Disclaimer: I own neither JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD

Chapter 25

"The Stray was killed before you found it?"

Rias furrowed her brow seriously, the reaction of her long time friend only adding to her confusion. The previous night, she had received word from home that a Stray Devil was running loose in the town. It didn't take long for her to pinpoint its location to one of the old abandoned warehouses. She called upon her servants, being prepared to strike out at the Devil. But by the time she had summoned them, Akeno informed her that it had already been destroyed. With Akeno, the two investigated the warehouse alone, only finding small remnants of what was left of the Stray still there. Traces of a battle could be seen all over the factory, but little else had come from their investigation. She hoped that, in spite of inaction on her part before, that Sona might have been the one to eliminate the Devil in her stead. Obviously, that hadn't been the case.

"That's right. Judging from your reaction, it wasn't you who did it either." Rias sighed, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. "I highly doubt it was any of my servants as they would have informed me of an encounter."

"The same could be said for mine. It seems we have a stranger in town who decided to deal with it themselves." Sona hummed, eyes narrowing as she held her chin. "I highly doubt it was Jotaro-san. He likely would have called us. Not to mention he wouldn't be able to receive such information."

"It's possible that it was the church." Akeno suddenly spoke, bringing their attention to her. "Often they will receive word on Stray Devils as well. It's their duty to kill Devils, after all."

"That is true, but they're supposed to stay out of our territory. Not to mention that normally no exorcist would venture into our turf for a single Stray." Rias held her chin in thought, trying to think of any alternatives. "But… that does seem like the only option left. We all know that Myrcella wouldn't go out of her way to do that, either."

*RING RING*

The four turned to the single phone on Rias' desk, the Gremory heiress picking it up and putting their conversation on hold. "Hello?"

"Is this Rias Gremory?" Rias narrowed her eyes, hearing a thick accent in the voice on the other side.

"Who might this be if you don't mind me asking?" Rias responded, her words courteous but no less cautious. She set the phone back on the receiver and set it to speaker.

"I'll take that as a yes. Greetings, Gremory-san. I am Bruno Bucciarati, an exorcist in the service of the Lord and the Church." Rias narrowed her eyes, leaning on one hand as she felt on edge now.

"What does an exorcist of the church want with me?" Rias asked, her tone sharper now as she spoke.

"I'm not calling to make any threats or judgements. I wanted to inform you that me and two of my associates are in town and would like to meet with you." Bruno said, Rias raising a brow as she looked at Sona and Akeno.

"Is that so? And why would you wish to speak with me directly? Is it something you can't simply say over the phone?" Rias asked, no less suspicious of the exorcists' motives for meeting. It was always smart to be cautious of the servants of their enemies.

"It's a matter that I would like to discuss in person rather than over the phone. The importance of our mission requires a genuine approval from your end rather than just words. I hope you understand." Rias pinched the bridge of her nose. A visit from the church was just what she needed right now after all the turmoil she had suffered over the past couple months.

"Am I to have your word that you won't act violently toward myself or any Devils, be they servants or members of another family?" Rias asked, a daring edge in her voice for him to refuse.

"You do. I promise that we do not come in ill will toward you or Sona Sitri. Our mission doesn't involve Devils, in fact. I swear on the Church." That was a very deep promise from a member of the Church. It was enough to take Rias a bit by surprise, but quickly correct herself.

"... Fine. Tomorrow, here at Kuoh Academy. You and your associates can meet us here and say your piece." Rias sighed, deciding to hear out the exorcist and his associates. Looking up at Sona, the Sitri heiress nodded in understanding, giving her own agreement to the meeting.

"I thank you. That is all I have to say. I will meet you tomorrow."

"Before you go, Bucciarati, I have something to ask." Rias said, stopping him before he could hang up. "Last night, there was a Stray Devil in town. Before we could destroy the monster ourselves, it had already been slain."

"That was us. We had received message of a Stray Devil nearby and decided to deal with it on our own." Bruno confirmed for her before she could ask, Rias humming in response.

"I see. Was there any particular reason why?"

"It was to keep any casualties from forming. We were close by, and so dealing with it then instead of waiting for you seemed like the safest option for the town. I'm sure you would have responded quickly, but I couldn't have been sure if you received the intel before we did." Bruno explained for her, the red haired Devil narrowing her eyes.

"If you were in town already, then why didn't you try to make a meeting sooner?" Rias asked, her tone hiding no accusation.

"I needed to confirm with my associates that our mission would indeed be in this town and would not shift. I can give you more details on what exactly that is tomorrow." Bruno answered honestly, though Rias couldn't help but doubt his words. It was just a result of distrust between the factions, after all.

"... Very well. Tomorrow, after school. We'll see you then." Rias sighed, hanging up the phone and looking up at Sona and her queen. "What do you think?"

"His words seem genuine enough, but that doesn't mean much. Still, as members of the Church they're not foolish enough to do anything quite so brash as attacking us in your territory. Even the Fallen Angels who hid here didn't dare try anything directly against either of us when they were here." Sona reasoned, pushing her glasses up. "I suppose all will be revealed tomorrow."

"Perhaps this is about Jotaro-san." Akeno guessed, narrowing her eyes. "The agreement between factions was that none of their bloodline would be forced into a rebirth. This might be an issue addressing such, even if we haven't made any moves to do so."

