DISCLAIMER: DxD doesn't belong to me. All th rights to Ichiei Ishibumi and its respective magazines.

As long as she's a cutie, who cares.

That is a maxim of a male's youth, and even further beyond sometimes.

When the hormones are at their highest and morality is wavering at best, it is not uncommon to fall for and follow a pretty lady just for her looks. Creeds, beliefs, morality, all those things go straight to the window if a cute girl is concerned, seducing and charming gullible ones to the abyss. It has been like this since the fall of Troy and Rome, and as long as men fall for womanly charms, it will continue to happen.

The heart of man… Is easily swayed by women.

And it's not any different for Shion Shirogane.

It has been a few days since his reincarnation as a demon under the care of Éclair Paimon, and even after all this time, the black-haired young man can't still wrap his head about it. He wanted to live as a human a bit longer, enjoy the spring of his youth, make more friends and make wasteful memories, he was promised that much by Ajuka after what happened seven years ago.

Now, after a freaky accident, he was bond to a demon heiress as her Evil Piece, a member of her famiglia, until he finds a way to shake away from her grasps or dies under her orders. Even if she had promise to not drag him into battles or Rating Games and reassuring to be as peaceful and violence free as possible, he still got his doubts regarding its veracity, and at any moment, she might change her mind and charge him into battle, and he would have no way to call her out since she is his King, therefore disobeying her orders was a certain death sentence. Indeed, he was a slave to her whims and orders…

But she was a cutie, so who cares.

He groans once the sunlight hit his now sensitive skin and eyes, the pain to them a clear indicator that he was no longer human since he never felt this before. He moans and grumble under the sheets, trying his best to alleviate the pain to no use. He heard that demons were weak to light and holy-based items, but to think they would hurt like this… Surely, the pain subdued after a day or two, but it was still there, and he couldn't do anything about it.

As of note, he noticed right away the differences between his new demon body from his former human self: sunlight and holy places do weaken him, while at the same time, the coldness and darkness of the night not only soothed him, but it also renewed his energies as much as a good night of sleep.

He also feels lighter but also stronger, carrying his luggage and running back home didn't feel as exhausting, neither being ran by a car even if he dented the front pretty badly. His senses were also upgraded since he could feel, smell and hear better, not to mention his eyes could see in the dark, no problem, although it didn't improve his sight as he still needed his glasses. Of course, considering his life wasn't all that chaotic to begin with, he didn't notice the differences right away, neither did those close to him like his father, but still, good to see the new limits of his newly acquired devilish body.

But he has more important matters to attend at the moment, like for example, how to spend the rest of his holidays now that his trip went down the drain, and maybe get used to and even improve this new body of his.

A growl from his entrails, and only now he realize that, demon or not, he still feels things like hunger, exhaustion and sleep. All this thinking was consuming too much calories, and he was already a scrawny fellow, no need to burn more unless he wanted to be a skeleton. No use in thinking about his current predicament with an empty stomach and a wasted day, he should head down, fill his body with nutrients and have enough energy and will to think about stuff, regardless of their importance.

He yawns, he coughs, and Shion finally wakes up from his semi-sleep state to put himself up on his bed, surrounded by books, pictures of his family, small electronic gadgets and plushie dolls courtesy of his little sister. Putting on his home sandals plus glasses and standing from his soft bed, he takes his way to the door and through the corridor of the upper floor of his two-store house, mayhap a too big of a building for currently just two people living in it, but that wasn't important right now. On the wooden floor, the high school student lazily walks to the stairs to head to the lower parts of his house, and midway through, he smells the scent of something fresh and delicious. Toast, eggs and bacon? He feels a lot hungrier now for some reason…

Once reaching the kitchen, he faces now a tall, dark and roguishly handsome man cleaning the dishes near the sink as the steam from a newly prepared breakfast plus some orange juice and coffee stir up his devilish senses even more. A small turn from his dark eyes, and the older male clashes sights with Shion, soon letting out a tired sigh to himself while the latter opens a toothy awkward smile, scratching eyes to get rid of the lingering tiredness.

