Thank you for the congratulations, i feel congratulated

Here's a relatively quick update as gratitude, and because Argentina proceeded to the KO stages and therefore freeing me from one of my worries

Quit Staring at Me, That's Rude

〖Chapter 5〗

⦕ Sever the Ties ⦖

"Aside from your nightmares, any other… drawbacks?"

"I get headaches if I use it too much. Sharp ones. Like my head's being squashed."

"Hmm. Even then your eyesight is notably sharp. For a human that is— how far can you see objects in detail?"

"Uhhh… I don't know. Pretty far?"

"Hmmm… That sign across the field. What does it say?"

"Girls only."

"Impressive."

"Er… not really, I just remember what it says."

She chuckled. "Ah."

Christiana Rosenkreuz.

At least that was what the nametag on her white doctor's coat said. A hot topic for all the male students who would brainstorm for any excuse so they could visit the school's infirmary. She fit the 'hot school nurse' trope down to a T. Beautiful face and figure? Check. A cool, easygoing, with a unique mix of maturity and yet tomboyish aura surrounding her? Check. Enticing fragrance? Check. A voice that was slightly deeper than most women yet effortlessly seductive without being breathy? Check. Great thighs in tights? Very much so.

No boys ever stayed cool around their school nurse. Even when they tried to, she would break their composure anyway, taking in that sadistic delight in making younglings squirm simply for the heck of it.

Yet for a reason beyond imagination, this particular one was blind to all her aforementioned qualities, instead being fixated at the fact that her name was Roygun Belphegor, and the pair of horns nestling beside her cherry blossom pink hair. One for each side, curving forward and pointing at the ceiling.

"You're an odd one," Roygun softly giggled, easily matching Akeno's in respect of effortless sultriness, yet just as easily outmatching Rias' Queen in terms of the maturity her voice carried. A dangerously bewitching contralto. "Normally the boys would steal glances at my chest, not my horns."

"I mean everyone got chest," Issei replied blandly, raising a few eyebrows, "but I don't see someone with horns everyday."

Koneko gloomily stared at her 'chest', proceeding to kick Kiba's shin because of his unintentionally irritating sympathetic look. The blonde Knight winced and bit down the pain.

"...Can I touch them?"

"My, how bold," Roygun tittered, this time more deviously. "Go on ahead if you dare."

He dared and went for it, touching it very gently as though her horn would sear his fingers.

"It's rock hard."

Akeno giggled.

"You won't find any softer bits up there."

Akeno giggled a mite louder. Rias lowered her eyelids, preparing to roll her eyes within the next seconds.

"Yeow—" Issei jerked his hand back, staring at his index finger to see if it was bleeding. It wasn't. Thank the heavens. "Pointy tips too."

Roygun shrugged. "As will the ones below… given the right condition and treatment… or how chilly it is."

This time, Issei and Akeno laughed quietly. That one didn't go under his radar at least, Roygun mused to herself.

Rias had tolerated this tomfoolery enough. "Well? How is he? Any… anomalies? Anything beyond what's to be expected?"

"Anomalies?" Roygun repeated, sighing as she relaxed against her office chair. "An anomaly in more ways than one… this one," she put one leg above another and cusped her knee. "First off, he's drained the Demonic Magic stored inside his Evil Pieces. Consumed it, rather…"

"There's something inside me?" Issei worriedly asked. "Is it… is it gonna come out? Like… like the Hulk?"

Turning into a big green monster would not be ideal for a teenager, he didn't think.

"No telling yet if that is the case… But you—or what you have—have stripped away all magical properties of an object before 'eating' it."

"Riiight…" Issei said, totally not getting it. "Can you dumb it down. How'd it happen, I mean."

"I can at least try," Roygun sighed. "Magic and science actually correlate with one another — Demonic Power; the 'energy' that is stored inside the Evil Piece, doesn't just disappear or appear out of nowhere. It came from the Agreas Crystal. Are you following me so far?"

"Yes Sensei."

"Energies don't disappear. Magical or not. They only change states. So either you have consumed it or you've unconsciously converted it into another. Where it goes is still in the air… Now Sacred Gears — they are often named as God's Tools because it creates energies out of nothing. Nothing short of a miracle, so to speak. What you have, while it's yet to be confirmed, may work the other way around, by turning energy into nothing."

