Confusion was the word of the morning. Devils, especially Sona and the student council, were surprised that there was another person who was apparently aware of the supernatural and was already familiar with Ruby.

Ruby was surprised to see her here and slightly nervous about Pyrrha being in the crosshairs.

Pyrrha was surprised and quite a bit angry at Ruby for not finding the time to give her some heads up about all the devils in the school.

Issei… Issei just had the school idol give him a speech about occultism, sprout wings and a second later, two other girls appeared out of thin air. He was in the room with a lot of pretty girls and he still didn't understand what was going on. Also, thanks to being the only person in the room who had no understanding of the situation and thus no fear of consequences…

"Okay… I'm really lost right now!" He announced, eyes darting between Rias, Maria, Sona and Ruby, who were a step away from a Mexican standoff.

"Why are all of our latest troubles connected to you?" Sona asked, a small amount of exasperation bleeding into her tone.

"Because I'm addressing them."

"More like running straight into them and dragging us along…" Rias leveled a hard glare at the witch.

"Somebody has to, when all you do is-"

"Enough! Both of you. I'm not listening to this again." Sona stopped the imminent argument that would only lead to Ruby teleporting out and giving them a silent treatment for a few days and Rias calling her a little brat and blowing off her steam on whatever stray was unlucky enough to be around. "Now." She tried to give them her most professional image, something that Pyrrha was already quite familiar with. "You two know each other. I want to know what you two were doing behind our backs and for how long it has been going on." If this was some sort of deep infiltration… No, they wouldn't blow their cower like that. Besides, Maria was in Kuoh for years. She would have noticed something. And if not… Sona held no illusions about Serafall not combing the whole city before her arrival. The same was definitely true about Sirzechs and Rias.

Ruby waved her off. "Don't worry about it. We went into a… training camp together." She would give them a bare minimum. As for the rest, she would simply refuse to answer. "After that was over." A major understatement. Were the others in the room more experienced with lying or reading emotions they would definitely notice the maelstrom in her eyes. "She went back to enjoying the peaceful life. I stuck with training magic and all that. Then I came here, ran into her and took her as an apprentice."

Sona pinched the bridge of her nose. This was just stupid but it was better than nothing.

Rias on the other hand was more expressive. "Should we expect any more of your friends to show up?"

She didn't say it with any anger or accusation. And yet the temperature in the room seemed to plummet.

"No. It's all gone." Ruby quietly admitted. She let out a hollow laugh. "Honestly, the two of us being here is a fucking miracle." And wasn't that the truth? Reincarnation part wasn't even the main problem. Hell, she was already good enough to do it again. Just make a sturdy homunculi to handle her soul, or simply a clone and jump in. Nothing overly complicated. But she wouldn't. Immortality was overrated. She already died once and lived. Give it a ten more and she would be as dumb as Oz. A hundred more and she would turn into Salem.

The problem was getting into this world from Remnant. Both her and Pyrrha had somehow come from beyond the dimensional gap. Which meant that whoever or whatever had dragged them here either got a go ahead from Great Red or managed to get them in without it noticing. And that was so freaking terrifying.

…

Rias and Sona shared a glance. Ruby was still quietly chuckling to herself and Maria was switching between sending the magician worried looks and glaring at Rias.

"How much did you tell Issei?" Sona asked the crimson haired princess. She didn't want to drag any more of their bad memories, especially in front of an audience. It was time to focus on what was the actual purpose of this meeting.

"Oh-well, I've only got to cover that magic is real and… then you two showed up."

"And I would like to hear the rest! Please… if you can tell me, I mean." Issei chimed in. He felt really uncomfortable with how everybody was behaving. Especially after Jones-san snapped(?) at Gremory-san and Shitori-san.

Maria led Ruby to one of the free couches, away from others so she could calm down a bit. Sona gestured to Rias. "Finish the explanation. I thought that the two of them knew nothing and we would do it together but it looks like only Hyoudou-san doesn't know about our part of the world."

"Actually." Pyrrha spoke up. "Ruby only told me the practical stuff, not this… recruitment thing."