"Perhaps. But as we've said, we won't know the truth of the matter until tomorrow." Rias said, standing from her seat. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to give Jotaro-san a call. Better to at least keep him informed rather than wait."

"I'll call him on my way home. Right now, he's an outside party the same as I am." Sona volunteered, though earning a small giggle from Rias. "What's so amusing?"

"You just want an excuse to talk to your hero, huh?" Rias teased, the face of her bespectacled friend turning a tint of red. "Imagine if your sister heard about all of this. I can only imagine that the reason she hasn't shown up yet is because you've kept quiet about it."

"The last thing I need is Serafall meeting Jotaro-san. I'd die of embarrassment…" Sona admitted, turning away as shivers went up her body.

"We now have our meeting planned." Bruno announced, turning in his seat to look at Xenovia, who stood by their hotel beds. "Tomorrow in the evening, we'll be sitting down with Rias Gremory. I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Why? They're Devils. We owe them no courtesy." Xenovia huffed, brow furrowing in irritation. "I'm not even sure why you bothered to call."

"Because wasting our time to go to the school only to be turned away would be a waste of time. Not to mention come off as a threat rather than a request for a discussion." Bruno countered, crossing his arms over his chest. "While I understand your reservations, we're not here to cut down the heiresses of the Underworld. We're here to hunt down the remainder of Excalibur."

"That doesn't mean we have to be any more cordial with Devils, Bruno. I don't understand how you can so casually act toward them. They're our mortal enemies." Xenovia said, turning her gaze to the side in annoyance. Bruno took a moment to consider her words, linking his fingers and closing his eyes.

"Xenovia. Would it be safe for me to assume that you find Devils to be the greatest evil in existence?" Bruno asked, causing the blue haired exorcist to blink as she looked back at him.

"Of course. They're the abominations of Hell. Not to mention the mortal enemies of our lord and the Church." Xenovia answered without hesitation, this ideal having been hammered into her very soul. Bruno nodded in understanding, leaning back in his chair.

"I see. It's very understandable. With the background you've grown up in, such would be your mindset. It's fairly rational as well as justifiable." Bruno said, acknowledging her words and the weight they carried. "But from my background and the experiences I've lead in life, I believe the greatest evil to be something else entirely: humans."

Xenovia blinked in shock, sweat trailing down her brow. "H-humans? How could you say that? They're the very people we both fight to protect and lead to God!"

Bruno stood from his seat, walking over to the window and pulling away the curtain. Their hotel room was on the tenth floor, giving them a decent view of the city below. Lights blinked across the streets from cars, neon signs flashing to draw attention of people passing by. "Humans are capable of the greatest good. Working hard despite terrible conditions. Struggling each day to provide for their families. Finding happiness in the little that they have. That is the good in humanity that I appreciate and protect Xenovia. But what good exists does not eliminate the evil that is there."

Looking back at the blue haired exorcist, Bruno's eyes pierced into her soul. "Evil that abuses the good that surrounds it. Forces the weak to do its bidding and silencing it when they feel threatened by what it might say. Humans are the greatest evil to me because you never know who to trust. Out of the existing races of the universe, humanity is the most two faced of them all."

"Bruno, that's crazy. Devils are-"

"Naturally dark in their existence, I understand." Bruno cut her off, shaking his head. "But with that obvious nature, you know exactly what to expect from a Devil. It's honest in its own way. But humanity… One man could be the kindest on earth, and the next could stab you in the back the moment you turn away. In my life, after meeting both Angel, Devil, and many other races, the one who has done the greatest damage to itself has been humanity."

Xenovia absorbed his words, following his previous gaze to the outside. She still didn't fully believe his words, but she understood. Before becoming part of this three man team, she had heard many rumors regarding his past. Even before joining the church, his life had taken a dark turn. The details and truth of it all were still a mystery, but in the past year of working with Bruno, she learned to trust him as a friend and as her leader. Even if she didn't agree with his sentiment, it was enough to at least give her something to think about.

"Where is Irina?" Bruno suddenly asked, the previously heavy atmosphere shattering in the wake of his question.

"Oh, she said she wanted to go and see her old friend, Issei Hyoudou." Xenovia said, shrugging casually. "She knew you were still getting ready and told me to wait for you and to meet at his house."

Bruno blinked in disbelief, eyes conveying a bit of frustration. "Issei Hyoudou… the childhood friend that was reportedly turned into a Devil… by Rias Gremory." he asked slowly, his voice flat as he spoke.

"That's right. She just wanted to pay him a brief visit. I told her you might not like the idea, but she thought there would be no harm in it." Xenovia further explained, taking her a moment to pick up on his tone of voice. "... was that bad?"

Bruno couldn't stop himself from slapping his face in exasperation. "I swear, you two can be unbelievable sometimes…" He muttered, shaking his head. "Come on. Let's go fetch her before she accidently causes some sort of conflict."

"Did Rias say why there was no meeting today?" Josuke asked, raising a brow at Issei in question.

"All she said was that she was meeting with Sona. We're supposed to be getting our orders for contracts later tonight when she's done." Issei explained, shrugging in answer. "It must not be related to Jotaro-san or Myrcella if she's doing all this. Did we miss something?"

"I don't think so… president would have called us if something occurred. I'm sure it's just some royal family business." Kiba reasoned, holding his chin in thought before looking at Koneko. "Did you notice anything?"

