AN: Due to the advice of Richard Simmons over on QQ, I have gone back and changed it so that Roy learned Bajiquan instead of Tai Chi.

"Speech"
Text
Thoughts
Otherworldly Thoughts/Mental or Magical Communication
Beast/Dragon/Super Mode
Spell/Technique/Command

Chapter 3: Royal Guard

When Roy opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was a massive, throbbing pain in his head, making him groan and squeeze his eyes shut. The second thing he noticed, as he breathed deep and tried to disconnect himself from the pain, was that he was lying on a futon. Cracking open an eye, he chanced a look around and saw that he was lying on a Tatami-mat floor, in the room of a more traditional Japanese building. Ah…right, this is the shrine.

Slowly, carefully, he sat up, looking around. The room was small, with a pair of sliding doors marked by a pattern of trees. Hanging above him were a couple of paper lanterns, currently unlit, and sunlight streamed through the window.

Where am I? Last thing I saw...was my sister. "…Chiaki?" he asked, blearily looking around.

"Here, baby bro," her voice came from behind him, making him jump and wince. He turned to look at her, only to stop, staring. She gave him a small smile, holding up a wet washcloth. "How do you feel?"

He stared some more for a long moment. "Like my head's about to just roll off," he said finally, "And I think I'm hallucinating."

Her blue eyes widened in dismay. "Oh no! J-just stay calm, I'll go get-"

"Because my big sister is wearing the most ridiculous outfit I've ever seen in real life."

She slipped on the tatami in the midst of getting up. "Oof! Oh come on! I thought you were being serious!" she complained, sitting back down heavily.

Roy gave her a deadpan look. "Who could be serious with your tits hanging out like that?" he asked, making her blush and cringe. "Seriously, what are you wearing?"

Chiaki's attire could not be further from the thick cardigans and long skirted school uniforms she normally wore. The only similarity to those with the dress she wore was the color, collar, long sleeves and ankle-length skirt… it was just that someone had apparently cleanly sliced a wide section off the front, from top to bottom, exposing the entire front side of her curvy body. Apart from a pair of dark stockings and a black thong that he almost wished he didn't know about, the only thing preventing her large, marshmallowy breasts from spilling out was a belt cinched tightly around her slender waist to keep the thing closed.

"Okay, so I know it looks bad," she began sheepishly.

"No, I wouldn't say it looks bad," he replied dryly, "Like something out of a hentai, maybe, but not bad."

"Oh!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her prodigious bust, "You are such a pervert!"

"Girl, you don't get to call anyone a pervert when you're dressed like that!"

She gave a strangled noise of frustration that told him he'd won the argument. He pumped his fist in triumph, then groaned and held his head. "Oh fuck, I wasn't kidding about that concussion though…"

Instantly her irritation vanished and she was at his side. "Oh no, oh no, j-just sit tight, Roy!" she babbled, taking great care not to shake him, "I-I'll go get some ice!"

"Nah, it's fine," he replied, reaching out to cast a shadow on the floor next to him. She jumped when a Shadowkhan rose up out of it, kneeling. "You, go get some ice, would ya?"

When it bowed low and exited the room politely, he gave her a smug look. "Only had this power for a day, but I can tell that's not gonna get old."

She bit her lip, gazing at him searchingly. "Roy…that power…"

"If you're going to tell me it's called a Sacred Gear," he interrupted her blithely, "I know that already. It's called Annihilation Maker."

Her eyes bulged. "Annihil- wait, no, no, first question! How do you already know about this?! How long have you-?"

Roy shrugged, wincing when it jostled his throbbing, fragile head. "Learned about it yesterday from Buchou- er, that is, Rias Gremory."

"Gremory?! That she-devil?" yelped Chiaki, running a hand through her hair, "And you're calling her Buchou?!"

"Well, as of yesterday," he paused, "Well, today, if she turned in my application, I'm part of the Occult Research Club. And before you start flipping out even further, no, she did not turn me into a Devil. She tried though."

She looked incensed. "She tried?! I oughta bitchslap her with a Five-fold Penance Talisman for trying to steal my brother for her little harem-"

"You will do no such thing."

"But-!"

He lifted his head, his own blue eyes boring into hers. Her mouth closed. "I wanted her to change me. I dunno what kinda benefits being a magic shrine warrior gives you, but I for one would've been fine with gaining a super long lifespan and the ability to do magic."

"But you would become her servant!"

Roy rolled his eyes. "So what? I've been friends with Rias Gremory for the better part of two years, and I know her well enough to know that that would be just fine."

Chiaki stared at him, looking almost betrayed. "Two years? It's been that long?"

He gained a wicked gleam in his eye. "That reminds me, how long has all this," he waved meaningfully at her skimpily-clothed body, making her blush and cross her arms again, "Been going on?"

