Disclaimer: I do not own High school DxD
Chapter 2
She should be angry. No, that would be an understatement, she should be furious at this point. And rightfully so! Her cute little servant decided to disobey a direct order from her and go into enemy territory without her permission; to be honest she was actually willing to help him by sending Yuuto and Koneko with him; alongside giving him the permission to use promotion, had he asked for help in the first place! Instead he decided to go in alone guns blazing and waltzed into enemy territory without any sort of backup. She didn't know what or who said to him that it was a good idea to do so, but when she finds the source of such stupid idea she will deliver her judgment. And he did all that for the sake of a nun no less! How thick must his skull be that he couldn't understand that a devil does not risk his life for a member of the church! Though she had to admit that she found Issei's determination and drive outstanding, it was those qualities that drew her to him.
As soon as she got wind of it she gathered her whole Peerage and set on a rescue mission to Fallen territory; she hoped she wasn't too late. That influx of holy energy in the area was way too high for everything to be in order.
They went prepared for the worst, but they didn't expect the sight that greeted them. So much so that when they laid eyes upon it their mouths fell to the floor, even Koneko couldn't believe her eyes.
The Church had been destroyed. No, that would be an oversimplification. The church had been completely split in half; it looked more as if the whole complex had been bisected by an almighty ray. The ceiling, if it could be called that anymore, was in shambles and steam was coming out of its burned pieces, the windows had been completely shattered, the walls where crumbling and some were already reduced to mere rubble. And there was the obvious huge gash going through the main complex.
As soon as she recovered from her initial surprise, she ordered Koneko and Yuuto to scan the perimeter. Yuuto complied immediately but Koneko seemed somewhat distracted at first, as if something had caught her attention, nonetheless she went along with her order.
She, alongside Akeno, headed inside the church prepared to face the fallen angels inside it; the link between King and Pawn was the only assurance of her servant well-being. But what she found inside landed her on her current predicament.
Rias Gremory should be angry, furious, desperate, but the only thing she could feel toward the sight before her was confusion.
Before her was the nun, known as Asia Argento, resting quietly in the main altar with a school jacked draped around her, her face seemed peaceful like she was in a deep slumber, but she could sense that it wasn't the case. Not so far from the altar laid Issei, she let out a breath of relief at his sight, he was badly hurt but his breath was steady, plus his injuries were being taken care of by a person beside him. That person, the reason of her confusion, was tending to her pawn wounds using white rags and a yellow tie as makeshift bandages, Katsuo Hirai.
It confused her because, despite her initial perception of him and his magical potential, the boy proved to be nothing more than a normal high school boy. She had asked Koneko to keep an eye on him to see if he had any sort of supernatural awareness and to probe him to discover if he was the carrier of a Sacred Gear. Koneko had been shadowing him for weeks and according to her there wasn't anything worth of notice beside his aura. She could remember what her rook reported.
"Sempai has a strong scent…but boring life" Koneko said to her while munching some sweets "…school, detention then home"
"So there isn't any signal of any sort of awareness towards us. What about his aura? Is he a sacred gear carrier?"
"…Not sure" she said while slightly lowering her face.
Rias raised an eyebrow; she considered that Koneko was the best at sensing among her group, due to her Nekomata heritage; so it intrigued her that she wasn't able to discern his presence.
"Sempai's aura is really strong…something makes it foggy…"
"The curses" Rias asserted more than asked.
The small girl in question only nodded.
Rias was frowning at this point, but later that that frown contorted into a knowing smirk "Still it's good to know his lack of awareness, which makes him just a simple boy with probably a bit of misfortune on his side, for now. Keep trailing him; let me know if there is any new development"
With one last nod, the white-haired girl made his way out of the room.
And so she kept gathering Information about him, it got to the point where she was actually thinking of directly ask him to join her peerage, after all with that magical energy; he no doubt would make an amazing bishop, but she had to delay that since introducing Issei to their world took priority.
Now whatever Rias thought he knew about him was thrown out the window; the sight before her made sure of it. He was wearing the school uniform, or what was left of it; the jacket was discarded, the white shirt left side was burned and the sleeves were used as makeshift bandages. The left side of his abdomen was burned; charcoal black, his hands were letting out a high amount of steam and appeared to have taken a darker shade; no longer was his skin its normal pale white rather it was a more tanned tone. Aside from all this his face didn't show any sort pain and didn't appear much worse to wear. He finished tending to Issei and decided to stand up and face her directly, there was faint confusion in his face but was quickly thrown away.
There were audible gasp when both her and Akeno laid eyes on his exposed charred abdomen.
"I'll be fine. It's better if you concern yourself about them" he said while signaling to the sleeping form of Asia and Issei.
Rias recomposed herself and cleared her throat. Now in front of the supposed normal boy, she decided to address the elephant in the room.
"It seems that we haven't introduced each other properly. My name is Rias Gremory, also known as the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess, heiress of the Clan of Gremory, member of the 72 pillars of the Underworld, and President of the Occult Research Club, pleased to meet you Hirai Katsuo."
He took back whatever he said about Souna's introduction. THIS was one hell of an introduction. But this time, oh this time, he came prepared.
"I am Hirai Katsuo, Kuoh Academy second year Student, also known as...European Prick face…" he said with the most serious face he could muster.
…something in his introduction didn't seem right, Rias blank face and Akeno's muffled laugh made it pretty clear.
