Here is the next chapter!
Okay, so two weeks have passed since my last update. first of all, I want to apologize to my reader for taking too long to update this chapter. I have been so busy in the past few weeks that I even had some difficulty writing this chapter.
As an apology, I made this chapter longer than the normal, and I hope you can enjoy this chapter.
Also, I have been planning on creating another fanfic, but it's still not decided on what anime am I going to use. for now, I think it's another DxD fanfic that starts before the Rias vs Sairaorg fight, but it will be changed in the future.
As for when I will update it, maybe next year, I think. I have to get this workload of mine piled up here first before I try to update another story of mine.
For the previous reviews, here is my answer:
Tyrant Overlord Killidia: Yep, both of them needed some reality check and I'm going to enjoy writing those parts on how will Zen deal with them. thanks for constantly reviewing, by the way.
autor godz: Thanks for the compliment, and I'll try my best to meet you and your fellow readers' expectation.
Although I'm a bit saddened how the reviews got lessen as the story progresses, I will not let it get in the way of how I write the story, so don't worry about that.
Also, before you questioned this one, there will be no bashing in the characters of the fanfic. No, I don't do that. if you ever felt like I'm bashing a particular character, that's how I will improve their character development as the story goes on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or the anime elements used in this fanfic. They are all owned by their respective owners. All i own are my OCs and my own plots.
Without further ado, Let's get on to the story.
"Hello" - Speaking
'Hello' - Thoughts
Hello - Flashback
Hello - Skill names
[{Hello}] - Inner beings speaking
(3RD PERSON P.O.V)
"Murasaki-san?"
"Yes?"
"Rias-buchou has called you in our club. Would you have the pleasure to come with me?"
"Yeah, Go lead the way."
It was now lunch and he was hoping for a solitude this time but, he was called again like how his past everyday does to him.
The only difference was that, it wasn't Tsubaki or Sona who called him right now. Rather, it was Rias who called him this time, passing her message to Akeno after leaving early. Probably, to finish some paperworks, like Sona.
Well, after they saw what happened inside the church last night, it wasn't that strange for him to be called in the ORC.
--flashback--
Thanks to the sudden burst of energy within the church, both Sona and Rias, along with their peerages are now in front of the said church.
Sona, who was about to retire for the day, suddenly felt the spike of energy within the church, making her call her own peerages and went to the church to see what happened.
As for Rias, she was planning on healing Issei personally after reincarnating Asia as the bishop in her peerage, also suddenly felt the energy in the church, went to go check what was it, but not after she took Issei and Asia to the said brunette's house, as she let the blonde heal him, while letting them rest for the day.
Both of them arrived at the same time, not expecting each other to go in their natural enemy's territory, the church.
"If you are here, then you must also have felt the sudden spike of the energy here right, Rias?" Asked Sona to the redhead.
"Yeah. I wasn't expecting for you to check this place too, considering that you usually let me handle all of the things like this." Replied Rias to Sona.
"You're right, but something intrigued me in this part, so I'll have to join you this time." Said Sona, as her eyes went to the church, already looking distress after feeling that sudden spike of energy. In the middle of the night, no less.
It was familiar and there was only one person she can guess who had the same energy, or aura like this.
'Zen...' Sona thought, as she narrowed her eyes, worried at what happened to the black-haired man that she adored, albeit she didn't show it.
For Tsubaki, She was also worried but not like Sona who was hiding it properly, it was showing in her face, along with her right hand, grasping her left chest.
She was extremely worried and she couldn't make herself calm down until she confirmed that Zen was alright with her own eyes.
After that, the two heiresses, along with their respective peerages planned what they will do after they enter the church. Since the door of the church was closed, they didn't know how many enemies inside or who was the person that made that sudden spike of energy. Well, Sona and Tsubaki knew that it was Zen who did that, but didn't said anything about it. Still, they can't help but be cautious as they open the door to the church, entering it.
As they open the door, what they first saw was a head rolling on their way, scaring the hell out of them. As they tried look at the church, all of them were widening their eyes in horror. They couldn't say anything about the scene that were right in front of their eyes except for one line.
It was a bloodbath.
Inside the church was a pile of what can be described as a corpse. No, it can't be even called as a corpse anymore, from the state it was on right now. Most of the bodies had its head cut off and it was full of slashes all around the body.
There was also some unfortunate ones that got their heads cut out from the right ear to the other ear, leaving their mouth and neck still attached to the body, while some had their heads cut sideways, which made some of the girls look disgusted on the scene, making the two heiresses let their peerages stay out of the church.
"All of you, please stay outside. This is not something you are prepared to see." Stated Sona to both her peerage and Rias's.
While some obliged on what she said, most of are ORC, or to be exact, Koneko while Kiba just followed her, one person on Sona's peerage went to protest to her statement.
"But Kaichou! What will we do when something happens to you? We need to be on your side for us to be able to protect you!" Retorted a blonde man; Saji, as he stayed within the church, while the others went to go outside, not speaking anymore. After seeing that scene, there's no way they could retort what their King said to them. It was better for them to not see it further.
"Don't worry. What Rias and I are going to do is just to see who did this and that sudden spike of energy. There's no need for us to fight someone that is stronger than us." Said Sona, but it seems that Saji isn't even satisfied on her reasoning. He was going to retort again, only for Sona to cut him off before he could even speak.
"If you're still not satisfied, then We will take Akeno and Tsubaki together with us. But if you're still unsatisfied even after that, then..." Said Sona, giving Saji a glare that left him shiver as the two heiresses, along with their respective Queens went inside the church after closing the door.
As they went deeper inside the church, the number of the corpses they encounter started to multiply even more as they arrive at the front of the church, where a statue was once standing on.
There was now a stairs going down beneath the place where the statue once was. As they were descending on it, more bloods can be seen through it, and it doesn't help that their visions get clearer when there was no light. They can only narrow their eyes in hopes of not puking their guts right where they were.
After they arrived at the underground of the church, instead of the ritual device was the first thing they were going to see, what they saw first was...
A head of a stray exorcist rolling towards them.
They almost screamed in horror by just seeing the head, and it doesn't help that the head making a terrified face, making it even scarier in the eyes of the girls.
While Rias had her eyes widened in horror on what she was seeing right now, Sona was keeping her feelings in check, her face still in her normal stoic face, but if you look at her closely, you could see some sweats falling down on her forehead. A sign that she was also having a hard time taking all of this, but not in the way Rias was on right now.
It was also the same for Tsubaki, who was also having a hard time, but still kept up her serious face. As for Akeno, instead of being terrified, she was a bit worried on the person who did all of this. The reason why she wasn't taking this like what the 3 girls were doing right now is because..
This situation almost looked the same as what happened to her when she was a kid.
As they were still gathering their bearings after seeing that thing, they suddenly heard a loud terrified scream then suddenly stopped, like it was forcefully stopped.
As they look towards the source, it was right above them, the area where the ritual device was placed, and in there...
They saw a man whose back turned towards them, stabbing his sword on the nape of a leather coated man, the right hand of the said man was extended out towards them, while his other hand was sliced off, up to his shoulder.
They couldn't see the face of the man who did this since he had his back towards them, but both Sona and Tsubaki knew who it was. Why not? It was the same back they always saw whenever they were following him, It was the same back that was always straight whenever he was around the many people, but...
That back that was now in front of them, was bended a little bit, with something that made the two glasses feel uncomfortable after they saw it.
The man then recognized their presence, as he turned his head a bit, giving them a glimpse of his eyes, which scared them off a bit too much.
It was glowing blue, with a feeling of dreadfulness around it, but what scared them the most was what they were feeling when they stared at it for a few moments.
It was full of bloodlust.