"No. It was the same as usual." Koneko shook her head. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. President knows what she's doing."

"Yeah but it feels kinda weird to be left out…" Okuyasu muttered, scratching his head in thought.

"Koneko is right. I trust that president is handling it. If she needs us, she will call." Kiba agreed, offering the others a smile. "We'll see you all tomorrow unless something happens. Take care."

"See you." Koneko said, her eyes lingering on Josuke before turning around and crossing the street with Kiba. The remaining four waved their goodbye before continuing on toward home.

"Oh yeah, did you hear back from Jotaro-san?" Issei asked, looking at Josuke in question.

"He said he'd put out a search for anything related, but we didn't have much to go on." Josuke sighed, scratching the back of his head. "All we had was a picture, after all. I'm sure that there's been plenty of replications out there that they'll find."

"Shit, sounds like we'll be waitin' a while… guess it's too much to ask for it to fall in our laps, huh?" Okuyasu cursed impatiently, shoulders slumping.

"What are you guys talking about?" Asia asked, glancing inquisitively around at the three. Each of them cursed to themselves, realizing they had opened their mouths without thinking of their present company.

"I-it's nothing to worry about, Asia! Just a little something me and the guys are looking up…" Issei lamely excused, waving his hands in the air dismissively. Asia tilted her head in question, most likely thinking of asking more. But the moment that they turned the corner leading to the street of their homes, Asia and Issei both froze in place, a cold sweat building on their brows as they felt a dangerous presence nearby. Josuke and Okuyasu stopped, turning back to them with clueless expressions.

"What's wrong?" Josuke asked, raising a brow at their actions.

"This feeling, just now…" Issei muttered, dread spreading across his face as he looked up at his home. There was no doubt about it, the dangerous feeling came from his house.

"Wh-what is that, Issei..?" Asia muttered, slightly trembling as she was unsettled by the presence.

"The hell is going on? You guys alright?" Okuyasu asked, looking between the two in confusion.

"This feeling… it's just like when I met Asia… and when she took me to the church the first time…" Issei explained, eyes narrowing at his house. "And just like when I met that bastard, Freed. I think someone from the church is here… or worse…" horror suddenly filled him, the brunette Devil rushing forward. "Mom!" He called out, knowing that his mother would be home by this time.

"O-oi, Issei!" Josuke called out, not waiting another second before giving chase. Asia and Okuyasu were quick on their tail despite their confusion, hoping to be ready for whatever might be next.

Issei rushed to his front door and quickly threw it open, thankful that it was open so he didn't have to pull out his keys. "Mom!" Issei called out as soon as he entered. The hallway leading into their house was dark, but a light was shining from the living room. This filled Issei with a sliver of fear, remembering that this was a similar sight to when he had entered the home of the man slain by Freed. No… is she-

"Hahahaha~! I told you those two were inseparable! They even took baths together all the time!" Issei blinked, immediately recognizing the voice as his mother's. Relief filled him but mixed also with confusion. The brunette gripped his hidden dragon arm, keeping his guard up as he more casually approached the living room entrance. He spared a glance back at Josuke who in turn gave him a silent nod of understanding. Turning back, Issei walked forward, the light becoming stronger as he entered the living room. To his surprise, it was just his mother and a girl around his age with orange hair, the two of them looking through a photo album together.

"Ah, Issei! Nice to see you home early!" His mother smiled at him, waving him over. "Look who's here~! I'm sure you don't recognize her, but she's an old friend of yours!"

It was because of her we felt those chills? Issei thought to himself, watching the twin tailed girl carefully. Despite his tense posture, the girl gave a carefree smile, one that was almost too comfortable while looking at him.

"Hey, Issei! It's been a long time!" The girl greeted kindly, causing Issei to blink. "What's wrong? You having trouble remembering me?"

"U-um…" Issei was drawing a blank. Her orange hair was familiar but otherwise he didn't know any girls when he was younger.

"No way…" Issei cranked his head back, looking to see Josuke in the doorway. His eyes were wide and sweat was trailing down his brow. "I-is it…"

"You know her, Josuke?!" Issei exclaimed in shock. The tall teen didn't answer immediately, instead walking past Issei and over to the orange haired girl. She watched him curiously, tilting her head in question as he crouched in front of her, a more serious look on his expression as his brow hardened. The two stared eye to eye for a long moment, Issei unable to read his reaction. Even his mother was quiet, trying to figure out what was going on. It almost felt like Josuke was staring into her soul, never to break his concentration.

That was until he pulled on the inside of his cheek and stuck his tongue out, making a funny sound as he did so. The girl blinked in shock before quickly replacing it with a playful smile, pulling at both cheeks and sticking her tongue back out at him. Apparently a war of funny faces had erupt between the two.

"Wh-what the hell are you guys doing?!" Issei blanched, his initial shock at their exchange now replaced with further confusion. Josuke let go of his cheek and started to laugh, standing up with his arms spread wide in the air.

"Irina!" He cried out with a surprising amount of mirth.

"Josuke~!" The girl returned it, copying his arm motion before jumping into his arms, the two laughing as they hugged one another tightly. Issei's jaw had completely fallen, eye twitching in disbelief as he watched the two break their hug and smile kindly at one another. Okuyasu and Asia peeked their heads inside the room, now watching the scene play out with just as much confusion as the brunette.

"Look at you, all girly now. You had me thinking you'd be a tomboy your whole life!"