Issei realized he didn't really understand all of that. Only bits of it. The words made sense, sure, he just couldn't grasp how his body did all of that. Sucks to be academically challenged.

"...Should I start getting worried?" so he instead asked. His gut was telling him he should be concerned.

"I can't say. It's my first time seeing a case like yours."

"Huh. That's relieving."

Sarcasm. How adorable. "I say things as is," Roygun shrugged weightlessly, glancing over to look at Rias. "If you want to know more then I'll need to run more in-depth tests to know what's happening with this anomalous human of yours. None of those tests can be done here."

"He's not a lab rat you're free to toy with," Rias warned with mild annoyance. Roygun lifted both her hands to show she meant no ill will by that. "...That depends on him."

All eyes on him again. He might have to start getting used to all this unwanted attention. "...Well, I do want to know what's wrong with me but… I gotta know what you're gonna do to me first. Not saying I don't trust you, Sensei, but I don't wanna be experimented on by a mad scientist."

"Hm? But I'm reasonably sane," Roygun said with a simpering smile, not helping her case. "Only some harmless tests. A more thorough scan of your body, brain, inner organs, and other intricacies. There's nothing I'd do that would harm you physically."

"What about mentally."

"Nor mentally," the school nurse hummed teasingly.

Issei squinted. "...Doesn't sound very convincing to me…"

Roygun smirked, leaning over to him as she whispered, "I can do a lot of convincing later on."

He didn't blink. "Later on? Why not now?"

Her smirk grew into a grin. "Oooh… Very bold. Quite audacious isn't he?"

Issei furrowed his brow. He felt like he just missed something.

"Stop teasing him, Roygun," sighed Rias, growing frustrated by the moment. "...Hyoudou, I can't force you to do anything, but I do suggest you think this through first. While it isn't uncommon for a human to enter Hell, most of them are either Magicians or Contractors. You are neither."

"Oh you mean the lab is in Hell?!" he gaped, "I thought it'd be somewhere around! Like a hidden lair or something!"

"That's what I proposed. I'd like that very much, but the budget's been a bit tight this year."

"I thought you could just build stuff with magic."

"And renew the structures on a daily basis? It's much cheaper and convenient to buy the materials on Earth. There are tons of them being wasted upon."

"Huh…" Issei thought the reason he got paid so much despite having no prior experience was due to the fact the Devils' society didn't value money. "The more you know."

"What do you say, boy? Eager to see what Hell looks like?" Roygun smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Don't worry. There are no monsters there. Only feral Demons in the badlands."

"That has never breached the defenses for centuries," Rias hurriedly added, giving Roygun a disapproving look. "And they're less of a threat, more of a nuisance either way."

That didn't seem to bother Issei, however. Instead, he seemed curious. "What's the difference between Demons and Devils? —Wait, shit, I didn't mean to be rude. I just don't know anything about anything."

"Well. They often have tails and horns," said Roygun, noticing the boy glancing at her horns again. "Yes. Like mine. But longer. Serving as weapons rather than ornaments. The nobles think of them as 'unrefined ruffians'. The commoners see them as an annoyance. Despite these Demons have been around longer than the Devils as a whole. Not much different to how some nations of your world treat the natives."

"That so…" Issei nodded, ruminating what he had just learned. The other Devils kept watch at him, interested at how he would react that yes, for a fact, Devils are capable of prejudice.

"So… if they've been around before you guys… and you guys were born because of the First Lucifer, right?" he said, recalling Rias' crash course a few days regarding her kin's history. "...Who made them?"

The Occult Research Club's room went quiet, until Kiba snorted a brief chuckle. "See? He raises some good questions."

Roygun's smile was much more sincere this time. "You indeed raise a good question — since that's what I asked Ajuka."

'The hell's Ajuka?' Issei wanted to ask, stopping because he didn't want to be rude and cut her off.

It was Rias instead who cut her off. "Did he say anything?"

"He speculated it might be Trihexa. Might be another God. Not much we know about the time before it all began, and no Demons have ever bothered to keep their history recorded," she continued. "A fun fact; we name it 'Demonic Power' because 'Devilish Power' doesn't sound as intimidating. In truth, a Demon's power has no similarities to what the Devils have. Funny that, hm?"

