"You called for me Kaichou?" Kaito asked the moment the door to the Student Council room closed behind him.
"Yes, I did. Do you know why?" Sona Sitri asked, sitting behind the fancy desk on the other side of the office with the other Council members along the walls to her left and right.
"I'm assuming to reprimand me for my fight with the Kendo Club and proceeding to then attempt to beat my brothers 'friends' black and blue?" Kaito asked, finishing with a small, self-satisfied grin at the end.
"While I should reprimand you for that. Considering everything you've gone through at this school, I'm just happy nobody was left with broken bones, mutilations or worse" Sona replied evenly.
"What? No! Kaichou he's the-"
"Complete that sentence and she will have to reprimand me" Kaito threatened, the girl in question freezing and going as pale as her snow-white hair.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't threaten my precious Council members, Hyoudou-san" Sona said evenly getting a raised eyebrow from Kaito before his face morphed into a scowl "And Momo, I won't appreciate slander of this level of any schoolmates, let alone an allies Knight"
Kaito's eyes widened, and he genuinely stumbled back a step at the reprimand of someone other than him. Though it did answer his question about if Sona had been staring at him the other day because of the supernatural or not.
"So, you're Devils as well?" He tested the waters, his hands by his side as he shifted his weight onto one of his feet.
"That's right. Everyone within the Student Council is a member of my peerage" Sona answered evenly.
"Unpleasantly met" Kaito greeted them with a blank face "Why am I here if not for a reprimanding, then?" He asked, skipping straight to the point.
"I heard from Rias earlier today that you fought an Exorcist from the Church?" She asked, getting shocked looks from her Peerage and an annoyed click of the tongue from Kaito.
"I told Himejima that information barely a few fucking hours ago and now even you know. Good to know…" He rolled his eyes.
"Don't be too annoyed Hyoudou-san. Rias and I are co-owners of the city so matters of this nature would naturally be shared between us" She tried to pacify him, getting an annoyed look before he huffed, seeming to calm down.
"Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. But why should I tell you? Rias is my King. I owe nothing to you"
"From what I've seen and heard you don't seem to act any more amicably towards said King" She pointed out with a small hand gesture towards him.
"I have my reasons. But once again. Why should I tell you?"
"As I stated earlier, Rias and I share ownership of Kuoh, I take care of reports, majority of the paperwork, 90% of the surveillance and other things along those lines and she takes care of the majority of the financing and exterminations. Any supernatural presence within the city has to be reported to us first before they can move in, barring extenuating circumstances. And yet I found out not even two hours ago that there was an unaccounted-for Exorcist living within our City. I'm not pleased" Sona said, a bit of her Magic leaking out, the blue aura tinted with her concealed anger.
"And what? You expect me to know how he did it? No luck I'm afraid. He told me why but not how" Kaito said, trying to appear casual despite the ever so slight stiffening of his body at the released power.
"I see…Even knowing why would be helpful. What was their reasoning?"
"Reconnaissance apparently. He only fought me cause I 'found him out'. Trigger happy fuck" He mumbled the last part under his breath while averting his eyes to a clock on the right side of the wall from him.
"I see…..I wonder why?" She seemed to ask herself, looking down at the desk.
"Hey, while I'm getting grilled here-" Sona looked back up at him "Why do you take care of so much compared to Rias?"
"Hey! Be a bit more respectful, prick!" The only other male in the room shouted, getting an apathetic gaze from Kaito.
"And you are?"
"Genshirou Saji! Sona-sama's Pawn! It took a whole four to convert me. What did you take?" He asked smugly, Kaito noticed a couple of the girls roll their eyes and guessed that this was a common occurrence.
"Dunno, a Knight? Got their abilities anyway. Well?" He asked Sona at the end, completely shutting down Saji, making him gnash his teeth together at being ignored.
"Calm down Saji. And as for your question Hyoudou-san. This city was originally meant to only be mine, but our families made some deals and legally Rias became the co-owner"
"Ahhhh. Sounds about right…. Well, if that's all I'm leaving" He announced, waiting a few moments for any negatives before nodding and turning around to walk out.