"Figures." Sona remarked with an eyeroll. "Let me guess, you are of the same opinion as she is." She just hoped things wouldn't turn violent in that case.

Maria frowned and briefly looked towards Ruby. "Oh for the love of…hear them out, I'll give you my piece and then make up your own mind." She scoffed. "Honestly, this is like the third or fourth time you take something at face value and then just listen to orders. Think for yourself, please." Ruby let out a long sigh. "Sorry." She said after seeing Pyrrha's surprised look.

Just great… she should have joined Rias' peerage. Would fit in juuuust right. "Rias, will you do it or should I?" Sona asked as she sat down in the armchair near Rias' desk. Or maybe she would snap, either kill them all or trap them in one hell of an illusion and go rogue…

In the end Rias tried to explain everything herself. Great war, low birth rates, Ajuka's genius and the introduction of the peerage system. Pyrrha was skeptical. So many possibilities for things to go wrong. Sure, Rias and Sona were more upbeat about it and focused more on the positives but… they were promising a somewhat similar type of contract that Rhongomyniad had given her. A certain time of servitude in exchange for power. But the nagging voice in her head kept talking that there were definitely people who would use it just to get themselves a bunch of slaves.

Issei on the other hand… High class devil, his own peerage, harem of sexy demonesses. He only wanted them to explain why it was him. He had no idea about magic, no fighting skills unless they counted being able to take a beating from the kendo club.

"Should I handle the sacred gear talk or are you doing only the basic stuff today?" Ruby asked from her spot on the couch. After receiving a small nod from the two purebloods she stood up and walked up to Issei. "Okay, I know it will sound bad but you are not here because of your outstanding personality or anything like that." Why does this feel like kicking a puppy… perverted annoying puppy but… "Let's say you won the worst kind of lottery and were born with an additional power up that makes people from the magical side of the world very interested in you. I mentioned sacred gear. That's what it's called. In short, it's a weapon that you have because the biblical god felt like giving humanity a fighting chance. By giving out nuclear weapons at random. Rias wants you in her peerage cause she needs a good fighter for a stupid sport that all of the underwolrd is obsesed over."

"So when you..?" Issei mumbled out.

"Yes. When I said I wanted to meet up I intended to give you the introduction into the magical world. Maybe some training if you felt like it. Mostly I just wanted to play around with whatever thing is inside you. It's not every day that you find a dragon." She said with an apologetic smile. She really felt bad about the way she had to speak to him but pretending to like him would hurt him even more. "Also, that girl that asked you out yesterday."

"What does Yuuma-chan have to do with this?" He asked in mild panic.

"Hmm, in short? Congratulations, you have almost earned yourself an assasination. If you want to know the whole thing ask Rias or Sona, they…" She turned towards the heiresses. "What have you actually done with them?"

"The three underlings were given back to Grigory for a sizable compensation. Their leader, Raynare, is currently in custody. As the leader and the mastermind behind the infiltration her crimes cannot be simply brushed off with 'only following orders'."

"So nobody asked me out…"

Ruby turned back to Issei and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you will find somebody as perverted as you at some point. There are seven billion humans and who knows how many others. Just keep your private life as far away from me as possible. Well, maybe invite me to the wedding or something. Besides, it's not like my lovelife is any better." She finished with a laugh. She stepped away and shot a quick look at Rias. "Do you know what sacred gear he has? It's still dormant so I can't check without being very invasive."

Sona raised an eyebrow and looked at Rias. They both knew which one Issei was supposed to hold but giving up such information could be dangerous.

Rias took a deep breath. "We think it's the Boosted Gear."

Ruby looked at Rias with wide disbelieving eyes. Then back at Issei. Then Rias. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes?" There were only two dragon type sacred gears that would be identifiable even in dormant states and Divine Dividing was already found in the ranks of Grigori, so when Koneko told her that Issei smelled of dragons it was a safe bet.

"...shitshitshit. Shit!" Ruby paced around the room for a short while until she came back to the center and loudly stomped. "Of course! Of fucking course! No wonder everything is going crazy around here!" She spoke as she just had an epiphany.

"You are making absolutely no sense." Sona spoke up. "Also, stop swearing."