That was an interesting fact, Issei decided. Not sure if it was funny. He knew it was all he understood from that explanation — Trihexa? The name rang a bell. Something he heard from math class probably. Who'd have thought math would be the reason for Demons' existence.

"If only those Demons were much more cooperative… that age old question would already have an answer. Ah well," Roygun shrugged. "I can teach you a lot more about our species if you are so interested in knowing. Much more fascinating than learning about your own that you've grown so accustomed to, no?"

"Oh yea. Definitely. Normal humans are probably boring to you."

"Hmm. Well. You're not wrong. Sleep, eat, work, repeat— what kind of a society-imposed torture is that?"

"Right!? That's honestly my biggest fear — living in a cycle, being part of the rat race. Then there's marriages, kids, wife, retiring parents, taxes, mortgages… Work work work until you're too old to do all the stuff you wanna do when you were young. Like… damn, that's it?"

"You have heavy thoughts for a highschooler and a reasonable fear. I misjudged you."

"Ah- that's alright." He was used to being judged anyway. "That's probably why I'm here too… Aside from wanting to find out what the heck is up with my eyes, of course."

"Of course," the nurse hummed, folding her hands. "He's a fascinating specimen, Rias, but that's all I can give you. I only took a little part in making the Evil Pieces. You'll either have to ask Ajuka directly or bring him to Hell. In which case — just give me a ring."

"We'll consider it," Rias nodded. "Thank you."

"Much obliged," the school nurse hummed, getting up as she dusted off her white coat. "I'll be in the infirmary. See if I can continue my interrupted nap. I was having quite the pleasant dream as well."

"I appreciate your time and help, Roygun."

"But never my sarcasm…" said the school nurse with a dejected tone. "You'll soon learn to appreciate it."

"I doubt it…" Rias sighed as she gave a quick glance at her second-in-command, who played coy and was looking all innocent.

"Ara? Why are you looking at me with such an accusative stare, Buchou?"

Rias shook her head in mute reply.

'Oh… and by the way, Rias.'

Rias, hands crossed, skimmed over towards the leaving Roygun. Although she despised having her thoughts being intruded upon without prior agreement, the school nurse that held the moniker as 'Empress of the Round Table' had enough reasons to skip the formalities..

'Keep an eye on him. Better yet, sever ties with him. I can't see anything but trouble if you keep him around. I'd be glad to take him in, however.'

Despite Roygun's soft giggles carrying her words away, Rias frowned. If she could invade Roygun's mind then she'd chastise her for that warning. Sensible as it might be, no matter the reason, Issei hadn't done anything to warrant that level of suspicion. His ocular 'powers' and unsettling occurrences aside, he was a completely ordinary highschooler thrown into an unordinary world. If that wretched Crow didn't approach him, then he wouldn't have to go through this.

Break

"You seem to have a lot in your mind. Or are you in a bad mood because your Saturday didn't go as you think it should've?"

It was no surprise to her that Akeno would pick up her foul frame of mind. Apart from the obvious factor that was her ruined self-proclaimed holiday, Rias hadn't made any attempt to hide her growing vexation regarding the recent developments.

"Both," so she replied, sighing lengthily, almost as if she was deflating on her bed. Akeno was sitting by the bedside, evidently in a much better mood. Ignorance is bliss, she supposed.

"Do share then," Akeno offered. "Are we bringing him to Hell?"

"It will be safer for him there, but…"

"But… you're concerned he might be taken away?"

"Far from it," Rias scowled. "I'm bothered about what Roygun said earlier."

"About him?"

"Hmm," she groaned, crossing her hands, releasing a sigh, wondering if she had made the right call thus far. "...Was I too hasty?" she then asked. "But if I didn't approach him, then the Fallens would've gotten to him first."

"Hasty or not, it's in the past either way. Can't do much about it, hm?"

"Right… you're right." Another sigh. "...Should we take him? To Hell, I mean? What do you think?"

"If you're not bothered other Devils might snatch him away — I don't see why not?"

"I don't want him to get too used to this side of the world. Not too late for him to step away and relive his life."

"Isn't? I'm pretty sure he's hunted by those Crows to simply 'step away', Rias."

"He can. Once we deal with them. Goading them to make reckless decisions won't be difficult, and no sane Fallen Angels are willing to plunge back into a war over a couple of dead. At most they'll ask for a little bit of territory, and there's no chance we'll cave in. But only if they make the first move."