"Morning, dad." He greets the man behind the kitchen counter, pulling a chair for himself to sit and eat, picking a buttered toast and a sip from a cup of juice. "You woke up earlier, preparing breakfast, too. Is mom pushing all the work on your back again?"

"Shion, is 10am." And the lad rudely coughs, almost chocking on bread and juice as his eyes turn to the nearest clock to see that, yes, his father wasn't joking, he woke up later than he is used to. Without taking his eyes off the dirty dishes, the older man sighs to himself, placing a plate of eggs on the counter for his son to pick. "I thought you wanted to spend your holidays to the fullest instead of wasting them. It ain't the first time either, is something to matter?"

"N-No, nothing." Shion cleans his lips from the crumbs of bread and resumes his eating, a small weight on his chest born out of guilt and embarrassment. Did he really oversleep that much? Maybe he wasn't as used to his new body as he thought he was, plus even artificial light could make him flinch, considering how bright the room was. "Sorry for that, dad."

"Just put the plates on the counter when you're done so I can wash them and go enjoy your holidays. You're young only once, anyway." Those words of reassure from his father didn't make Shion's thoughts go away, only worsening them if anything. A small smile on his lips, and the young man picks the plate to take a bite of the running yolk. Delicious, as always, unlike mom, dad knew how to cook. "If you're feeling unwell, then we can find a doctor or something. If you think it's nothing, then whatever. So, Shion?"

"…" A small bite on his lips, sharing stares with the man behind the counter, and with a final swallow of eggs and juice, Shion sighs and gives his cheeks a scratch, a sign of how nervous he has become, something that didn't go unnoticed by his father. Even so, silence reigned between the two. "I'm… Fine. I think. I'm just… Getting a hangout of things. Don't worry about it."

"Is that so? It's fine, then." And the conversation ended there. What filled the moment now were the sounds of the running tap water and plates moving across the kitchen table, Shion again realizing how hungry he was, devouring dish after dish, but the sleepiness and weakness still making him somehow morose in his movements. Once he could tell left from right and his head was in the right place, Shion gives a side glance to his father, and blinks a few times.

"By the way dad, I'm… A demon now. Just oughta let you know." He declares, attracting the older man's attention for a split second as he lifts his eyes to give a small glance at his son, before turning back to the dishes and the running water, a small click of his tongue to respond.

"Is that so? How odd." That was his verbal response, Shion putting his tableware down so that he could talk freely about his current situation, after all, it is rude to start a conversation of that magnitude and topic and be distracted by something else. His father's gaze stopped for a moment to look at him, and then back to washing the dishes. "I thought you wanted to stay away from those supernatural affairs until you graduate from college, you requested that much from that Ajuka fellow if I'm not misremembering things. Did something happen? Have you change your mind earlier, or mayhap you have fallen in love with a demon girl? Just don't tell she sweet talk you into it, I thought I taught you that much to not fall for that…"

"No, that was not it, dad. I mean, ah, it was an accident of a sorts, and then… It just happened. Hahah." Another stupid smile plastered on his face out of sheer embarrassment of the events that led to this reincarnation, and with a side-glance, his father shut him up from sheer unsound judgement. Judgemental stare from the older man, especially since he kept him in the dark of that it happened at all. Pursed lips, twitching eyes, Shion had nothing else to say.

"Okay, then. If you don't want to talk about, I won't force you. I can just assume it was embarrassing, though." Another sudden weight comes from the younger male. Right in the money he was, and that was the worst part. Shion takes another bite out of his toast to have an excuse to say nothing again. Another moment of silence only filled by the rings of tableware and running water. "What are you going to do from now on, then?"

"Hm…?"

"Becoming a demon, nothing will be the same anymore, right?" He stops on his chores for a second to give his son a quiet side-glance, and they share sights once again, flicking his hands to dry them if just for a bit and turn off the running water. "Depending on what your demon says, you can quit school and live your new life far from the human reality, or spare a few more years as such."