Adding titles and cool names to his introduction would increase his prestige right? The only "special" title he had was the one that Issei gave to him, so by proxy it should work as the titles they used as well right?...right? Not his brightest line of thought.
Rias released a sigh and steeled her gaze, directing it completely to the boy before her.
"What are you doing here" she asked.
A broad question with equally broad answers "I came to practice" he said while signaling to the guitar case near him.
Rias arched an eyebrow "Really, you came to an abandoned church…to practice guitar?"
He only shrugged, neither accepting nor denying the question.
"Did you save Issei?"
"Yes"
"What about Asia?"
"I just finished what Issei started; most of the job was his"
"And the Fallen Angels?"
He didn't respond that question, just pointed to what amounted to a pile of charred remains with black feathers laying around; admits those remains there were things that were easily discernible; things like arms, legs wings, tattered clothes, all of it was charcoal black.
"I see" she responded, her face still impassive, hiding her surprise behind a stoic mask.
"Ara, ara. To think that Hirai-san was so violent, if I didn't know better I'd say you are trying to capture my heart" Akeno interceded with a teasing tone.
"…hello Himejima-sempai it's good to see you again…I think? And thank you…I guess?" he asked more than stated while scratching his head.
The mood turned awkward; as no one seemed to know what topic they should address first. There were many questions at hand, from both parties, and the need for them was palpable. Thankfully the groan muttered by Issei broke the atmosphere; the three of them shifted their gazes to the boy in question. They could see his sleeping form, his chest was rising up and down and despite all his injuries his face seemed peaceful; this brought a smile of relief to Rias. Not much later, arrived the other members of Rias Peerage.
The first one to enter the complex was Yuuto; later followed by Koneko.
"Buchou, I already checked the entire perimeter, no signals of any fallen angels or stray exorcist"
Koneko nodded her head in agreement "…no angels, but lots of holy energy and…" she stopped talking when she laid eyes on him "…sempai"
He only arched an eyebrow in response; later shifting his gaze to meet Rias' own scrutinizing gaze.
"I know you have questions…I do too, but for the time being lets set that aside and help them" he said.
They stayed like that for some time, their gazes meeting and neither ceding. But at the end one had to comply.
"Yuuto, Koneko could you please check in on them" she said while closing her eyes and releasing a sigh.
Both of them made their way past him, only throwing him a scrutinizing gaze before making their way to the sleeping boy. He didn't care about it; rather he was relieved by her action.
"Thank you" on his end, a smile appeared on his face "Issei should be alright, I've already tended to his wounds, she on the other hand…"
Rias understood what he meant, it was obvious.
"Whatever they did to her, greatly drained her vitality" he said, adding a pause to his sentence "She'll live…but I wouldn't be surprised if she dies afterwards, two to three days tops"
"I see"
"Unless…unless you know of a method of bringing her back to life" he added, it seemed more like a plea than an actual statement.
Rias' eyes widened; suddenly everyone tensed, even Kiba and Koneko, who were tending to Issei and Asia, assumed a defensive stance.
"What are you insinuating?" she asked with a clear edge to her tone.
"Nothing, I'm not asking this for myself but for him" he motioned to Issei's unconscious form "so please, if you can, grant this selfish wish of mine"
"You should be careful to whom you ask wishes; they sometimes may come with a price, especially something like this"
"Then when the time comes, I shall pay in kind"
She closed her eyes and placed a hand under her chin. He simply stood before her, his eyes unwavering and his form unmoving. The chamber was permeated in silence as everyone waited for her answer…
"Fine, I shall grant this wish of yours, but I will expect a payment in return, when the time is right"
He let out a sigh of relief as his posture became more relax "Thank you" his smile was genuine and warm.
With no more words muttered he headed towards the guitar case, picked it up and strapped to his back. Having fulfilled his reason of being there, he headed towards the exit. Only to be later stopped by the red-hair's voice.
"You should let us take care of those wounds" she said, hiding the concern in her voice.
"I said I'll be fine, besides they are not that deep anyway" he concluded with a final wave of assurance making his way out and leaving the group of devils behind him.
The church was silent after his leave, but there was a question that his words left in the minds of everyone present. Koneko broke that silence deciding to voice her concerns about the situation.
"…Buchou…his hands…they smelled holy…his aura was concentrated in his abdomen…"
Rias didn't respond, rather she decided to mull the information she was given, her soft features becoming stiff with frustration.
"He was right Buchou" Akeno said, addressing her King with a serious tone, gone was her teasing demeanor "his wounds weren't deep"
Rias understood what her queen meant, and it put her on a foul mood; if he fought the fallen angels like he claimed, then his wounds were the result of their lights spears, the same light spears that are the standard armament for Angels and Fallen alike, the same spears that are made of heavenly holy light, the same spears that are able to melt iron with ease, the same spears that went through Issei's body like it was made out of butter, those same spears didn't pierce him…
He was his way home after the meeting with Rias Gremory and his mood was…mixed to say the least. Issei was fine and the nun, who he now knows is called Asia, was going to get a second chance at living after Rias was done with…whatever she is going to do to bring her back.
But there was this sensation of dread, like an inexplicable fear…like something he missed that would probably lead to his impending doom. His back was tingling like crazy.
Did he miss something? He was pretty sure he eliminated those Fallen Angels. Could it be something he did or said to Gremory-sempai? Perhaps it was…
Then it hit him.