Seemed like her smarts in cunning had been catching up with her beauty… Shouldn't be too much of a surprise considering who, or what, her brother had become.

Akeno breathed. "Though they have been awfully passive these last few weeks until Issei-kun came along. Going as far as trying to hurt him when one of ours is around."

"...A risky move without the appropriate reward… I've been wondering about that too. Kalawarner is a mindless brute but I expected more from Raynare. She should've been able to reel in her dog."

"A careless mistake?"

"A careless mistake that warrants a death sentence," Rias stated. Even a brainless muscle like Kalawarner should at least be wary about the fragile nature of their status quo. A very thin ice she stepped upon, and she just threw a boulder by charging at Koneko. In broad daylight no less. "...I'm not worried about dealing with her. I'm more worried about what they know about him."

"Him? They're not interested in him. Just his powers."

"And I can't claim I was any different at the beginning," Rias openly admitted. "Any chivalrous reasons I told him whether it was for his safety or not, deep down I know I want him to be one of ours. That said… I don't understand why they'd want to kill him."

"They've killed for less," Akeno pointed out, not at all concerned enough to put more thought into it.

"True," Rias conceded. "...That doesn't explain why they're so reckless… Desperate? Perhaps? …Maybe I'm overthinking it."

"Hmm. Maybe so. But I expected nothing less from you."

That sarcasm shocked the Gremory. "H-Huh? What does that mean? Do I overthink often?"

Akeno replied with a satisfied half-smile. "Sometimes. Just sometimes. In a healthy dose. Not something you should worry about; it balances us out."

In a flash, Rias recalled all of her Servants' berserk buttons and how easily they'd abandon all reason over a slight nudge. She promptly found solace that she carried no chains from the past that were dragging her steps. Only the fact that she wasn't able to help them as much as she had hoped.

She had taken in Akeno, Kiba and Koneko all in hope she could provide them another shot at a better life. She got a friend and a capable Queen instead, but was unable to do anything to help her, at the very least, make peace with her mother's untimely death. Bringing her to all sorts of places, giving her gifts among other junks had done nothing in helping the ostracized Himejima from moving from her past.

She revived Yuuto so that he could live on for those he lost, not seek vengeance. She managed, for the time being, but deep inside she knew the Knight had gotten tired of talking about his past only to hear the same resolution; please try and let them go. And what happened then? She was the one that got frustrated, and made him swear an oath instead… What a leader she was.

Koneko… Her brother entrusted the petrified youngling to her as he believed Rias would fare better than Koneko's real sister. He wasn't often wrong, but he couldn't be more mistaken. That bond she had with her sister wasn't something easily replaced or needing fixed. All she could do was ensure Koneko would be able to see her sister again — not a factor she could control. It didn't help that Kuroka was hunted.

In spite of it all, her Servants had given their all for her. They kept her safe. They never left. They all had tried, and succeeded, in becoming better. They even consoled her when the stress from her marriage arrangement was too much for her to bear.

Now Issei…

Another shot. A chance to see if she did learn from her past mistakes. Her primary intention of taking him in was to save him from the Fallen Angels' pursuit. Not to fix him, or worse, inflict him with unwanted traumas.

Break

"Hey, Koneko-chan, I'm human again am I?"

Not expecting this sudden deduction, especially when they were just idling by the lounge, Koneko could only widen her eyes before remembering the fact that she lied, and her expression morphed from surprise into shame.

"...How did you find out?"

"The sunlight didn't sting when we were walking back. I thought that was just me getting used to it but… then Roge— Ry— Roy-sensei said 'this human' or something like that. I still wasn't sure, probably a mispeak from her — but now you just confirmed it."

Koneko's frown shifted into a scowl. That was poor from her part as the group's resident poker face. Admittedly, her expression wasn't as 'rigid' as most her peers had claimed to be nor was she trying to look neutral at all times if not bored. She really was just bored.

"Why did you lie to me though?"

Her scowl reverted back into a guilty frown. "...I'm sorry."

"Huh? I wasn't baiting for you to apolomagize. I'm just curious."

Her head perked up. "Curious?"

"Yeah. Why you lied," he said candidly. "Why you think you should."

"I um…" Koneko faced the table beneath her, tongue-tied. "...I didn't want you to feel left out. You look distressed enough. Senpai."