Ruby rolled her eyes at the second part but still decided to explain the first. "Power attracts. And one of the heavenly morons is pretty much a metaphysical black hole!" It all made sense! Two devil princesses in the middle of nowhere, Pyrrha just being right there for no apparent reason, her ending up here as well…

"Is it like Devil's luck?" Rias asked. Her brother told her about it. That the stronger the devil was, the weirder things would get. It was sometimes dangerous to people around. The two of them went on a walk some years ago and a volcano erupted.

Ruby paused, remembering what was this devil's luck, and then answered. "Something like that. I'd say it's closer to that Chinese curse about living an interesting life." She looked at Issei again. "And you are about to live a very interesting one. Sorry."

"Eh… So, is it good or bad?"

"I think we caused him an information overload." Sona remarked, seeing that while Issei somewhat accepted that magic was real, he was now simply confused by all the intricacies.

The meeting was adjourned shortly after. Rias walked Issei home, mostly to keep an eye on him but also to answer any question he might come up with. Their peerages went their own way, enjoying the weekend. In the end only Ruby, Pyrrha and Sona stayed back. Sona wanted to leave as well but she noticed a weak spell keeping her in place. It seemed that Ruby still had something to say.

"Do you still want me to train you?" She asked with a serious expression on her face.

That was a good question. There was a difference between having a competent teacher and having one with repressed issues… "Yes, I still want to give this at least a couple of tries."

Ruby breathed out. "Fine, then tomorrow afternoon I want to take a look at your peerage. Some light sparring, ask about them. Just so I know what I'm working with."

"Are you going to come?" She turned to Pyrrha.

She felt like a deer in the headlights. This entire thing went completely over her, with Ruby and Rias handling most of the talking.

"I'll wait outside. I think you have some things to say to each other." Ruby neutrally remarked and quietly left the room.

Sona waited for a few moments. Then she dropped on the couch right next to Pyrrha. Her stoic professional expression leaves her face after staying in place for the whole meeting. They both sat silently, letting the awkward atmosphere swell until Pyrrha decided to be the mature one. Might as well live up to her actual age.

"So, where do we stand right now?" She asked, trying her best to keep her tone as even as possible. "We were friends. Or at least I think I was friends with Souna Shitori, the student council president."

Sona sighed. "Sona Sitri, heiress of the Sitri clan." She introduced herself properly. "And I don't know. You lied to me, to us."

"So did you."

Another bout of uncomfortable silence issued.

"Why did you bring me into the student council after I left the track team?" Pyrrha asked. "Was it only so that you could then make me into your minion?" Not that it would have worked. Even if she accepted the offer, Rhongomyniad would simply purge any demonic magic in her body.

"It doesn't work like that. I didn't fill the council with my peerage. I made the people who I trust into my peerage." Sona honestly answered. "I think that this point is moot right now. It's just… Why didn't you tell us, Mary? You've spent enough time around us to know that you can trust us."

Pyrrha chuckled. "I didn't know about you. What was I supposed to say? 'Hey guys, do you think magic is real?' It just sounds stupid."

A small smile crossed Sona's face. Just like the good times before Ruby showed up and everything became too chaotic. "Yeah, it does… Do you want to stay on the council? And if not… at least say goodbye to others."

Pyrrha softly smiled at her. "I wouldn't mind staying. Let's just try being more honest towards each other."

"And Ruby? I know that she hasn't-"

"Those are her secrets and are hers to tell." she shot back and fixed Sona with a hard stare. "She hasn't lied to me and I won't break that trust."

Sona relented and decided to settle for something smaller. "Fine, but tell me if my peerage is in any danger."

"...That's a bit hard to answer." Pyrrha admitted. "I won't do anything and Ruby isn't a violent person either but… I don't understand it myself but Ruby and one other acquaintance told me that something bad is going to happen somewhere around here." Ruby tried to walk her through the whole process of divination but she was lost after five minutes. Not to mention Rhongo's abilities to somehow discern whether or not something was connected to the possible end of the world. Ruby said it was somewhat tied to the concept of fate or destiny. Pyrrha still had no idea.