"I wonder if there's any others hiding?..." Sona's murmur drifted over the room right before Kaito closed the door, bringing the exact same thought to his own mind as he looked out the window of the building they stood in, the second story giving him quite a nice view of some of the taller buildings of the city.
"Yeah…wonder if there are" He murmured to himself, his shadow shifting slightly seeming to darken ever so slightly.
XXXxxxXXX
"Is this as much power as you can summon at the moment, Kaito-kun?" Akeno asked, standing across from Kaito in a Shrine Maiden outfit.
Her purple eyes were currently going back and forth between Kaito and the sphere of roiling, black and purple energy hovering over Kaito's form as he sat cross-legged on the soft grass. She had to admit that for a newly reincarnated Devil, especially one that wasn't a Queen or Bishop he had a remarkable amount of magical potential. But her power still dwarfed his own by a few margins.
"….Y-Yeah. In a controlled environment at least" Kaito muttered, his face scrunching up as his ball of shadow's fluctuated towards the beginning of his sentence.
"It's very impressive Kaito-kun. Definitely worthy of the only man to sleep with me" She teased him, knowing that he couldn't do what he usually would without ruining his ball of magic.
"G-Grrrr"
"My, my. So passionate~ Try and keep the power there for a few moments while I set something up" She ordered him, slipping out of her teasing-mode to begin setting up magic circles and seals around them.
It had been roughly five days since he had met Sona and since he had begun training with both Kiba and Akeno. Akeno in the mornings and Kiba in the afternoons, after school. And in that time the two had noticed a few things about Kaito.
One: Kaito seemed to react most positively to positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement. He also didn't appreciate pity very much either.
Two: Kaito's fighting style was unpredictable at the best of times and when they briefly allowed him to inter-mix all of his skills in a fight rather than just magic or just swordplay, he had begun to develop the habit of creating traps or tricking his opponents.
And finally, Three: Kaito's abilities increased through direct action. Seeming to improve faster when he was in combat with one of them then through bookwork or solo practice. Not that he didn't do that either though, he had found a particular enjoyment out of training his abilities and body.
"Ok. Kaito-kun I want you to detonate your magic" Akeno watched him tense up and look at her with a confused expression "I've set up a barrier, so it won't destroy the rest of the grounds or my temple. All you have to worry about is yourself. Though….if you happen to get a bit bloody I won't complain" She purred, licking her lips demurely only to get a deadpan look from Kaito before his sphere of magic suddenly detonated with barely a second of warning.
With such little warning even Akeno wasn't able to fully protect herself, ending up with shredded clothing and a couple small injuries that weren't fun for the seductive Devil.
"Really? Did you really have to do that Kaito-kun?" She asked, her anger stamping down any instinct to be coy or teasing and leaving only deadpan annoyance in its wake.
"Yes" His voice came out of the smoke before he began to walk out, took a look at her for barely a few seconds and turned back into the smoke.
"What's wrong Kaito-kun? Are you embarrassed to see my body? I promise I'm pure~"
"Go fuck yourself"
"Will you join me?"
"I'm leaving"
"But that's no fun"
"Don't care. It's Saturday I have things to do. Go spend time with Gremory"
"You should be more respectful to your King you know, Kaito-kun" She called out, dropping the barrier and watching him begin to walk towards the shrine that she called her house.
"When she gives me a reason to respect her other than a magical chess piece, I'll give it a shot"
Akeno's lips thinned, and she crossed her arms under her mostly naked chest while watching him enter her house to presumably clean up before leaving. A sigh of annoyance leaving her mouth when she finally opened it again.
"You really are interesting aren't you Kaito-kun? Most would feel grateful to serve a girl as pretty as her, let alone get a second lease on life. But neither of those seem to sway you" A small smile spread her lips and a light danced in her eyes that belied every bit of Fallen-Angel and Devil DNA in her body at once "Such a fun find…"
XXXxxxXXX
Within the city, an hour later
"Now. If I were from a supernatural race completely different to Devils. Where would I be and how would I hide?" Kaito muttered to himself, walking around with his head on an idle swivel.
As he walked with his hands in his pockets, he seemed incapable of not noticing any students from Kuoh that he walked past. Honestly a little disappointed at how easy it was to avoid their attention considering how brutally they hunted him down during school hours. However, despite those minor annoyances he continued walking around the city for almost two hours before coming to a realization.