She seemed to shrink in on herself, looking away shamefully. "...Four years," she admitted in a tiny voice.

Roy frowned, thinking back. "So...around the time that you started coming here to be a shrine maiden," he commented, "What do you do exactly? 'Cause that was a pretty good shot from a bow last night."

"I…I'm mostly tasked with disciplining unruly Youkai and exorcising curses," she said, not looking at him, "Under the authority of Bishamonten. Last night, he sent a message that some Fallen Angels were assaulting a human. I didn't realize it was you...what the hell happened?"

"Well when I awakened Annihilation Maker, someone had influenced the Judo club to try and rough me up. I guess it was a Fallen Angel, 'cause they attacked me again right after I had a chat with Buchou about the whole supernatural thing. Hit me pretty fucking hard in the head. Fortunately their security was lax as shit, because I managed to get away, and then you showed up. My own sister, a supernatural warrior." He snorted. "Funny how the world works."

Chiaki bowed her head. "...I didn't want you to find out like this," she said quietly.

"As long as the supernatural was out there and you were part of it, I would have found out eventually," he pointed out.

"I know that!" she snapped at him, and his stomach squirmed uncomfortably when tears gathered in her eyes, "It's just…you always had enough troubles in your life, with those weird memories and stuff, and the world can already be a really crappy place even without knowing that there's real monsters out there. I wanted to…wait a bit. Let you be happier in ignorance for a little while."

Roy said nothing, only raising an eyebrow. Just then, the Shadowkhan slipped back into the room, carrying an ice pack, which he wordlessly took and pressed to the back of his head.

"...Yeah, I guess that is pretty stupid," she admitted, giving a heavy laugh, "But still, I…I didn't want to make you afraid. Isn't it my job as your older sister to protect you from stuff like that? I guess it backfired, though."

"Just a bit," he answered flatly, sighing, "C'mon, nee-san, you read all the same books I did, growing up, you know how dumb the secret-keeping thing is."

She gave him a sharp look, slightly marred by her wet eyes. "This is real life, not a book," she told him seriously.

His aloofly lazy expression cracked, and he leveled a baleful glare right back at her. "First of all, you don't need to tell me that," he snapped, making her squirm, "I just got threatened to have my arms cut off by some crazy asshole cultist under the church." When she went chalk white, he continued before she could speak. "Secondly, just because this is real life doesn't mean it wasn't still a stupid-ass decision. I know it, you know it, acknowledge it, move on. Now, do mom and dad know about this stuff?"

"M-mom knows that the supernatural is real," she said shakily, "But she's not…very curious about it. Dad knows nothing about it; him wanting us to learn how to fight was a coincidence."

Roy grunted at that. "Well, that's something. Though I don't think Bajiquan is gonna do me that much good against lightsabers. At the very least I've got these guys." The Shadowkhan bowed its head when he acknowledged it.

Chiaki sniffed. "Roy…I'm sorry. You're right; i-if I had just told you from the beginning, then I…I don't even know what I could've done differently! But I wouldn't have let my baby brother get kidnapped!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I…I'm sorry for being such a b-bad big sister!"

He gritted his teeth and looked away. "...Quit crying," he told her roughly, his eyes burning, "It makes me wanna cry too."

"R-Roy…!"

"You know that keeping secrets from friends and family like this is dumb," he continued, trying to keep his voice level as she sobbed, "But you know, I always thought that the best friend getting mad and distancing themselves once they learned the secret was even more unbearable."

Chiaki hiccupped. "You…you aren't mad?"

"Sure I am," he said simply, shrugging, "But I'll get over it."

"R…Royyyyyy…!" she wailed, throwing herself at him, only for a pair of Shadowkhan to catch her mid-pounce, "I'm sorryyyy! Your big sis will never keep something like this from you againnnn!"

"Sure, sure," he sighed, glancing away again as her outfit began slipping away from her breasts some more, "I forgive you already, so stop crying. You think you can explain this to Buchou, by the way? And be civil about it? I'm guessing that you'll want me to stay here for now."

It took Chiaki a good moment to stop crying enough to answer. "Do…do you think that's a good idea?" she asked, wiping at her face, "I-I mean, she's-"

"Yes," he said, nodding firmly, "She's my friend, and today was supposed to be my first day in the club. I don't want her thinking that I ditched her after she failed to convert me."

Chiaki sighed. "Fine…I already called in sick for both of us, but as long as you stay in the temple, the other maidens will make sure you're not disturbed while I go in your stead. While Bishamon-sama has given his permission for Rias Gremory to establish territory here, Fallen Angels who skulk around unannounced will be struck down." Then she wavered, her eyes watering. "Ah, but…I don't want to leave you alone again…! Ahhh, what do I dooo?!"

He grunted. "Well, whatever you do, make sure she ends up getting told. Also, tell her specifically that I want to see her."