That was enough for them to move back a bit, as the man then realized who was the person behind him, closing his eyes as he looked away from them.
He proceeded to take out sword on the man's nape, twirling it on his hand in the process, the man suddenly lost his balance as he fell down the stairs, losing his life in the process.
A moment of silence passed before Tsubaki spoke to the figure above the stairs.
"Zen..." Muttered Tsubaki softly, but it was heard clearly by Rias, who was just right beside her.
"What?" Said Rias, surprised from what Tsubaki just said.
Zen, after seeing that he finished his job, went down the stairs as Rias and Akeno finally recognized the person. They had their eyes widened, together with Sona and Tsubaki after the two saw his current state.
He almost had no blood splattered on his clothes, only a bits of it and the ones on his sleeves, most of it was on his left hand, trailing down to his shortsword. But, what got them even more surprised was that he had no visible injuries as he got nearer to them.
As he descended from the stairs completely, he saw that the girls were not even speaking to him and was just staring at him suspiciously. Even Sona and Tsubaki, who knew his true identity, had their guard up in his presence.
He then decided to break the silence when he got uncomfortable from their stares. He really didn't like being the center of attention.
"So, are you just gonna stare or what?" The girls flinched after hearing him speak, with Sona finally got herself together and spoke to him.
"I take it you're the one who caused this... mess, right?" Said Sona, as she took a glance to the massacre around them.
"Yeah. I got some word that they're planning something and after seeing you both not reacting to it, I decided to deal with it myself." Replied Zen, his sword disappearing in dust as he closed his eyes, deactivating his Mystic Eyes in the process.
"What were they planning? Where did you got the information? More importantly, Who are you?" Asked Rias, narrowing her eyes towards Zen. She didn't expect that a classmate of hers, a human knows about the supernatural, nor did she expect that it was someone capable of taking on this many exorcists, together with some fallen angels and still see the other day.
"Answering your questions respectively, They are planning on taking someone's sacred gear, and I know you know who is the person I'm talking about. I got the information from someone I knew who had some connections with the fallen angels. As for who I am, how about I tell it to you tomorrow? As you can see, I took on too many of them and I'm tired right now." Said Zen, making Rias frown on the young man.
Before she could speak, Sona spoke towards Zen. She knew Rias had so many questions to ask, and after seeing the results of his prowess, She knew Rias will plan for something to make him part of her peerage.
"Alright. We can wait for tomorrow." After hearing Sona said this, He let out a small sigh of relief, thanking her inwardly, but it was cut off when he heard Sona continued. "But, you must have some explanations about why you did this, is that clear?"
"Yeah." was all Zen said to her, as walk passed them, disappearing from the stairs Sona and the company came from.
After he was gone, Rias gave Sona a glare for the reason she let Zen go when Sona knew Rias had many questions towards the young man.
"Why did you let him go, Sona?"
"I just stopped you from doing something you will regret later."
"And what do you mean by that?" Asked Rias, still glaring at Sona.
"Can't you see what is the current state of your surroundings?" She then pointed at the dead bodies scattered throughout the room. "If he is the one who caused this, then angering him will be the last thing we will do. Even if we combined our peerages together, the chances of us emerging victorious will be slim." Said Sona.
Rias was about to retort, but Sona cut her off before she could say anything.
"And don't ask me why am I saying this. I know that you are desperate to look for your peerage members so that you can escape your arranged marriage, but sometimes you have to think what you are going to do. If I didn't interrupt you earlier, you may have anger him even more." Said Sona, making Rias, along with Akeno and Tsubaki, rose an eyebrow on what Sona just said.
"How did you know he was angry, Sona-Kaichou?" Asked Akeno.
"Look at the state of the room right now. From what I can tell, He had been pissed off by these people and just let himself loose, along with that sudden burst of energy, if that had any indication." Replied Sona, as the three girls looked around the room, which confirmed what Sona just said.
"Well. no matter what we say right now, he said that he will tell it to us tomorrow, so I think we'll wrap this up, for now." Rias said, emphasizing the last part as she gave Sona another glare.
Upon seeing this, Sona just let out a small sigh, walking towards the stairs as Rias and others followed, towards where their respective peerages we're waiting.
After going out of the church, Saji ran towards Sona as he asked her many questions at once, making her new pawn limp at seeing her glare at him.
The two peerages both went on their own ways, as the peerages outside the church were still confused on what had happened inside the church.
But, The four girls who went inside the church were more confused than the one on the outside, thinking about how did Zen left the church without letting their peerages outside the church notice him?
No one knew about it...
--Flashback end--
As he was thinking about it, Both Zen and Akeno arrived at the old school building, and were now on the way to the ORC's clubroom. He then realized that there were some people outside the church, probably both Rias's and Sona's peerage since the aura he felt was the same as what he could feel to the two sometimes.
He can just guess that it will be one of the questions Rias will ask for him, and after seeing the results of his prowess with her own eyes, the chances of her trying to recruit him to her peerage will be high, if what Sona said to him one time he came to the SC room wasn't false.
But, even if Rias was able to convince him to join her peerage, he still won't be able to join her peerage. The reason for this conclusion was simple.
He was simply too strong for her to control him, just like her other bishop.
After that, his thinking was cut off when he realized Akeno stopped in a front of a large door, arriving at their destination.
The ORC clubroom.
After standing in front of it for a few moments, She opened the door as she called out her master.
"Buchou, I have brought him."
"Thanks, Akeno. I'll be finished her for a few minutes." Said Rias, as she fastened herself on finishing a few paperwork on her table.
Upon seeing Akeno enter the room, Zen followed her as he took a look around the room.
In his own opinion, it wasn't something that you can expect from an old school building that was abandoned for a few months before the redhead used it as her base; her clubroom.
Everything was on the right place, there was even a peaceful aura radiating within the room, and it looks comfortable that one can relax when they enter inside.
The only problem was...
"What is that?" Zen rose an eyebrow, pointing at a curtain from the side of the room. From the looks of it, there was no window inside that room, either.
"Ah, that is a shower." Said Akeno.
"A shower?"
"Yeah. We added it here in case any of us were to spend a night here or if we ever got too tired to go back to our houses." Explained Akeno, making Zen nod in understanding.
Although it didn't complement on the peaceful view of the room, the reason behind it makes sense, since most of them lived far away from school.
At the same time Akeno finished explaining the reason behind the shower, Rias also finished her paperwork as she then went to ask Akeno for something.
"Akeno, can you please make some tea for us?"
"Okay. Just wait for a minute, Rias." Akeno then went to the other room to make some tea.
After Akeno left the room, Rias went to look at Zen, as she gave him a gesture to take a seat to the sofa arranged on the front of her table.
"You may take a seat, you know."
"...Then, Excuse me.." Replied Zen as he hesitantly went to sit to the said sofa.
"No need to be so stiff. It's not like I'm gonna eat you, you know." Rias gave Zen a smile, while Zen just stared at her emotionlessly.
After staying silent for a few moments, Akeno came back from the other room, a tray with 5 cups and a small kettle in the middle of it, along with 2 other people.
"Thanks for waiting. The job got easier thanks to these two." Said Akeno as she set down the tray and filling the cups with the tea. She took one of the cups filled with tea and gave it to Rias.
Upon hearing Akeno said that she got help from someone when he only saw her enter the room, tilted his head in question.
"Two?" Asked Zen, before he heard someone call his name.
"Zen/Zen-san?" Zen heard a voice that of both a boy and a girl respectively.
Turning his head to look on the source, he saw Issei and Asia coming out of the other room.
After recognizing the blonde nun, he didn't say anything and just went to her side and gave her a reassuring hug.