"I have no idea what other species there are or what they're like…Fuuuuuuu-"
"To your left, worm"
'Go fuck yourself Shadow'
"That isn't my name"
'Fun fact: You haven't told me your name. So, either tell me or shut up'
"I'll tell you if you prove yourself worthy. Now pay attention to your left"
With a sigh and rolling his eyes, Kaito looked over to his left with an unimpressed look before pausing and blinking rapidly for a few moments.
'That…..is not a real shadow?' He thought curiously to himself, taking his hands out of his pockets as he approached the source of the fake shadows.
To his eyes, what he saw was a flat wall attached to a store next door, a painted over brick wall. However, the slight shadows created by the layered bricks and paint felt wrong to the newly reincarnated Devil, like they didn't actually exist. However he could feel shadows from the wall…..Almost like there was a-
Door?
Slowly walking over, he hesitantly reached out and towards the wall, 'feeling' the painted brick under his hand.
"No….No nononono. This is wrong. This is- Magic" He breathed out in realization as he pulsed his magic through his body and out of his hand.
With a brief shimmer the wall disappeared and instead, in its exact place, was the front of what looked like a very well-maintained store. A small sign over the perfectly polished wooden door.
'Yamato's Yokai Store'
'Ahhh. Poor guy missed the landing. Though I guess there really wasn't much that you could achieve with a name starting with "y" is there?' Kaito thought to himself with a snort before opening the door, listening to the customary jingle as he stepped in.
"Hello and- Fuck!" A masculine voice greeted him, the male turning and diving behind the counter the moment they saw him.
In response Kaito simply raised an eyebrow at the behaviour. Seeing the top of a pair of grey wolf ears just barely poking over the top of the counter.
"Is that any way to treat a possible customer?" Kaito asked rhetorically, squinting his eyes at the yelp of terror the male behind the counter let out.
Slowly, almost as if ready to bolt at any moment he rose back up to his full height, showing a pair of grey wolf ears along with thick, straight grey hair pulled back in a low ponytail that turned more white-ish near the ends of his hair. A bushy grey tail just barely seen from behind him. All in all he stood two or three inches above Kaito and appeared to be roughly around the same age, yet every time he looked up at Kaito he seemed incredibly nervous for a reason which Kaito did not know. But could assume.
"I'll repeat. Is that any way to treat a customer?"
"Are you here to buy anything or just to hunt me down for your master?" The teen behind the counter growled, still not looking up at Kaito but his whole body was tense.
"Hmmmm. I wasn't sent hunting, no. However, it is interesting to see you here. So, how'd you hide the place?" He continued conversationally, looking around the shop to see if he could get any sort of hint.
"Why should I tell you?"
"You're right. Just a curiosity" Kaito shrugged "But you seem awfully scared of being found?"
"Yeah of course! Those Fallen Angels have been stirring the whole damn wasp's nest! If any of us are found, you Devils' Masters will have us wiped out!"
"I knew there was more!" Kaito cried, snapping his fingers in annoyance.
"S-Shit! Look. You seem reasonable and from the rumors you're still fairly new…"
"If you're looking for a fight just because of that…" Kaito warned with a hard glare.
"No no! Not at all! I can barely conjure a fireball. I'm really not a fighter. But…..Well everyone needs items right? And information!" He quickly added at the end, getting a slight squint of Kaito's eyes.
"What are you suggesting?.."
"You…don't turn me in, to your Master or allies and I'll give you a discount here. And I can act as an…informant, if you will?" He suggested, relaxing a bit as he saw Kaito seemed to be genuinely thinking it over "I'm one of the only supernatural shops in town so mostly everyone comes to me for one reason or another. And some of them aren't… fans of other intruders. If I put a good word in and y'know, don't mysteriously go missing. I'm sure that some of them might be willing to pay you for any services you might have. You Devil guys like that stuff, right?"
"Hmmmm. You drive a hard bargain…. What'd be the discount?"
"10%"
"20%"
"I'm also acting as an informant and unofficial business partner for you. 10%"
"I technically don't need any extra work. 20%"
"Need and want are two different things. 12%"
"…15% and you throw in a book of Shadow Magic for free" Kaito argued.
