Umm, hello. Been a while, huh.

...So yeah, I think I probably got a bit burnt out with DxD. Writing as well, but I've been trying to get writing again lately. I've had most of this ready for months and months, but finishing it took some motivation.

A shorter chapter than usual, here, but I'm trying something out. I wanted to see if I could get updates out faster with smaller chapters. My original plan for this chapter had it easily double what it is right now. That thought was pretty daunting, and besides, it's been so long since I updated this that I thought I should get something out.

Some things that delayed this chapter was awesome games coming out like Kingdom Hearts 3, Sekiro, playing Breath of the Wild for the first time, and more recently Fire Emblem Three Houses (Black Eagles forever!), not to mention a while ago my Office subscription ran out, so I had to get that sorted before I could work on my unfinished Word documents.

I've seen a lot of writers give their stories their own theme songs. It's something I've done once in the past, and I decided to find one for this story. For the first arc, I was thinking the song Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer by One Ok Rock. I find the lyrics a bit fitting for Yoko and this story.

{So now my time is up
Your game starts, my heart moving?
Past time has no meaning for us, it's not enough
Will we make it better or just stand here longer?
Say it, "We can't end here 'til we can get it enough!"

Absolute premise coated with lies
It's always like that,
My confidence churning with worry
A seemingly weak but strong self!

This is my own judgment! Got nothing to say!
If you can think of something else quick, hurry up and spill!
I'm called "Complete Awareness Dreamer!"
The questions that might be there, hold on for now!}

The "opening" portion is the first minute and a half or so, with a part of the intro taken out to make it more streamlined. Check it out, if you'd like to get into my heads space some. It's also a great song, so why not check it out on YouTube some time.

Anyway, here's hoping interest for this hasn't died, and that the future of this story stays strong.


For the first time in over two years, Yoko's attention was on her phone instead of class. Although such behaviour was unusual, the teacher ignored it, considering the girls grades. Besides, even if she was one of his best students, teenagers will be teenagers, the middle-aged man mused. He'd reprimand her if she did it in his next lesson, he promised himself. (He ignored the part of himself that told him he was lying.)

And so, Yoko was left to her browsing in peace. Her brow furrowed a tad as she read what was on screen.

DREAMS ABOUT DRAGONS—Interpretation and Meaning

As a rule, Yoko tended to not believe in such superstitious mumbo-jumbo as dream interpretation. Yet, if Devils and Angels can exist, who's to say that there isn't meaning to be found in dreams (such reasoning was getting a bit stale by this point, but damn it, it still held water). She'd had the same dream multiple times now, and it was starting to bug her.

The thought of the dreams had bothered her all day until, in the last class of the day, she could no longer resist the urge to do some research. As another rule, Yoko liked to have knowledge of what she was doing, or what was happening to her. As could be seen in her extensive research on cafés and restaurants for her dates, and her demands for answers from Gremory. Point being, Yoko didn't like being ignorant about something.

True, she could ask Gremory whether there is any meaning to be found in dreams, only known to the supernaturally inclined. But frankly, she didn't want to. She'd asked enough of Gremory, and will do so more in the future, and the less she had to lower herself to the crimson Devil the better.

If you had a dream about dragons, you should not ignore it. As most other dreams, the dreams about dragons also have their meanings, so you should try to interpret them. In most cases the dragons in your dream symbolize your fiery personality and your angry outbursts.

Sometimes these dreams may also symbolize the anger of another person towards you.

Well, Yoko thought, there's certainly one person angry at her. Or at least, Yoko's very existence is enough to infuriate that woman. Lip curling, Yoko continued to read.

There is a belief that if a dragon appears in your dream, it can mean that you will have a lot of success in your business and your career.

She didn't need a dream dragon to tell her that, thanks.

A dragon in your dream may be a symbol of joy, fortune, and great wealth, but it may also be a symbol of your own selfishness.

Sure, if being angry at someone for enslaving you for essentially eternity could be considered selfish.