Asia, after seeing Zen inside the room Issei took her in and being hugged suddenly, tensed for she didn't had someone hug her like this ever since she called as a witch in the eyes of the church.
She didn't know why, but she felt tears accumulating on her eyes, threatening to fall on her face. She was trying hard not to let it fall, saying to herself that she cried herself enough, until Zen comforted her.
"It's okay to cry. You don't need to hold yourself back. Just let it out, all of it." After hearing Zen say that, the tears she was holding back, starting from the time she woke up, only to realize that she was still alive, started to gush out of her eyes, falling from her face.
The feeling of dying slowly, the fear of getting raped with you who couldn't do anything except just watch it right front of your eyes, all of those frustrations were now going out in the shape of nonstop tears.
She then unconsciously gripped her arms behind Zen's back, her face hidden within Zen's chest, damping his shirt in the process, but he didn't mind it, even a little bit. He just continued to pat her back as she continued to cry out all of her pain.
Upon seeing this scene, Issei didn't say anything and also went to pat Asia's back. He knew Asia was in so much pain and wanted to help her out of it, but he didn't know what to do. He was completely inexperienced in things like this and because of that, he didn't do anything about it. No, that might be a wrong statement for it.
He couldn't do it, with the fear of hurting her even more, he just stayed silent and thus, didn't do anything about it.
For both Rias and Akeno, They also stayed silent while feeling nothing but pity to the nun who just turned devil without her consent due to her dying in that time.
Akeno just stood beside the sofa and stared at the scene, hoping that there was someone who could also comfort her like what Zen is currently doing to the nun.
Although Asia was always smiling in front of the others, beneath it was a pain that one couldn't hide it perfectly like what Akeno was doing everyday. Akeno was doing this in hopes for someone recognizing that she was in so much pain. In other words, she was the perfect description of damsel in distress.
As for Rias, It was the same for Akeno, but unlike her, Rias was hoping for someone to help her in her problem, which is her arranged marriage that she so much wanted to escape from it. While she got a jackpot, which is the Boosted Gear, She knew that the chance of beating her betrothed in a rating game, if it comes to that way, was still slim since the user of the god-slaying sacred gear was just a devil not even a week old.
After a few minutes of silence surrounding the room, Asia stopped crying and was just sniffling as she broke away from Zen's embrace, wiping out what's left on her tears in her eyes.
Seeing the nun calmed herself down, he decided to give her head a pat as he smiled towards her before turning back to face Rias.
"Hey, Rias." Said Zen as he looked at Rias, his face back into his normally stoic one, but his gaze somehow made Ria's nervous and she didn't even know why.
"What?" Retorted Rias, narrowing her eyes towards the emotionless man in front of her.
"Why don't we go direct to the business? I already know that your club is just a facade to hide that every one of you are devils and that you made Asia a part of your household, or should I say, Peerage?" Said Zen as Rias, along with Akeno, Kiba and Koneko, who arrived at the scene where Asia was snuggling towards Zen's chest, got surprised on the revelation.
After a slience of a few minutes, Rias snapped out of her trance and gave the emotionless man a death-like glare.
"How much do you know?" Frowned Rias, as some crimson aura spewed out of her curvy form, her crimson hair now looking like it's flying on her back
"I don't know that very much. All I know is that you and Sona are the heiresses of the two of the 72 pillars of the underworld." Said Zen, as he stared back to Rias's glare.
"I take it that you know what I am going to ask you right now, huh?" Asked Rias, her glare not even wavering for a bit.
"Yeah." Said Zen back at her.
After hearing what Rias said to Zen, Rias's three peerage members, except Issei and Asia, blocked him from going to the entrance, rounding at the stoic man alone.
Upon seeing this scene, Both of Rias's new peerage member was confused on what they were going to do; Specifically, Issei.
"Wait, Buchou. What are you going to do to Zen?" Asked Issei towards her master, but it fell on deaf ears of the redhead, still looking at Zen.
"Then, what will you do?" Said Rias, as she continued to flare out tiny bits of her demonic power.
Zen didn't answer and looked behind, only to see that he was blocked by the three other members of the ORC, not letting him get away from the room.
"Are you really going to do this?" Asked Zen, as if he knew what they were going to do.
At this point, Zen was trying his best not to accidentally activate his Mystic Eyes towards them. For someone like them who still didn't understand the cruelty of life and death, it was the last thing he wanted to do to them.
"Of course, but if you accept my request right here and now, I don't mind letting you go out of this room, you know." Suggested Rias, as she made a small smile on her face. Zen didn't said anything and just gave her a nod, making her smile even more.
Zen totally knows where this was going.
"Join my peerage." Declared Rias, as she went to extend her left hand towards Zen.
Zen just stared at her hand, not doing nor saying anything. He just stared at her hand before looking at her face.
After staying silent for a moments, he finally spoke.
"And why do you want to recruit someone like me?" Zen narrowed his eyes as he rose an eyebrow.
"That scene within the church last night.." Zen narrowed his eyes further after realizing where was this going. "You're the one who did it, right?" And yes, it was totally the one he was expecting towards her, with her smile not even faltering for just a little bit.
Again, Zen didn't respond to her question. Instead, Asia asked the stoic man for what did he do to the church.
"What happened to the church, Zen-san?" Asked Asia, her voice full of worry as she tried to get some answers to the man who saved her alongside the one who was currently hugging her right now.
After a few moments of not answering her question, Asia couldn't take it anymore and decided to ask him another question.
"Did you perhaps, fought the people inside?" Asked Asia, surprising everyone inside the room, even those present but was waiting outside the church was also dumbfounded at what the nun just said.
Even Zen, who was trying to keep his emotionless state, widened his eyes a little at hearing what Asia said to him. He then realized that even if she was the innocent nun the he knew in just a day, she was smart enough to think that there was something wrong if the person who revived her, Rias suddenly brought up the subject and that Zen did something?
Definitely a fishy thing.
"Did you have someone important to you inside the church?" Asked Zen, his gaze softening as he looked towards the nun.
"No. It's not someone important to me, but she took care of me before...I went alongside...Priest Freed...to someone's house." Said Asia, stuttering in the middle, as some bad memories suddenly came back to her.
Before she could broke into an emotional mess, a hand made its way towards her back, rubbing it in a comfortable manner as she then realized who the one doing it.
As she gazed towards the person, She was met with Issei's eyes looking towards her, giving her a reassuring smile while continuing to pat her back.
"Can I ask what is the name of that person, if you ever know?" Asked Zen, as he went to Asia's side.
After hearing that question, Asia then tried to think back at the time when she interacted with the kind-hearted fallen angel, remembering her name vaguely.
"If I'm not wrong, I think it was..." Said Asia, as she went into a thinking pose, trying her best to remember what was the name of the fallen angel who treated her with kindness she never thought to feel again aside from the 2 boys.
Although in the eyes of the ORC members and Zen, it looks like she was trying her best to look cute, with her putting both of her index finger on the side of her forehead, her eyes closed, like she was trying hard to remember something when that was what she was doing, but looking at the other POV, they can't think of it like that, somehow.
After a few seconds of thinking, she tried to say the bits of the name, hoping for her to remember it.
"Ka...Kali...Kala.." as she was saying bits of it, Zen already guessed who was she trying to mention just by hearing the second thing she said.
It was the nickname he gave to her, after all.
"You mean, Kalawarner?" Asia's eyes widened in an instant, remembering it completely the name of the woman who took care of her for a while.
"Ah! Yes, that's it! Kalawarner was her name! Can you please tell me if she is alright? I want to thank her for taking care of me, even just for a while." Said Asia, as she grasped both of her hands together in hopes for her being alright.
Zen's gaze towards her softened even more on her question. Even though she just died last night, only for her to be revived again in this cruel world, she was worrying for someone other than herself, thinking if the person was alright.
