"Easy there, Koneko!" I said.

"If the Class President's Rooks are anything like us, you have to be prepared for a pitch like that."

"We have a girl in a suit of armor and you. I doubt they have anything to compete with that."

Me and Koneko were practicing in the field for the Sports Tournament, where all the school's clubs would be competing against each other.

Our biggest rival would be the Student Council, which would mean facing Sona Sitri's peerage.

I tossed the baseball back to Koneko, and she again pitched it back to me.

I narrowly caught it right before it busted my family jewels.

"Okay. I know you're short, but c'mon!"

"Again. You need to be prepared."

"Nice catch there, Makoto!"

I heard Irina call out from behind me. She and Xenovia had somehow acquired the school uniform, but I can't recall them being transferred here.

"Thanks, Irina!"

"Hey, why aren't you wearing shorts?" Irina asked Xenovia. "They'll help prevent unwanted flashing!"

"Lady Gabriel gave us these uniforms to help us blend in better." Xenovia replied. "Wearing bike shorts, a crucifix, and especially having that on you won't help our case," pointing to a piece of string she was wearing on her arm.

"Says the one who dyed her hair."

"Some bodyguards that Ms. Gabriel got there…" Koneko commented as they continued arguing about how to wear the uniform.

"We'll be cheering you on, Makoto!" Irina exclaimed as the argument reached a stalemate.

"I'm cheering on the Student Council," Xenovia commented. "It doesn't feel right to cheer on devils."

"Hate to break it to you, but the Student Council is also composed of devils."

"Really? That's weird." she said. "Then I guess I'll cheer you on then!"

"Hey, Makoto?" Rias came up to me and said. She had on a tennis uniform. "The Tennis match is about to start in half an hour. Could you find Yuuto for me?"

"Sure thing."

After about 15 minutes of looking, I cut my losses, grabbed my tennis uniform and went up to the court.

"You couldn't find him?" Rias asked.

"No, I couldn't," I replied. "He's been acting weird ever since I showed him a picture of a sword."

"Well, I think the two of us more than suffice for our second and third-year tag team."

"Thanks, Rias."

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Class President was teamed up with Genshiro Saji, one of the second-years.

"Saji!" Sona barked. "Focus up! The opponent is more formidable than we anticipated!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Saji is one of her Pawns," Rias explained. "He has a spirit similar to yours, so he took four Pawns."

"Yeah! Let's go Team Rias and Makoto!"

Everyone erupted into cheers as Matsuda and Motohama yelled that.

"Never knew I would see the day that people were in agreement with those two," I commented.

"We seem to have won the crowd, Sona." Rias said.

"Yeah. But that doesn't reflect on who wins the game in the slightest, Rias."

"Makoto, we're showing no mercy to those two. Understood?"

"Completely."

Rias made the first serve, leading to another round of cheers from both the boys and girls. Sona continued the rally as she struck the ball to similar fanfare.

Sona's strike went in my direction. Remembering Koneko's advice, I braced myself for a fastball and responded in turn, volleying it back at Sona.

I heard some scattered cheers. Some from the girls, but I could mostly hear Matsuda and Motohama as well as Irina and Asia.

I can guess two reasons why the crowd's more interested in Rias and Sona. Three if you include the miniskirts.

However, that shot caught Sona off guard and she hit it off-sides.

That got the crowd riled up like I wanted it.

"15-0 Gremory!"

"Yeah. You showed the Class President what for!" Matsuda yelled.

"Not bad, Makoto. I underestimated you," Sona commented.

"Thank you."

"But I'm not giving up! Sitri Spin-Ball!"

Did I just see her glow blue as she served the ball?

"Oh yeah?" Rias replied "Gremory Counter-Attac-"

The ball suddenly changed its trajectory and hit the ground twice before she was able to pull off that move.

"15-15!"

"Hey! Foul!" I protested. "Aren't you supposed to be the rules lawyer here, Sona!?"

"Now, now, Makoto. I said no mercy, remember?" Rias replied. "We have 108 styles of magic ball, you know?"

"Well this one will make 109."

I flashed white and served the ball in Saji's direction.

It hit his racket and shattered it.

"Oops." I muttered.

Saji grew pale as Sona glared daggers at him.

Despite me breaking Saji's racket, the point still stood. "30-15 Gremory!"

Sona was out for blood. She served right back at me and shattered my racket in retaliation.

"30-30!"

"You dare target Makoto!?" she said as I passed the ball back to her.

"You said it yourself, Rias," Sona replied. "No mercy!"

What followed after Rias served that ball was anybody's guess.

"Damn, Makoto!" Motohama said as I rested in the Locker Room. "You were absolutely wicked out there!"

"Thanks," I replied as he handed me some water.

"You have any idea what the final verdict was on that game?" Matsuda asked.