Sometimes the dreams about dragons may also have negative meanings, so they may be warning you of challenges and obstacles that will appear on your way very soon. If you see a dragon in your dream, it may be a sign to ask yourself if you are going through the right path in your life.

Yoko just about held in the snort that threatened to escape. It wasn't as if she had any control over her life for the foreseeable future. If she was on the wrong path, it was only because of the people around her. Not her fault she was stabbed and turned into a slave in the same evening.

She scrolled down the page, skimming over the rest of the information, most of it not striking a chord with her situation. She stopped on a small title and reread it.

Dreaming of a dragon that scared you:

Well…Yoko supposed the dragon might have scared her just a little, considering she kept fainting at the sight of it. Did fainting in a dream mean something too? She'd check after.

If you have dreamed of a dragon that has scared you, then this dream indicates that you have a lot of problems at home.

Understatement, much?

In this case you should talk to your family members and you should try to solve the problems.

They day she had a heart to heart with her father was the day she bent over to Gremory and let the bitch brand her name on her ass. Her mother was a whole other can of worms. She'd have to know where the harpy was first, and considering she was perfectly happy not knowing, that plan fell apart at stage one.

Tapping the URL bar, Yoko did a quick search and tapped on the first result.

FAINT/FAINTING

A dream where you faint suggests that there is something in your waking life that you are avoiding or not willing to face up or deal with. This could be your personal feelings about something or someone, or an issue you are facing for example.

Purple eyes looked down at her until a shake of her head brushed the vision away. She put her phone away.

Dream interpretation was all bullshit, anyway.

Just as she decided this, the bell rang, and the teacher wrapped up what he was saying before leaving as fast as possible. Yoko huffed as she closed the browser app and put her phone away. Glancing around the classroom, she saw Katase and Murayama smiling at each other, and her stomach rolled. Looking away, she came face to face with another of her classmates.

"So, even the mighty Ikawazu Yoko can't pay attention to Naomasa-sensei. Nice to see you're just as human as the rest of us."

Hiding the flinch caused by the word choice, Yoko responded with a drawl, "Kiryuu-san, what can I help you with?"

Kiryuu Aika; a girl so straight you could mistake her for a metre rule. She was one of the girls in school to who Yoko wasn't so much as a spec on her radar, a sentiment Yoko returned. Yoko's reputation with the straight girls of Kuoh wasn't on the level it was with the boys, but general indifference was the same as distaste in Yoko's book.

But regardless of the socio-political environment within the rainbow spectrum of sexuality that made up Kuoh Academy, Kiryuu Aika was one of the few who could see through Yoko's bullshit. Unlike those other few, Kiryuu couldn't give so much as a damn about it. Kiryuu's own brand of perversion, while not on the same level as the Perverted Duo, was still enough for most of the sexually repressed Japanese youth of the academy to keep her at a distance. And while Kiryuu did have her friends, none of them were within Yoko's purview. Thus, since Yoko left her and hers alone, Kiryuu tended to keep her mouth shut and enjoy watching her peers make fools of themselves as they had their strings pulled by Yoko.

Still, the fact that Kiryuu had dirt on Yoko at all pissed off the new Devil.

"Do I need something to be able to talk to my classmate? What a sad life you live, Yoko-san."

"You know, you'd almost be cute if you weren't such a smart-ass."

"Careful now, don't let your adoring public hear you speak like that, they might just find out that you've got the personality of a dumpster fire."

"What. Do you. Want?" Yoko asked through grinding teeth, her limited patience for Kiryuu already straining.

"Hey now," Kiryuu smirked, holding her hands up in surrender, "can't blame me for being curious, can you? For the year and a bit that we've been classmates I've never once seen you on your phone in class. Something bothering you, maybe?"

Yoko eyeballed her for a moment, before looking away with a huff. "Even if there was, why would I tell you? We're not friends or anything." Her face threw on a perfect smile as one of the girls in their class waved at her as they left. It dropped straight after.

"Well, maybe not, but I'm probably the closest thing you've got to one."

"With friends like you, then, who needs enemies?"

Kiryuu rolled her eyes, smirk still firm on her face. "So dramatic."