He won't be surprised if she was a saint in human's clothing right now, or in this case, a devil saint in human's clothing. That he was sure of.
While Zen had his face soften towards the nun, both Rias and Akeno flinched on recalling the scene within the church, thinking that the person Asia was trying to meet and give her thanks to was already dead.
But, they were somehow confused why was his face softening towards the nun. Was he trying to lie to the innocent nun? They both widened their eyes at the thought.
'Don't tell me...!' Both Rias and Akeno thought at the same time. And..
"Don't worry. She is very much fine. She is currently resting in my house right now." Reassured Zen, his right hand falling on her head as he went to pat if softly, while Rias and Akeno confirmed their suspicions.
But, before they could ask him process what he said to the nun, Another question popped inside their heads.
Why did he let someone rest inside his home? A fallen angel, no less.
They wanted to ask him right now, but due to the nun who was close on going into a state of emotional mess, they don't have the courage to do so without making the girl cry whose tears must be already dried up from this point.
"Really?" Asked Asia, her voice full of hope and worry.
"Yeah. I am planning on calling her here later, so do you want to meet her?"
"Huh!? Really!? Can I really meet her back? Even though I'm a devil now?" Asked Asia, her face looking down in the process, while Zen gave her another pat in the head.
She then looked up to him, his small smile growing a bit as his next statement made her cry a tears of joy.
"Even if you're a devil now." Said Zen, after giving her a nod.
As a result, she was now crying, while Issei gave her his chest to lean on, making her hug his figure as she buried her face to his chest, like she was trying to make a hole in his chest to snuggle in.
Zen showed a small smile while his gaze soften at what Issei just did to comfort the blonde, as both Rias and Akeno was dumbfounded at what Zen was doing right now.
Of all the things they were expecting to Zen, they weren't expecting this one, thinking that he lost his emotions due to some accident.
But, like all good things always comes to end, his smile faded when he turned back towards Rias, like a page from a book was suddenly flipped to its next page.
"Before you ask me other things, my answer for your favor is no. I don't have any interests on becoming a devil anytime soon." Rias frowned on Zen's response, clearly unsatisfied on his answer, making her flare out her demonic power once again.
"Besides..." She was going to say something to him, only for her to be cut off suddenly as she then saw Zen's crimson eyes change to blue.
"You are not strong enough yet to control me." Continued Zen, as he starts to flare out a small amount of his aura, making everyone on the ORC room, including Issei, who already saw his true form, was sweating bullets just by feeling his aura.
{And for your information, partner. This is just a speck of his full power. If he really wants to, he could decimate you all without breaking a sweat and without yourself noticing.} Commented Ddraig after hearing what his host was thinking.
'Only a speck of his full power!? It's getting hard to breath as it gets longer and you say he isn't even trying to release his power!?' Shouted Issei inwardly, frightened on feeling his full power when just this was already hard for him.
{Yeah. To be honest, if I am able to get out of here and fought him right now, I don't think I can bring out his full power.} Said Ddraig, making Issei's eyes widen in the revelation.
'Really!?' Was all he could say towards the old dragon.
{Yeah.} Replied Ddraig, before going silent once again.
But, even with that, The trio who was blocking his path to the door didn't back down. Instead, they went to their respective stances and prepared themselves if Zen went to act.
"If you still persist on forcing me to do what you think, then.." Exclaimed Zen, his expression as cold as steel, as something starts to form from his left hand.
But, before it could take its form completely, it was halted when someone opened the door suddenly, while Zen let out a sigh of relief after recognizing who it was, discarding what he was creating into nothingness at the same time.
"I think that's enough provoking him, Rias." Said Sona, coming through the door as she fixed her glasses, along with Tsubaki who was following her just behind.
After feeling the aura disappear suddenly and recognizing who was the person that suddenly barged in, she felt her irritation come back on full force.
"Sona! What are you doing here!?" Said Rias, completely irritated that what she was going was now exposed right in front of her rival who warned her not to do something like this.
Upon hearing what her friend said to her, Sona frowned as she narrowed her eyes dangerously towards Rias, which made the redhead flinch after seeing the SC president glare at her.
"What am I doing, you say? After feeling you flare your demonic power, as well as Zen's, how can I not check what's happening?" Said Sona, her glare still not faltering even for a bit.
After thinking what had happened inside the room, and why did Zen suddenly flare out his energy, she frowned when seeing that three of Rias's peerage was blocking his way out, and thus doing what was the last thing Zen was going to do.
Even Tsubaki, who saw her former love interest, Kiba, who had his right hand grasp the hilt of his sword, ready to be drawn, was disappointed a bit to the pretty boy. She thought that he wouldn't attack someone who don't want to fight back, like a real knight would, it seems her assumption to him was a bit off than what she was expecting towards him.
After reaching for a conclusion on what had happened inside the room before she entered, Sona once again, looked at Rias, but she wasn't glaring at the redhead, unlike before. Only a bit irritated, because of her friend not listening to her advice.
But before she could complain on what the redhead just did...
"Hey Zen, Can you please leave this room? I have something to discuss with Rias in private." Asked Sona towards Zen, but he was hesitant to do so, afraid that she might slip off his true identity to Rias, who unlike her, was overly dependant to her brother when she thought it was threat. At least, that's what Zen's first impression to her.
"Are you sure?" Asked Zen, which was clear to Sona why did he asked that.
"Yeah, don't worry. Just leave everything to me and Tsubaki." Reassured Sona, as she gave him a small smile, together with Tsubaki.
"After seeing her reassure him, Zen just nodded to them both as he gave them his own small smile before going towards the door.
But, before he went out...
"Ah, right. Sona." Sona looked at Zen after hearing him call at her. "After the school, I want you to come in the back of the school, only you, Tsubaki and everyone present here, especially you, Issei." Issei perked up at the call of his name.
"Why do you want me to be there, Zen?" Asked Issei.
"Because this is something only you can finish." Said Zen, as he left Issei questioning himself what was the something that only he can finish it.
As Zen closed the door, Sona looked at Rias as she let out a tired sigh.
"Good Grief, Rias. What did I tell you last night? Didn't I warned you to not do something stupid like asking him to join his peerage?" Said Sona, irritated that her redheaded friend didn't follow her advice.
"B-But, Sona! You have to understand! He is-"
"You don't have to remind me! I already know that! But, do you know what he was going to do if I was not able to arrive in time!?" Exclaimed Sona, almost close to shouting as she asked the redhead, who just shook her head, making her slap her own face, literally.
After fixing her glasses once again, she explained to them.
"You might not be able to see it, but judging from how I felt his aura that flared out, he was really planning to take you all out without yourself noticing." Analyzed Sona, making Rias narrow her eyes towards the short-haired woman.
"And how can you be sure about that?" Asked Rias, unsatisfied that her friend favored the stoic man in high regard than her.
Before Sona could report to Rias, Issei beat her to it.
"U-Umm, Buchou. I can prove that what Sona-Kaichou just said is true." Said Issei, making the redhead surprised that even her new pawn was on the side of that man.
"What are your claims for that, Ise?" Asked Rias, holding herself back not to glare at her pawn.
"U-Umm, Ddraig here said that what we felt just now was just a speck of his full power, or so what he said." Said Issei as he materialized his crimson gauntlet and pointed a finger to it.
Rather than getting surprised by the strength Zen was exuding a few minutes ago, she was surprised that her new pawn that was less than a week old of being a devil, had materialized his sacred gear, and it wasn't just an ordinary one. It was the fricking Boosted Gear, for Hell's sake.
How lucky she was to find one of the host of the 2 heavenly dragons as a part of her peerage. It was a once in a blue moon of a chance.