He started sweating like crazy and his survival instincts started acting. His breath became ragged and his eyes carried an unlimited amount of desperation and despair…he realized what he had done…he had dammed his soul to oblivion…he had done the most stupid decision of his life…after doing so he had no way of going back to his normal life…all hope was lost after doing such a brash action at the heat of the moment…
.
..
…
He let the stove on!
Not caring about anything else he set on a mad sprint towards his apartment…for this was the worst decision he had made that night…
He was sitting in the Student Council, with black bags under his eyes and continuously yawning; the things he had done last night when he reached his burning apartment made sure of it.
He had already been multiple times in the room, mainly for his daily amount of torture, so much so that he was already accustomed with the room. The room was quite spacious and had quite a good view from the Academy's ground. There was a fair amount of tables alongside their respective chairs, if he had to guess the room was suited for exactly 15 members. Normally when he spent his afternoons in detention the room was never filled with people, members always where coming in and out; there were some staples among them, Souna and Tsubaki where one of those. All in all the Student Council was never brimming with people.
That is until today of course. Today, aside from him sitting on a chair for a change, the room was completely filled with what he could only describe as two groups. The first was one that he was familiar; sitting in front of him, while being separated by a table, was Souna Shitori with Tsubaki Shinra standing on right side and the student council composed of Reya Kusaka, Tomoe Meguri, Ruruko Nimura, Momo Hanakai, Tsubasa Yura and even the boy that only sent glares at him, Genshirou Saji, were standing behind her like some kind of royal guards keeping their king save…that was a weird analogy…why was that the first thing that came to his mind?
Never mind that.
On other side of the spectrum was Rias Gremory, one of Kuoh's Great ladies as she was known by the school population, at her left side was Akeno Himejima, standing in a similar fashion to Tsubaki, and just like the Student Council stood behind Souna like royal guards, behind Rias stood the members of what he could only guess was The Occult Research Club; the first one was the blonde boy he saw at the church, Yuuto Kiba, also known as the prince of Kuoh, his face was friendly though he could feel like there was hostility masked behind his blue eyes, the other one was a white haired-girl known as Koneko Toujou, the mascot of Kuoh, she was also standing in a similar fashion to her fellow member though her expression seemed more…blank, if her apathetic hazel eyes were anything to come by. And the last one was the Harem King himself, Issei Hyoudou, carrying an expression that screamed that he wasn't able to make head or tails of the situation.
The room was silent, that is until Souna decided to cut straight to the chase.
"I know you have many questions about us, as we do about you, so let's cut through the chase by introducing ourselves. My real name is Sona Sitri, current heiress of the Sitri Clan, member of the 72 pillars of the Underworld. You already know most of my peerage; my queen, Tsubaki Shinra, my two bishops, Reya Kusaka and Momo Hanakai, my knight, Tomoe Meguri, my rook, Tsubasa Yura, and my two pawns, Genshirou Saji and Ruruko Nimura."
She stopped at that only for Rias to continue in tandem.
"And you are already familiar with my Peerage, but I will introduce them nonetheless; Akeno Himejima, being my Queen, Yuuto Kiba, my Knight, Koneko Toujou, my Rook, and my adorable Issei, my only pawn. We, all of us, are Devils"
"So now that you know about us, we would like to know…"
"…Who are you Hirai Katsuo?"
Astonished, that was the word that could be used to describe his current state; that was so coordinated, so in tandem with each other, he wondered if they had practiced for this moment. Something told him they did…
He didn't understand the majority of the chess terminology used but the thing that caught his attention was what they called themselves, Devils, he suspected they weren't humans, their presence at the Church made it pretty clear for him, and it wasn't his first time hearing about "the creatures of the night", he had heard a lot of them during his childhood, the thing was he had never actually seen one, despite the role he held before coming to Kuoh, and he didn't expect them to look well…so normal.
His thoughts were broken when he felt the collective stares of everyone present in the room; they were waiting for an answer, but the question was…should he tell the truth? Should he spill the beans and reveal who he is? They had been open with him, and despite some of their members, neither showed any kind of hostility towards him. So he decided to respond in kind.
"My name is Katsuo Hirai, second year student of Kuoh Academy…" when he said that the two girls before him let out a sigh of frustration; however he wasn't done talking "…and former exorcist of the catholic Orthodox Church"
He felt a piercing sensation in his neck, like the tip of a sharp metal was threatening to go through his jugular. He couldn't move, it felt like one wrong move and he would end up with a gash in his throat.
He looked around him while keeping his head still; everyone present in the room had taken a defensive stance, Tsubaki was standing before Sona while she gathered water around her arms, meanwhile Reya and Momo had their hands raised, a blue magic circle in their palms, Rias and Akeno had their hands raised in a similar fashion, one sparkling with thunder and the other holding a red seal, both of their expressions were dead serious. In fact the only one that didn't have an expression like that was Issei, who looked akin to a mix of confused and astonished.
He finally traced the object that was pressing his jugular and was greeted with a familiar sight; it was a black sword, a straight European sword to be exact, meant to be wielded one handedly, sharp edge more so than any man-made blade, and its user was none other than Yuuto Kiba, sporting an angry visage. When his eyes met his he felt the tip of the sword press further; he decided to look away, not out of fear, his sword would never pierce him but because he decided against provoking two groups of devils. He couldn't take them on, his armor couldn't go as far, perhaps if he had it he could, but that would come with leveling the entire school, something he was against doing.