Any further conversation was halted as screams came from the hallway. Familiar screams to anyone attending Kuoh.

"It's him!"

"The Prince himself!"

"Kiba-kun!"

"Hmm?" Kiryuu blinked and glanced towards the doorway. "That's funny, Kiba-kun has usually left the building by now. What's he doing so close to our classroom?"

Yoko grunted, having a pretty good idea.

Sure enough, seconds later Kiba Yuuto entered the classroom, causing much excitement from many of the girls still in the classroom. Considering a lot of Yoko's admirers were at the very least bi, their fanbases tended to have some overlap. Not only that, but as Yoko's classmates, the girls had gotten used to being in Yoko's presence so Kiba's was a lot more dazzling for them.

This resulted in Kiba being crowded by girls as soon as he stepped into the room, leaving Yoko utterly ignored. Typically, this would annoy Yoko, but she had bigger concerns right now than her popularity. And as Kiba politely made his way through his admirers, she noticed the shocked expressions as Kiba approached her desk.

"Eh? Does Kiba-kun want to talk to Yoko-san?"

"The Prince and the Flower, interacting?"

"What could he want with her?"

"This is just like one of my fanfics!"

Yoko liked being talked about, but the rumours that this interaction could produce were something she could live without. Kiryuu looked between the two most popular second years, brow raised, as Kiba stopped in front of Yoko's desk.

"Ikawazu-san, how are you today." Kiba asked, with his princely smile and bishie sparkles.

Yoko forced herself to respond in kind. "I am well, thank you, Kiba-san." She fought the urge to flip him off. Not wanting to give Satou-san—who sat behind her—anymore fanfiction ideas, she stood up and waved her arm towards the door. "Shall we be going?" After getting a nod from Kiba, she turned to Kiryuu, "Sorry, Kiryuu-san, we'll have to continue this conversation another time."

Kiryuu gave Yoko a narrowed look, but soon shrugged. "Sure thing, see you tomorrow."

Yoko and Kiba left the classroom, leaving behind the gossiping, speculating students. Once out of anyone's view, Yoko gave Kiba a measured expression; it was one spoon annoyance and two spoons faux-friendliness, "Did you have to approach me in the classroom like that? I think you've given Satou-san inspiration for her next piece of questionable prose."

Kiba looked sort of put off by her tone; probably not shocking when, the last time they spoke, she threatened to attack him with fine china. It probably came across out of character for her, but Yoko was aiming for something. When, after a few seconds passed and it looked like something clicked in his head, Yoko figured she succeeded.

"Ah, my apologies Ikawazu-san. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that again." He looked a tad sheepish, Yoko thought. "I hope you're feeling better since the other day."

"Ah, yes, much better. I must apologise for my behaviour that day. I was a little…frazzled."

"Oh, of course, I can understand that well." Kiba looked forward, his gaze a little misty with remembrance. "I wasn't exactly calm myself when I realised my new status the first time."

Yoko, despite still stinging from the slight admission of weakness, knew that it had just payed off. That single statement gave Yoko some insight into Gremory's recruitment methods. It seems that, like her, Kiba's reincarnation hadn't been voluntary. Of course, the possibility remained that he was playing her, making her feel like they had something in common, making her easier to win over. Sneaky, if so.

Yoko was doing the same, of course, but she never claimed to not be a hypocrite.

"I was distrustful of Buchou at first, but over time I saw that she truly is a great person."

"I see." She had more to say on that, but kept it to herself. The rest of the walk was made in silence, neither feeling the need to speak further.


"Ah, here we are," Kiba said, he and Yoko stopping in place before the Occult Research Club's meeting room. Opening the door, he led Yoko inside.

A burst of movement had Yoko looking towards Gremory's desk, just in time to catch the redhead closing a drawer. Gremory let out a small breath as she removed her hands from the desk. She smoothed her expression into a welcoming smile.

"Thank you for bringing her, Yuuto-kun. Ikawazu-san-ah, firstly, may I call you Yoko?"