And from the way he said it, he can even communicate with the Welsh Dragon himself, meaning that he was strong enough to fight low-to-medium class devils if he Boosted himself enough. From the records of the Boosted Gear users that she once read in her library, the user can communicate with the dragon residing the gauntlet, Ddraig himself, if and only if the person was strong enough to do so.
After getting lost in her own thoughts for a few minutes, she was snapped out when Sona, who calmed herself down in the interval, called out her name.
"Rias."
"Huh!? What?"
"As I was saying before, don't let him join your peerage. I know that he gave you a reason or two why he didn't wanted to, so don't probe to it any further."
"...Alright." Resigned Rias, giving up on recruiting the emotionless man.
"But," Rias's ears perked up after hearing the but coming. "You can try to invite him in your club. Although I can't assure you that he will join in his own accord, but it doesn't hurt to try. Besides, he can try to shoo off your fiancee away or maybe even give you a time to train if it will be decided in the rating game." Reasoned Sona, as Rias got an idea on what she will do when her fiancee arrives.
Sona, seeing Rias's glint in her eyes, immediately recognized what she was going to do.
"Don't ever try to drag him on the rating game, unless it's his own decision. He's pretty sensitive on things like that, you know. " Pointed out Sona, making Rias flinch when her plan was discovered.
But then, Akeno remembered how Sona smiled at him before she let him leave the room.
"Oh? Is the normally stoic SC President having hots on the man?" Asked Akeno, with a playful smirk on her face
"No. He's just a friend, thanks on him helping the SC when we needed manpower sometimes." Replied Sona, fixing her glasses in the process.
Although She was normally composed for the moment, in reality she was almost about to break into a blushing mess. Thanks for her ability to hide what she was feeling, the members of the ORC didn't recognized it, saved for Tsubaki.
After that long interaction, The school bell rang, indicating that the homeroom will start once again, making the members of the ORC, Sona and Tsubaki go to their respective classes and prepare for what will Zen show to them after school.
Just what will they see? They can only hope that it wasn't something dangerous.
...
...
...
If only the author didn't jinxed it, though.
o-o
It was now afternoon and the bell rang, signifying that it was now dismissal but in the eyes of the ORC, Sona and Tsubaki, it was the time Zen told them to gather behind the school grounds.
Although they didn't know why did Zen suddenly call them and that it was Issei who can only finished something, both Sona and Tsubaki trusted Zen that he won't do something that will endanger them. That she was sure because of how he took the church by himself when he realized that they were planning something and was getting out of the hand.
As for Rias and the ORC, it was just pure curiosity that made them went to the place Zen called for them. Not only was his student's profile a nonsense one, he was literally an enigma in their eyes. It made them wonder what he was outside of his normally stoic personality.
And here they were. They arrived were Zen called them to, with the said person waiting for them as he called someone in his phone.
"Are you there, Kali?" Asked Zen through the phone.
"Hmm? Zen? Why are suddenly calling at this time? Aren't you supposed to be going home right now?" Said back Kalawarner, confused why did Zen suddenly call the phone on the house out of nowhere.
"Some things happened here, you know. I wanted you to come here via magic circle, is that okay?"
"Well, I don't mind coming there, but why not just let me walk towards there instead of going via magic circle? Won't the devils find out who I am?"
"I'm sorry, but there is no time. There's someone who really wants to see you so bad right now, and I need your presence here to prove that you're not helping with them in your own accord. I promise I'll make it up for you, so can you please do it for me?" Kalawarner was dumbfounded at what Zen just said. He hardly say please unless it's something urgent. And from the way he said it to her, he seems to be very worried on her.
After hearing him plead to her, even to the point of promising her to make it up for her, who was she to refuse?
Especially, from the one she loved, no less...
"Okay. I will come there, but Kuroka here is making a fuss to take her along, though. Should I?" Asked Kalawarner, as Kuroka was throwing out a tantrum within her arms, but Zen couldn't hear it completely due to it being on the other side of the phone.
"You can take her too, but make sure to let her wear the bracelet I gave her, okay? The last thing I want is to make another misunderstanding here." Said Zen, as the ORC and the glasses duo of the SC got confused on what did he meant by misunderstanding.
He was not going to let Kuroka come here because of Koneko who was currently present, but Zen knew that Kalawarner needed someone to lean on, as she was afraid of being in the eyes of the 2 heiresses that govern this town.
While he knew that she can fight them all by herself, doing so would trigger the flames of the Great War, once again. That's why he allowed her to take Kuroka along, if it was the only to reduce her anxiousness right now.
"Thanks, Zen. I'll be there shortly." Said Kalawarner, as she ended the call, making Zen put his phone in his pocket as he went to look at the people present.
"Well then, Care to tell us why you called us out here after school?" Asked Rias, as she folded both of her hands beneath her chest, amplifying her already big mounds that immediately got Issei's attention, while tapping her left foot on the ground continuously.
Seeing Issei's expression of delight, Zen just sweatdropped on his brother-like friend.
Although it was like he managed to tone down the perverseness of the brunette, it was just a little bit of it and was still a long way for it to succeed.
"Let's wait for a little bit for the person I called to arrive here. She is also essential for the discussion that will occur later." Replied Zen towards the redhead
As she was about to retorted to him, A magic circle with a yellowish glow suddenly appeared just beside them, together with a figure appearing inside the said circle.
The said figure was wearing a red leather outfit that went down to her legs, the first two buttons on the top unbuttoned, showing her deep cleavage, which made Issei drool at the sight. Long hair in the darker shade of blue fell down to her hips, part of it covering one of her yellow eyes.
On her arms was a black cat with the same yellow eyes, only with a cat slit on the between, snuggling comfortably as it tried to sleep off, only for it to be in vain after seeing the white-haired mascot of the ORC. Koneko also stared eye-to-eye with the cat, confused that the black cat was somehow familiar to her, but its aura was different from the one she knew.
After her magic circle disappeared, she opened her eyes as she looked around the surroundings. Seeing Zen just in front of her, a small smile on his face, can't help but show her own smile too as she then went to spoke.
"So, Zen. What is this thing that you wanted to finish with the need of my assistance?" Asked Kalawarner, looking at the devils, who was greeting her with glares, while some are already preparing to retaliate if she ever show some signs of attacking them.
She wanted to frown at them, but decided not to. It will give them a bad impression when she went here with good intentions.
"Before that," All of the glares suddenly disappeared, as Zen got their attention. "I have someone that you might want to meet." Continued Zen.
Before Rias and Sona could ask him what did he meant by that, he extended out his right hand, a large magic circle appearing on the ground in front of it, as some person appeared within it.
The said person who appeared had Kalawarner scowl at her, while the others glare at her, but only Issei had a different reaction.
"Raynare!?" Shouted Issei at the woman wearing SM outfit, a long hair like Kalawarner, only a raven one and a bit shorter than her, her violet eyes wide open after seeing where she was.
When Raynare looked around her surroundings, she saw the person whom she thought was dead.
"You! Why are you still alive!? You should be dead!" Shouted Raynare at Kalawarner, who just gave her a cold gaze, all of the harsh things they did to her flashing through her mind in the tens of seconds that passed.
"Hey, Raynare. Good to see you're still fine." Said Kalawarner with sarcasm, spatting out her name with venom.
As the two fallen angels argued with each other, Rias went towards Zen as she asked him something.
"Why did you took not just one, but two rogue fallen angels within the school grounds?" Rias stared coldly towards Zen, eager to get some answers after being kept into dark for so long.
"For your information, Kali isn't a rogue. She was being used by Raynare after taking something important to her. She had no choice in the matter and thus, was forced to work with them against her will. Well, not that it mattered right now that I have it, though." Explained Zen as he took a necklace of some sorts in his pocket, not even bothering to face the redhead.