She pouted, but nodded reluctantly, standing up and opening the door.

"...Hey, Onee-chan."

"Y-yes?!" she asked, eagerly turning around at the more familiar term of address.

At last, Roy gave her a small smile. "Thanks for coming to save me."

She gasped, eyes shining with pure delight. "R-Roy-!"

*BOFF!*

A pillow smacked her in the face, knocking her out of the room. "Now get outta here and put some real clothes on!" he barked without any heat.

ASM

Raynare paced back and forth in her room at the abandoned church. The place was worn down and the walls were peeling. She figured she wasn't going to stay here long, so why bother tidying up? But now, the dingy light and dirty walls closed in on her, feeling like a cage that she could barely spread her wings in. Even so, it was better than the alternative; as much as she longed to go for a fly, she knew that that might as well be a death sentence now that the Devils almost certainly knew she was here.

If only she had stayed down in the ritual chamber to keep an eye on the prisoner, or at least left Kalawarner or Dohnaseek standing guard. If only she'd thought to maim him a little bit to keep him compliant (as much as the thought made her stomach churn at the thought of his pain-filled screams). If only she had done literally anything other than trust that leering madman Freed Sellzen and a bunch of Stray Exorcists!

She ran her fingers through her hair for the umpteenth time, and almost wished she had a mirror. Raynare had barely slept that night, reliving how it had all gone wrong, and knew that she must look terrible.

"Get down off your high horse and look me in the eye before you spout off that self-serving bullshit!"

"What does he know?" she muttered, rubbing a hand against her face, "I'm…I'm serving Lord Azazel."

If I can't be of service…

"Oi oi, you don't look so good, boss-lady!"

Raynare gasped, whirling about to stare at the white-haired, red-eyed Exorcist. He leaned against the doorframe, smirking at her. "...Freed," she said harshly, glaring back at him, "You have a lot of nerve showing your face to me after last night."

"Eh, little rat bastard got the drop on me," he replied casually, one hand carefully moving to the hilt of a Blade of Light at his waist. If he had taken any damage at all the previous night, he didn't show it. "He's a clever Devil-fucker, but that's about as far as it goes. Next time I'll make sure that he can't run anywhere, awake or asleep."

"Next time…" she mumbled feverishly, drawing in a breath, "Yes…next time. But first…we should l-lay low-" she gritted her teeth as a stutter slipped out, "And stay under the radar for a few days. After that…we should try the other one first. He hasn't even awakened his Sacred Gear yet."

Freed nodded pensively. "Mmhm, mmhm…yep! Sounds like a plan to me, boss-lady! Don't you worry, I'll make sure to do it thoroughly this time." A wide, toothy grin spread across his face. "Heheheh…while those Devil dipshits are trying to protect one of their toys, we'll slip in and make off with the other one! God, I wish I could see the looks on their faces when we leave his body for them~"

Raynare rocked back as his words struck deep. "...If that's all, then leave," she told him flatly, trying to keep her voice steady.

He shrugged, his grin turning mischievous as he turned and strutted down the hallway.

She crossed the room and slammed the door, tremors wracking her body the moment he was gone. Her breathing sounded loud and harsh in her ears as she stumbled back, swallowing thickly as Freed's mention of leaving Hyoudou Issei's desecrated body for others to find swam around her head.

In her mind, the boy's body suddenly became many, and she broke out in a cold sweat. "No…no, no…" she mumbled.

"My wings...where are my wings?! I can't see! It hurts! It hurrrrrts!"

She drew her own jet black wings around herself, tenderly stroking the feathers as she whimpered.

"S-someone…someone help me! Anyone! Even a Devil!"

"Are we really that useless, my lord…?"

Her knees buckled and she slumped to the ground, trembling, clasping her hands to her ears as if it would block out the voices.

"It's no use, girl. Leave us be. We've been thrown out to die."

"No…" she whimpered, tears spilling from her wide, terrified eyes as she huddled behind her wings, "No…Lord Azazel isn't like that…I j-just need to show him that I can succeed…!"

I don't want to die like them…!

Just outside her room, Freed's smile deepened as he listened to her terrified sobs. It was just too easy to press that bitch's buttons.

ASM

Roy stared down at the silver coin resting in his palm. It was completely identical to the one he'd used just the other day to create the Shadowkhan and their variants. Okay, so, let's take stock, he thought to himself, It looks like I only get one of these…coins? Medals? Whatever, I get one a day. Considering that I had that first one for a few days before I finally used it, it looks like they don't just stack up, either. Annoying, but that probably means that if I work at it, I can get more somehow.

When I used the first one to create the Shadowkhan, I could make other monsters that were Numerous. As long as I have an…Aspect, to act as the core of the creature, whatever it ends up being.