Yoko fought to keep her face straight. No, not really, is what she wanted to say. Only with more swearing and a middle finger for good measure. She also debated asking if she had a choice, but didn't want to hear a no. A third option came to mind, so she decided to risk being a bit daring.

"Ah, of course, but might I request you keep the san? It's what most of the student body call me anyway."

A good balance between subservient and rebellious. A tricky line to straddle, but one Yoko felt she must attempt if she were to keep her sanity during this whole debacle. Even a little act of rebellion such as not letting Gremory call her without honorifics made her feel a tad better.

"Of course, that's no problem, Yoko-san." Gremory smiled. "Now, today you shall be starting your duties as a Devil."

"My duties…you mean like those Rating Games you mentioned before?"

"No, it will be some time before you will be participating in Rating Games." Gremory pointed towards the table in the middle of the room, where several stacks of paper sat, along with a messenger bag. "You might recognise those leaflets over there."

Looking at them, Yoko found she did. "That's the leaflet that I was given." She held back a frown as she remembered that day, focusing on a particular memory before it turned to her meeting with her ex-subordinates. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen that woman who gave me the leaflet yet."

"That's because she's actually my familiar who turned into a human form to hand out leaflets for me. Normally, we get our familiars to do this task for us, but it's common for new Devils to go out and deliver them personally. One day you'll get a familiar of your own, but for now it's your duty to deliver these leaflets to human with strong greed."

"Familiars huh…"

"We'll get more into them when they become relevant. For now, take those leaflets and the device next to them, and deliver them to humans with strong greed."

As Gremory mentioned it, Yoko noticed the strange device next to the leaflets. Picking it up and turning it on, several flashing dots appeared on the screen. It looked like a radar, and several strong signals were coming from the local area. Fiddling with it, Yoko zoomed out to a map of the school, and she couldn't help but notice two dots near the swim clubs changing room. 'Three guesses who they are.' Yoko thought, dryly. Zooming out even further, a map of Kuoh town was shown, with dots blinking all over.

"So…you expect me to go all over town and hand these leaflets out? That'll take all night." Yoko said, already dreading the task. The feeling reminded her of when she first started doing the chores around the house; that impending dread about a task you knew was going to be tedious, but had to do it anyway. And, speaking of chores, "I'm not sure I can spend that long on it. I have to get home and do the housework, and cook dinner for my father and I."

Gremory smiled, crossing her fingers on her desk. "I see. Well, not to worry, we have a bicycle we can lend you during your work. With your new abilities, you'll find you'll get around much faster than before, and that bike is designed with a Devil's leg strength in mind. And besides, you don't have to get it all done in one night."

Yoko tensed at the mention of the bike. "…Would it not look suspicious if someone zipped around town on a bike at absurd speeds?"

"No need to worry. As a Devil, normal humans won't be able to see you as you work."

Yoko blinked. "How does that work, exactly?"

Gremory waved her hand. "Trust me, you'd need a degree in Advanced Demonic Magic Theory just to grasp the basics. Long story short, it just works."

Well, Yoko allowed, if Devil magic can bring the dead back to life, this much shouldn't surprise her. Even so, such a lackluster explanation didn't please Yoko. She'd just have to read up on the matter when she got the chance.

…Did hell have libraries? If it had advanced theory degrees, she assumed that it did. What would a library in hell even look like?

Yoko shook her head, banishing the thought. "Right, well, there's no need for the bike. I'll just run. It'll be a good chance to see just what my new body is capable of."

Gremory frowned. "Are you sure? It's really no issue for you to use the bike. It's for the sake of my servants, after all. It's what it was made for."

"Yes, I'm sure. I was pretty athletic before I became a Devil, so I'm sure there won't be a problem."

"Well, if you're sure." Gremory conceded, apparently not seeing the need to push it. "But it's there for next time if you find running too exhaustive."

"I'll keep that in mind." Or she would, if she knew how to ride a bike. She was positive that, given a little time, she could figure it out, but she refused to show any kind of weakness in front of these Devils. In all likelihood she would fall flat on her face the instant she tried to move on it. She wouldn't give Gremory the satisfaction of seeing it.