"I knew you'd be tall, but I didn't realize this huge! Your hair still looks as awesome as I remember, though!"

"W-would someone please tell me what's going on?!" Issei finally snapped, his mother and the two laughing friends pausing in their reunion.

"You don't remember, Issei? Look! She's in that picture with you and Josuke!" Issei's mother took over for them, holding up one of their photo albums to see. It was the same picture from the day before that had triggered Kiba, only now did Issei realize who the girl in the picture was.

"Wait, what?! That's her?! B-but-"

"I know, she used to look like one of the boys." Issei's mother giggled, looking back at Irina. "I almost didn't recognize her at first because of that."

"But I thought she was a boy!" Issei blurted, causing Irina and his mother to widen their eyes in shock. Josuke blinked though, some sweat starting to build up on his brow as he looked away from the three, beginning to whistle.

"Issei, how rude! I can't believe you-" Issei's mother began to scold, only for Irina to reach out and touch her shoulder.

"No, it's okay. I was pretty boyish when I was younger. I don't think I ever corrected Issei on it, either." Irina explained before holding her chin in thought. "But still, I could have sworn that I told Josuke to tell him after I left…" she trailed off, all eyes falling on Josuke.

"U-uh… are you sure? I don't remember that… exactly..." Josuke lamely muttered, putting on a smile as he waved a dismissive hand.

"Wait a sec, you knew?!" Issei blurted, Josuke's cheeks filling out as he held back a laugh.

"I-I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." Josuke finally admitted, holding his hands up in surrender. "Y-you acted so carefree in front of her because of that. You used to make her so nervous when we'd roughhouse in the park or you started to change in front of her…" Not to mention she had a huge crush on him. It was twice as funny because of that.

"Are you followin' this..?" Okuyasu whispered over to Asia, the blonde Devil giving a sheepish smile as she shook her head.

"W-wait, I did what?!" Issei paled, memories starting to flood in from their past together. Thinking about it, he did a lot of embarrassing things in front of Irina that he would have never done in front of her had he known she was a girl. Though now it all started to make sense. Josuke always looked like he was holding a laugh back during those times, too.

"Josuke, how could you~?! I told you to tell him!" Irina whined, pouting up at the tall teen. "Why didn't you?!"

Josuke scratched the back of his head nervously, offering a lame smile. "W-well, we were pretty bummed out when you had to leave, so uh… it just never came up. Sorry, I forgot…" he admitted, looking to the side in shame. "I knew if I said something about it yesterday when we saw the picture that he'd probably throw a fit."

"Yeah, no shit!" Issei snapped in irritation, face flaring up as the memories continued to flood and further embarrass him.

"Oh, it's okay now. After all, we're finally reunited!" Irina declared, offering a small smile of peace. "Besides, I'd say we've all been through some pretty big changes since we were little, huh? You never know what could happen to someone when you haven't seen them for so long." She giggled, but caused the two to tense. The implication was small, but apparent to both teens. She was definitely a member of the church, and she knew that Issei was a Devil.

"So… what does that mean for us?" Josuke asked, looking at Irina with a more hopeful expression. He would rather not have to fight her, but considering her position he wasn't sure how things might go.

"Oh, nothing bad, trust me! I just wanted to come by and see everyone. I was planning to stop by your place after, but I'm happy that I got to see you both at the same time." Irina smiled, reassuring that she wasn't there for any sort of fight. Josuke and Issei visibly relaxed, the two thankful that she wasn't here for any sort of conflict with them, at least.

*DING DONG*

"Oh, that must be my friends! They probably came by to pick me up." Irina announced, turning to Issei's mother and bowing. "Thank you for having me, Hyoudou-san."

"Of course! If you're in town for a while, feel free to come by when you like!" She replied, bowing back.

Irina smiled and nodded, looking at her childhood friends and smiling. "I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow, okay? See you then!" She declared, skipping past them. Okuyasu and Asia watched her leave, the twin tailed girl paying them no mind as she headed for the door and opened it up. "Hey, Xenovia! Bruno! I'm all don-"

*bonk*

"Ow~!" Irina had been swiftly chopped on top of the head, whining in pain as she held the spot that was likely now forming a bump. "Bruno, what was that for?!"

"For coming without my permission to a Devil's home. Childhood friend or not, he's still a Devil. You could have caused an incident." Bruno quickly admonished her, crossing his arms before looking into the house to see Issei and the others watching him. He placed a hand on his chest and bowed. "I apologize for her intrusion. While Irina might be an old acquaintance, she should know better. Tell your master that she did not mean anything volatile by this visit."

Issei blinked, realizing he was being addressed. "U-uh, yeah, that's fine… I could tell she didn't mean any harm…" Issei muttered, a little surprised by his politeness despite the fact that they were technically enemies.

"Sorry for causing trouble…" Irina mumbled, rubbing her head in the sore spot. Bruno merely sighed, nodding in acceptance.

"It's fine. Nothing seems to have erupted from this, so I'm sure that their master will understand it was not some sort of threat. Come, we're returning to the hotel." Bruno said, motioning for Irina and Xenovia to follow after him.

"Okay~!" Irina said, returning to her previous boisterous attitude as she followed him out. Xenovia seemed to linger though, her eyes like daggers as she stared at Issei and Asia in the doorway. Her gaze unsettled Asia, the blonde taking a step back. Taking a step in front of her, Okuyasu shoved his hands into his pockets, meeting Xenovia's gaze in her stead and glaring.

