Issei didn't consider himself to be a shameless person. He was used to following rules (so long as it was during his civilian hours and it wasn't too bothersome), so besides his previous openly perverted antics, there wasn't much that people could say about him. He was average looking, had a mildly toned body and was quite charismatic; all in all, not the worst person to be acquaintance with.

That said, he did the cheeky misdeed here and there. His play at the Student Council was to avoid having the two heiresses at his tail asking him to be part of their peerages, but in hindsight he should have toned his aura down or never released it to begin with.

He wasn't regretful for him act, but it was something that came to try to bite his ass later. The later being the next day when he came to school with the cleanest face possible, almost as if he had done nothing wrong.

The first morning classes had barely begun before he was summoned to the principal's office, his walk there being followed by a bunch of hidden familiars spying on him since yesterday.

Issei nonchalantly walked in the office after knocking on the door and being allowed in. He had barely closed the door behind him when he was assaulted with magic spells. Thirty magic circles surrounded him on all sides, the air filling with static as lightning magic was primed and ready to zap him.

The hidden dragon stopped still, taking the time to scan his surroundings. He was surrounded by all the members of Sona's peerage as well as Ria's Gremory herself and her group.

"You got me." He stated in a calm voice, slowly raising his hands up to show his surrender. He could have the two devils harassing him constantly, or he could play this smart. Since the Sekiryuutei wasn't planning on having the two girls pestering him, he quickly concocted a plan.

Sona narrowed her eyes at him. Rias – on her side – had a plastic smile, her whole demeanor that of someone who had caught the cheeky mouse. Kiba Yuuto had a simple word on his waist, his calm posture that of someone that was ready to cut anything down before it ever became a threat. Tsubaki had already summoned her naginata and was pointing the blade at him. Akeno, the busty black-haired beauty, smiled amicably at him, one hand on her left cheek while the other pointed magic at him. Koneko was on a corner, her stoic countenance betraying no emotion whatsoever, but she was wearing gloves and also looked ready to slug him.

Everyone looked ready to tear into him at the slightest hint of provocation.

"Indeed, Hyoudou-kun, we have got you. What say you in your defense?" Sona coldly asked.

Issei looked at the myriad of spells around him and painted a worried look on his face. "…I don't want to die?" His words made the devil further furrow her brows, a few members of her peerage just itching to jump him. "I'm sorry for my inconsiderate use of magic yesterday?" He tried again.

Rias crossed her left arm under her chest, propping up her assets, while her right hand was pointed at him. Magic quickly gathered on her hand, an amalgamation of a dark colored something spawning into her limb and looking very much like a death sentence to your average foe. "Hyoudou-kun…may I call you Ise? It is much shorter, and saying your family name when we are already this familiar feels wrong…" She said in a way that seemed as if she was talking about the weather. Quite the conversationalist, this one Issei mused, trying to understand the magic that was threatening him.

The Gremory clan was famous for their use of the [Power of Destruction]. A special magic that was quite the rare and powerful thing, even among the many powers of the supernatural, specially the underworld; it was very true to its name, being capable of literal destruction of anything that it touched. Issei had never seen the Red Satan, but it was said by his reliable sources that the man had such mastery over the power that none with more than two brain cells dared to question his status as Ultimate-level or his throne among the other three Great Devils.

Issei could feel the intensity and power in the wisp that Rias held on her hands, but it didn't trigger his instincts to flee. A blast of that would hurt for sure, but he could withstand it even in his current normal form. Were he to put the [Domination Scale Mail], the hidden dragon was sure that no scale of his would be scratched. The same thing for all that was being pointed at him.

However, the devils didn't need to know that. Thus, he put on his best impression of a scared guy. The interrogation was about to begin.

He nodded to Rias, letting his gaze linger on her chest. She noticed it, but expressed no reaction to it.

"Who sent you, Ise-kun?" The Gremory girl asked. Issei lowered his hands, feeling all the eyes be drawn upon him.