And so, Yoko's first day of Devil work began by being a glorified post officer.

Chapter End


So yeah, shorter than normal. Yoko's been trying to figure out if her dreams mean anything, and her work as a Devil Postie has begun. Let's hope she doesn't go Postal, ay?

Hope the interaction with Kiryuu was good. I found the idea of her being one of the few humans who see through her to be interesting. I also enjoy making Yoko suffer, so that relationship, so to speak, is a fun one to write.

I'm sure the quality of this chapter isn't great, but it's one of those awkward transition chapters that needed to be done, but is a pain to actually write. It needed to be done to get to the stuff I'm actually excited about, so please bear with me.

And now, for the first time in a stupidly long time, it's the review corner!

Belgianreader- Yes, Yoko's suffering sure is delicious, isn't it? The idea of Yoko getting embarrassed over having to do that tickled me something fierce.
Thanks for the review!

The Azure Reaper- Hah, I guess she is a little like Yusuke. It's funny, I've recently been watching Yu Yu Hakusho again (for like, the 4th time) with my friend. What a great anime, though the arc we're on now, the three kings, isn't my fave by a long shot.
Yeah, Yoko's never going to be a fan of Devil society, I think, but hey, I hate this society as well and I'm forced to be a part of it. We all live in a society (shitty meme is shitty)
Yeah, the power of emotions in this series always confuses me. Then again, it's documented already that the power system of DxD confuses the shit out of me, so that's nothing new.
I have some plans for Raynare, and they don't involve her being dumb. She had a somewhat decent plan going for her, but her ego was so strong that it tripped her up a lot. Also, was it ever stated that Raynare was from the Great War? After all, Fallen Angels are said to be capable of repopulating the easiest out of the three factions. I kinda always assumed that Raynare was born to some weak Fallen Angels a few centuries ago and just can't climb that ladder.
I do think that her reasons for what she did were pretty awful though. Sure, she apparently wanted love, but she resorted to real shitty methods of it. Someone who truly wanted love wouldn't treat someone like she did Issei, at least in my opinion. Someone who wants love so cruelly treating someone who might love her? Yeah, her arrogance and probably deep sense of inferiority are what drove her to act like she did, at least that's my take on her. She's too weak/lazy to work hard to climb the ranks, so she resorts to underhanded methods and shortcuts to get there, desiring to get the attention of Azazel or Shemhazai to do it. In a way, she reminds me of an evil version of early Yukiko from Persona 4. Waiting for some prince charming to notice her and take her away from where she is instead of putting in the effort herself.
Also yes, she'll try to fly. Yoko isn't the kind of person who won't try to master something if she has the ability to do so.
Thanks for the review!

Raiyoukai- Sorry if this chapter disappoints you after the last one. Thank you again for your kinds words before.
Yeah, Yoko fainting is a little amusing, I think.
Man, stuff like thinking about why the school went co-ed is the kind of shit I overthink in stuff like this lol. And yes, Evil Chessmaster Rias is the view she has of her lol. Yoko overthinking stuff is a lot of fun for me, because it gives her a weakness to her intelligence as she overthinks stuff and gets more paranoid.
I'm so glad you like the fallout of the Raynare incident. The fact that it takes ten volumes to really pop up is silly. Like, suddenly Issei is thinking about her in his internal monologues? That's the issue sometimes with first person. Issei not thinking about Raynare until it becomes story relevant is a bit lacking to me. Of course, he could have had those thoughts between volumes, but I wanted the effects of it to be more instantly apparent.
Again, I have plans for Raynare. Look forward to that.
Peace Summit arc is just an approximation for when she'll even begin to start the journey to approaching seeing them in a somewhat less negative light. There will be certain personal revelations for Yoko in that arc that will force her to see everything in her life in a different way, not just the ORC.
I'm glad you picked up on the ear plugs. I don't want Ddraig talking to Yoko juuust yet, so that was my solution.
Once again, thank you for the review and I hope you enjoy this story more in the future.