"Got a problem?" He asked, becoming defensive now. Josuke stood next to him, the tall teen narrowing his eyes at the blue haired exorcist.

"Xenovia!" Bruno called out, his voice commanding. Xenovia merely stared for another moment, a test of wills rising between her and Okuyasu, now. She only spent a few seconds longer holding his gaze, closing her eyes and turning around to follow Bruno and Irina.

"Humans should stay away from Devils." She said without turning back, the punk teen huffing in annoyance at her attitude.

"Wait." Josuke suddenly called out, taking a step forward and causing the three to stop. "Irina said that she would be seeing us tomorrow. You mind telling us what this is about?"

Bruno looked back, his expression blank. "I'd rather not explain ourselves more than once. Tomorrow we'll be arriving at your school after it ends. You will learn everything at that time." He declared before turning back to the car they had arrived in. Josuke sighed, glancing back at the others in question. They would receive no more answers from him that night. With nothing else to be done, Josuke and Okuyasu returned home while Issei and Asia awaited Rias' arrival.

Issei let out a heavy sigh as he leaned forward. After Rias returned home, he informed her of the previous events. She had been somewhat frantic, but was relieved to see that they were all okay and no fight had started. When discussing it, Issei discovered that she knew about as much as they did, though it took them by surprise about the Stray Devil they had killed. Still, the situation continued to worry him. He was somewhat thankful that Rias decided to send him out for the single contract now had with an older gentleman.

"Is something wrong, Devil?" Issei blinked his eyes open, realizing that he might have looked rather troubled in front of his contractee. The man was old, most likely in his late thirties or forties, but was rather handsome looking by female standards. He had a mess of blond and black hair on top of his head as well as a chinstrap beard. Currently, he wore a comfortable make kimono, looking rather out of place considering that they were only out fishing on the small river in town.

"A-ah, no, not really. Just uh… got a lot on my mind." Issei admitted, scratching his head sheepishly for letting himself fall into his thoughts. He originally wanted to distract himself from what was coming, but considering that fishing required a bit of silence and patience, it didn't do much to distract him.

"You shouldn't worry too much about the future, kid. You're too young for thoughts like that." The man chuckled, turning his gaze back out to their poles. "Try to sit and enjoy what's happening now. Deal with things as they come."

"Y-yeah, you're right, it's just… kinda hard. Especially when I don't know what's going to happen." Issei said, resting his chin in one hand as he stared out at their poles.

"Things usually work out for the best if you let them. Sometimes all you can do is sit back and relax." His contractor shrugged, his eyes trailing forward. "By the way, your line's getting pulled."

"Huh?" Issei soon realized what he said was true, quickly attempting to fling out the fish from the water. With wide eyes, he realized he brought in a decent sized trout, smiling as he marveled at it. "Wow, I didn't think I'd catch something like this here!"

"See? Just being patient can help bring about the best result." The older man chuckled, standing from his seat and grabbing a bucket. Issei quickly unhooked it, tossing it inside. "That should make for a good dinner. Thank you."

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm surprised you don't really want me to do more than just hang out for our contract, though." Issei admitted with a chuckle.

"I'm just happy to have company. It's nice to hang out with someone your age. I have a daughter that's actually about as old as you. I love her, but sometimes it's hard to connect with her. Though that's mostly my fault." The man said with a kind grin, surprising Issei a bit. "We don't live together, but I try to at least make sure she knows I'm always happy to be around her when I can."

"Sounds like you've got a few worries of your own." Issei said, offering a sympathetic smile.

"Just a few. We've been getting along more recently, but she's in a rebellious stage." He laughed in reply. A phone suddenly rang in his pocket, the two pausing their conversation as he pulled it out. "Ah. Speak of the Devil. Well, not technically with you here. You may go now. I should take this before she decides that I'm not worth talking to."

"No problem. Thanks for having me, old man. I'll see you around." Issei nodded, walking away and jogging up the hill. The man watched him go for a moment before finally answering, holding the phone to his ear.

"I was wondering when you might call. Everything okay, Hazel?"

"It's going fine. Couldn't get into their club yesterday, but we were expecting that. Did you already meet with Issei Hyoudou?"

"I actually just sent him off after seeing your call. He seems to be a bit worried. I'm guessing it's because of what's soon to arrive in Kuoh." He said, glancing back up the hill to see Issei riding away on his bike.

"He's got plenty of reason for that. My spies say that they saw several exorcists come from his house. No fight broke out, so I'm guessing the church is trying to avoid two conflicts at once."

"I figured the church would want to meet with Gremory before acting, but I didn't expect them to go to one of her servants homes. Were your spies able to determine why?"

"They couldn't get close enough to listen. Considering the seals in place around their houses, they'd be spotted depending on the distance they kept. We're just going to have to wait for this to play out."

"It sounds like it. When the time is right, we'll reveal ourselves. It should start to get interesting very soon." He chuckled, taking a seat back on his stool and casting his line out. "Well, if you're done with work for the day, why don't you come and join me for some fishing?"

"Sorry, I'd rather do anything but that right now. I'll probably find some guy or girl to crawl into bed with. Not sure what I'm feeling up for today."