"No one." He replied, aware that it would sound like a lie. Doubt was clearly expressed on the faces of the two High-class devils, but he marched on. He had yet to set his trap. "I know it sounds way too suspicious, but it is the truth. I sorta ran into this shrine last year during the Golden Week and felt this deep, spiritual thing just open in my mind." He explained in simple terms, trying to sound as amateur as he could.

"Ever since then, I have been able to…uhh, I guess do magic?" He 'fumbled' his way through the words, seeing Sona and Rias' analytical gazes firmly settled on his frame. "I don't think it is anything special, and it is only useful once or twice, but I guess I overdid it with you, Sona-kaichou!" Issei put on his best apologetic voice.

Rias lowered her magic-wielding hand, extinguishing the power. "Oh? Then, Ise-kun, do tell us about this power of yours. Sona told me you seemed to be quite the powerful being, and please do not lie about it. I will be able to tell it right away." The busty girl proclaimed, maintaining a sort of higher-than-thou look that irked at the teen.

"May I sit?" He tested the waters. The magic circles that surrounded him lowered their output, becoming invisible as Akeno tinkered with the magic matrix. Sona released the tension from her brow and pointed at the seat right in front of her desk; Issei moved slowly, making sure to be within everyone's sights. It would not do for one of these trigger happy devils to think he was trying to pull a fast one on then and blast him with a spell, that would blow his cover (or worse yet, make him pretend to be hurt by weak magic).

After taking his seat, Issei placed his hands on the desk and looked at Sona, eyes asking for permission.

Ddraig, I'll need your help on this one.

[Sure thing partner, what is it?]

Could you handle the runic magic? I want them to think yesterday was a fluke, so I'll use one of my swords and fake a sacred gear.

[Already using that idea? Well, I don't mind it, but why not do the same as yesterday? It is not like they can truly bother us.]

They can't, but they aren't alone, Ddraig. I am strong, but I'm not Ultimate-class strong. I'm not willing to fight any of the four Satans; that is too much trouble for some petty victory over their sisters.

[Fair enough, Partner.]

Issei slowly let his magic manifest, a draconic crest magic circle spawning over his right hand. Sona's eyes became fully focused on it, not letting any detail escape her. Out of the magic circle a sword began to manifest; it was a European broadsword, the handle decorated with a simple guard with one onyx stone encrusted on the guard, but the sword gave the impression to be quite sharp. The air hummed with a wisp of power, but nothing quite like what had happened before.

Now, Ddraig.

[On it, partner.]

Almost like a switch had been flipped, it seemed as if the air inside the room became heavy. A few of Sona's peerage members choked on air, gasping as if their throats were being grasped. Rias's members fared much better, tensing up, but not letting it overwhelm them.

[Oh?! Not too bad for a bunch of whelps. They didn't immediately faint from the weakest runic pressure of dragon magic.]

""What are you trying to show us, Hyoudou-kun/Ise-kun?"" Sona and Rias asked at the same time. There was tension in their bodies, but their eyes were also displaying quite the intense interest on the blade.

Issei slowly placed the weapon on the desk, making sure to avoid any sudden movements. Kiba Yuuto – Rias's Knight – looked just about ready to launch into an attack to separate Issei's head from his body.

"That is…I'm not too sure myself. I sort of was able to manifest it after the shrine visit. It sort of has this…I guess aura would be the best manner to describe it; it has this sort of aura that can spook people. It becomes weaker and weaker every time I use it on the same person, but the first time is the strongest, especially if people aren't ready for it. I tried practicing with it, but I stopped when I almost chopped my hand off." Issei explained 'ashamed', maintaining his ki stable.

The two devil heiresses looked at each other and back at him, wondering what to do. He might be lying, yet they had no reason to doubt him. Still, for someone to be aware of the supernatural right under their noses…

"Well, I guess we can forgive you somewhat, Ise-kun." Rias voice softened, the red haired devil looking at him with kind eyes.