"Oi Buchou! What is going on? Why are all of you pointing your hands at Katsuo?!" the pervert asked angrily; astonished by everyone's reaction.
Rias simply ignored him.
"State your business in my territory exorcist" she addressed with venom dripping from every word.
"Former exorcist" he corrected.
"That makes you a Stray; it doesn't help your case" her eyes narrowed and her body started exuding more energy.
"I left the church willingly; I wasn't excommunicated or casted away, I left and they complied, that is why the correct term isn't 'stray' its former" he corrected adding intonation to the terminology used.
"You haven't responded my question. What are your business in my territory, I won't repeat myself a third time" She frowned, her patience dwindling.
"Ask your knight to remove the blade from my throat and I will gladly respond your questions"
"Are you ordering me around?" her whole body was permeated with a red and black aura at this point and the venom in her voice was almost visible.
He only sighed at her reaction, he didn't mean to sound bossy "No, I'm simply asking to have a civilized conversation"
She didn't say anything, just kept staring at him. It seemed like hours had passed when in reality it was mere seconds, but still the whole room was in silence and the tension was thick enough that it could be cut with a knife. Thankfully, at the end she conceded.
"Yuuto" her knight didn't comply at first, he kept sending him a death glare and pressing his blade further. After a minute or so, he removed the blade and made his way behind his King.
"Thanks, and to answer your question I'm not looking for any trouble; I came here on my own accord, it was just coincidence that this land was your territory"
"My question exorcist, I'm running low on patience" her aura wasn't decreasing, at this point it seemed like he was going to be blasted into dust by the red-haired girl.
"Fine, fine, so unreasonable" he said while closing his eyes and lifting both of his hands "to be honest I don't know, graduate high school, maybe go to college, graduate from a good career, find a loving wife that is willing to maintain me, live my life waking up at 10:00 a.m. while spending my afternoons hearing music, drinking wine and watching my kids grow. Then die eventually of old age with a smile on my face."
There was silence and the previous anger was shifted into…confusion? They certainly weren't expected that response. No one muttered a word, no one except a certain pervert…
"…You want to be…a bum…"
Wha?
"Oi, you are misrepresenting it; besides I don't need lecturing from the guy who wants to be a Harem King"
"At least my whole goal in life isn't to be a non productive member of society!"
"You are right" a smirk appeared on his face "you already are one"
"What did you say European Prick Face?!"
"Ahem!" Souna cleared her throat, interrupting the feud between him and the pervert.
His focus was once again drawn by the serious faces of the groups of devils and the impassive visages of their respective leaders.
"Do you expect us to believe that?" Rias asked while raising an eyebrow.
"It's the truth, I want to be separated from the supernatural world as much as possible and live a normal life. Look at it this way if I was such a bad and evil stray exorcist, why did I kill those fallen angels? Why did I save Issei? Wouldn't it make more sense if I allied myself with them? After all the protection they would grant me as a "Stray" would be far more valuable than what a high school boy had to offer."
They weren't having his explanation; their silence made it clear. The only way he could gain their compliance was through the release of the most valuable thing in times of war, information.
"You may not like me, but rest assured that I hold no ill intent towards any of you…tell you what; as an act of good faith, I will answer whatever questions you may have, I'm sure you have your fair share"
The two devil leaders were pondering the offer. They stayed silent, their gazes meeting his and their guard still up.
"…Very well" Sona broke the silence; she proceeded to lower her guard, sit down and address her fellow heiress "Rias."
She wasn't having it; her guard was still up, just as the one from her group was. Thankfully she released a sigh and mirrored the actions of her friend, only this time she addressed him.
"Tell me, did you really take on those four fallen angels"
"I thought that was left clear yesterday" She wasn't having his sass; he did what any normal person would and drop it, it was better to not push his luck in his circumstances "S-Sorry…yes I did"
She just nodded; there was no surprise in her face, after yesterday, she expected as much.
"Are you a magician? Or are you at least adept in magic arts?" this question was made by the Sitri heiress.
"No, never had any interest in them" it was the truth, yet the devils before him took this revelation with surprise, as if they were expecting the opposite response, also there was a hint of what he could describe only as…disappointment?
No sooner than later they recomposed their previous poise and continued with the interrogation.
"Do you know you are under the influence of various curses?" Sona continued.
"Yes, since childhood" his tone was dry; he had always known, ever since he was a child, they were…never mind.
This time the accompanying devils in the room, at least the ones that had knowledge about curses reacted to his answer, the biggest reactions being from Akeno and, surprisingly, Tsubaki. The leaders continued on nonetheless.
This time it was Rias' turn "Are you the processor of a Sacred Gear?"
Containing his smirk he decided to answer truthfully; there wasn't any reason why he wouldn't.
"No, I was already checked for it several times during my time in the church, the results were always negative"
Surprise; that was the way to describe their faces; from the members of the Student Council to the Occult Research Club, all of their jaws where hanging low. The surprise in Rias' and Sona's faces was especially priceless.
"How did you do it then?" Rias asked, broken out of her state of shock, while leaning closer to the table.
"Excuse me"
"Do you expect me to believe that a human, exorcist or not, with no magical knowledge and no Sacred Gear was able to take on four fallen angels at the same time?" the previous venom in her words came back as did the same aura of hostility.