The man winced at hearing that. Hazel knew that he grew uncomfortable hearing about her experiences. And she did love to make him uncomfortable. "Look, dear. I know you think I'm a pig, but you don't have to-"

"Target acquired. See you later, old man. I've got a world to rock." The line suddenly went dead, the man blinking before slumping his shoulders. He couldn't even say anything considering the number of wives he had and the one daughter who grew up with them. "I guess this is my punishment for that, huh?" He chuckled dryly, returning his attention to the still river.

The day had come and gone, Rias and her peerage along with Josuke and Okuyasu quickly gathered at the clubroom. They didn't have to wait long for their unprecedented guests to arrive, the same three exorcists from the night before walking into the clubroom silently. Akeno didn't prepare any tea and none of the Devils spared the usual courtesy greeting to their guests. Even Riser had been shown a bit more courtesy by Rias and her peerage. Even if it was to follow certain expectations given by Grayfia. Still, no such pleasantries were prepared for the exorcists of the church. Kiba in particular looked irritated, a hardened glare never leaving his face.

"Thank you for taking the time to see us. I know that this is out of the ordinary for all parties involved, so I will not make this more difficult than it needs to be." Bruno said first, taking a seat on a couch positioned across from Rias with Xenovia and Irina sitting on each side of him. Rias sat alone while her peerage stood behind the couch save for Akeno who stood at attention at her side. "Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Bruno Bucciarati. My comrades here are Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou."

"It is most unusual for followers of the church to request a meeting with Devils. At least not on peaceful terms." Rias said, crossing one leg over the other as she met Bruno's gaze. "So what exactly has brought you here?"

"The last remaining pieces of Excalibur have been traced to this city." Bruno declared. The moment the word left his mouth, Rias' entire peerage tensed, Kiba especially becoming rigid in shock. Josuke, Okuyasu, and Issei spared him a glance, all knowing what this was for him. "The church is in possession of three of the six blades that currently exist. Excalibur Destruction and Excalibur Mimic are held by my two associates." Bruno explained, motioning with both arms to the girls at his side.

"I see. So what exactly is it you need from us?" Rias asked, narrowing her eyes as a sultry smile spread on her lips. "I have no information regarding the matter and if I did, I wouldn't feel terribly inclined to give it to associates of the church."

"We don't need information. This is simply a formal meeting to give you fair warning." Bruno dismissed, crossing his arms. "This conflict is between the church and the Fallen Angels. All we request is that you remain neutral in this clash. We won't cause an incident with you if you do the same for us."

Before Rias could reply, Kiba suddenly turned away, stomping toward the door and leaving the room. Josuke and Okuyasu spared a glance at one another before looking at Issei, the brunette sighing in understanding. For this matter to come right to their doorstep only two days after discussing the Holy Swords was unbelievable. There was no way that Kiba could turn a blind eye to this information.

Rias' eyes softened for a moment as a worried frown crossed her face. But as quick as it came it faded, her expression becoming all business again. "Are you insinuating that we would aid the Fallen Angels? That's a bold accusation." Rias asked, her own eyes accusing Bruno of such.

"I personally see no benefit in such an alliance, but this is simply a worry that was passed down by our superiors." Bruno admitted, leaning back into the couch. "I'm aware that Devils and Fallen Angels carry no more love for one another than either of our factions."

"That doesn't change the fact that Devils find Holy Swords to be detestable things." Xenovia suddenly spoke, causing Bruno to send a glare at the back of her head. "In most cases, I would say that your goals would align with the Fallen Angels, correct?" It didn't take a genius to see that such an idea completely pissed off Rias, an aura of anger surrounding her as the Gremory heiress's eyes turned red. Shit, president's pissed! Issei gulped, taking a small step away from his master in fear. "If you were to for whatever reason intervene, then we have been given permission to annihilate you should-"

"Enough Xenovia!" Bruno suddenly burst, causing Rias to blink and look at the jet black haired exorcist. In spite of her stoic exterior, Xenovia had flinched when Bruno spoke her name, though not looking back at him as he spoke. "I told you that I wanted to handle this with tact, not threats."

Xenovia turned her gaze back to Bruno, eyes hardened in annoyance. Most usually, Xenovia respected his position as leader of their trio, knowing him to be the most intelligent and sharp of the three. But when it came to Devils, Xenovia and him would clash. "Don't you think you're being far too courteous with our enemies?"

"The enemies that concern me right now are the Fallen Angels. Rias Gremory has no reason to seek out the Excalibur pieces." Bruno declared, his voice strong in its command. "Despite what the higher ups told us, I'm not willing to start a war over this matter."

"You seem pretty relaxed compared to your friend when it comes to Devils." Josuke suddenly spoke, causing Bruno's gaze to turn to him this time.

"Don't get me wrong. I don't believe Devils to be our allies in any way nor expect anything more from Rias Gremory aside from her neutrality in the matter." Bruno said, his eyes showing no amount of weakness as he spoke. "But for the duration of my work in the church, I've learned to not to be so dogmatic in certain practices."

"Bruno's butted heads with a lot of bishops in the church." Irina giggled out, earning a small eye roll from Bruno.

"Regardless, I have a mission and I plan to carry it out." Bruno declared before sending another glare Xenovia's way. "And as I've said before, we'll be handling it my way."

Xenovia gave a defiant expression, narrowing her eyes at Bruno before turning her head away from him in annoyance. She's pouting… A resounding thought echoed between the Devils and Stand users, the tension from before now losing its edge.