Sona didn't seem to be that forgiving. "That is not how this works, Rias." The Sitri devil interjected before the Gremory one could do anything else. "Why haven't you reported this to anyone else, Hyoudou-kun? For that matter, how do you know anything else about the supernatural, if you only have your [Sacred Gear] awakened for one year?" Sona tried to bait him by trying to poke holes in his story.

"[Sacred Gear]? Is that what this is called?" He innocently asked, faking a flinch as Sona hardened her stare. He composed himself and pointed at his sword on the table. "I mean, there is this name in my head whenever I call for it, so I just have been calling it that."

Rias smiled at him and leaned a bit forward, emphasizing the sway of her breasts. He stared a bit at the heavy weaponry of the girl, faking a flush when his eyes matched hers.

"What is the name that comes to your mind then, Ise-kun? Such a sword must have a wondrous name to match its aesthetic. It seems to be quite powerful." Her melodious tone also carried magic waves, the devil girl no doubt trying to influence him with a cheap imitation of the [Word of Power].

He let the magical waves wash harmlessly over him, but he slackened his expression and let his shoulders and head sag a bit. Sona looked over at Rias with a questioning gaze, but the red haired devil returned a cheeky smile and faced Issei once more.

"Yeah, at first I thought the name to be rather chunni, but it grew on me. It is called [Fearmonger's Vorpal Blade]." Issei lied with a bold face. The blade was a good one, imbued with some dragon-slayer properties, and its true name was simply [Vorpal Blade], but it was being used as a medium for runic draconic magic, the aura being enough to cover up his lie. It would be hard for the two devils to identify or figure out his lie, since even today the [Sacred Gear] system was a mystery even for the angels, much less the devils; added upon that was the fact that people were still discovering Sacred Gears to this very day, passing up his sword as one wouldn't be out of proportions.

The two devils took a few minutes to speak in hushed tones, Rias's use of her magic spell finally ending and allowing Issei to behave as if he felt the effects dispelling. He pointed at the red haired devil in an exaggerated manner and shouted at her.

"You used magic on me!" The moment his shout echoed inside the room, there were two blades at his throat. Kiba had drawn out his sword and closed the distance with merely a beat, while Tsubaki held her naginata into a thrusting pose, ready to decapitate him with a mere flick of her wrist. Issei made a show of widening his eyes, his blade glowing a dull purple as it reacted together with him. It might not be his favorite sword, but the [Vorpal Blade] was also tied to his soul, and much like all the weapons he had, it showed a desire to be used and to protect its wielder.

The two "kings" gave looks to their subordinates, the two backing off in quick succession. Sona merely fixed her glasses in place, unwilling to apologize, since Issei had done something much like this during their encounter yesterday. Rias offered him a slightly apologetic smile, but it was clear that amusement painted her lips rather than apologies.

"You must forgive Yuuto-kun for being in a hurry to protect me, Ise-kun, but he is my knight. You understand him, right?" Rias played coy, batting her eye-lashes at him and using every seduction trick in the book to get him to play along. Sona rolled her eyes at her fellow devil's behavior, but she observed Issei to see his reactions.

Issei touched his throat, making sure that the blades had not nicked at his skin. He gulped and looked at the heiresses with a conflicted gaze, nodding along as if to avoid getting into further trouble.

"For all that it is worth, Issei-kun, I do apologize." Kiba said in a gentle tone, the pretty boy swordsman bowing at the waist and offering him a refreshing smile. Issei received it with a wry and awkward smile, one hand still massaging the spot where Yuuto's blade had rested at. Tsubaki, on the other hand, did nothing of the sort, merely staring at him with her impassive gaze.

Issei returned his gaze to the two devil princesses, wondering if they wanted anything else. He was getting tired of these theatrics, especially since Ddraig was chuckling incessantly at the back of his mind.

"Am I… in trouble?" He managed to make himself sound half-conflicted without seeming too weak. Sona exchanged another look with Rias, the two nodding in agreement.