He thought back to how he'd poured some of his pool of dark energy (probably a part of the Sacred Gear itself) into the Template in order to create different varieties of Shadowkhan. He wondered for a moment whether he should try again, but glancing back at his new coin, decided to hold off. What sort of monster should I make next? I'm already basically covered in terms of manpower.

That manpower has almost zero staying power, though. Those cultist guys were able to cut through them like tissue paper. It would've taken way too long to overwhelm them if I were unable to escape.

So I need something that won't just die in an instant. Was that a side effect of them being Numerous?

I need something more durable. Something that can actually hold its own and protect me.

He smiled, turning the coin over in his fingers, the metal beginning to glow as an image crystallized in his mind. Ninja, sumo and samurai are all well and good, but for an armored warrior, what else would I choose but a Knight?

There was a flash of light, and the coin shattered, sending swirls of darkness cascading out of his hand to form a circle on the floor. Slowly, the darkness coalesced, wisps forming up into interlocking plates of steel, which wove together around strong limbs.

Within seconds, a fully armored knight knelt before Roy, its head bowed. A faint, ethereal blue light glowed from between the woven metal strips of its armor, along with the T-shaped slit in its helmet, and its edges swirled impressively with extra wisps of darkness. A black broadsword was sheathed at its side, and it carried a large shield of similar material.

He grinned. So as long as I have a Medal and a good keyword that matches what I want, making new monsters is damn easy! Absently, he gestured to summon a second knight, only to start in surprise when nothing happened. So apart from Numerous, creating a new monster only gets me one for free. Focusing, he poured some of his inner pool into the brand new shining Template, wanting not to create a new type monster from it, but instead to create a new unit.

Darkness drained away, a little less than he'd used to create the extra Shadowkhan, and then a second knight stood before him, its visor lined with glowing vertical slits, this time carrying a spear. He blinked at the weapon, before thinking for a moment, then dismissing and calling the second knight again. This time, when it appeared, it too carried a sword and shield. So, I need to spend extra energy in order to have more than one unit to summon, he thought to himself. He focused, pouring in a little more, and the third knight formed, carrying a shadowy crossbow. He grinned; now this seemed promising. Of course, after that was the more important test.

An Ashigaru formed up behind one of the knights, its own sword drawn, while the armored figure obligingly held out an arm (which Roy couldn't help but notice was longer than a human's arm should be).

Bracing himself, the boy nodded, and the transparent blade fell, slicing off the knight's arm. The severed limb quickly vanished into scraps of black mist, but the knight itself remained standing, giving no sign that it had felt any pain. As it gazed expectantly at him, Roy suddenly gasped as he felt a steady flow of energy flowing out of him, and shadows instantly streaked towards the stump of an arm, gathering and regenerating until the arm was fully restored. So…as long as they're not Numerous, it appears that I can just spend energy to heal them, he thought, frowning pensively.

Most likely the bigger the injury, the more that has to be replaced.

Just to make sure that he could in fact regenerate them from anything, he had the Ashigaru decapitate the night next, grimacing at the sight even though there was no gore; inside the armor was nothing but black fog. Once more, the head vanished, then regrew within moments. Even when the knight was diced rapidly into pieces, it would reform as good as new.

He let out a breath, adjusting himself; it was getting uncomfortable sitting down this long, but he simply couldn't stand up without feeling a wave of dizziness. Head trauma is no joke…

Shifting into a different position, he thought about how, at several points, he'd noticed that even without looking, he could feel the positions of each of his summoned units. Closing his eyes, he imagined not only the pool of darkness, but also the creatures that he had called out. As he did so, he became aware of a series of undulating cords, leading out from him towards the others.

He took a deep breath, mentally prodding them and twitching when his consciousness slipped easily into each. Almost like his mind was the whites of an egg, it spilled out of his own head as he followed the threads…

And suddenly, Roy found himself gazing at his own body, sat hunched over in the middle of the room. Not only that, but from multiple overlapping points of view! Holy shit…I can sense what my creations can! This has so many uses!

He opened his own eyes, finding that now that he knew how to spread his consciousness to them, it was a simple matter to switch focus between which eyes he used. Next test…is there a range to these? "...You," he said to one of the Shinobi Khan, "Head over to the school to see how Rias is doing."

He felt his own command thrum down the cord, like a note played on a guitar, and just as quickly felt the Shadowkhan's body move to respond. It sank down into its own shadow, but this time, Roy became aware of it as it glided effortlessly through the blackness. He could see the world sliding by overhead through the transparent ground, and was grateful that he didn't seem to find the split perspective and sense of motion nauseating.

Why can't the shadow travel be this fast when I use it, though? he groused mentally.

Maybe there's only so much that can be done with one Medal?

Annoying…

Within moments, the Shadowkhan reached Kuoh Academy, easily passing under the outer wall and gliding through the shadows towards the old school building. From his (its?) position underground, Roy was able to easily note the number of students milling about on the grounds; classes were most likely over by this point.