"Well, back to the matter at hand, I can at least reassure your concerns." Rias spoke, turning Bruno's attention back to her. "I have no intention of aiding the Fallen Angels and would never be so foolish as to tarnish my family's name in doing so. But also remember that I have no plans or obligation to aid your side, either.

"That's completely fine. All we needed to make clear was our position to you and to make sure there would be no outside involvement." Bruno nodded in acceptance before shifting his gaze. "Other than that, there is only one other matter to discuss, though it's with your friend rather than you." He declared, eyes turning to Josuke this time. "Josuke Higashikata, correct?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's me." Josuke blinked in surprise as he was suddenly addressed, glancing at the others briefly before looking back at Bruno again. "Is there something you want from me?"

"Just confirmation. Are you a servant of Rias Gremory, now?" Bruno asked, causing him to blink in surprise. "While you had fallen outside the scope of watch upon your father's side of the family, you still have Joestar blood in your veins. You even possess a Stand. The church can't do anything about it now if you are, but they want confirmation of your position."

"No, I'm human." Josuke declared, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Rias hasn't tried to force me into any servitude or anything."

"Then why are you hanging around Devils?" Xenovia suddenly spoke, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You know what she is and what she represents. Perhaps she has a spell on you? You should be-"

"Regardless of what she is, she's my friend." Josuke cut her off, causing the blue haired exorcist to blink. "Her and everyone in her peerage. Rias saved my best friend from dying and was there for me when I needed them. I'm there for her and everyone else in the same way. Whether I'm human or not."

The Devils around Josuke smiled, appreciating his loyalty to them despite the pressure from Xenovia. Turning back to them, Rias crossed her arms. "And there you have it. Josuke may not be my servant, but he's our friend. Now, will that be all?"

Bruno was silent for a moment, holding his chin in thought before standing up. "I'm not sure how to report such a relationship, but it will do. Thank you for sparing us your time, Rias Gremory. I hope, for both our sakes, we will not be forced to cross paths again." Xenovia and Irina soon stood up alongside him.

"I guess we'll see you guys later! Sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances, guys." Irina giggled, waving to Issei and Josuke.

"Try to be careful on your mission, Irina." Josuke chuckled, waving back as she followed after Bruno. He suddenly felt an aura of irritation hit him, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek as he looked back at Akeno and Koneko, both girls radiating with annoyance. "Wh-what?"

"You." Xenovia suddenly spoke, breaking the discussion up before it could start. Her attention was now focused on Asia, the blonde Devil blinking in question. "Are you Asia Argento? The former saint turned witch?"

Asia's eyes went wide, now trembling with grief at the familiar title given to her after her banishment.

"Oh, is that her? I heard she was banished after she healed a Devil." Irina suddenly spoke, turning back to Asia and walking next to Xenovia. "I hadn't heard that you became a Devil, though."

"What's it to you, anyway?" Okuyasu growled in irritation, stepping up next to Asia with Issei standing on the other side of her, gripping her shoulder in comfort.

"He's right. What became of a former saint who was banished is none of our concern." Bruno said this time, giving a sharp look to Xenovia. "Now let's go."

"Even if she was banished, to become a Devil is a rather large jump." Xenovia declared, ignoring Bruno's words and turning her body fully back to Asia. The blonde's head was bowed over, her hands gripping anxiously at her skirt. To be reminded so brutally of where she came from was no small thing to Asia. She was someone who believed fervently in God. And now she was a Devil. "I suppose once you've fallen that far, who knows how far you'll keep going."

"Why you-" Issei growled, taking a step forward before Koneko reached out, stopping him in his tracks. The brunette might have been pissed, but he let himself be stopped. I'm not dumb. Starting a fight with these guys is a bad move for us… but I guess that's not something I'll have to worry about considering…

"Oi oi, you keep shit talkin' Asia and I'll make you regret it." Okuyasu barked in annoyance, stomping one foot forward. Xenovia merely turned her gaze to him momentarily, narrowing her eyes in challenge. Josuke soon took a step up next to Okuyasu, placing a hand on his chest to keep him back.

"I'm not as aggressive as my friend here, but I don't like you talking down on Asia. She's like a little sister to me." Josuke declared, brow furrowing dangerously. "I'd be careful about what you say next."

"Xenovia, enough. You've made your point." Bruno spoke again, his voice sharper this time as he spoke and approached his comrade. "I told you, we didn't-"

"Do you still believe in God, Asia?" Xenovia spoke again, causing her leader to pause for a moment before glancing back at the blonde in question.

"How can that be? She's a Devil, Xenovia. There's no chance." Irina waved her hand in dismissal. Okuyasu narrowed his eyes before looking back at Asia, the former nun's eyes shaded by her hair. Josuke's eyes softened, knowing the answer to the question. He had still gone over to Issei's house a couple of nights to read her passages from the bible.

"No. There are those who have been reincarnated that remain pious at times. She seems to be one of them." Xenovia declared, eyes watching Asia carefully.

"I… I still do…" Asia admitted, causing all three exorcists to focus their attention back to her. "Even through the terrible times, I still believed… it was all I had for some time…"

"Asia…" Josuke muttered, a sympathetic gaze falling on her as he reached out and gently rubbed her back.