Sona was the one to lead on. "Nothing of the sort, Hyoudou-kun. However, you must understand that we are somewhat disappointed in you. It might be an important secret, but that you went to such lengths as trying to scare us to avoid us, I am saddened that you did not believe in us."

Rias let Sona finish before putting in her two cents. "That also doesn't explain how you know about us, Ise-kun. It is one thing to explore your own powers, but at most the [Sacred Gear] would come with intrinsic knowledge about itself, not about other things." The red head had a confident smile that annoyed Issei, but he didn't let it show on his face. Maybe she thought to have him in check with that statement.

He glanced back at Sona, eyes once more questioning if she would allow him another explanation. He caught a flack of annoyance flash on the Gremory's heiress's face, but he brushed it aside.

"Go on, Hyoudou-kun." Sona allowed him once more, seeing him slowly get up from his seat and walking towards one of the bookshelves in the room. He waved his hand at the blade back on the desk, the weapon slowly lifting up and coming towards him, the sound of Yuuto slowly drawing his own blade from its scabbard not being missed. Issei gingerly grabbed his blade with his left hand, slowly running his hands over the many books that filled the shelf.

After a few seconds, Issei stopped at one of them, instructing the blade to increase its glow as he pulled the tome from the shelf.

"I don't really understand how, but I can sort of feel which books contain knowledge about the supernatural or not. It happens regardless if I have it out or not, but the feeling is more intense if I let the [Fearmonger's Vorpal Blade] out." He said, the purple glow of the weapon constant as he held out and offered the tome to Sona, the hard cover of the book displaying the name of Sitri's Basic Magic Spells. "I take it you were teaching one of the girls something magical, Sona-kaichou?" He maintained his cover of being unable to read the underworld's – or more specifically the Devils' language – merely suggesting that he could sort of feel his way through the magic.

"I don't understand much, but I can sort of…know my way around things. It seems to be half-baked knowledge at best, but I guess it is something." He explained, dismissing the blade and returning the tome to its place. He returned to his seat, back under the scrutiny of Sona's and Rias's gaze.

Rias seemed to finally accept his reasoning, but there was still the glint of curiosity on her eyes; the red haired devil really wanted something out of him, most likely his devotion in her peerage. Sona wasn't too different, but the student council president seemed more tamed in her desire.

"Why hide yourself this much, Hyoudou-kun? It must have been a stressful past year if you knew about our true nature and hid yourself this much. Why run through all these hoops?" Sona asked in a genuine tone.

Issei almost immediately replied. "I was scared. I mean, it was so sudden. Developing some power straight out of manga, then being able to somewhat comprehend this entirely new world that seemed way too grand for someone like me. It was quite jarring to find out that in the grand scheme of things, I'm no greater than an ant." Issei lowered his head, some true mixing in to his talk. He felt lost in his first days navigating the supernatural, and most likely would be dead if not for Tia's help during his fletching days, but he had grown into the man he was today due to those tribulations.

Sona softened her gaze, making a motion with her hand for her peerage to stand down. Rias also nodded to her group, the tension in the room finally subsiding.

"I understand." The Sitri heiress replied. Issei finally raised his head, finding the devils to be giving him kinder looks.

"So…I am not in trouble?" He probed.

Rias chuckled and waved him off. "No, Ise-kun, you are not into trouble." The red haired devil seemed to think something funny as another smile spread on her lips. "However, considering that you don't want to join Sona's peerage, how about mine? I do grant a few privileges that are quite hard to find around other clans, and the Gremory clan treats all its recruited members as family!"

Sona sent a glare towards Rias this time, her expression souring at the blatant and shameless attempt at jumping the fence that her friend did.

"What is your heart's desire, Ise-kun? Money? Power? Women? Whatever it is, we – from the Gremory clan – will allow you to reach if you accept my offer." Rias offer came with a heavy dose of eyelash-batting, the devil using all her attributes to entice the teen into her peerage. Akeno picked up on the antic, and merely for her amusement, approached Issei from behind, leaning on his right shoulder with her breasts and blowing wind softly on his ear.