…Then he blushed as he realized that this 'scouting' also allowed him to see directly up the skirts of the female students. Well, on the bright side, at least it's me that got this power, he thought ruefully.

Hyoudou would die of jealousy. He must never know.

A foot suddenly stomped directly over where the Shadow lurked, and it quickly retreated deeper as a pulse of something suddenly ran down through the ground. Roy held his breath, suddenly nervous as the narrow, golden eyes of Toujou Koneko glared down at him.

"...Weird," he heard her mutter after a moment, before she continued on her way.

…Something's up with that girl, he thought, She definitely knew that this thing was here.

Dat ass doe.

NOT NOW, BRAIN!

No but seriously, I want those thighs squeezing my head. Fuck they look so soft…

Roy groaned, putting his head in his hands. Why is my past life such a pervert?

Because I'm surrounded by a bunch of sweet, sexy girls and I know it.

…I hate how right I am.

No I don't. Also, I'm just half of my own thoughts, so any perversion that I dispense is true of the whole.

Wow, this concussion has made me fucking crazier.

Or just more honest. After all, lying to yourself is a good way to REALLY go crazy.

He frowned to himself, but as usual, could not refute himself. …I guess it's nice to not have that option, he decided, bidding the Shadowkhan to continue on its way.

As it passed into the old school building, Roy realized that the shadowy abyss now rose up through the building, allowing it to 'swim' between the walls and see into the rooms. These things are pretty great at infiltration and spying. He paused as it passed by a dark room, the 'barrier' between the abyss and the actual space so thin it might as well be made of glass. What caught his attention was the only source of light, a computer screen, in front of which sat the hunched form of a petite blonde girl, who was mumbling to herself.

…Why does Rias have a Hikikomori in her club building? Whatever, question for later.

He moved on, sliding through the internal walls to find the clubroom, spotting it moments later and drifting closer, until he found a good spot under one of the couches. Sure enough, he saw Chiaki and Rias sitting across from each other…and damn near choked when he saw that the redhead was wearing only a towel. Evidently she'd just gotten out of the shower, as her smooth, creamy skin glistened with remaining moisture, and her crimson hair was noticeably damp. Her bare, shapely legs were crossed, drawing his eyes to the plumpness of her thighs, and her arms were crossed under her tremendous bust. From his vantage point under the sofa, Roy was visited by an urge to look down on her from above to try and get a better view, but quickly restrained himself.

Fuck, she looks good.

However her horrified expression marred things just a little. "...the Fallen? What Fallen!?"

"You're telling me you didn't notice?" asked Chiaki incredulously, "They're literally just sitting in an old church on the edge of town, north of the shrine."

Rias took a shaky breath. "...No, I wasn't aware that they were there." She put a hand to her face. "Ah…I should have paid more attention! I thought that this place was safe, apart from the occasional monster or Stray Devil, and I got complacent…" Her fingers curled. "He got taken right out from under me…I'm sorry."

He heard a sigh from above him. "As long as you realize what you did wrong, I suppose I can forgive you," huffed his sister, "Though I still can't say that I'm happy that you tried to turn him into a Devil. What, did you decide that he wasn't worth the effort to look after when you failed?"

"Of course not!" yelled Rias, jumping up with her eyes ablaze, "Whether you approve or not, Roy-kun is my friend! Yes, I could've had my Familiar keep an eye on him when he left, or asked Akeno to, but I didn't! If you're looking for some reason to think I would just give up on him, I won't give it to you! I just…messed up."

Roy winced; just looking at her, the redhead was just a little bit scary, with an aura of red rising off of her, moisture evaporating from her skin to leave her dry, even as her hair lifted up slightly under the force of some mystical wind. I sure don't envy nee-san right now, he thought.

Chiaki likewise stood up, and although he could only see her feet, he knew from experience that she towered over his friend. "Yeah, you 'messed up,'" she hissed, matching the redhead in malevolence "And if I hadn't gotten there in time, then my little brother would be dead. I don't know what the gods were thinking, okaying a lazy brat like you to use this town as your territory, but you'd better fucking step it up."

"I wouldn't be talking! You had every opportunity to tell your brother about the kind of danger he might be in, but he had to find out from me!"

Honestly, I dunno which one of them is being more ballsy in this situation, Roy thought to himself, starting to feel decidedly awkward about listening in on this argument. However, since said argument was about himself, he decided that he could deal with a bit of awkwardness.

"And as for 'stepping it up…" Rias continued, "...You're right." She gave a sigh, practically deflating, hair falling back down. "You're right," she repeated.

"Y-you don't have to say it twice!" stammered his sister, seemingly thrown by how quickly the other girl had seemingly capitulated.

"You know, I assume, about my family's power?"