"…"

"I'm not saying to take actions right away, but do be aware that your life has changed, and new opportunities are open, but a few are closed now." The older man continues with a sigh, picking a clean towel to start drying up the plates on the sink. "By sheer dumb luck or just the whims of fate, you ended up like that, but what are you going to do from now on is up to you. Can and will accept this?"

"…"

"…?"

"I think I can. I mean, it was going to happen one way or another since I was born with this Sacred Gear thing, and I just couldn't delude myself in thinking I was going to live a normal life for very long. Plus, she seems like a nice person despite being a demon, and it's not like I had anything else planned." Shion quietly smiled under his breath, lowering his head. A teenager whose life turned a bit too much from one direction to another and then ending being adopted by the Shirogane family, a nice and calm human family, when he could finally settle down and enjoy an idle and human life, despite the lingering feeling on the back of his head saying it wouldn't last forever. While it came a bit earlier and sudden that he expected, he was relieved that it wasn't as abrupt or radical as he thought it was going to be. He could still eat, sleep, watch his anime and play his game, interact with his family and enjoy existence as before, only with… A different perspective. Plus, fate brought him to the Shirogane, the best family he could ask for, so maybe this time it could happen again by meeting that Éclair girl, only time will tell. "It wasn't how I was expecting, but I think I can accept this. Who knows, it can be fun."

"I see." One moment, and then the older man smiles, picking another wet plate to rinse. "Then do your best, and be kind, Shion. Fate… It favours those who are kind."

"Thanks, dad." And now the newly reborn demon opens a bright, genuine smile, a small chuckle from it. The irony in the air about 'fate favouring the kind' was almost suffocating considering what happened was the opposite of being favoured by luck but doesn't mean he don't appreciate his father's word of advice. "I will… I will try."

"Good." Another beat. "By the way…"

"Hm…?"

"Is she cute?" A sudden question filled with bathos, almost made his son lose balance on his chair, but after calming down, a blush spreading on his face as well as a trembling smile.

"Yes, she is. Very cute." He responds.

"You hit the jackpot, then. Cute girls are hard to come by in Kuoh." Another chuckle and smile, winking at his son with no malice but a tint of mischief. "Lucky~⋆."

"H-Heheh… Heheheh…"

"Hohohohoh~."

Just another day at Shion's home.

The hot sunlight up his head, the cool autumn winds refreshing his body, the soft rustling of the nearby trees, it indeed felt like a day of freedom for Shion, who decided to take a walk around Kuoh and cool his head a bit. Demon or not, taking a moment to enjoy the small things is universal, he thought, especially when you have ¥10,000 extra in your wallet, courtesy of his father.

Going to the arcade, watch a movie and eat popcorn, go to the shopping centre, laze around and do nothing, there were so many things to do, yet he couldn't decide on which. Kuoh wasn't exactly a small town, there was plenty to do for a bored teenager like himself, demon or not.

Life just goes on, huh? What a bittersweet realization…

"Huuuuh~ ! Fantastique! Even compared to the original, indeed nothing beats the Japanese take on a delicious crêpe!"

"Hah…?"

"Oh." A blink, a familiar scent, a turn of heads to the direction to that voice, and Shion comes face-to-face with the one who changed his life so abruptly: Éclair Paimon, the demon heiress who was now wearing a red jacket decorated with fleur-de-lis illustrations on a black shirt and pleated wine skirt munching on a strawberry crêpe, a small lick of cream on the side of her lips unnoticed by her golden glare, he also noticing that she lacked her signature silver ram horns, probably a magical disguise. Her eyes glowed in pure delight seeing the newest addition to her famiglia. "Oh, mon chéri Shion! Bonjour! How are you in this marvellous day? Hopefully, all right."

"Y-Yeah, I'm doing okay, Éclair-san." He lifts a hand in greeting, and as she takes another mouthful of her dessert, he approaches with an opaque smile. Truly, fate seems to be after him since meeting her there was unexpected. Once tête-à-tête, he makes a sign to a side of his lips. "Hmmm, you're, uh, you're…?"