Now, he might be used to more intimate acts, but let it be said that he was still a hot-blooded man. The hairs of his neck stood up and Issei found himself aroused, but the spy controlled himself. The seduction tactic fit the girls to a tee; maybe it was a thing intrinsic for devils to try to seduce others into sin, as it was for angels to avoid sin. Anyhow, the male brunette made a show of being tempted by the act, but he held back and distanced himself from the soft flesh of his upper-class senpai.

"Thank you for the offer, Rias-Senpai, but I think you might be way better without me. At most my power is a joke, and I don't exactly know how to fight." Issei reluctantly lowered his head a bit, the roaring laughter of Ddraig in his head grating at his patience like nothing before.

Rias remained silent for a few moments, clearly reluctant in allowing him to remain free. Even if his power was a gimmick, anything that could help tip the scales in her favor would be very welcomed; yet, the heiress couldn't bring herself to act scummy. She might be getting desperate, but the red head had standards.

"I understand, Ise-kun." She spoke in a normal – if slightly disappointed – tone. Her peerage fell in line with her, the 'king' bidding her fellow devil friend farewell. "If you ever change your mind, you can reach me in the old school building; we are the occult research group." Rias was about to exit the room when she stopped by the door, leaning halfway out. "Training can improve your skills, Ise-kun, and we can teach you true knowledge if you want; there is no shame in admitting you don't know something, you only need someone to teach you." The red headed devil batted her eye lashes at him one last time, content on emphasizing her knight as he silently moved to follow her command.

Issei nodded, but stood his ground. Even if he fell for her charms, Rias would never be able to get him under her command. He might not know all the intricacies of the Evil Piece System of reincarnation, but he had a general knowledge about its functions; including the master-slave pact that one had to agree too, as well as the magical requirements. Even in his base state, Issei had more than triple of Rias's current magic pool; that was without adding up his [Boosted Gear] or his multitude of swords or even Senjutsu. The devil would never succeed in the ritual, should she try it.

However, now that Issei thought about it, having some friendship with the devil girls would be beneficial for sure. Nothing astronomical for sure, but…

"I am not sure about joining anything yet, but…" His call made Rias and her group hold still by the door. "I am willing to visit and study a bit with you all, if you are willing to have me." He said, offering the same type of deal he had with Sona to the red haired heiress.

The Sitri heiress released a hidden sigh of relief.

Rias smiled and nodded at him.

"Of course, Ise-kun! Feel free to visit whenever you can." Rias finally departed, her group following right behind, no doubt to go to their classes. All but one person.

Koneko stared at Issei with her usual stoic countenance, the spy tilting his head in confusion as he wondered what she wanted with him. The two remained in the stand-still for a few moments, the small kouhai searching for something in him. Issei offered a smile, wondering if she was trying some sort of subtle spell or another type of sensing skill. The brunette observed the girl, wondering if she what she was doing.

Then, he felt it.

The – most likely – unconscious shift in the natural energy around the group; nature was granting favor to someone in the vicinity. Forget wrestling with the overabundant power, it was smoothly willing to be controlled, just waiting for the command. Issei felt some jealously, but his experience allowed him to remain neutral in his expressions, merely returning the girl's stare. He avoided contact with the natural energy, already aware of who was causing such reaction to the flow of natural energy around them.

He had relayed some information to Kuroka about her sister the past year, the older cat content with the reports and stealthily taken pictures, never willing to get too close to her younger sister. The spy hadn't had too many opportunities to talk with the white-haired girl, but now they should be interacting fairly often due to Rias's proposal.

Koneko finished her staring and made haste to go away, scared of something even she didn't understand.

Issei turned back to Sona, seeing the black haired devil to be also staring at him. What's with you devils and staring? Issei mused in his head.

"Well, Hyoudou-kun. What to do now?" Her question made the teen tilt his head curiously. "I do know you did what you did to protect yourself out of fear, but mine and Rias' position is a rather delicate one in this city. We are to oversee this territory, protect it from threats and maintain its prosperity; that means we need to be aware of any and everything that happens in this place." Sona explained. Even if she held back on offering another chance for him to join her peerage, she would not have him free-loading around now that she was aware of his knowledge/connection to the supernatural.