The necklace was a sapphire gem designed with white wings on its side and a halo on the top of the said gem, all having the same golden outline, holding it was a golden chain that went inside the hole of the halo.
From the looks of it, it seems that she took care of it like it was her own lifeline. There wasn't a damage or a crack seen to it. Heck, even scratch can't be seen through it. It shows that she took care of it delicately and he can only smile at it and the memory when he gave it to her.
It was the first present that he gave to the bluenette when she told him it was her birthday, confusing him at that time, not knowing what it was. She also didn't know what did it meant, but she knew it was a special day for her.
In the end, both of them went to ask the old man what did the birthday means, as the old man chuckled at the two before enlightening them on their question.
After getting what it meant, he spended a total of 3 days of creating it with his own magic power, while using a blue gem he once found when reading a book. It reminded him of her long blue hair whenever he saw it and thus, decided to use it as a catalyst on what he was going to create.
At the same time, he created another one for the other person he had come to enjoy her company at that time. It was the same as this one, only with a golden diamond and a three pairs of wings on the side of it.
He just hoped that that person was doing fine.
'Man, those were the days, huh...' Thought Zen, as his gaze soften at the thought and the necklace on his right hand.
He founded this one when he was torturing the man wearing the trench coat; Dohnasheek, on one of the pockets of his jacket, and was trying to let him suffer even more before he passed away, if not for Sona and the company arriving at the scene.
He was planning to return this to her after they got home. It was better that way than give it to her right now and have Akeno, who loved things like this, spread some gossips around the school when his reputation was already at its worst.
Rias widened her eyes at the scene of the stoic man in front of her, who was now having a small smile and a soft gaze on the necklace, like his past memories was flashing through his mind right now.
Then, she snapped out of her stupor and glared at the man as she then said.
"But, it doesn't change the fact that she is one of the fallen angels that tried to endanger this town." Retorted back Rias, as she falred out small amounts of her demonic power, but it didn't faze Zen, even a little bit.
"And try to give a scratch on her and I promise to you, even your brother won't save you from getting hurt." Zen's smile immediately disappeared and said in an icy tone, activating his Mystic Eyes unconsciously as he stared back at Rias's glare.
Although his Mystic Eyes showed itself, Zen wasn't really trying to let her see what he usually let his enemies see. Doing so would ruin her mind, even more when she didn't know the cruelty of life and death, that's why he held back himself. He was just trying to scare her off, but it seems it gave the opposite effect.
It pissed her off.
Rias was then suddenly angered by Zen. How dare he included her brother to their conversation, to the point of even disrespecting him in her face. Now that she couldn't let it slide off. She knew that he knew who her brother is, from the way he said it to her, and she won't let this man slide off that easily.
Before she could retort back, Sona beat her to it once again.
"Rias, don't forget what I said to you." Said Sona, ending the conversation right there, as they then went to listen to the conversation of the two fallen angels.
"You traitor! So you are the one who told our plan, huh!? I swear to you Azazel-sama won't let this slide, you hear!?"
"And what proof do you have that it was Azazel-sama that called us to kill the Sekiryuutei?"
"Kokabiel himself told me so!"
"And that Kokabiel went rogue before you received the order. It was Kokabiel himself that told you to eliminate the Red Dragon Emperor, not Azazel-sama."
After hearing their conversation, Sona asked Zen something.
"What did she meant by that?" Asked Sona.
"From the looks of it, Raynare is the leader of the 3 rogue fallen angels in this town, and the one who gets the orders from someone in the higher position. It seems Kokabiel fooled them to think that it was Azazel's order." Explained Zen, making Sona nod in understanding, while Rias just ignored him and watch what the two fallen angels were doing.
"Wait, What do you mean by Sekiryuutei, Kalawarner? Didn't he had was just a simple twice critical?" Asked Raynare towards Kalawarner, confused on the words she just said to her.
"The reason why it's just a twice critical is because he hasn't awaken his powers completely. After training himself a bit for these past few days, he finally awaken the Red Dragon Emperor and voila, The Sekiryuutei has also awaken." Said Kalawarner, with a bit of sarcasm in the last part that made of the ORC members sweatdrop a little.
'A bit, she said...' Said Issei within his mind, which made the dragon inside him chuckle at his reaction, but decided not to speak.
"I-Impossible! How can a pervert like this scum had something powerful like this!?" Shouted Raynare, as she pointed a finger at the brunette, making him frown a bit.
'Hey, I don't think I am that bad, you know.' Thought Issei, which made Ddraig spoke, this time.
{Unfortunately, Partner. But in the eyes of the others, you are thatbad.} Said Ddraig to his host.
'Really?' Issei asked back.
{Yeah. Why do you think Zen was always chopping you everytime you make a pervert comment?} Sweatdropped Ddraig. To think that his host didn't pick up the hint why was Zen doing that. But thinking about it, he was a bit stupid in his own way, like fighting Zen head-on without any plan when they were training, and something like that.
As for Issei, he was just silent. It seems that he was thinking hard on the way he was doing before he met Zen. Then, he immediately arrived in the conclusion.
'I am really that bad, huh...'
{Yes, you are, Partner. Unfortunately.} Replied Ddraig to his partner.
Back to the topic, Zen then walked towards Raynare, his eyes still in its bluish glow as he slowly approached the raven-haired fallen.
"It's regrettable, but that's how life works, Raynare." Said Zen, as the person in question wuickly realized who was the man approaching her.
"Y-You!" Shouted Raynare, as she backed down a little, falling down in the ground in the process, a clear sign of being terrified that left the ORC members confused.
"Although I am happy that you still remember me, you still have some unfinished business left for my friend here." Said Zen as he then looked at Issei, who was still confused on why was Raynare terrified on his brother-like friend.
The brunette then felt that Zen was looking at him, and remembering what Zen said earlier realized what he was meaning.
"Me?" Questioned Issei, as he pointed a finger to himself, while Zen just confirmed his question with a nod.
Issei immediately felt tense after seeing Zen nod, as he went to look at his first love.
The person who confessed on him in the bridge on a sunset. An ideal way, as well as one of the romantic ways of getting confessed by the person you liked.
It was also perfect for Issei, only if the person he came to love didn't kill him in the same she confessed to him the other day.
He then decided to walk towards, albeit shakily. A lot of questions popping inside his head, telling him to ask it to the raven-haired fallen angel, but among those questions, the was only one thing that he really wanted to ask.
As he got closer, Zen moved aside in order for him to have his way to Raynare. Now that he got nearer to her, he could clearly see her face.
Her once silky black hair was now ruffled, her smiley face was now replaced with a scowl. Was this how really looked like? He didn't expect her to be like this.
'He is not this pretty, from what I can remember.' Thought Issei, though he probably knew what was the reason. It's like his mind probably beautified her in his eyes, probably because he fell in love to her.
Love is blind, after all.
"Hey, Yuuma." Asked Issei softly.
"Shut up! That's not my real name! My name is Raynare! And don't come near me or even speak to me! You pervert!" Issei narrowed his eyes, hurt at what she said to him.
"Can I ask you something?" Insisted Issei, hoping that she will somehow accept his sincere way of asking a question.
"Didn't I told you to not speak to me!?" Raynare scowled at Issei, obviously don't want someone to talk to her, especially him in all of the people. It was the last thing she will ever do before she will die. That she was sure of.
"Even so, I still want to ask you. Whether you decided to answer me or not." Said Issei, as Raynare just stayed silent, taking her silence as a yes.
Rias and the members of the ORC frowned at her attitude, as Rias was going to talk some sense into her head, only for Zen to stop him by blocking her with his left arm adn took a glance to her.