"Well, since all four of our rackets were busted, and the whereabouts of that ball was known only by God, the game was ruled as a draw. The group matches will determine the outcome now."

"Hey, Makoto. Have you heard about the mysteriously disappearing panties?" Motohama added.

"What!?" I exclaimed. "That's absurd… Unless you two were involved, perhaps."

"Oh no!" Matsuda replied. "We may be perverts, but we're not brutes!"

"That's a relief," I said, "By the way, have you seen Yuuto Kiba anywhere?"

"Not a clue," Motohama replied. "I haven't even seen any groupies that would possibly be his. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering…"

"Hey, if you're into that kinda stuff, we're perfectly okay with it!" Matsuda commented.

"Trust me, there are two massive benefits to being in the club and Yuuto Kiba isn't one of them."

"Oh. Trust me. I would understand!" he replied. "Stay shiny, you lucky dog!"

Even so, Rias and I are worried about Kiba. What has gotten into him?

It was decided that the Occult Research Club and the Student Council would settle the tiebreaker in a game of Dodgeball.

Asia entered the Gym after me and she was wearing-

"Um… Aika told me that bloomers were part of the Dodgeball uniform."

Not gonna lie. Her legs are looking quite good in bloomers. Still…

"Aika!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, Makoto." Aika said as she entered, wearing the regular PE shorts. "Don't lie to yourself and say that the sight of your servant's pearly white legs isn't firing you up."

"I'm already fired up from getting my Tennis racket busted by Sona Sitri."

"Well, then you're bound not to lose now, right?"

"Hmm. Might as well!"

The rest of the club soon joined us, followed by Kiba a while after.

"Oh! Nice to see you, Yuuto!" Rias said, joyfully.

"Let's just get this over with…"

His tone of voice is still odd. What about that supposed Holy Sword is bothering him so much?

"Anyway," I said. "Now that we're all here. Mom wanted you all to have these."

She made headbands for all of us with "Occult Research Club" embroidered on them.

"Oh. How thoughtful of her!" Rias said as she grabbed the first one.

"My. She came prepared," Akeno added, quickly grabbing the second one.

They all took them and put them on their forehead.

"Here, Kiba. Take one." I said.

"Oh… Thanks…"

His mind is clearly not in this. What the hell's going on?

A few minutes later, we were called to the starting lines and the whistle was blown to start the game.

As I narrowly dodged several shots from the Student Council, I was beginning to notice a pattern.

Aika seemed to notice it too. "Hey, how come 90% of those shots are at you, Makoto?"

"Well. Rias and Akeno are out of the question. They're the two idols of this school. Same with Asia. Everyone adores her. The girls will murder you if you eliminate Kiba. They would feel bad if they go for Koneko or Hagane, even though they both can easily kick your ass in retaliation. Ravel looks like the type of person who would have you sued, and you would probably have a filthy doujin commissioned of them if they eliminate you. So, by process of elimination it's the weird guy who's constantly cutting class."

I said that while I was dodging what felt like five million balls.

"I would say that's pretty spot-on."

By the time I was done with that summation of why I'm the prime target, I was about out of breath.

One particularly fierce ball went straight for me and I would have been eliminated if Asia didn't take it for me.

"Asia! No!"

As Asia went to the sidelines, I located the culprit, who was none other than Tsubaki Shinra, the Vice President, and I swiftly eliminated her.

Meanwhile, I noticed Kiba looked completely zoned out.

"Kiba! Get your head in the game!"

"Oh. Sorry, Makoto…" he said, dodging a shot that was coming right at him.

"Well, at least there's no magic balls this time." I commented.

I spoke too soon. I saw Sona glowing blue again and she made a spike right for me.

Again. Koneko's training is coming into play.

I braced for the approaching projectile and instead of trying to dodge it, which would have probably been impossible, knowing Sona, so I took it head on and caught it in my bare hands!

The force caused me to skid back several meters, but she's eliminated either way!

"Nice catch, Makoto!" Akeno said. "You eliminated both the Class President and Vice President!"

"Yeah! That's for breaking my racket, Four-Eyes!"

"Makoto! Watch out!" Koneko exclaimed.

Another ball was heading my way. Low.

But I was too late!

It was a pain unlike any I had experienced. Yes. I had my arm chopped off by Halja. But this was far more humiliating.

"Agh! Right in the plums!"

"Yeah! That was for the Class President!... And my racket!"

Hagane swiftly knocked Saji out in retaliation as I hobbled off the court.

"And that was for Makoto's nuts!"

"You were great, Makoto! We'll take it from here!" Rias told me.

"Let's avenge Makoto's manhood!" Akeno exclaimed.

Asia quickly escorted me outside and she was quickly followed by Xenovia and Irina.

"Are you okay, Makoto!?" Irina asked.