"Hm? Oh, zut alors! What a gaffe!" And the black-haired demoness was quick to pick his cue, reaching her wrist to clean that pesky wandering piece of cream, and once in reach, lick it back so there was no waste, a smile for a job well done. "Crisis subverted, at last! I guess there's no 'right way' to eat a delicious crêpe, non? Either French or Japanese…"

"Huh?"

"Didn't you know? Crêpes in their native country, France, are served in a different way compared to their Japanese counterparts." Éclair lifts her own pancaked cone to get her point across, another bite of cream, fruits and azuki to keep herself busy. "Originating from Brittany, French crêpe come in both salty and sweet variations, and are more akin to flat pancakes with served filling between layers. Japanese crêpes, most known as Harajuku(Shibuya) crêpes were introduced in the '70s but only took their unique spin seven years later by Mizuki Ono, who added whipped cream, ice cream and sliced fruits and wrapped them in cones like a bouquet. All thing considered; I prefer the Japanese one! As one conman once said: 'between the original and the indistinguishable fake, the latter might hold greater value, for its deliberate attempt to be real, it is 'realer' than the real one.'. Quote unquote."

"Hm." One moment to digest her entire little anecdote, and all he got was a fried brain, steam practically oozing from his ears. All there was between them now was the sound of soft pancakes and cream being bitten and dreamy hums from the demon girl. Once she was done, the last whipped cream licked from her manicured fingers, Éclair Paimon turns to her evil piece and snaps her fingers.

"But, fake or not, imitation or not, it is variety that spices a dull life as they say, non? And not just regarding food, of course." She puffs a laugh, finding a place to sit in the park and instead now wasting time by kicking the air idly. So nonchalant, he thought, sitting next to her at the bench. A beat between them, and he recomposes himself, also not trying to stare too much at her very low cleavage cut. "Have you… Got accustomed with your demonic body? Is the sun too hot for you? Are your senses overrunning your head? You get used to it, eventually, but if you're feeling unwell…"

"Hm. Not really?" Shion lisps that last sentence with an uncertain question mark. It's not like the symptoms of a new demon body hasn't affected him, but they were but a small inconvenience for the last day or two, nothing but sudden headaches under the Sun or near one of the many churches in Kuoh town, as if drinking ice-cold water in one gulp. "I feel my body lighter, stronger and a bit more aware since I can see, hear and smell better. Yes, the sun stings a lot more than it used to, but aside from that, nothing much changed."

"Hah. Trés bien! I was worried for a moment that this new body would be too much for a former human to handle, but I'm glad that's not the case. Although makes sense if we put your Longinus sacred gear into the equation!" She sighs in relief, a hand on chest to calm her little heart while opening a smile. "Don't worry, mon chéri. Eventually you'll get used to it, and then you'll be able to do all sorts of crazy stunts with it! Ah, but don't go trying to fight gods or flying nilly-willy yet, it might be dangerous!"

"Figure it as much." He responds with a laugh. Fighting Gods and trying to take flight so early? Never crossed his mind since, although he was explained that, with that Longinus of his, he could eventually match any deity, not that he wants. "But speaking of which, Éclair-san, I was thinking back of what you've said the first time we met: that you want to create a human faction and then build a Utopia with all of them coexisting in harmony…"

"Is that weird to hear from a demon? Oh-em-gee, I hope it didn't sound weird or lame, y'know." She lets out a nervous laugh with a slight blush on her fair cheeks and hands on them to hold herself together. To dismiss her worries, Shion waves a hand to swat all intrusive and negative feelings on his words.

"No-no-no, none of that. It's a fine dream, I admit, great even!" He corrects himself, and seeing her eyes shine once again with hope, he got the boldness enough to continue. "I was just thinking, y'know, for humans to be accepted into the greater scheme of the supernatural. I mean… Compared to demons, angels, gods, even youkai and fae; humans live shorter lives, are not as strong or fast as them, easily tricked and impressed, can't breathe underwater, fly or spit flames or acid, and have been living just fine in ignorance of the greater scheme of things. Will it be really okay for us, not all that impressed beings compared to you all, to be part of that larger world?"