"Did I? …Well… I guess I did…" he muttered, unsure of what he felt back then or if it bothered him that much. "So you lied for my sake huh? That's considerate of you, Koneko-chan. Thanks."

Koneko gave a tiny nod. Emotionless on the outside, but was deeply relieved he didn't make a big deal out of her lie. That was quite the shock he gave her earlier. Issei wasn't known for his grades or flowery social life, and he did struggle trying to comprehend Roygun's exposition, but from what she had gathered, he seemed like an alright guy that understood social cues better than her. As his senior, she'd like to be someone he could depend upon.

"Senpai."

"Yea?"

"I want you to rely on me."

"...H-Huh?" Issei blinked. "Huh? What? Is this a confession?"

A scarlet blush crept upon her face once Koneko realized the implication of her words. "Th— that's not what I meant…" Koneko forgot her bluntness was a double-edged sword sometimes. "I-I mean… If there's something troubling you… Talk to me."

"Ahhh… right…"

"Or Yuuto-senpai, if it's easier," Koneko added, suddenly aware of their age gap and likely life experience. Koneko wasn't exactly a shrinking introvert, but she did in fact prefer to be alone most of the time. "I know the President. She won't abandon you no matter what, Senpai. Even if you lose trust in us… for whatever reason… I believe Rias-senpai will still want the best for you."

"Alright. I'll lay my feelings out if I feel like crap. But I want it to be a two-way street, Koneko-chan," he replied, smiling somewhat boastfully. "If you got something on your mind or just wanna vent; I'm all ears."

"...Okay," Koneko smiled. This felt nice. Talking to him felt nice. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Pardon me," returning from the kitchenette nearby, Kiba handed each of them a mug filled with steaming hot chocolate as he took a seat next to Koneko. The scent of the lounge suddenly got twice as pleasant. "Your evening beverages."

"Where's yours?"

"I don't like chocolate. Too late to drink coffee now."

"Welp…" The mouth-watering aroma evoked a strong sense of craving, and Issei wasted no time taking a careful sip, sighing in delight afterwards. It wasn't anything special, but hot chocolate was hot chocolate, and hot chocolates during nights were always a welcome pre-bed drink.

"Oh sweet baby Jesus have mercy—" he breathed, cupping the cup with his hands, enjoying the warmth. "This chocolate rocks. Thanks, man."

"Don't mention it," Kiba smiled, disregarding the pang of headache. "...And don't mention that name either."

"OH— my bad…" Issei said sheepishly. "And uh, you guys really think of Prez highly huh? I've only heard rumors about her. Everyone said she's perfect in everything."

"And what do you think of her after meeting her in person, Issei-kun?"

"I know she's kind, that's for damn sure. I don't think I can remember the last time anyone was ever that kind to me. Must be a good leader too and not the bossy kind since I don't think you'd say what you said if she was. She's caring. Also has that motherly vibe to her while Akeno-senpai has more of a big sister-y vibe... I'm not the only one who thinks that way, right?"

"No you're not," Kiba said with an amused laughter.

Koneko backed Kiba's words with several nods. She was perfectly fine in letting him do the talking while she waited for her chocolate to cool down. A torture in and of itself, but a price she must pay due to her sensitive tongue.

"...So, Roygun-sensei— hey I got her name right— err, what's she like?"

"Other than what you've seen for yourself, we don't know too much about her other than she used to be a noble."

"Used to? What happened?"

"We don't know. Prez or Akeno-san probably knows more. You might not've noticed but she didn't talk to any of us during your checkup, Issei-kun. Just you, Prez, and Akeno-san."

"Huh…"

"But I don't think she's a bad person," Kiba went on. "Most nobles don't pay much attention to other noble's Servants after all. Sometimes out of contempt, but some do it out of respect towards the other noble. As for Miss Roygun, I'd assume she only bothers with what fascinates her at the moment."

"Out of respect?" Issei repeated, not really seeing the correlation with ignoring people and respect.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want them to know you're secretly coveting their slaves."

"Ahahaha… that's… one way to put it."

Kiba laughed sheepishly but didn't deny it, Issei observed.

"Politics huh."

"Politics." The Knight affirmed, sighing. "Despite what it is, it's still an important skill to learn if you want to climb the ranks. Vital, even. I've seen nobles lose all their riches and heritage in a day because they disrespected a member of the Council."