Rias frowned at the man in front of her, but obliged at his request of not interfering the conversation between the two.
As Zen stopped Rias from stopping their interaction, Issei let out a sigh as he prepared himself to take what she was going to say to him.
"That time, when we went to the date. Until the time you said to me that you enjoyed what we did. Is that true? Or is that also a part of your act?" Asked Issei, his hands now in fists, preparing himself on what's to come.
"Huh!? Are you really that stupid!? Of course it's all an act! Did you really think I was in love with you!? You! Among all of the people! I would kill myself first before I fell in love in someone like you!" Spat out Raynare harshly towards Issei. And he felt this was just the start of it.
"Don't you see yourself!? You're a pervert that is hated by every single girl in your school! You're a disgrace in their eyes! A trash! You're just good for nothing that that power you currently have is wasted on a trash like you. I bet even your parents don't care for you, huh!? Of course, right! Why would they want some pervert, and a trash in the society like you! They probably even wished that you weren't bo-" She was suddenly cut off when she felt something graze her right cheek and something wet going down from it.
When she put a hand to it and immediately saw it with her own eyes. This familiar thing...
It was her own blood.
When she looked at where did it came from, she saw the stoic man who had his eyes glow like that night and a hand extended out, like he threw something at her.
"Oh, Sorry. I'm so pissed and suddenly, my aim was off. Man, I didn't expect that." Said Zen sarcastically, but his face said otherwise. He did that on purpose, just to not hear that sentence finish. And just in that one thing, the members of the ORC now completely understand what Sona said to them in the lunch, especially Rias.
He was too strong for her to handle, or control.
The other thing she knew was...
He was dead set on killing this rogue fallen angel. The only reason why he didn't do it was to let her pawn gain a bit of closure, but it seems it just did the opposite.
And after hearing what she just said to the brunette, there's no way he would let her go.
The fallen then went to look at her back, in which she saw a white shortsword with a yin and yang mark on the between of the hilt and the blade itself, with a bit of her blood on the sharp edge of the said sword.
Upon realizing that, she knew that she just dug her own grave.
"Issei. I'm sorry, but I think that's enough. You may go back to Asia." Issei just did what Zen told him, his face solemn. Probably, holding his emotions that are hanging on the thread.
"What is your choice, Issei? About this woman?" Asked Zen, his cold gaze still fixed on the fallen angel, who was now starting to tremble just by seeing him gaze at her form.
Issei just stayed silent for a few moments, until he spoke one last sentence that settled the fate of the raven-haired crow.
"Do whatever you think is the best, Zen." Replied Issei in a low voice, not even bothering to turn back to him when he can see her again.
After hearing that, Raynare finally realized what she just did, as Zen went closer to her as he retrieved the white shortsword he just recently threw towards her, now twirling it within his left hand.
"W-Wait!" Zen didn't even bothered on listening to her. He just walked closer towards her. "Please! Don't kill me! Issei! Please, Save me! I'm sorry! I was wrong! I was lying earlier! I really enjoyed our date together! You were the greatest man I have ever met! So please, save me here! PLEASE! ISSEI!" Pleaded Raynare, but Issei didn't even spared a glance towards her, which made her realize that she just lost the one last chance that this stoic man gave to her.
As she then realized that Zen was now standing in front of her, tears were now falling in her eyes. In the eyes of the ORC, save for Rias, Sona and Tsubaki, She looked so pitiful right now. But Zen stopped twirling it, his eyes overshadowed by his long bangs, making them confused as for why he suddenly stopped.
After a few moments of silence, which felt like an hours in the ORC members, he finally spoke.
"Hey Rias." Rias suddenly perked up, surprised that she was suddenly called by the man she was coming to hate of. "Can I ask you to do it instead of me?" Asked Zen, as Rias rose an eyebrow on his favor.
"And why do I need to do it? Why don't you just do it yourself?" Retorted Rias back at him, agitated at the thought of doing the request of the man she was going to hate and the disgusting fallen that just bad-mouthed her pawn. But, all of her hate towards the stoic man disappeared in an instant, somehow. After seeing his eyes now clearly, there was no way she couldn't do that, even with that creepy bluish glow present.
It was just...so tired.
"Because I don't think I can hold back anymore if I was the one to do it right now. You must know what I mean right now if you saw what happened last night." Both Sona and Tsubaki and by extension, Rias grimaced on remembering the state of the church last night. It was hard disposing them in the midnight so that no one can see that something happened in the abandoned church of the town.
After deciding on what she will do, she finally obliged on his request. That was the last thing she wanted to see. It was just too much for her in her age. She can take it if she was older, but not right now. She still wasn't prepared.
"Okay." Was all she said as she went closer to the crow, her power of destruction dancing through the palm of her right hand.
Upon seeing this, Raynare gasped. Totally knowing what was going to happen next and it was a fate she can't escape from.
"Well then, for my beloved pawn that you just spat on and threw over the mud..." Said Rias coldly as Raynare tried to escape, but Rias threw a ball of flame towards her, burning her in the process and almost instantly...
She was gone.
"Burn without ashes remaining." Finished Rias, as she acted like blowing a dust on her hand with her mouth.
"Thanks." Said Zen as he went towards Issei, whose back still turned towards him, as he went to his side and patted a hand on his head, now knowing what he was doing while having his back turned to them.
He was crying, silently and all by himself.
"I'm sorry." Apologized Zen, making Issei shook his head sidewards.
"No. It's not your fault. It's just that... I really, really loved her, you know. I did everything that I know just to make her happy." Said Issei, with sobs in the middle of his talking.
Upon seeing this, Kalawarner couldn't help but join at them. She went behind Issei's back and patted his patted, as Kuroka, who was currently in her cat form jumped out of Kalawarner's gasps to Issei's left shoulder and used her paw to pat his cheek, wiping out his tears in the process.
As a response all of the ORC, including Sona and Tsubaki went to his side and hugged him, except for the said two as they continued to comfort him as he let out all of his frustrations.
"Before our date in the other day, I sold out all of my porns just to get pocket money to let her buy whatever she wants. I even dressed neatly, something that I don't do usually in order to present myself as a good boyfriend. I literally gave my everything to her, but then she just threw it on the mud and even spat on my feelings. I just can't take it..." Said Issei, his tears still overflowing and hasn't shown any signs of stopping.
"Yeah, I know and I've seen it. That's why I stopped her before it got to the point of driving you into suicide. Someone as young as yourself brimming with future doesn't deserve something like that. While I know I'm being harsh in this part, she's just not the one for you. Although it might be in the other timelines, but it's not in this one." Said Zen, as Issei, along with the others who was hugging him, save from Sona and Tsubaki, looked at him in surprise. The way he spoke just now was like he had experience it before.
"From the way you said it just now, it seems like it had happened to you one time, isn't it?" Asked Sona softly, as she patted a hand on his shoulder.
Zen, silent for a few moments of deciding whether to tell it to them or not, reached the conclusion of telling it to them. Sometimes, letting out your pain instead of bottling it in yourself isn't bad.
Just like what he let Issei just do.
"Yeah." Zen showed a full-fledged rare smile of his when the thought of the memory of the woman entered in his mind. Her long blue-hair that flowed alongside the wind, a small part of her hair tied in a side ponytail. The way she smiled at him, even though she was having a hard time herself, it both hurt him and made him happy at the same time. It made the onlookers widen their eyes in seeing him smile, for they thought he didn't know how to show positive emotions and was just a tank of negative ones.
"Care to tell us a little bit of her?" Asked Tsubaki, curiosity took over her and spat out suddenly before she could realize she already spoke.