"…"

"…?"

"Hm… So papa was right: humans do have low self-esteem regarding their race." The demon heiress comments, her face softening to his little declaration while stretching and bathing under the morning sun. Her words made the newly reincarnated demon to double take, and in a moment, she smiles. "I let you know a secret we keep from humanity: only you humans think that. Only you think you're the lesser part of the greater scheme of things… At least, most races discounting some pesky demon factions and blowhard deities."

"…?" Now it was his time to be taken back her words.

"From the day Eve took a bite from the forbidden fruit, all the way to this moment, humans have proven themselves again and again to the other factions and myths. Forcing yourselves, struggling, prevailing against your shortcomings. If you can't fly, you build airplanes, wings or rockets; if you can't breathe underwater, you build submarine, diving suits; you can't use magic or breathe fire, you construct gunpowder and guns, harnessing the power of nature to your advantage. The endless potential of humanity is not found in their ability to do anything, but to try regardless of their limitations." Éclair reaches a hand for the Sun, and taking a deep breath, she crosses her fingers together and let out a small laugh. "En outre, this is only what humans could do without knowing about our side. Once they know, things get even more interesting: There's this Tobio guy who can cut down mountains and dimensions with his own Longinus, the evil killer known as Vasco Strada; the first Dark Kanzaki Mitsuya, not to mention the former human now 7th champion of the Rating Games Rudiger Rosenkreutz and the whole Pendragon family! Almost half of Lord Sirzechs's Evil Pieces, the strongest famiglia in the Underworld, is made from half of former humans without Sacred Gears, and they take double the number of normal pieces! I can go on and on about how awesome humans can be and how many have shaken the supernatural as whole! At this point, at least the Underworld and Heavens know what humans are capable of!"

"Ah! Hm… I… See." Another nervous moment between the two, gritting his teeth and trying to get rid of the lingering feeling that he might've made light of her view on humanity and, by extension, her dream. As a former human teenager with limited view of his surroundings, maybe he went ahead a bit too blindly. A small look at her, and her stare was still starry and hopeful. "S-Sorry, I think I said something quite dismissive. I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"No mind, mon chéri. I am told that humans… Are also very narrowminded regarding their accomplishments. If only they knew how the fare against the bigger picture." Éclair gives him a thumbs up and a shining smile, but then pouts angrily, crossing her arms and flailing her legs uncontrollably. "… Something those putain Higher ups of demon society also refuse to recognize! Even after all this time, they still think of such garbage mentality like blood purity and classism! Sacré Bleu, that, like, really grind my gears, y'know! Even Lord Sirzechs and Lord Ajuka must bow down to their decisions, and if even the new Lucifer and Beelzebub have to, imagine how hollow the words of even an heiress like me are to those idiots! Sometimes, I just want to… Ugh!"

"Éclair-san, you promised me I wouldn't have to use violence!" Shion exclaims, seeing her almost losing her marbles over her ideas regarding the old scatterbrain demons. Truly, if she could, she would walk into the Bael territory and literally say where they could shove those outdated ideals! Still flailing around and pouting, the demon heiress calms down just a bit.

"I know, I know! It's just… Ugh! Y'know!" She finally stops with a tired and defeated sigh, melting on the bench they were and still pursing her lips cutely. They were gathering quite the commotion, Shion notice, looking around and seeing passers-by give them some stares. "But you're right, mon chéri. Violence is just a short-term solution for deep-seated problems. Even if I had a Longinus capable of wiping off all life or an Orbital cannon that liquifies all my enemies, those old coots could only get replaced by people who will only parrot their ideals, and nothing would change. Plus, nobody will willingly follow a murderer who forces her way to the top, and those who do would simply follow my ideals out of fear or thirst for my power, and all I've build will simply collapse once I die or someone stronger than me appears, much like what happened to the Great Alexander (a human) and Atilla the Hun (also a human). A system based simply on strength is also naturally flawed, as there'll always be a bigger fish, which will render my actions null and replace my statements until a stronger folk with different ideals appear, perpetuating this vicious cycle. Therefore, I choose… Unity."