If his little speech from earlier was to be believed, the male brunette was lacking confidence in himself; Sona might not have another subject, but she could have an ally. Besides, this might be a blessing in disguise. A non-affiliated person would not get into too much trouble should he be caught in another territory, be it devil-own land or otherwise. She could encourage Issei's development: He was quite charismatic and could get along with other easily, despite status or anything else - from what she observed among the high school cliques, Hyoudou was at least respected in all of them, even if a bit disliked. She could get access to information on remarkable people she could bring to her peerage.

"I have to know where you stand in terms of everything, Hyoudou-kun, even if for mere reference's sake. You might think of yourself as weak, but you have managed to avoid us for an entire year, all the while accumulating knowledge about the supernatural – even if incomplete. That takes skills, Hyoudou-kun; I'm willing to help you grow your natural talents. I won't force a peerage talk or even a contract, but if you are willing to, we can reach a compromise."

Issei took that in consideration. His trap had been triggered long ago by the devil heiresses, and they weren't even aware of it. And now they were allowing him to grow right under their noses. A smirk almost danced on his lips, but the male brunette disguised it as a smile, taking the chance on the spot.

"I see that you are eager to start, Hyoudou-kun." Sona stated. "After school today, do please come to the indoor gym, we can evaluate you and ascertain a proper training schedule. I have a recent prospect for my peerage that I also need to evaluate, and you two might help each other out."

Issei nodded, finally being allowed to leave the room.

[DxD]

[DxD]

The day was short and without further events. The spy considered the stunt he pulled today and how it could have gone. The brunette noticed that when he was in his city, he tended to act more on impulse and whims than the usual careful behavior he had when out in missions. He wondered why.

Ddraig merely chuckled, the sound echoing in Issei's head as the teen headed to the gym. He normally would walk a bit with Matsuda, Motohama and Aika until they reached a bus stop or a middle ground where each one would take their paths to reach home, but today he had to forgo his usual routine due to the two devil heiresses. He might as well 'solve' the issue while it was early.

Issei made his way to the indoors gym with a bit of a pep in his step, wondering what sort of test Sona had for him. It was clear that the devil girl wanted to see how he was faring, and she would most likely pit him against someone from her peerage. Whatever it was that the girl had in her mind, it would be nothing compared to his training under Tia; the memory of the dragoness bringing some melancholy to the spy.

He reached the gym and entered it, depositing his bag on one of the nearby benches and shedding his school blazer, showing his inner red shirt and his worked on body. He wasn't an Adonis or Greek sculpture, since those physics emphasized pure raw strength and showmanship, things that one wanted to avoid when being a spy; that wasn't to say he didn't have muscles, it was clear that Issei had worked on his body.

Sona and her peerage were already waiting for him there, some of the girls already in gym uniforms. Issei noticed that among the girls, a sole male stood out. Genshirou Saji, from class 2-C. Short blond hair and a few centimeters smaller than Issei, the other teen was visibly excited to be present, although his humor took a slight dip when he noticed Issei getting closer.

The spy shared a few classes with the teen, but nothing that should've put a wet blanket on their relationship already. Nevertheless, Issei approached the group and greeted everyone.

"Ise-kun." The spy heard a male voice call out his name, having already sensed the knight, but pretending not to. He flinched and slowly turned around to face Kiba, noticing the swordsman wearing a jersey and carrying with him a few bokken (wooden practice katana). "Saji-kun."

Genshirou was also spooked at the sudden entry by the other teen, rapidly looking at his fellow devils and wondering if they had noticed Yuuto. Considering that none of the girls looked surprised, it was probably fair to say that they had noticed him.

Sona clapped her hands to gather attention to herself, the two males turning to face the black haired girl.