"Nn. The Power of Destruction, right?"

Rias nodded, sitting back down with a groan. "That's right. My mother's side of the family has the power to disintegrate things. Normally, that would be enough to deal with some ragtag Fallen Angels or Stray Devils that decide to set up shop, but…it's not going to end with those, is it? Roy-kun's power will keep attracting danger to him."

"…Yeah," said Chiaki quietly, "Those who have Sacred Gears are destined to bring down calamity on themselves, whether it be Heaven or Earth. That's what they told me when I first started training as a Shrine Warrior. We were told to avoid them as much as possible. And then it turns out that my little brother is right at the top of that list." She laughed. "Kinda puts it in perspective, doesn't it? How scary it'll be for him, when everyone starts gunning for him. And to think that I thought ignorance was bliss."

There was a long moment of silence. Then…

"I don't want him to die," said Rias simply.

"Yeah."

"If he manages to fulfill even some of the potential Annihilation Maker gives him, then I bet he'll become strong enough to survive. That's why, I promise you-"

But Chiaki interrupted her. "Don't promise me. Make your promises to him. He wants to see you, you know. He asked me to tell you that."

"O-oh…" she murmured, looking pleasantly surprised for a moment.

"Ah, you thought he'd be mad at you, didn't you?" snorted his sister, "What, were you gonna grow stronger and protect him from the shadows until the time came for you to reconcile?"

"...Maybe?" Rias mumbled, blushing, "I-If I had to…"

She's cute when she's embarrassed.

"Yeah, don't do that. You might not know it, but Roy's stupidly fucking loyal to his friends. It's why he still hangs out with that perv Hyoudou. He'd be pretty mad if you started avoiding him, so just…go see him."

The redhead gave a small laugh. "Hah. You put things so bluntly, just like him."

Well, when you put it like that, yeah, maybe.

"Heh. He got it from me, you know!" boasted his sister smugly.

My ASS I did!

"Ah, where is he, by the way?"

"I took him to the shrine. The Fallen would have to actually be suicidal to try any shit there."

"I see." Nodding decisively, Rias stood up. "In that case, I'll be ready to go in just a minute."

Roy inadvertently let out a gasp of shock, astonishment and amazement when she then let her towel fall, letting his Shadowkhan see everything. As he took in the sight of her flawless curves, including a tight, narrow waist, flaring hips and huge, gravity-defyingly perky breasts, the boy decided that his first ever sight of a fully nude girl was absolutely one worth remembering.

Chiaki's Warrior outfit most certainly did not count. She wasn't fully naked anyway.

Oh shut up!

Meanwhile, his sister let out a strangled yelp. "H-holy…! Okay, nevermind, I can see why my little bro's sticking with you."

Roy finally dismissed his Shadowkhan, severing his connection with its senses, blushing furiously, Rias's last giggle echoing in his ears.

ASM

After that test of range, Roy decided that it'd be best to stick to keeping his Shadows in the area. This time, he connected himself to one of his new Knights. It was a heady feeling, to stand over himself with such a tall body. In this state, he could feel that he didn't even need to issue any orders; it was like it was his own body, to move about as he wished. But the Knight's movements were…different. Its abnormally long, thin limbs carried in them a tremendous amount of power and precision, so much so that when he swung its sword, he half-worried that he might break the sound barrier.

On a whim, he summoned several more Shadowkhan of each type, and ordered them to fight the Knights, taking control of one of latter in the process.

He almost fell into a trance, feeling how each opponent moved and struck fluidly, bending the Knight's body in ways that implied a lack of a spine to evade attacks, balancing in the most unlikely ways as he kicked and lashed out as the Shadowkhan. The brutish Sumo Khan could actually last a hit or so before dispelling, causing his sword to get stuck for a crucial second and allowing the Samurai to hack away at him. The second time this happened, he decided to just let go of the weapon and retreat, so as to save some energy. As he did so, his hand curled, and a heavy knuckle-duster appeared in it. Huh. So I can call up just about whatever weapon I want for these guys, he thought, manifesting a second one in his other hand.

His punches drilled straight through Shadowkhan bodies now, even the Sumo, drawing heavy whooshes as they cut through the air. Hm…I can't really tell how effective these are on targets this fragile, he realized quickly, finally calling a halt.

Maybe I should create something more durable tomorrow?

No, something to sense things would be more prudent, given all the enemies out there. If that chick yesterday was a Fallen Angel in disguise, I'll wanna know next time.

Yeah…if nee-san and Rias were both scared of what having this power means, then survival is gonna be a priority.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching the room and dismissed his summons, or rather, he had his Shadowkhan hide themselves in the shadows; if anyone attacked him this time, he wouldn't be completely defenseless.

The door slid open, and he saw Rias Gremory standing before him. Her eyes roved over him. "R…Roy-kun," she said tentatively.