"…?"

"Humans don't need to compare to demons, angels, gods or any other supernatural race, they don't have to." The demon heiress then stands up, twirling around and flowing her skirt to the point Shion caught a glimpse of her blue panties, turning elsewhere soon after. Once she was far enough, Éclair turns to him and smiles. "Humans are humans, demons are demons, gods are gods. There is no 'why' or 'how' we are what we are, we simply are. Fruits of our mother Lilith? Creations of clay and ribs by God? Primordial of chaos? Humans need blessings, miracles and temptation; demons need contracts and seals; Gods and the heavens need prayers and faith. In the end, we're all part of the same world and reality, and my dream is to make everyone, humans and other races alike, realize that. We might have our differences, but if we try to coexist instead of fight, we can realize we need each other to reach our Utopia."

"…"

"…"

There was a beat.

"Kyaaaaaah~!"

"…?!"

"Kyaaaah~! I did it! I confessed my plans and ideals to a boy I barely know~! So embarrassing~! Kyaaaah~, kyaaaah~!" And red as beet, the young demon heiress cups her own blushing cheeks and skips around like a giggly lass, a mix of shame and happiness on her pretty face. "Mon Dieu, you might think I'm a weirdo, right? Having so big shoes to fill when I'm so young! I should, like, talking about fashion and playing gacha games with cute characters! Kyahahahah~, I'm no better than that weird Gremory gal who treats her servants like family~!"

"Pfff… Hahahah… Hahahah!" And to make Éclair stop on her tracks and daydream, Shion laughs. He simply laughs, wholeheartedly, to the point his glasses almost slip off the bridge of his nose. It wasn't loud, nor grating, but a contained, rather smooth laugh, shotting his head backwards to bask in the silent light. Confusion, doubt, and then a bit of irritation sprouted from the demon heiress, but then he stops, and shots down his face to look down, a moment to catch his breath and gather the right words. The bepestacled young man shifts his blue gaze at her, and sighs. "You truly are… You are too much, Éclair-san. Hearing a demon, a being that lives longer, is naturally stronger, faster and wiser than an average human, praising the humanity I always took it from granted… I dunno if I should feel honoured or embarrassed. Still, it feels nice to feel… Important and meaningful from another point of view."

"Fufufuh~! If we affirm one moment, we thus affirm not only ourselves but all existence. For nothing is self-sufficient, neither in us ourselves nor in things; and if our soul has trembled with happiness and sounded like a harp string just once, all eternity was needed to produce this one event and, in this single moment of affirmation all eternity was called good, redeemed, justified, and affirmed." She quotes with a smile and lift finger. "As said by Nietzsche (a human), not matter how small or insignificant looking you feel, if you make a moment count, then you are not small or insignificant, regardless of race. Humans can be… Are… Parfaits."

There was a beat, and Shion simply resigned himself to her ideals. Maybe humans could be more than he thought. He was simply a teen wanting to spend the rest of his youth in blissful idleness, but maybe having an altruistic objective wasn't all that bad.

Not that bad at all.

"Okay, I get it, you read a lot. You can stop being smarter than me, you'll hurt my brain like that, Éclair-san." He jests with his arms up in a surrendering pose, much to her amusement. "But then, say, how do you plan to fulfil that lofty goal of yours? I mean, you'll certainly trying to get some influence with me, a Longinus-user, as part of your Famiglia, but if you won't use violence nor participate in Rating Games to rank up and be heard, what are you going to do?"

"Huhuhuh!" Éclair crosses her arms with a daring expression, and after a beat, with a face full of determination, she finally answers his question. "I have no idea!"

"…"

Plaît-il?

"I mean, I mean! I do, but only a faint pathway that needs to be planned and constructed along the way." The demon heiress sticks her tongue out and makes a pose, the respect the young man had for her plummeting to the ground world than a morning star as they would say. "Like, first I need to gather some influence with my title as the heiress of Paimon, it helps having powerful pieces like a Longinus-user in my famiglia. Then, I need to make myself be heard by both the Higher ups of the Underworld and the general demon public, while also introducing the supernatural to the human population, slowly so it won't cause mass panic, and we also need to take care of other factions with less than positive relationships with humans. The objectives are all there… Then only 'but' is how we're going to do it."