"She...was a very serious one and the strongest person that I came to met. Sometimes she was playful, while sometimes was having a hard time living in this world. After I met her and fell in love with her, she was my everything. She light up the darkness inside me and gave color to my world." All of them also smiled as they tried to imagine him being playful with some girl, but felt like there was a but incoming.
"But," And yes, there it was. "It hit me very hard on seeing her pass away right in front of my eyes." They then grimaced at the thought. Kiba himself can somehow relate to it. His past friends that he treated as a family died in front of his eyes as he eacaped, leaving them in that cursed laboratory.
"What happened?" Pondered Rias even further. Maybe this was a chance that he will got to know this enigmatic stoic man in front of her.
"...She died of an unknown disease she got from the time she was born. The doctors of the town that time tried everything they can do to discover what was her disease, but it was all in vain. I was left sitting beside her bed, the only thing that I can do was just to hold her delicate hands as her time slowly, but surely... ran out." Said Zen, as he took the hand he patted in Issei's head and was now staring at it. He didn't know why, but no tears was going out of his eyes. Normally, he would be an emotional mess right now, but somehow...
He felt nothing.
It was not like a foreign feeling from him. Rather, this was the feeling he always felt starting from the time he suddenly appeared in this world.
He was pretty familiar to it, and if he was to be completely honest, he really hated this feeling now.
Strange, isn't it? He was originally a creature who threw their emotions in order to survive, and he hated when he felt nothing.
If the old man was here, he would laugh at him right now and say 'That's what it feels to become a human.' or something within that lines.
Deciding not to ponder on it any further, he then continued what he was going to say at Issei.
"That's why, Issei. Just wait for it and life will come to your way. You may face hurdles along the way, but I promise you all will be fine in the end." Advised Zen, as Issei just gave him a nod of understanding as Zen walks off.
"Well, now that is finished, I'll be going home. I still have to make a dinner and I have to wake up early tomorrow, so Goodbye. For now." Said Zen, as he waved a hand towards them while walking off.
Kuroka, who was still in Issei's shoulder, jump out of it and ran towards Zen, jumping towards his shoulder and climbing to the top of his head as she snuggled to his hair. All of them, including Kalawarner sweatdropped that Zen didn't even mind what the cat did just now.
The reason why Zen didn't mind it was because of the cat that he also took in when he settled down in the Kyoto. If it were not for the fact that their human forms looked very different, he would probably say that this one was the carbon copy of that one in the cat form. That he was sure of.
"Ah, right. Rias. If you still don't trust me now that you know I have a fallen angel living in my residence, how about I do this?" Asked Zen, as he just turned his face and not even bothering to do it with his body.
"What?" Said Rias.
"Although I won't join your peerage, I will try to join your club. That way, it will be easier to me to tell you who I am once the time comes and hopefully, all your doubts to me are gone in the process. Is that okay?" Suggested Zen.
Rias, after hearing him joining her club, beamed out a smile on her face as she gave him her sincere answer.
"Yes! Thank you! You don't know how much this means to me." Thanked Rias, making Issei also smile after learning that he will be together with his brother-like friend for a more time than the last.
"Whatever that is, I'm glad to be of your help. And Kalawarner, the true reason why I called you here is because of Asia. She really wanted to talk to you, and I don't have the courage to reject her, especially after what had happened to her in these two days." Said Zen, making Kalawarner nod in understanding.
"You can go talk to her once you have finished your business to Rias, but try to get home faster, or else She will leave nothing to you in the table." Continued Zen, that got Rias confused on the first part. The way he said it...
Did he somehow knew her situation? As she was going to ask Zen if he ever knew, he just disappeared behind the gates outside of the school, not even bothering to look back.
After seeing him left, she just shrugged it off and decided to forget about it. There was no way that he knew her situation. Or was it?
Then, there was that 'she' that he said, meaning that there was someone other than this fallen living with him. She wanted to know who it was, but decided not to ponder in his private life.
It'll be shameful for her, who was also hiding something to the new members of her peerage.
"Although his story is touching and a bit depressing, I still can't trust him, somehow. But, I hope that will change in the future." Said Rias towards Sona, still can't trust Zen after all of that, somehow.
Maybe because he had a bad impression to her at first, but she got the feeling that he is the one who will help her the most in the future. She didn't know why, but that she was sure of.
But, instead of Sona that will answer, Kalawarner beat her to it.
"You better have to. From the way you reacted just by joining your club, you must have a problem that requires someone of Zen's caliber. Whatever that is, I can assure you that you can count on him, for sure." Said Kalawarner to Rias. While the redhead just stared at her suspiciously, Akeno looked at her with eyes full of disgust.
"You don't need to tell us, you filthy crow. While we can trust Zen in the upcoming events, there's no way that we can trust someone who betrayed their master like you." Spat out Akeno, still glaring at Kalawarner. While what she just said was true, Kalawarner had a very deep reason of why she did that.
"Ouch, that hurt." Said Kalawarner sarcastically, making Akeno glare at her even more. "While what you said is true, I have a reason why I did it, unlike those others that fell by lust, and I don't regret what I did, not at all. Unlike you, who didn't even gave his father a chance to explain himself." Continued Kalawarner, that got Akeno's eyes wide open, unable to believe that this wretched knew who she really was.
"H-How did you know!?" Kalawarner was a bit saddened after hearing her question. It seems that she forgot everything that happened before 'that' incident.
That time when she found out what was the reason why Baraqiel always left to the human world. She can only chuckle at the thought of his dumbfounded expression, along with his wife chuckling along with her.
"So you have forgotten me, huh..." Mumbled Kalawarner as her gaze fell down to the ground, making the black-haired beauty rose an eyebrow, not understanding what she just said.
"What?"
"No, Nothing. I know that you won't listen to some filth like me, but I want you to take this one into your heart." As a response, both the redhead and her friend trembled a little from the way the fallen said it with a complete seriousness.
"Don't piss Zen off or else, there'll be a hell of a pay. And, if you try to do something to him, like forcing him to join your petty games against his will, I swear this to you, Gremory. Not even Lucifer himself can save you from my wrath." Stated Kalawarner, as she flared out small bits of her own aura, making the two tremble once again, but in the face of her intimidating aura this time.
The two didn't said anything than just nod their heads, as Kalawarner went towards Asia, who was still comforting Issei on what happened to him earlier.
But before she got further from Rias and Akeno, she said something that somehow answer some of their questions towards Zen, who was still an enigma to them.
"Oh. And for how did Zen and I knew each other, let's just say that despite his looks, he looks older than what you think." Or not. They were still left in the dark, and they can just frown at that, while she just let out a little chuckle at their current expression.
As Kalawarner truly went to Asia's side this time, the two thought at the same time.
'Just who are you, Zen?'
That's the end of the chapter!
Whew! That was a long one! Over 10k of word count, I guess. I hope it's worth the waiting for you lot.
As you can see, I made some change in the character's past like Akeno, who somehow met Kalawarner but doesn't remember her. how will this turn out? stay tuned for the upcoming chapters if you want to know.
Also, I was planning on writing the date part of Zen, Sona and Tsubaki, but I think I'll just skip that part and show the results of it in the next chapter.
The reason why I did it like this is because nothing comes to my mind. I haven't got a girl to like me before until now, nor have I dated someone. In short, I don't have any experiences in this part, so I apologize to my readers who are expecting it, if there is some.
Also, for Zen's harem update, One of them will be on the other anime, specifically within one of the anime elements that i used in this fanfic. If you got who is it and review that person, then i don't mind revealing her in the next chapter.
In the next chapter will be the time where they will get a familiar and Issei will meet someone part of his harem (outside the canon harem). the next after that will be the start of the Riser arc, so stay tuned to it.
With that finished, I'll see you on the next chapter...