He couldn't reveal how he did it, it would garner way to much attention, more than the one he was getting right now, but at the same time if he didn't answer truthfully it wouldn't help his case. So he decided to do the best in this situation, tell a half truth.
"Standard exorcist equipment" They weren't having it, their frowns made it clear. Releasing a sigh he decided to continue "I need to keep some things under wraps; otherwise they may garner unnecessary attention"
"When they are in my territory my attention is pretty necessary" Rias responded, hostility present in her voice.
"True, which is why I'm trying to keep it sealed away; that means less troubles for you and me both. You have my word that I don't intend to use it against any of you, or at all for that matter"
"Is it related to the high amount of holy element that was concentrated in the church yesterday?"
"Perhaps"
They continued to stare each other; neither ceding in this context of authority. For his part he hoped that she could understand his reasoning, if word got out of it, he could kiss his desired normal life goodbye.
She on the other hand could already start deducing what he was talking about; what Koneko said about his hands yesterday, the high amount of holy energy, the church being split in half, how he referred to it as "Standard exorcist equipment" and his need to keep it as concealed as possible from them, made it pretty clear what it was. She could pressure him, she could keep pushing forward until he spilled the truth…but for the sake of her Knight…she wouldn't do that, so she let him have this one.
Releasing a sigh and closing her eyes she spoke "Very well, I shall grant you that privilege"
"Thank you" he said, slightly bowing his head.
However Rias had one last deciding question for him; one that could dictate if an alliance between was possible or not.
"How many of us?" she said adding emphasis to every word.
"…I don't understand your question…" he couldn't do anything more than scratch his head in confusion.
"How many of us have you killed? As an exorcist that is your job after all"
After hearing this question he closed his eyes, calmly thinking about his response. The devils, on the other hand, were on edge; all waiting for him. Opening his eyes he met Rias blue gaze; letting out a breath he told them the harsh truth…
"None; I was never actually deployed to any actual mission, most of my time was spent practicing among my peers; in other words I cannot be considered anything more than a rookie exorcist" he averted his eyes in embarrassment while scratching the side of his cheek.
The devils seemed to relax; their postures becoming less stiff and their guards lowering. Despite his answer Rias wanted to do one final push.
"A rookie that killed four fallen angels without much of a sweat or remorse for that matter"
"A talented rookie to say the least" he couldn't help but be a little witty, despite his current situation.
Rias sent a glance to Koneko; she knew that if someone could be capable of verifying the truth in his answers it was her. The quiet girl in response just nodded.
"…sempai hasn't lied…"
The Gremory then shifted her attention to her fellow heiress; both nodded in understanding.
"That will be all…for now" Sona said, her tone still stern but carrying no hostility as before "since you were kind enough to answer our questions, albeit some with some secrecy, I'm willing to answer some of yours"
He started pondering about it.
"I just have one; what's the deal with all the chess terminology?"
They raised an eyebrow; did he say something weird?
Sona was the one to voice her confusion "You don't know?"
"Should I?"
"You were an exorcist, a rookie yes, but one nonetheless? Weren't you?"
"We didn't exactly have classes on devil society and rank" that was true, most of the things they thought about devils were more about how to kill them rather than how their world works…he was…certain of it?
"Very well, I will take it upon me to explain you about us; I am sure my version will be different from the…editorial version from the church. Perhaps after school, before your detention time; after all you arrived late today…again. Any reason for that"
Oh boy.
He paled and started sweating.
"Yesterday…I had to take care…of things back home…it wasn't pretty…and took most of my sleep time…I don't want to get much into what I did" he shivered just thinking about it.
Dispelling the horrible memories of that dreadful event; he focused on the thoughts that plagued his mind, mainly about yesterday and what happened after he left the church. Without further a due, he shifted his gaze and met hers.
"How is she?"
At first Rias didn't understand the question and raised an eyebrow; after it set in and understood about who he was talking about she closed her eyes "She just stabilized, her Sacred Gear was going to be forceful taken out, but the process was interrupted prematurely, as you said, it greatly drained her vitality"
"I see…I hope that in spite of all that happened today, our deal is still intact"
Her eyes widened; she didn't expect to hear about that after the revelations of both sides. The others, who didn't known about the deal, including Sona, looked at her confused
"You know that you will be making me a favor with your wish...she will be revived as a devil under my servitude"
There was no doubt, no regret in his unwavering aqua eyes.
"At least she'll live"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Normally when you ask a wish from a devil, they tend to be for selfish reasons"
"Can you give me a loving wife that is willing to maintain me?"
"…eh...No…"
"Then there isn't much you can give me and I consider this pretty selfish"
That left the devils that were present in the church that night, aside from Issei who couldn't understand what they were referring to, surprised, more so than with the previous revelations. As for the Gremory heiress she couldn't conceive what she just heard. He was asking her to make Asia part of her Peerage; effectively giving her a sacred gear user, a strong one at that, and granting the nun a second life, while he received nothing in return, and he called that a selfish reason?
"As you wish; from here on out you shall be treated as a contractor under the Gremory Household, but know that you will be in my debt and when the times comes, I will ask for a price of similar value"
"And I'll pay that price"
Rias relaxed her pose and a smug smirk appeared on her lips.