"Me? Yes." I replied "My balls? Definitely not."

"Can you still reproduce!?" asked Xenovia.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Here." Asia said as she applied her Twilight Healing over my pants.

I have never felt more relieved in my life.

I collapsed next to the side of the gym.

"Oh. You're a lifesaver, Asia."

"By the way Asia," Irina added. "I was so worried when I heard the church had you excommunicated! I'm so relieved that Makoto took you in! I always thought you were such an angel but now you're an actual one."

"I- I was foolish," Asia said, beginning to cry. "I was foolish to heal a fiend like Diodora and work for servants of the Goddess of Death."

"Don't say things like that, Asia." I said, patting her on the head.

"What's past is past! You're with us, now! You don't have to apologize for your past mistakes."

"Yeah, Asia." Xenovia said. "You have a great family, now. Even if most of them are devils, I could tell just from Makoto's interactions with them throughout the day that they aren't so bad after all!"

"Man, it's only been a couple days and I already know I'll miss this place when our assignment is through." Irina said, suppressing some tears herself.

I agree. I feel like the four of us could be the start of something great.

From the inside of the gym I could hear the news. "The Occult Research Club Wins!"

We went back at the house shortly after, narrowly avoiding a massive downpour that came our way.

"You notice anything odd about Kiba?" I asked Rias.

"Of course I have. I wouldn't be a good master if I didn't," she replied. "I had to get onto him for being a no-show at the Tennis match. No offense to you. You turned out to be a better match for Sona's particular style of playing.

But even when I was reprimanding him, he was displaying to emotion at all. It was like he was a completely different person. Do you have any idea? You mentioned a sword a while back."

"Well, my Mom gave me this old picture of me and Irina, one of the bodyguards sent by the Church," I replied, handing her the picture. "Kiba said that it was some sort of holy sword."

"If you want, I could show you it." Mom said. She was accompanied by Irina and Xenovia.

"I would love to."

We went down to the basement. She unlocked one of the rooms to reveal a large amount of various memorabilia – swords, armor, whatnot.

"You have an impressive collection Ms. Gabriel!" Rias said.

"Various odds and ends I've collected from my relationship with your family and the church."

I recognized the sword from the picture. I read on the inscription on the glass case, "Ascalon"

I then noticed a large sword that I haven't seen in this room before that was almost like a battle axe. "What is that?"

"That's actually my weapon. Excalibur Destruction," Xenovia said. "Lady Gabriel offered to store it in here for safe-keeping while we were off-duty."

"I'm actually wearing mine," Irina said, pointing to the string on her arm. "It's called Excalibur Mimic."

"So, you two are rocking Excalibur!?" I said. "That's metal."

"Almost," Xenovia explained. "They both are a seventh of the full Excalibur.

Which reminds me, Lady Gremory, part of the reason we're here is because the church believes that at least one of the three Excalibur pieces that had been stolen from us by the Grigori have been located in this town. The Church is asking that your servants not intervene in our mission to track them down."

"I accept that proposal. We can't afford to tread lightly with something as deadly to us as Holy Swords."

I noticed someone was peeking in through the door.

"Kiba?"

He ran off.

"Excuse me for one second," I said as I followed him

I ran into the living room. Asia and Aika were in there.

"Yuuto bolted out of here suddenly!" Aika said, motioning towards the front door, which had been opened.

I went to grab one of the umbrellas.

"Here! Take this one!" Mom said to me, tossing me a specific umbrella.

"You may need that one."

I nodded, as I opened the umbrella and dashed outside.

"Yuuto!" I cried out. Since I used to view him as a rival, I usually didn't use his first name, but I'm making an exception here.

"I told you not to concern yourself with this."

"You told me yourself that I would get killed if I took on exorcists by myself. Now you're going on a one-man crusade on Excalibur. That's suicide!"

"You and me both know that's not the same. I don't expect a goody-two-shoes angel like yourself to understand the concept of revenge!"

Okay. That's it. Let's see you grit those teeth!

I reached out to slap some sense into him, but he was fast enough to grab my hand before it connected.

"Don't you dare start acting like Rias Gremory! You are nothing compared to her!"

"Snap out of this, Yuuto! Everyone is concerned about you! I don't want my friend to die!"

I was beginning to shed tears just thinking of that.

"Friendship!? Don't be so naïve!"

"Ooh. Look what we have here! Angelface and the Prince are sure looking like a divorced couple!"

I know that voice.

It was Freed Sellzen! And it appears he's acquired a new toy! Could it be?

"You said I didn't understand the concept of revenge, right?" I told Yuuto as I collaped the umbrella and began unscrewing the end of it. "Well, you were wrong…"

I unsheathed the blade concealed within my umbrella.

"I'll never forget the face of the man who murdered Asia."