' hands over Issei's knee. He assumed she was healing him somehow.

"Exorcists huh? Are they all that vulgar?"

"No, I think that was just a quirk of this particular one." Akeno chimed in. She took a seat opposite Rias and pulled Percy down next to her curling up into him. He didn't really think anything of it his mind too focused on the exorcist and Asia.

"What was Asia doing with an exorcist?" he found himself questioning aloud. He meant to ask that in his head but the words just slipped out before he knew it. Rias raised her eyebrows at his question.

"She's a nun that follows the Fallen Angels apparently. And how exactly do you know her?" There was a hint of something in her voice though Percy couldn't identify what. The question didn't sound nearly as innocent as it might have been.

"She's new in town. I bumped into her today and walked her up to the church…" at that both Akeno and Rias hissed and clucked their teeth.

"You took her to the church?" Akeno asked incredulously. Percy looked at her funny before responding.

"I just said that. I walked her up before I left." He trailed off at that not wanting to get into the meeting with the Olympians.

"Percy" Rias began in a slightly scolding tone, "it is extremely dangerous for a devil to go anywhere near any church. Didn't you feel uncomfortable as you approached?"

Percy thought back to the afternoon when he had gotten closer to the church. He remembered a strange tingling in his body though he just chalked it up to Athena being near. He never even considered it was because of the church. Tiamat did warn him that the beings in the church would want to attack him but he never really considered why that was the case.

"I… there was this tingling feeling" he said at last.

"Those were your devil instincts Percy. You can never go near the church or it's members. They will attack you. Remember that." The redheaded devil said back. Nobody spoke further after that with Rias healing Issei, Akeno tucking herself into Percy's arm and Percy lost in deep thought not realizing what was happening.

After a few more minutes Rias stood up and spoke. "Akeno, please form a circle to Percy's house so he can get some sleep, then you head home yourself. I will need to stay the night with Issei to make sure his wounds completely heal."

Akeno then stood up also and nodded her head. Percy was still deep in thought but when he suddenly felt the lack of heat on his left side from Akeno he looked up and saw Rias' face looking at him.

"That means Asia too Percy." She finally said. That immediately got Percy's attention.

"What!? But Rias, you saw her, she's completely overwhelmed by it all. We need to get her out of there. Is there nothing we can do?" Percy had jumped up looking at Rias from a standing position. He wouldn't leave that girl behind no matter what. Even though they spent only a few short hours together she was more of his friend than anyone else in Japan. And Percy Jackson never turned his back on his friends when they needed him.

Percy thought Rias could see the determination in his eyes but all she said in response was "hmm… there might be something I can do. We will have to see." It was cryptic and vague but Percy was determined.

"Look, whatever it is Rias, just let me know. I'll do whatever I can, just… we can't leave her there with them. She's too good a person." Percy trialed off on that.

"It will depend a lot on Asia Percy. But we will see in the coming days. For now, head home and get some sleep. We can discuss more about what happened tomorrow." Rias had a glint in her eyes and Percy knew she saw his sword pass right through Freed. He gave a heavy sigh knowing there was going to be a lot of questions tomorrow.

"Fine Rias" he responded back. One thing he decided was he wasn't going to call her President like everyone else. She had a name and he was going to use it. She didn't seem bothered by it and immediately scooped up a sleeping Issei in her arms before creating a magic circle herself. Akeno had formed one on the ground that Percy assumed was meant for him and made his way over to it. The black-haired girl ran her arm up his when he entered the circle giving a reassuring squeezing and a soft smile to him. He responded in kind.

"Oh, and Percy" Rias said as the circle started working it's magic. He looked up at the redhead in answer to her words. "When I send Kiba to fetch you tomorrow, actually go with him this time." She gave him a smile to let him know she was teasing and Percy found himself let out a small chuckle at that. He still felt like a failure but if there was a way Rias could help Asia he would do anything he could to make it happen. With that parting thought, Percy was whisked away by magic circle once more.