"Isn't that just great…" Sona's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Don't worry, we are working on it." Her trademark confident smile hasn't failed her even in this new life.

-WoR-

Ruby was standing at the main entrance on the school grounds waiting for Pyrrha.

Who would have guessed that she was in the club with devils… hell, why didn't the stupid goddess warn her about them!?

"Hey." Ruby called as soon as she saw the tall redhead appear on her peripherals. "How did it go?"

Pyrrha nodded back. "Well, we are still talking and… I think we can work it out."

"Good, that's…good." They continued to walk. "Pyrrha, I'm sorry about what I said."

After a few more steps she sighed. "Ruby, do you hate me?"

"What? Where did you get that from?" Ruby asked wide-eyed.

"For forgetting. I know how much they all mean to you but… I remember Jaune, you, Ozpin. I know that I had two other people on the team. A girl with a big hammer and… somebody in green. I…only spent less than a year at Beacon. I don't know what you feel but-

"I don't blame you." Ruby quietly said, still looking forward. "I… It's your choice to move on but… I can't. If I forget them then… what was the fucking point of it all." Ruby kicked a random stone, sending it straight through a nearby tree. "I can't enjoy the happy end with them but if I remember… I can at least know that they are better now." She sighed and brightened up. "Still, it doesn't change what I said. I definitely could have said it better but you really need to start thinking for yourself unless you want to get sucked into something too big for you to handle."

"Like what you did?" Pyrrha shot back with a cocked brow.

"Walked right into that one."

"When I was young, my father and managers were rather controlling when it came to things I do… I suppose it's something I still carry around. Say, what exactly are you going to teach them?"

"I thought I would go over the basics and let them figure it out on their own but now…" Ruby frowned. "I'm sure everything will start here. They are not ready to handle it. They can barely do their own job. Think about what would happen if the white dragon shows up. It would be a slaughter."

"You already have something in mind, don't you." Pyrrha stated, face scrunched in worry. Ruby was around only shortly but for her, they were her friends.

"I do. Somewhat." Ruby scoffed. "But it would mean for Rias to play along. Issei is both the reason why everything will inevitably go to hell but… he also has the largest growth potential out of all of us." She took a deep breath. "Now only to convince them to start taking things seriously."

"What about an exhibition spar?"

"Please, if I hurt their egos that much they would flip. They are devils and even if pride isn't their sin they still would raise quite a stint over being beaten-"

"I meant two of us." Pyrrha interrupted her. "We will show them that they aren't as strong as they think without throwing it into their faces." She put a finger on her chin. "Shouldn't you, as a team leader, be more familiar with this kind of thing?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I wasn't bowing to Weiss and neither will I be bowing to them." She answered and shot her friend a hard look. "If they want to get better then they will do it the same way we did. Through sweat, tears and bruises."

-WoR-

"You didn't tell her about the nun Raynare mentioned." Rias remarked as she sipped tea.

"And I don't intend to." Sona put away another piece of paperwork into her desk. "She is already getting too deep into our territory. And like hell I'll let her think that she can do whatever she wishes."

"And yet you essentially let her have her way with your peerage." Rias quipped back.

"It's mutually beneficial. My peerage will get stronger or at least get some practice fighting magicians and she will hopefully be more at ease around us. And it will keep her occupied so she wouldn't be running around, poking her nose into our business." She stood up and marched up to Rias. "Which means that while my peerage keeps her distracted, you will handle the nun. And you will do it perfectly!" She glared at Rias. "No biding your time, no letting it solve itself. As soon as she lands you will be there. She is hostile, you bring her in. She is not, you will tell her about her friends and put her under surveillance while we figure out what to do with her." She took a deep breath. "What about Hyoudou? Mary won't be joining my peerage but she agreed to stay on the council. Did you get an addition?"

Rias' eyes lit up. "Eight pawns!" She jumped out of the armchair she was sitting in. "He agreed! I did the whole thing perfectly and it took eight pawns to reincarnate him!"

"Calm down Rias." Sona said with a small smile, finding the childish joy of her friend both cute and amusing. "What about his sacred gear?"