"I see. Then you should allow yourself to be executed by my blade." Tension suddenly filled the room with Xenovia's words, disbelief filling Josuke's and Okuyasu's expression as they looked at the blue haired exorcist. "If you allow that even in your sin, God may forgive you for your actions if you die now."

"Xenovia!" Bruno snapped in agitation, now seeing what borders she was crossing with this conversation.

"You piece of-" Issei started before quickly being stopped by Koneko, the white haired Devil keeping a firm grip on him. It didn't seem to matter, as someone else quickly got in Xenovia's face.

"Don't you utter another fuckin' word to her again." Josuke had been so taken off guard that his grip loosened on Okuyasu, the punk teen quickly taking the chance to meet Xenovia face to face.

"O-Okuyasu-san!" Asia muttered out, eyes wide as she watched him come face to face with the exorcist.

"Okuyasu, don't!" Rias reached out, panic spreading across her face.

"Xenovia, stop!" Bruno ordered, standing at the ready next to the two. He was tempted to get in the middle of them, but wasn't going to allow himself to be open to attack. While Bruno would like to keep things from escalating, Xenovia and Irina were his top priority of protection. As much as they might argue, he still felt a deep sense of protectiveness over them both. Even if it was Xenovia's fault this was happening. Shit. This was exactly what I was trying to prevent.

"Oh? Are you willing to start a war over your friend's feelings? All I'm doing is showing pity for a fellow follower of the lord." Xenovia asked, her expression calm and her tone flat, but the small sneer on her lips only infuriated Okuyasu more.

"I ain't a Devil. I'm a Stand user. I don't understand all that Heaven and Hell shit, but I know that me kickin' your teeth in for talkin' shit won't start a war or nothin'." Okuyasu retorted, earning a raised brow from Xenovia and Bruno.

"Wait. You're a Stand user like Josuke Higashikata?" Bruno asked, some sweat now trailing down his brow. This presented at least some sort of compromise to the situation. Even if a fight broke out, as long as it stayed between them and not the Devils, it wouldn't mean war. "You're human?"

"He is. Okuyasu's like me, a friend of Rias but not her servant." Josuke declared, taking a step up to Bruno. "Which means that we're not going to be causing some political issue just by throwing a couple punches. We've got no technical ties that would make a big deal, right?" Josuke turned his gaze back to Xenovia, a sharp glare on his features. "To be honest, I'm glad Okuyasu spoke up first. I was just about to fly off the handle if he hadn't."

"Another human associated with Devils? Honestly, I'm not sure who might be worse. The witch or you two." Xenovia huffed, never breaking eye contact with Okuyasu.

"Asia's the kindest person I've ever known! I don't give a shit if she were a Devil or not. The same goes for everyone else! You bad mouth my pals, I'll fuckin' wreck you, bitch." Okuyasu growled as his hand gripped until it was white. He wanted to summon his Stand right then and there, but exercised a bit of control. He still wasn't sure how much trouble he might cause the others by breaking into a fight right now.

"Regardless of allegiances, we didn't come here for a fight Xenovia. Now back down." Bruno ordered, Reaching a hand out and gripping her shoulder firmly. Things might have been less complicated now, but that didn't mean Bruno was okay with the direction this was going.

"Why not let them fight it out?" Rias suddenly spoke, causing Bruno to blink in shock. "Honestly, I'm rather upset by what your comrade has said about one of my precious servants. I may not be willing to start a conflict over it, but I wouldn't mind watching the two settle the matter. Non lethally, of course. I can even provide a little field for them to fight."

Bruno opened his mouth to argue, only for Xenovia to speak up first. "If the Stand user wants to fight, I'll oblige him. Perhaps it will teach him the folly of becoming so friendly with Devils." Xenovia agreed, the grip on her cloth covered blade tightening.

"I normally don't like startin' fights with chicks, but you really know how to make me say fuck it." Okuyasu spat, eyes hiding no amount of rage.

"What do we do, Bruno?" Irina asked, concern covering her face as she looked around the room. Bruno did the same, seeing the wave of emotions that Xenovia had stirred up by simply talking. She was normally fine when it came to addressing other humans and those within the church, but Bruno realized that asking her to remain calm and shut up around a bunch of Devils was perhaps too much. He underestimated Xenovia's hate for their natural enemy.

I am at much at fault for this as her, I suppose. Bruno sighed in defeat, reaching a hand up and rubbing his face tiredly. This certainly wasn't what he wanted when he walked onto the school grounds. But as things were, it was almost impossible to stop a fight from breaking out. He might as well make it less dangerous for either side by going along with it.

"Fine. You two can fight if you really wish. Where are we going to take this?"

To be continued…

Do I hear a cliffhanger?

So yeah, we won't be getting into their fight just yet. I thought I'd shake things up a bit by having it be Okuyasu instead of Issei starting this fight. Xenovia was pretty damn confrontational in canon when things started out. I thought that among the people involved in the matter, Okuyasu would definitely be the one to step up to the plate first. Issei is held back by his Devil obligations, but he has no such red tape.

Also, yeah, I eliminated Kiba as a factor in the situation. Honestly, it felt weird for him to appear out of nowhere to fight the girls only to get wrecked and embarrassed. Plus, with the change of events, it makes sense to me that instead of wasting time in the meeting, he would go straight to searching the moment he realized the swords were in town.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please feel free to leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me! And Merry Christmas!