"Good evening everyone. I'm glad both of you could make it, Saji-kun, Hyoudou-kun…" At Sona's mention of Saji's personal name, the blonde turned to Issei with a victorious grin, the spy wondering what the teen was feeling such joy about. "I have borrowed Yuuto-san from Rias to proceed with the aforementioned physical test. Hyoudou-kun, Saji-kun has recently been introduced into my peerage, but has yet to have his tests; this should be a great experience for you to figure out if becoming a reincarnated devil will be beneficial to you." The black haired devil explained with her usual serious tone, content on letting the swordsman take the lesson on his own hands.

Kiba offered the two males a smile, handing them the wooden blades. "Good evening, Ise-kun, Saji-kun." The knight boy greeted, his fake smile so well practiced that one could be mistaken into assuming it was a genuine expression. "Let's see how you both are in terms of physical condition, okay?"

Saji kept his grin, firmly grasping at the wooden blade. Issei nodded, maintaining a relaxed grip. If Kiba was the type of fighter the spy imagined him to be, then the tests had already begun.

Genshirou took a simple stance, seemingly somewhat used to be holding a blade, but still demonstrating an awkwardness that was present in novice fighters. Issei also took his stance; it was a simple, text-book like stance that was the starting point of many martial arts, kenjutsu being one of them. Kiba kept his friendly visage, grabbing a bokken of his own and not taking any proper stance.

The recently reincarnated blonde devil waited for the swordsman to attack, eager to display some skill for his master. He glanced backwards, noticing that his 'rival' (for there was no other reason for Issei to be here except to also enter a peerage) had taken distance and seemed to want to avoid the exercise. Well, don't expect me to save you a spot, Hyoudou! Being by Kaichou's side will be an exclusive me-benefit!

When Saji returned his gaze to Yuuto, there was nothing there for him to see, the blonde's vision being filled up by the tip of a wooden sword. Kiba's blade harshly knocked his own bokken out of Saji's hand, the knight devil pressing his blade against Saji's throat while also tripping his feet. Genshirou fell on his butt, his bokken clattering against the gym floor. That was fast! His adrenaline filled mind screamed, but his body could not react in time.

Issei, on the other hand…

I guess he reaches up to 35% of Tia's speed? Not bad, right Ddraig? Issei asked, maintaining his distance from the engagement.

[For a whelp, that is not too bad. He would be nothing but a foot-soldier during the Great War, but the skill ceiling sure does lower during peaceful times…] The dragon spoke in a bored tone, already returning to a nap. Issei mentally sighed, reading himself for his act.

He didn't want the devils to be hovering him like crows in a corn maze, but he also didn't want to be constantly hounded by their requests to join their group.

"Why did you not engage, Ise-kun? You could have covered for Saji-kun." Kiba asked, already turning to chase the hidden dragon.

Issei shrugged his shoulders, squaring up his stance to receive the incoming blow. To the general eye the swordsman had vanished from sight, too much of a blur to be seen; to the spy, the knight rushed him with a fair amount of speed – nothing overwhelming, but not too bad – and Issei deflected the incoming strike. There was a follow up hit that he could have parried away, but the spy figured he had shown enough for now. The second hit struck his shoulder – had the blade been real it would have pierced his shoulder – and Issei backed off in an unstable step, stumbling back and almost falling just like Saji.

Yuuto waited for Issei to fix his countenance before he came back at him, using the same two-hit combo. Issei obliged him, same outcome repeating as Issei parried the first attack and tried to boot Kiba off, his leg 'missing' and being struck by the hard wood, bringing Issei to one knee, the knight ready to lop off the spy's head.

Saji took the chance and tried to hit Kiba from behind, but in his enthusiasm the blonde devil ended up giving his position away, his hyped shout causing the teen to eat the bokken's handle as a blow to his torso, Yuuto smoothly moving to dodge the clumsy attack of the newborn devil.

Issei stood up and pretended the blow to his leg had hurt, a hiss of air escaping his lips as he disengaged and backed off. It seemed that Yuuto had a chip off his shoulder to take with Issei, as he pursued the teen, this time opening his attack with a fully-committed thrust with the clear intent of hurting the male brunette; he'd probably pass it off as getting into the heat of battle or trying to test Issei's true limit.