He gave her a small smile and a wave. "Yo, Buchou."

"Are you…okay?" she asked, stepping into the room. Despite the surety he'd seen back at the clubroom, when she'd argued with Chiaki, suddenly, she seemed to have turned meek and shy when faced with him.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'd stand up, but I'm a little concussed." He spotted her flinch.

"You're hurt?"

"Well, nothing life-threatening, but I get real dizzy when I stand up."

Her eyes widened, and she quickly dashed forward, sinking to her knees before him. "W-what? Why didn't you say so sooner! Don't worry, I can heal you easily!" A glow suffused her hand, before forming into a magic circle. "Where does it hurt?"

"Back of my head…"

Immediately she reached out to gently touch the back of his head, leaning forward until they were inches apart. Roy blushed, but grinned encouragingly at her. She seemed not to notice, her cute face set in determined focus. Soon enough, however, that constant throbbing pain in his skull faded away, bringing sweet relief. "Ohh, that's much better," he sighed, "I thought I was gonna have to get used to that for the rest of the week or whatever."

"If I'd just paid attention, you wouldn't have gotten hurt at all," said the redhead, letting go of him with a sigh and leaning back on her haunches, drawing his eye to how her thighs and calves squished slightly. "I didn't even realize that you'd been…k-kidnapped, until your sister came by and told me. And after I told myself that I'd help you grow stronger, too…"

He sighed. "Buchou, I've already got the whole remorseful self-deprecation thing from my sister today, I don't need to hear it again. Anyway, let's get this out of the way: I don't blame you for what happened in the slightest."

She bit her lip. "I…I see. Even so, I need to say this." Taking his hand in hers, Rias lifted her gaze to his, letting him see the seriousness in her deep, blue-green eyes. "I promise you, Roy-kun…I'm going to start taking my job here seriously, and train to get stronger. Not just me, but my Peerage. You might not be officially part of it, but you are a member of my club, so you might as well be, and attacking anyone close to me is unacceptable." Her eyes seemed to glow. "I'm going to kill those Fallen bastards."

Roy held her gaze as she spoke, accepting her words without any argument. Afterwards, he nodded, and said, "If it's all the same to you, Buchou, I'd like a slight amendment on that."

"Eh?" She blinked, confused.

"See, given that I'm the one that they blindsided and tried to kill, I feel like it'd be anticlimactic if I just sat back and let you protect me the whole time- not that I don't appreciate it!" He added quickly when she made to protest, "I think if anyone's gonna pass the final judgement on them, I'd want it to be me, after I show them how much they fucked up." He raised his hand, and felt his three Knights rise up behind him. "You see, I've found out that I can make a new monster 'template' every day. And that means that the longer you wait to deal with those bastard cultists-"

"They're called Stray Exorcists," she told him faintly, gazing up at his new Summons.

"Yeah, them." He paused to take a breath, when suddenly an idea occurred to him. "...Hey, Buchou. You told me that Devils take contracts, right? And gain strength from it?"

Rias frowned at the sudden change of subject. "Y-yes? That's right. The more significant the task we perform, the more power we receive in return."

His brow furrowed as he thought, a smile slowly working across his face. "In that case…I assume that you can't just form contracts with a member of your Peerage, right?"

"Technically, the Evil Pieces are like the manifestation of a contract, so we can't really form additional ones until they become strong enough to have their own Peerage. Roy-kun, why are you asking about this all of a-" She broke off, her eyes widening. "Wait…are you saying…?"

Roy grinned. "Yeah. Rias Gremory, would you like to form a Contract with me? In exchange for…oh, let's say a week or two of training me up- and yourself and your Peerage of course -and leaving the final judgment of the Fallen Angels to me when we beat them…I'll do you a favor."

Rias stared at him, perplexed. "Roy, I…I mean, I'd be happy to form a contract with you, of course! But, why bother with a contract for training? It's not likely to result in much of an increase for me- again, n-not that I don't want to!" she was quick to assure him, flailing her arms slightly, "I'm just…not sure why?"

He leaned forward. "Ah, but you're not just helping with training. You're helping to train the holder of Annihilation Maker. One of the strongest Longinus users coming to you for help in getting stronger?" He raised his eyebrows, smirking. "Eh? Sounds pretty significant, doesn't it?"

She giggled at his conspiratory tone, "Well, when you put it that way…lemme take a look." Then, to his surprise, she whipped out her smartphone and pulled up an app. "Let's see…a week or two of training the holder of Annihilation Maker, in exchange for a favor from the same…" Rias waited for a few moments for whatever results the app gave her.

"You have an app for Devil contracts?"

"Hm? Oh yes. We keep up with technology pretty well. I mean, can you imagine a girl my age without a phone?"

"Ah, fair point."