"For someone who claims that wants to avoid the supernatural world, you sure are getting pretty involved in it"
"What can I say; luck has never smiled upon me" he gave an awkward smile and scratched his head. He then turned to face Issei and gave him a weak smirk "I hope you take care of Asia; maybe that way you can finally settle for one girl"
"W-what are you talking about Gaijin-san!?" the boy said while pointing a finger at him, understanding the implication of him and the nun his face turned red; he then proceeded to slam his foot on the table and shout at the top of his lungs "I will always be a Harem King! I don't intend to set for one pair of Oppai; I aim to conquer them all! From Buchou to Koneko-Chan to Akeno-sempai, all will be mine"
He deadpanned, as did the entire room "…and my dream of a quiet life is shameless…"
"Say that again to my face! You damn Handsome!"
The mood lightened up and, to the surprise of everyone, he let out a laugh, a loud heartfelt laugh. The atmosphere now shifted, instead of him being the focus of attention it was Issei's proclamation; Sona and Tsubaki were giving him disapproving glares while shaking their heads, as was some part of the Student Council for the exception of Genshirou Saji, who was crying manly tears of passion. Akeno was giggling at his antics while Rias just shook her head, a heartfelt smile on her face. Koneko on the other hand…delivered a punch to Issei's kidney.
"…you are the worst…" she said while the boy started agonizing in the floor.
He had to hand it to the Harem King; he really knew how to shift the mood.
When the laughter died down and everyone calmed the room was again filled with silence. They stayed that way for about two minutes; seeing no more point of staying there, and considering it was about to be the end of the break, he picked his things up and said goodbye to everyone. He made his way to the door and grasped its handle. Before he could open it the voice of a certain boy interrupted his action, a certain boy who hadn't reacted to anything ever since he responded Rias question, a certain boy whose eyes where obscured by his golden bangs, a certain boy who was the only person in the room still radiating killing intent towards him.
Letting out a grim chuckle he spoke.
"Answer this question; will you, what exactly is it?"
He didn't respond; neither shifted his body to address the boy. He could hear the muffled gasp of some members of the room, though he couldn't discern to whom they belonged to. What he could hear was Rias, in concern, calling out the name of the boy; the boy, in turn, ignored her and kept pushing on.
"Is it a holy sword perchance?"
He didn't respond.
"There was a whole lot of holy energy when you left the church and those fallen didn't seem powerful enough to conjure up that high amount"
He didn't respond.
"Your hands; they've healed, I wonder what could have caused them to burn so bad"
He didn't respond.
"Yuuto stop!" Rias called out.
Kiba in turn only let out a grim chuckle.
Good, he didn't want to reveal more than what was given. He opened the door and alongside its resounding click came the tingling sensation of danger. He quickly turned his body and was greeted with the sight of Rias' Knight, Yuuto Kiba, slashing at his left side with the same straight sword he used earlier, anger...no despise present in his face, it wasn't a face of normal anger, it was the face of absolute loathing, a far cry from the smile he showed earlier. The resounding sound of multiple gasp filled the room.
He didn't sense him move, Kiba's speed was clearly way superior to his; his body moved on instinct, raising his left hand, he tried to grasp the blade but Kiba's moves were swifter. The blade met his forearm; he could hear when the sword sliced through the fabric of his jacket, going past his white shirt and meeting his skin. He knew the exact moment when it cut his skin as if he was made out of butter; he could fell the wet sensation of blood starting to come out of his wound, despite this…He felt nothing, there was no pain, no agony, no sense of being hurt. When the blade tried to go deeper…
It shattered; pieces of black metal flew across the Student Council room.
Surprise; that was the only way to describe Kiba's reaction, that same surprise was also etched into the faces of the other devils. He closed his right hand and pulled his arm back, if he was to capitalize on his reaction now was the best time to do so. Kiba was later able to recompose himself, drawing his remaining arm back another sword, a replica of his now broken sword, appeared on his palm.
No good, he hadn't accounted for this. His arm was already closing the distance between it and Kiba's stomach, but just as before Yuuto was faster.
The blade came down on him, similar to a guillotine, in an amazing act of speed. There was no other option now; he had to continue his attack despite his terrible position, he knew he could keep taking damage; his armor could take worse than just two sword swings, but he knew the risk of overextending.
In less than a second the edge of the blade met his collarbone and like the one before it…
It broke.
The wielder was left once again astonished, so much so that he didn't noticed when a fist rammed directly into his stomach. The strength behind it was enough to knock the air out of him, but it didn't suffice to cause any sort of actual damage, it wasn't meant for that after all. Kiba stumbled back, creating distance between him and his target, and placed a hand on his stomach as he let out a heavy breath.
It seemed like time resumed itself, as the people present were finally able to process what just happened and voice their concerns.
"Yuuto!"
"Kiba-kun!"
He heard some female voices scream out, but didn't discern to whom they belonged
"Katsuo! Are you alright?!" he heard Issei say as he approached him; he then shifted his gaze and focused on Kiba, with anger present in his voice he addressed him "Hey! What the hell is your problem?!"
"Oi, I'm fine, don't worry about it" he placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Fine?! Don't give me that crap, you are bleeding all around!"
"I'll be fine, this isn't much"
"But…" Issei didn't continue as he was met with his steeled gaze.
The rest of the devils, while showing concern in their faces, didn't voice it, except for one.
"Katsuo-san…you should let us have a look at those wounds" he traced the direction of the voice and was greeted by the gaze of the Student Council President; normally when he saw her she always carried an air of sternness and authority, her face was always impassive, betraying no emotion. This was the first time he saw in her something akin to worry.