The spy used the handle of his sword to reflect the attack, Yuuto's bokken being slightly deflected and getting a glancing cut on Issei's shoulder. The brunette's blade, however, was in prime position to attack. A descending diagonal cut followed, Kiba being forced to use his free arm to block the incoming strike that harshly hit his forearm. If they were in live-combat, Yuuto would have lost and arm, and possibly the fight, while Issei would have merely been wounded, but still plenty hale to fight more.

"Ops!" Issei hurriedly dropped his wooden blade and rushed to check on Yuuto, the blonde devil offering a smile back at him. "My bad, Kiba!"

The swordsman brushed him off. "No worries, Ise-kun, I was sloppy and underestimated you. That was a beautiful strike." Being complimented by the pretty-boy devil wasn't exactly high in Issei's priority list, so he merely sighed in relief. There was no bruising, but the vampire was quite sure that it would later on.

Saji hurried to their side. "Oi, Yuuto, are you alright? That was a mean hit." The recently reincarnated devil seemed to be genuinely worried about his fellow devilkin, never mind the fact that not a few minutes ago Kiba was ready to beat the snot out of them in the disguise of physical testing.

Issei would laugh at the naivety of the teen, but he was playing a similar piece, so he merely kept his amusement to his soul partner.

Kiba waved their concerns off, taking some distance from them and readying his stance. Saji looked at Yuuto with a betrayed look on his face.

"Hey, give me back my pity and worry for you, you bastard!" Genshirou shouted, waving his bokken like it was an accusatory finger at the other devil. Issei chuckled, glancing back at Sona to see the devil girl passively staring at the trio, her brows a bit tight as her gaze washed over Saji.

Yikes, she really doesn't play around! Issei let the thought swim in his mind. He had worked a bit with Sona during his first year in Kuoh Academy so he was aware of her strictness and difficult-to-meet standards; no one was ever the slave-driver and harsh taskmaster as Sona Sitori, or so went the saying in the campus grounds.

The following forty-five minutes entailed Issei and Saji getting the stuffing beaten out of them. Now that Kiba had an initial measure of their state, he went about testing any and everything that he could consider physical. Reflexes, stamina, hand-eye coordination, combat instincts; nothing escaped Yuuto as he used swordsmanship to push the duo (more truthfully just Saji) to their limit.

The testing ended with a flurry of hits from the devil knight, his wooden blade aiming for all sorts of vital and non-vital points in the body. Saji had various welts and bruises all over his arms, no doubt many more hidden by his shirt; Issei was in a better state, but his sword was ragged and battered, to the point that it break down if it was forced to endure anymore stronger than a light breeze, the training weapon being used as a shield against the wave of blows that came from Yuuto.

"Very impressive, Ise-kun; when you told me that you practiced with the sword, I merely imagined that you'd have swung your sword a few times while practicing poses, but I can see that you have practiced somewhat." Kiba complimented, yet the plastic smile he wore was ever painted across his lips. "Saji-kun, you have decent stamina and you certainly have drive, but some of your attacks were truly reckless; overall, I'd say that you two are cleared for basic training."

Saji seemed to be truly disappointed with his assessment, while Issei dully nodded.

"Sitri-san, you can take it from here." Yuuto called out, not giving the duo time to rest and recover from their physical beating. The purpose of the test was too push them to the limits and figure out those limits; or so Sona worded in her head.

Issei had read behind those intentions long ago.

Saji, however, was still green. Meaning that he showed enthusiasm in being further challenged.

Issei closed one eye in amusement. He felt some sort of strange kinship with Saji. Maybe it the fact that he was going to see the teen suffer under Sona much like he had suffered before at the hands of Tia; whatever the case, Issei was willing to be here with Saji and see what the teen could do. He might even give the teen a few pointers.

[DxD]

[To Be Continued]