"Oh that? Still dormant but I'll figure something out."

-WoR-

"Are you going back to your basement?" Pyrrha asked with a small smirk when it was time for them to go their own ways.

"Very funny…" Ruby dryly replied. So what if she usually spent about three hours a day there? Pyrrha simply didn't understand how important it was. "Actually, I was thinking of going away for the night. You know, find some bad guys and blow off some steam."

Pyrrha worriedly looked down at her.

"Oh relax, If anything goes wrong, I can always run away."

The look of worry changed into a blank stare. "Fine, at least tell me where are you going."

"Siberia, Sahara or inland China."

"You just named three places that can be called the middle of nowhere." Pyrrha deadpanned.

"Exactly!" Ruby shot back with a grin. "Where else would you hide if you were a bad guy?"

/

Kicked out.

Cursed.

Called heretics.

What a joke. Their goal was noble! To bring back the saints of old.

An army of immortal paladins. Then, they would be able to finally destroy the fallen and chase devils back to the underworld!

The ceiling shattered, bright moon shining down on the small cabal of former clergy and exorcists. Now, mere wannabe necromancers.

Above them flew a figure. Six beautiful crimson wings and a red hood over their head.

Truly, their path was righteous, even angels were coming down to bless their efforts.

Spears of red light appeared in the figure's hands.

It was a sight to behold.

A light so beautiful that it might even match the light of their father.

The elder looked into the light.

Beauty.

Glory.

Ambition.

No…

Arrogance.

Treachery.

No no no!

Their dreams were erased with a descent of a red lightning.

-WoR-

It felt so nostalgic.

The weight of her weapons, wearing armor once again and of course some teenage boys are close to passing out.

"Damn, you tell me you like your happy normal life and then stroll in like a goddess of victory." Ruby called out with a smirk.

Normally, Pyrrha would stutter at this kind of cat-call. It at least sounded suspiciously like one.

But that was long ago.

"Well, somebody has to have some semblance of style." She shot back with an equal smirk and let her aura go forth.

Sona and her peerage were all either standing or sitting on the side, waiting for the show to unfold. They even managed to bring Rias and her group. They kept their distance but were quite interested in the fight.

The first surprise was Maria's attire. They all knew that she was born in Greece but none of them expected that she would be trying to live up to her roots so much. It was as if she stepped out of some old epic. The boys definitely appreciated it. Girls… had their self-esteem rubbed in a very wrong way.

And then she started using touki. That left the few people who knew what it was in several stages of 'what the fuck'.

"Oh? You say I have no style?" Ruby cocked her eyebrow. "Nonsense. You see, you have always been the champion, while I-" She pulled out her scythe and with a great flourish unfolded it into its full form. The silver blade gleaming in the sun. "-have been the reaper." She finished and let her own aura enhance her body.

Ruby was about to launch the first attack when she noticed a surprised and slightly worried look on Pyrrha's face. Strangely she wasn't looking at her but behind her.

Turning around she saw that everybody was in various states of discomfort, Sona and Rias were even starting to turn pale. And in front of them all stood Kiba with a furious look on his face, sword in hands and pointed directly at her.

Oh…right. Devils.

/

/

/

Replies:

To FlaminPhoenix25: It was an already existing name so the devils decided to use that instead of coming up with a completely new identity. As to why Ruby is okay with it? Can you imagine how RWBY cast names would sound in the normal world? A collection of popstars, strippers with 1 in 10 being somewhat adequate.

To Battlesny: That's the point. Ruby is the leader, thus blaming herself for screwing up even if it wasn't truly her fault.

To strikerstriker315: Ruby could technically become a king but I probably won't go that way. If she was to become a high class that would mean being more involved in politics and like hell would they leave her secrets. She is not related to either Sona or Rias. (Technically she is bcs all devils originated from big lucy in some way or another but that's not the point.) The main problem is not Ruby having a peerage but Ruby reincarnating someone into a different species. From her point of view it's a quite questionable practice that doesn't necessarily give that many benefits. (Yeah, they would be stronger but any breeze that was at least slightly charged with holy energy would cripple them.)