"Ehh…"

"But you should be fine where you are, Issei-kun," Kiba offered a charming smile. "And if you ever want to learn, you can do that by watching Prez. Akeno-san as well, to a degree."

"Got it, thanks for the head's up. What about you though?"

"Ah, well… I'm more of a backstage kind of person when it comes to that. I'm better in combat than diplomacy. Besides, I was born and trained to be an Exorcist. Not exactly a former occupation worthy of praise when you're a Devil since I did hunt them for some while…"

The word 'hunt' triggered his inner chuuni. "Damn, man. That sounds badass."

"Hahaha— I'm glad you think so."

"So why do you stay a Devil? Wait, let me rephrase that… What's the reason for you choosing to stay a Devil? Other than… well… what happened to you then… Hang on, it's not like you can just stop being a Devil… uh…"

"It's fine. I get what you're trying to ask."

Koneko shifted uneasily, glancing a look at Kiba, worried if Issei had crossed a line.

But Kiba appreciated Issei's apprehensiveness in asking the question, but also regarded him for his balls. Not many people dared to ask Kiba about his past. More so when only knowing him for just a few days.

"I didn't have much choice to begin with," the blonde Knight started, surprising Koneko. His voice was lower than usual, hinting at the yet-to-be-lifted burden he carried. "The options I had was either death or serve, and I was too angry to just accept death right then. I still have… unfinished business… so I chose to serve her. As her Knight."

"Dang."

"I know it's near impossible, but I want to repay her for what she's given to me. That's my reason."

"Literally owing her your life huh…? I hope you don't have to pay that in equal," Issei said genuinely, taking another sip of the now half-full chocolate. "...You don't have to answer this if you don't wanna, but how did you die?"

Kiba flashed a frown that soon turned to a scowl.

"I was too weak."

Issei contemplated whether it was right of him to touch a sensitive matter like this. Kiba didn't pull the breaks, however, and went on.

"Too stupid. Too gullible." Kiba clenched his fists, glaring at the table. "Found out too late that I was just a disposable tool. That we were just expendables."

'Yikes.'

Kiba raised his head, meeting Issei's eyes. "I don't think you've heard about the Holy Sword Project."

Issei shook his head.

"...It was a project run by an organization under the Vatican… with their full knowledge and approval," he seethed. "They took in orphans from orphanages, no matter how young or old, as long as they're above 5, and taught them how to fight. Gave them 'purpose', and that purpose is to be a Holy Sword wielder. Be a 'Holy Knight'."

Issei didn't say a word. He'd never expected Kiba would brood like this. All the girls in his school would lose their minds.

"I was seven when they found me. We were just a bunch of confused children raised with fake love. I never questioned it even though I knew it was all just a farce. Too scared to lose what I had…" he sighed as though he had lost to the turmoil in his head. "Fake or not… it felt real. I thought if I worked harder than everyone else, they'd finally see I was worth it."

Kiba sighed.

"But it didn't matter. When they figured none of us were compatible — that the Holy Sword didn't choose any of us — they got rid of me just like how they got rid of everyone else, except they left me to bleed to death. Then I met Rias." A harsh chuckle. "Funny isn't it? I was the least deserving of another chance, but I was the only survivor… As if god himself was mocking me."

"...ow."

"...Haha… sorry Koneko-chan," Kiba sheepishly laughed, patting the girl on her head several times.

And Koneko grabbed his hand with both of hers, forcing it to stay on her head. "You have us now."

"Things are far better now, though," Kiba's smile had found its way home. Much more pleasant now, in fact. Not as forced. "Like she said; I have them, and now you as well, Issei-kun."

"That's nice, dude."

"I'd still very much like to kill the ones responsible, however."

"Ahahaha—" Now it was Issei that laughed sheepishly. Not very comfortable to hear the word 'kill' being said with true intention instead of a joke. "Happy for you, man. Seems like you've been through hell."

"Still am."

"Damn dude, if your brooding gets any more impressive, I swear the girls will swoon when you walk past them. They'd have broody babies in your honor."

Kiba laughed. It was the loudest and freest laughter he could remember. Issei felt honored and proud to have another person laugh at his jokes other than the usual suspects.