"…"

"Ah, but no worries, mon chéri! We will get them in time. We already have a goal, so reaching it just the other half of the equation! No worries, Omnium Rerum Principia Parva Sunt as said by Cicero!" She smiles and holds a fist up, determination filling her heart and all Shion wanted to do was to double take himself and fall like in a Showa-era anime.

"I… See. Oh well, I guess if we have heart and a bit of luck, we can work things out. Fate… It favours those who are kind, after all." He laughs to himself, followed by her cute giggle. It was stupid, downright inconsequential their actions were, but eh, you're only young once, and even if he's dragged to hell doing stuff like that at least he has a cute girl next to him to shift the blame on and appreciate. A smile. "Let's reach Utopia then, Éclair-san."

"Oui!" She nods with a brighter grin. A beat once again, and suddenly her stomach growls. A blush that spreads like a virus all over her face, a nervous grin and hands on stomach to contain louder noises, but too late: hunger struck her in the worst moment, and she thought it broke the amount of respect Shion had for her, little did she know it was already shattered beyond congnition, but let's not mind that now. "Mon Dieu, what a catastrophe~! Sorry for that, mon chéri! It is time for lunch already? Time does fly when you're having fun! We shall discuss matters another time, oui? You have my contact, so we can talk after lunchtime, so à bientôt…"

"H-Hey, Éclair-san! Say, are you free today?" but before she could walk away or open a portal to Lucifer-knows-where, Shion stands up from his seat and reach a hand for her, backing away once she stops and turns to him, the jump making his glasses almost slip from his face. Adjusting it back to his nose, he continues. "So, uh, I have nothing else to do…"

"Mon chéri, it's rude to say that before offering an invitation. Just saying."

"Kh…!" What a snappy response, quite stinging too. Who knew such a naïve-looking demon heiress could respond like that? A beat to recompose himself, a cough, and then he resumed his invitation. "Caham! Well, uh, say, are you free today, Éclair-san? I had plans to do alone, but since I bumped into you this morning, I think it's only natural to invite you to do something together. So… Wanna catch a movie? After lunch, of course."

"Much better." She deadpans, and his eyes wonder elsewhere to deflect the awkwardness of his previous statement. One moment, and her pout turns into a smile. "And of course, Shion! First, let's fill our bodies, and then our minds! Allons-y, mon chéri!"

"Right behind you, Éclair-san." And then Shion Shirogane simply follows the path to the nearest diner at the shopping centre, accompanied by his newest demon King with dreams too big for herself, wanting to spend the last days of his vacation having fun near someone as cute and pretty as her.

Big ideas, but no substance, 'tis was the objectives of Éclair Paimon on his eyes, a dangerous combo specially for someone who apparently holds as much power as herself. Her ideas are noble and altruistic, but to go in blind is simply a recipe for disaster, which might cause irreversible and dangerous consequences…

But she is a cutie, so who cares.

And cut. Another finished chapter. I'm a bit rusty for updates, but fortunately I could write enough for a good chapter.

But hello, DxD fandom. Hellhound is back with another chapter, again a slow one regarding our Mc's daily life and relationship with family and likes. A slower chapter compared to my usual batch, but which I had fun writing regardless. Éclair and her ideals… She's a nice demon lady with a big heart, but a bit of an idiot, which is dangerous in the long run… While also being a cutie, so who cares, right? She's more self-aware and smarter than she looks, and I wanted to display that in this chapter, hopefully with good results. Shion is also a different brand of stupid.

As for possible conflicts and the reveal of Shion's Longinus… Don't worry, they will appear in the following chapters, it is not dxd without those, right? Although, as you might know, I have other approaches for stuff like that. But yes, conflict is expected to a demon heiress and a Longinus user.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I love it to write it, stay safe. See ya. Hellhound out