"Deal!" The teen behind the counter was all too happy to accept and Kaito couldn't help but feel like he'd been conned in some way.
A few moments later when the wolf-yokai threw down a book titled 'Shadow Magic for Dumbasses' he realized exactly how he'd been conned. Looking up at his all too smug 'business-partner' with a twitching eye.
"Oh, you think you're funny do you?"
"I think that I've just bought myself a measure of immunity and can afford to be, yes" The other teen responded smugly with a grin of sharp teeth.
"I think I'm beginning to regret this transaction already"
"Now now, friend. Don't be like that. I make sure I have only the best items for my customers after all, you merely didn't specify what you wanted" He continued with his grin, holding a handout while leaning his other elbow on the counter "Yamato, previously of the Takeda clan of Yokai" He introduced himself.
"Kaito, under the 'employ' of the Gremory Clan of Devils"
Yamato actually whistled at this, his eyebrows raising a bit.
"The Gremory? And you're willing to hide shit from her? And here I heard they were so nice to their resurrected" He snorted before gulping at the glare that Kaito levelled him.
"As a tip, don't believe such rumors. She'd manipulate any and every one in an instant if she got what she wanted in the end. Like my brother" He grumbled under his breath at the end, not that, that hid it from the yokai's enhanced hearing.
"Damn. Greedy then. Speaking of. I think I might actually hire you for something first" Kaito's expression smoothed, and he raised an eyebrow in intrigue.
"Hm? Speak"
"Rude much? Whatever, those Fallen Angels I told you about before? They've been messing around with your Master and her Ally, the Sitri"
"I'm aware of the Sitri Peerage, yes" He nodded slowly.
"Uh huh. Only problem is, they've gotten their hands on some non-detection tags for themselves. Everyone knows where their base is. But an outright attack on the town's church from the Gremory or Sitri isn't gonna work"
"All of this political exposition is great and all" Kaito rolled his eyes "But what does it have to do with the job?"
"The longer our Fallen friends are up and running. The more patrols you Devils will end up doing. And our little 'community' here in Kuoh isn't a fan of that, at all. So, give me about 2-3 days and I can get you a fair amount of counterseals for their non-detection tags. Simply come pick them up and go spread them around town and if any of them get close enough to my tags. They'll both cancel each other out and you Devils can go hunting" Yamato's following grin was full of teeth and bloodlust.
"Sounds simple enough. What will I get in return?"
"Apart from the good-graces of some of the other supernatural in town? I'll pay you 1500 gold"
"Gold!? What the hell?"
"Yeah, like gold coins. It's what the supernatural community runs in since pretty much every dimension and plane has veins of the stuff. It's our 'equalizer' so to speak"
"Huh. Sounds good. Pleasure doing business Yamato" He slurred at the end with a snort and a roll of his eyes.
"You as well, Kaito" Yamato purred back before Kaito closed the door behind him and continued to walk through town.
'Hmph. Arrogant prick'
"He gets along with you well then"
'Says the voice in my head that's so egotistical I have to prove myself before it tells me its name'
"Don't push your luck boy"
'I've been luck's bitch for a couple years now. I think im owed my due'
"Hmmmm. Of course. Pole"
'wha-' Kaito walked headfirst into a pole, cursing and holding his head as he was forced to listen to the laughter in his mind.
XXXxxxXXX
And here we are with chapter 6 of this story that I both hate and love XD It was nice to see all the love you guys showed it last chapter, I was actually surprised to be honest. Also for those of you not in my discord. November is the month of my birthday. So in celebration I'm releasing a bunch of chapters over the month. The full list can be found on my discord but for this fanfic. Chap 7 comes out on the 15th, Chap 8 comes out on the 20th, and Chap 9 comes out on the 30th (my birthday).
Discord: /ctMzhq3
REVIEW REPLIES:
Kpop1392as: Yes, Kaito ditching Akeno twice was something I found pretty funny as well XD
Bigguy45: You have my gratitude.
Paul Mard: Thanks! My plan was always for him to harden up a bit but while writing I realized it was a lot more fun to write him as a 'badboy' type character so that's what I decided to go with XD