"Don't worry about me; I'm sure there are more important things to tend to. I just need a new set of clothes and I'll be fine" he tried to wave her concerns with a smile.
"…More important things to tend to?" she said; her concern only grew with his statement "We are talking about your wellbeing…and you consider there are more important things than it?"
He frowned.
It didn't work; she was still eying him, as well as the other devils, their gazes were scrutinizing looking at him like he was some freak of nature. Funny, they were the supernatural beings and they watched him, a human, like he was some otherworldly creature.
He released a sigh and continued his way out of the room. No sooner than later he gave them an awkward smile and a wave; closing the door behind him, he made it out of the Student Council, leaving more questions than answers with his last action.
The devils inside were left in silence; each pondering to their own questions. The Gremory heiress was the first one to voice her displeasure.
"Yuuto, what were you exactly thinking? I don't expect this behavior from any member of my Peerage, especially from you!" she reprimanded her Knight but he was still too distracted watching the broken handle in his hand.
He didn't respond immediately.
"…these blades are my sharpest…they should have bisected his arm and sliced through his collarbone…not break upon contact" there was clear shock in his face.
No one said anything as they kept their gazes on the blonde boy before them.
The day went…well.
Aside from his meeting with the devils and the fact that he lost his second spare of the school uniform, his day was completely ordinary. To be honest he didn't want to antagonize the devils of Kuoh; on the contrary the far away he stayed from the supernatural the better, at least for him. Still, he certainly didn't appreciate one of them lunging at him and aiming to slice his collarbone.
Thankfully he didn't have to worry much about his bloodied clothes; after the devils were done doing whatever they were doing in the Student Council and left it, Akeno approached him with a spare male uniform that was coincidentally exactly his size…that was odd…how did she get his size. She said that the clothes were Rias' way of apologizing for Kiba's actions.
'Did I…get school clothes…as an apology for almost being killed?'
He took them regardless.
"Your wounds, the ones you had back at the Church, have they healed? I remember them being pretty ugly" she stated more than asked.
"Yeah, what can I say, I heal fast. So don't worry about these ones, they are just scratches" he said while rubbing his head with one hand and closing his eyes.
"Ara, ara. You should still take better care of yourself, you are just human" she said, her ladylike demeanor still present. She stayed there, in front of him for around one minute, after it she simply turned on her heel and addressed him with a side glance "take care of yourself, Katsuo-kun, I hope we can get along"
He kept watching her retreating form until she disappeared from his sight. He didn't understand her; sometimes she acted incredibly ladylike, the proper epitome of an 'Onee-sama' as she was called, while other times she was incredibly sultry and provocative, a far cry from her more dignified demeanor. Granted he had spoke to her like a maximum of two times, three if you count the interaction at the church, but it still bugged him to no end.
After that he went to the boy's restroom and simply got dressed, after that he continued on with his day.
When the school ended he wished for nothing more to go back to his place and lay down on top of his bed. He would be doing so right now hadn't he felt a chill run down the center of his back and then sensation of dread and imminent doom…he remembered…he had detention to attend to.
He made his way to the Student Council, for a second time, and was greeted with the room empty, well for the exception of Sona; she motioned him to sit but he found one small problem…He scanned the Room's left side…he proceeded to do the same with the right…he found nothing. Somehow someone had taken out every single chair and table that was previously in the room and stored them in god knows where. All chairs and tables except for one pair; the table that currently separated him and the president and the chair that she was currently sitting on. She kept watching him and after a minute or so, she motioned again. Her face was the same as always, only this time it carried a hint of…amusement.
He understood he now knew what she was expecting of him…and he couldn't help but think that she specifically prepared this whole set up….
"Where are all the chairs and tables?"
"We were cleaning the room, after our meeting you left quite the mess behind" she said while pushing her glasses up.
"…I'm sure"
"Yes, the bloodstains were certainly difficult to remove" her face was still betraying no emotion; she then, for the third time, motioned at the floor "please take a seat"
He sat in seiza and decided to address his torturer.
"You are a devil…" he said in the most expressionless way possible.
"I know" she said, her stoic face still present "now if you'd like to get straight to the point"
She then proceeded to dump a whole bunch of information on him, things like Peerage an Evil Piece system, Rating Games, Devil hierarchy, Devil houses, politics of the Underworld, the current four Maous and their influence in society, about the Three factions and the war, though her version of those events were…different than the version the church told him. To be honest it was much than expected, hell, it was more than he asked for! he only asked about why they used chess terminology; he didn't ask for a class in devil society…he was still pretty sure he never had those kind of classes back then…
Despite so he heard all of it…and his brain felt like it had been transformed into a pudding.
"That was…a lot to take in" he said while releasing a yawn.
Sona took his yawn the wrong way.
"If it was so boring you could have just told me; that way I don't have to waste my time on you and leave you to your own devices"
"Don't take it the wrong way; I'm just tired…from yesterday" he said, remembering those horrible events.
There was a small silence between them; that is until Sona decided to voice her mind.
"Your wounds, they seem fine to me"
This was the second person to ask about that already. He wanted to assure her that he was fine, but couldn't reveal the how. Releasing a sigh he answered her.
"I said that you shouldn't worry about me; I'm sturdier than I look" he said while placing a hand on his supposed injured collarbone and moving his arm in circles.