Then she refocused on the screen. "...Yes, that would be legitimate. And the favor can be one large one, or several small se-" She coughed, her cheeks turning pink. "N-nevermind. Yes, we have a deal, Yatogami Roy-kun."

"Excellent," he said, nodding with satisfaction.

"…Though I have to admit, it's impressive that, even though you just learned about your…well, status, you're already using it to great effect like this. I would've thought that it would take a while to realize how much you mean to the world."

His grin shrank slightly, becoming wry. "Well…to tell you the truth, I overheard your conversation with nee-san earlier."

"What?!" yelped a voice from the doorway.

"Oh shaddup, it's not like you're doing anything different!" he yelled over Rias's shoulder, before turning his attention back to her, "Anyway…I already know that having this power is gonna get a target put on me, and that that scares you. I know that you want to get stronger for my sake." When the redhead blushed again and looked away, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm thankful for that. It means a lot to me that you'd go that far. But…Longinus users are a big deal, aren't they? I'm not that strong yet, but if I'm gonna be a mover and shaker in the supernatural world one day…then I wanna get used to acting like it. I don't want to get used to staying behind and being protected."

As he gave voice to his feelings, they stilled themselves in his heart, hardening into crystallizing into a kind of resolve. Behind him, the shadows stirred, and red eyes opened up to gaze in at the room. His smile faded away, and his own blue eyes pierced into Rias, who stiffened under his gaze.

"I'm a fucking monster maker," he continued, standing up, feeling grateful that he no longer felt any dizziness. "And when I go out there to kick some ass, I won't be afraid, even if I'm just a human, because I will NEVER be alone."

Rias gazed up at him, wide eyed. Then she too smiled and stood up, reaching out and taking his hand. "No, you won't be," she agreed firmly.

ASM

AN: Boom! There we have it! I was worried that I was slowing down a little there, but just like that I'm back!

UO: This train has no brakes *CRASH*...Roy did it!

Sol: Hell yeah brother!

Soul: Not bad. I feel motivated.

Alright, time for notes.

1: Chiaki sure does stupid things for the ones she loves. Dressing up in hentai heroine outfits is just part of the job.

2: Chiaki's only real familiarity with Rias is what she's heard from her superiors in terms of supernatural knowledge and the fact that they go to the same school. Even then, Chiaki is in the College division, so she has pretty much zero reason to interact with her unless Something Bad happens.

3: For those of you who were hoping for more Shinto Faction involvement, rejoice, because it will be happening. Just gradually. Also, while Chiaki and the other Maidens she works with are technically under the authority of Bishamonten, they mainly deal with his emissaries when he has something for them to do.

4: Bishamonten (or just Bishamon) is a War god, thought to be an aspect of Hachiman, and is also called Vaisravana, one of the Four Heavenly Kings in Buddhist mythology. He deals primarily in punishing the wicked for their crimes.

5: Roy just doesn't have the energy or inclination to hold grudges over things like secrets being kept like him. He is, however, vulnerable to other people crying; it makes him upset in turn.

6: In which it becomes readily apparent that Raynare has never actually met Azazel in her life. Poor girl has abandonment issues, to put it mildly.

7: And now we get into the actual Solo Leveling stuff for this pseudo crossover! About damn time. What better protector for Roy to create than the Knights that the original Shadow Monarch first raised himself?

8: In addition, we see a bit more of how Annihilation Maker works, or at least the Subspecies that Roy has. As long as he has a Medal, he can make a Template. As long as he has a template, he can make monsters that fit it. As long as the monster isn't Numerous, he has to spend energy to make more of them (though any copies he makes are permanent) and he can spend energy to heal any injuries they take.

9: He can also share any of their senses and control their bodies as if they were his own. This can be a little confusing, as pretty much all of his Summons possess higher physical attributes than him.

10: When not carrying a passenger, Shadowkhan Shadow Travel can be pretty fast.

11: A brief guest appearance by everyone's favorite Vampire Trap.

12: Catfight while one girl is only wearing a towel? Why yes, this is an ecchi/harem series, how could you tell? XD

13: Ultimately, while Chiaki and Rias have their differences, they still have some things in common: their desire to protect the ones dear to them.

14: Of course, Roy is not content to merely be protected. He might be human, but he's already considered Important by the rest of the world, not just his sister and sexy friend. The best time to speak up about such things is as soon as possible, and to declare himself a strong independent human who don't need no devil! Even if she is very cute and nerdy.

15: The contract is mostly a formality; Roy would of course do a favor for Rias if she asked, and she would similarly help train him no matter what. However, getting such things down in Demonic Legalese can have...benefits.

And that'll do it for now! Seeya next time!

As always, thank you to my friends UnitedOsprey, Soleneus and SoulEmbrace for looking this over and pointing shit out that needs changing.

If you have any questions or comments, leave a review or send me a PM.

North South Out.