Koneko was equally shocked as she was surprised. "I didn't know you could laugh like that."

"Me neither, Koneko-chan," the blondie huffed, still having some leftover laughter. "Haha… I'm glad you asked, Issei-kun. Thanks. I didn't get to talk about this much."

"All I did was listen to you though."

"Maybe that's all you had to do."

Issei smirked cheekily. "Well. Then anytime, brotha."

The two boys bumped their fists, unfailing in making Koneko feel left out. Slightly jealous as well.

"While we're still on topic— what about you, Koneko-chan? Ya have a specific reason why you hang around Prez?"

She blinked a few times. "I feel safest here."

"Safe? Are you hiding from something? Or just safe in general?"

It was a question said in jest, but Koneko needed more time to answer that. Right now didn't seem to be the right time. "...Just in general."

Issei didn't need to read minds to tell that was a lie. "Alright. That's a good thing to have."

"...A-Actually… I…" Koneko paused. Changing her mind wasn't something she did often, especially in such a short time after deciding on something. "...Am I hiding…?"

'No, you're Koneko,' Issei wanted to say, but knew that would ruin the mood. That would be unprofessional of him. "I can't answer that."

"What's wrong, Koneko-chan?" Kiba offered. "You look confused."

"Because I am," she admitted as she tipped her head to one side. "...I want to see her… but I also don't want to."

'Her?'

"My… sister. Neesama," Koneko continued quietly. "It's confusing… I shouldn't be afraid of her. I know she won't hurt me but… but I am. I… don't get it."

Kiba could only sigh. With all the emotional traumas he carried, he didn't have the confidence to give out advice. Consoling words were all he could provide. "You'll be fine, Koneko-chan. Either way, we're around. You won't be alone when you do meet her again."

"I know…" she muttered. "...But I don't know why I don't want to see her but still do at the same time… I miss her."

That's heartbreaking. Issei got sad too even if he didn't know the whole story. "Why isn't she here? Did she go to a different group? Errr— Peerage?"

"Well…" Kiba was the one who spoke. "...What do you want me to do, Koneko-chan? Is it alright to tell him?"

She nodded, too preoccupied with this newfound turmoil in her mind.

"Her sister is a wanted felon. The victim's family pressed charges on her as well as Koneko-chan, but the Gremory House intervened, annulled Koneko's sentence for a favor, and took her in. For me, I think they'll do the same if they find her sister. She just won't have as much leeway as Koneko-chan's."

"Have you met her?"

Kiba shook his head. "She's elusive. That much I can tell. Dangerous too… she won't be branded an SS-Rank criminal for nothing. To put in comparison, the highest ranking Stray Demons our group has handled are A-Rank, and for each increase in rank roughly means they're ten times more dangerous. Meaning an SS-Rank criminal can be a hundred times more dangerous than an A-Rank."

Sounds dangerous. Issei swallowed. He imagined if he had a brother that had killed someone. How he'd react. He couldn't.

Now he looked at Koneko, and didn't wonder how difficult this must be for her. Especially when it was pretty clear she still cared for her sister despite her crimes. And though he'd only known her for a while, Koneko didn't seem the type to just latch onto anybody. They were both orphaned as well… If he was Koneko's brother, he'd do anything to protect her. Perhaps going as far as killing someone if it was what he must do in order to keep her safe.

He imagined he'd have a different perspective regarding killing if he was raised in Hell. He'd be a completely different person, no doubt.

"Maybe you're afraid she's changed?" Issei added in his two cents. "You've never seen her since then, right? Even before she did what she did?"

Koneko lifted her head, eyes widening. "...No. I didn't."

Issei cocked his head, folding his arms. "Maybe that's why? If she's never killed before, maybe you're shocked how she could do something like that when you're always with her. And now you're afraid she's no longer the Oneesama you knew."

"That's… that's true…" Koneko frowned dejectedly. "...You're right. I… get it now. I miss her because she's my sister. But I don't want to see her because I'm scared to find out if she's changed… And Neesama has always been more daring than me." Her shoulders slumped as her mood took a deep plunge due to the anxiety. "…What if the reason she never came back is because I was holding her back?"

Issei started panicking. "Wh-whoa now… how did you go to that conclusion?"