Karibanu- Sure, Yoko could do that...if her father wasn't already struggling to not only pay for High School, but for the house work Yoko does as well as her allowance, and whatever his ex-wife is getting from him. Changing schools isn't something so easy to do, and she can't really give him a good reason for why to do it.
As for why Yoko will stick around, Yoko is a very cautious person. She wouldn't want to go into the unknown when she can stick with a more familiar setting even it she hates it. Besides, there will be things tying her down soon enough.
I can't see Azazel trying to poach Yoko. She's a high class Devil's servant, of a high class devil with ties to a Satan. THE Satan. Even if Sirzechs can't get involved in family matters, the devil council aren't going to take kindly to Azazel sticking his business into a high class devils peerage, their property. Even when the peace treaty gets sorted, I can't see that happening.
I haven't read the manga, so I haven't seen that, but it's an interesting thought.
Thanks for the review!

DschingisKhan- I'm glad you liked the flashback. Kuramoto is very important to how Yoko turned out as a person, and it felt like a good time to introduce that aspect. Kuramoto does tie into her views on respect, yes, but there's still more to see about this character, and how she's affected Yoko, so I hope you look forward to more.
I can understand the concerns about continued antagonism. I have them too. But a lot of Yoko's behavior is stemmed from her past experiences, and when things that will happen/reveals about the past change her views on things, I think some of the aggression and antagonism will start to die down. I like your thoughts on Sona, Koneko, and Akeno. I have my plans for how Yoko will interact with Koneko and Akeno, but I hadn't thought much about Sona.
Eventually, I'm sure Yoko will come to some agreement with Rias. It'll just take a lot of personal growth on Yoko's behalf, as well as some from Rias.

raw666- Indeed, that might be correct and it's likely, but remember this is Yoko thinking about it, and this is the crazy conclusion that she's come to. She may or may not be right, but it's the conclusion she came to with the info she has.

Ranch14- Peacocks are the key to all of this.

BattleshipFusou- The razor will be picked up one day, and probably held to a throat or two.

XenoLucifer- My theory on this-and forgive me if I toot my own horn a bit- but Issei was designed to be a likable character. In the notes of the first volume, Ichibumi asks the reader to look at Issei with kind eyes. He wanted Issei to be likable, but the way he's written makes him super unlikable most of the time, so that creates a paradox in the readers mind. Meanwhile, I wrote Yoko with the intention to be unlikable, and I think i succeed in making Yoko unlikable enough that, paired with her actions, her character is consistent enough to be enjoyable, more so than Issei who is meant to be likable but can be anything but a lot of the time.
I'm glad you don't like how she does her dates. That means I succeeded in giving her unlikable aspects.
One of my favorite examples of Issei being super unlikable is the Kyoto arc. He tries to peak on the girls, but Rossweisse gets in his way. He then proceeds to attack someone who is a comrade because she stands in the way of his selfish desires. He strips her of her clothes and then pervs on her while she covers her body. He attacked someone and essentially sexually assaulted them, even thought she was his comrade, just because he wouldn't get his way otherwise. That is super unlikable. But he doesn't really get any comeuppance for it, at least from what I remember. It doesn't affect how Rossweisse perceives him, again, as I remember.
I feel the same about Rias. Ishibumi tries to write and portray her as this super likable and competent main girl, but she ends up coming across as really incompetent and weak.

Anyway, that's the main bulk of it, thanks to everyone else who reviewed, even if I don't respond personally, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate every single review.

Please let me know how you feel about shorter chapters. Would you prefer longer waits for longer chapters, or would you prefer shorter ones with hopefully quicker update rates.

Until next time!

P.S., I'm thinking of asking questions of my own at the end of each chapter, since I enjoy reader interaction so much. I'm pretty much stealing this idea from other writers, but it seems like fun.

First question! What Sacred Gear would you like to have from the series? Personally, I wouldn't want anything too attention catching like a Longinus. Maybe something like Mirror Alice. I'm a bit of a wimp, so a more defensive Sacred Gear is right up my alley.