"That is good to hear" Sona said a small smile appearing in her mouth; she then stood up and headed towards the door and addressed him for one last time " I hope that despite our allegiances, in your case former, we can get along as simple Students of Kuoh Academy"
"Yes Kaichou!" he said while doing a mock salute.
A faint smile appeared on her features, one that he failed to notice.
He then began standing up, his legs shaking and feeling like wet noodles, but was quickly put down by the sharp voice of the Student Council president.
"May I know where you are going?" her tone was sharp as steel; he alternated his gaze and was met with her stern face.
"I-I'm…going home…y-you know, after detention…l-like I always do" he asked dread present in his face.
Sona pushed her glasses upwards
"It seems that you are mistaken; this wasn't your detention time, this was merely the conclusion of our previous meeting. Remember I said that I would explain your question before your detention time. You still have to wait one more hour and don't bother leaving, the room is warded if you leave I'll know about it."
There was a seemingly unrelated flash in her glasses as she said that last line; her face, instead of carrying the same stoic expression as always, carried a hint of mischief while her aura of authority was in an all time high.
He simply gulped, such a strong opponent, such foresight and such strategic planning. Still trembling he simply resumed his previous sitting position while lowering his head in defeat.
"…you really are a Devil…"
This time, a full on smirk appeared on her face; she then made her way out of the room and closed the door with a resounding click, not before addressing him one last time of course.
"I know"
Pain, agonizing pain; he could count with one hand the moments in his life when he had felt like this. His bones were cracking, his blood circulation was cut off, he could feel his muscles tearing themselves apart, he could hear his ligaments snapping, he felt as if multiple knifes were running up his skin, slowly cutting it up, he felt as if he was stepping on hot coal, his balance was wavering and his knees were doing some crude sounding noises with each step he took. Tears were almost falling of his eyes as he strolled, more like stumbled, through the Academy campus.
He couldn't help but notice, the obvious fact, that the sun was already setting and there were no more students left on campus. He kept dragging his broken body until he reached the main door and to his surprise there was one student still in school grounds. Issei was there, tapping his foot furiously against the hard floor, his brow furrowed and watching his phone every second.
Aside from his usual days, he didn't spent much time with Issei today, mainly because the whole meeting with the devils thing but also because the boy seemed to avoid him, not that he blamed him; after all he was his natural enemy.
"About time you European Prick face! I've been waiting here for hours!" the pervert boy said while waving his fist angrily in the air.
He straightened his back and tried to his best capability to walk normally; approaching the pervert he waved at him before speaking up.
"Hey Issei what's up?"
"Don't 'what up?' me! The hell were you doing for so long!"
"…suffering…" his face remained expressionless as a tear threatened to come out of his left eye.
"Wha?"
With a quick shake of his head his face regained his previous composure.
"Forget about it. Anyway what are you still doing here? Do you need something?"
"W-well yes…I wanted to ask you about this today but never found the correct place to do so"
Oh cool…wait…something about his sentence didn't sit well with him. He had heard about this kind of scenarios from Roman though they usually involved a boy and a girl…
…Wait a minute…
The sun setting…him waiting at the school entrance…him wanting to ask something but never finding the correct place to do so…Oh god…
"I wanted to ask you"
'Issei please don't tell me'
"If you could…"
'I thought you liked Oppai Issei!'
"Please train me!" the boy concluded by bowing in a perfect ninety degree angle.
'THANK GOD!'
He unconsciously let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Oi, you good Katsuo?" Issei questioned with a confused expression on his face.
"Y-yeah, I felt like I just dogged a bullet" he said while swiping away some sweat he had in his forehead; recomposing himself he addressed the topic at hand "You want me…to train you?"
"Yes please!"
"May I know why?" he said while arching an eyebrow.
"I was unable to save Asia; if you hadn't shown up I would have also died at the hands of that bitch" The boy looked away when mentioning Raynare, even if he did so indirectly; his face contorted into an angry expression and his fists clenched.
"I don't know…I'm proficient in swordsmanship and you look more like a brawler than a swordsman; I could teach you what I know about hand-to-hand combat but even my style might not be compatible with you" he started rubbing his chin, pondering about his request.
"Please Katsuo! I want to get stronger, no, I need to get stronger, to protect Asia, to be useful to Buchou, so that I don't have to rely on others to save me. Please Katsuo!"
He had to give it to Issei; the boy might be lacking in every area, but what he lacked in everything else, he made it up in resolve and being headstrong.
"Okay, I'll teach you what I know" he affirmed; a small smirk etching at the edge of his lip "maybe that way I can go back into shape"
"…I thought you wanted to live a normal life…"
"True, but I can't have you surpassing me can I" Better to give him an incentive now to push himself even further.
A smirk appeared on Issei's face as he proceeded to retreat out of the school while keeping his gaze fixed on him.
"You'll see you Damn Handsome; I'll definitely become stronger than you and when I do I'm gonna beat that European Prick face of yours" the self-proclaimed harem king broke into a full sprint after concluding, leaving him with a deadpan face behind,
"Oi…that was harsh"
Shaking his head a smile appeared on his lips; he then proceeded to walk through the main gate and set route to his now ruined apartment.
In conclusion today he had been interrogated by Rias, slashed by Kiba, tortured by Sona and almost proposed by Issei…
A completely ordinary day.