"But it makes sense!" Koneko cried. "I couldn't take care of myself so she did it for me. I was always the one who cried while Oneesama… With the way I acted, it must be as if I was the only one who lost my parents… She must've gotten sick of me…"

"C'mon Koneko-chan, you don't know that."

"...Maybe I'm not afraid if she's changed… maybe I'm just scared if she actually hates me because I made her change…"

Kiba finally spoke, "Koneko-chan—"

"I'm sorry Senpai," she sighed, sniffling, getting off her seat as she wiped her tears. Her head was pulsating and her heart was beating too fast. "I think I'll sleep this off… Sorry for shouting at you. I'll apologize properly tomorrow."

"Th-that's fine," Kiba sighed. "You don't have to apologize."

"Yeah. Thanks for sharing. Hope you'll feel better soon."

Koneko nodded. "...Yes." And she left the lounge in silence, the sullen look refusing to leave her face as she made way to her bedroom.

After a brief stare at the exit, then at each other's eyes, the two boys exhaled a long sigh.

"Crap… shouldn't have asked…"

"You did more good than harm, I think… She seems to have realized something from that. I never saw her like that."

"You think…?"

The two went deathly quiet when they noticed Koneko had returned, still with a sullen look on her face as she approached their table.

And picked up her mug. "...I forgot this."

And left without further fanfare.

"Yeah. She'll be alright," Kiba reassured, before promptly smiling. "You're a great listener, Issei-kun. I've had a hunch but now you've really impressed me. You should consider being our therapist instead."

A few laughs and jokes after, the conversation delved into light topics. Unsurprisingly, Issei was easy to talk to. Every topic he brought up, even those that the human knew completely none about, Issei would listen with genuine interest. He even asked how he took care of his sword and if he ever tried creating something other than a sword.

"Spear, axe, shields— other weapons. Like a gun."

"...Can't say I have, but then it wouldn't have been called Sword Birth, would it."

"What would it be called then?"

Kiba considered for a moment. "...Weaponry… Birth…?"

"Wow, that's lame."

A few moments later, the two decided to hit the sack. Tomorrow might be Sunday but that wasn't a guaranteed holiday for the Devils. To spite God's command about not working during sabbath, some would claim. It wasn't until Issei reached his room that he remembered he was supposed to ask the Devils what Hell was like and to get their opinions on whether he should volunteer himself to be experimented upon.

Eh well… not like his time wasn't well spent… there was always tomorrow.

Break

"The longer you delay this task, the higher chance there won't be another tomorrow."

Once again cursing her fate for having to sit before Penemue, once again getting chastised, once again wishing Kokabiel didn't go nuts over starting another war— normally Raynare could only bite down her rage and listen.

But today she had enough.

"What do you want me to do then?" she griped. "The Devils are all coddling him in that school, and that Belphegor is nearby. The Gremory must've asked for better protection. Even with all my men, we'll die stupid."

"Why didn't you take care of him when he was outside? That was your chance."

"He had an escort stronger than me or my Soldiers that were present. I didn't want to risk starting the goddamn war again," she persisted. "And it was just luck we found him wandering about. We didn't even know he could go back to being human. Yes, expect the unexpected, but who could have expected that?! And now when we're getting ready, that damned Belphegor showed up. I need more and better men. The five of us won't be enough."

Penemue's stare was stern. Unflinching. Raynare struggled to maintain eye contact from the sheer pressure exuded from the Fallen Scribe, but she remained stubborn. If she wilted away, then this meeting wouldn't be any different to the last.

"...Give… give me more men. An adequate one. Replace me if you have, but I'm not sending my Soldiers to a suicide mission."

"He's human again, you say?"

"...Yeah."

People rarely saw Penemue's smile. Raynare was probably the lucky few, though she doubted if this counted as a smile. More of a smug smirk if anything. Just the slightest lift of one corner of her lips, coupled with the slight narrowing of her sharp, eagle-like crimson eyes.

Raynare hated herself for feeling threatened.

"You should have started with that. Very well, I approve your request," Penemue chuckled as she rose from her seat, her formal clothing combusting into dark flames, revealing her dark purple skin-tight battle outfit.

"Wh—w-we're going in now?"

"He's a human. There's a chance he can be reincarnated again. I don't intend to leave the fate of the world to chance."

"And the Devils?"

"We'll test if they are too proud to see reason and start a war over a boy."

To be continued…

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