Disclaimer: I do not own High school DxD


Chapter 3


One week had passed since his meeting with the devils of Kuoh and his relationship with them was…improving. Rias' Group remained for their most part the same; Koneko being apathetic to everything, Issei remaining a pervert, Akeno acting ladylike with her moments of sultriness, Kiba still wanted to cut his neck; though he didn't act on his desire, thankfully, and Rias treated him like a client who had a debt behind but cordial nonetheless. As for the student council; they remained on good terms with him, giving him cordial greetings and him responding in kind, for exception of Saji; the boy still wasn't fond of him. As for Sona herself, she kept being her usual tyrannical self and tortured him at any moment's notice, at least in his mind it was so. There wasn't trust yet but at least there was a mutual understanding, he wasn't a threat to them so they wouldn't treat him as such and would be left alone.

During that week he asked Rias if he could meet Asia, to which she actually complied without much protest. Issei had already told him that Asia had been successfully reincarnated into Rias' Peerage and by extension she was back at full health; so one day the pervert showed him the way to the abandoned building, which is being used as the base for Rias Peerage and by proxy the Occult Research Club. He found the place quite spacious and comfortable, despite his exterior look – perhaps he should be spending more time inside the place instead of staying in the classroom during breaks – that is if the owner of the place allowed it of course.

When he walked in, he was greeted with the sight of Rias sitting in the main desk and behind her was Akeno, as always standing in guard beside her King; standing in a corner was the Prince of Kuoh himself, glaring daggers at him, sitting on the couch was the ever stoic Koneko and beside her was the nun turned devil, Asia Argento; no longer her face was pale and her eyes shallow, no longer her golden locks were draped across her face, on the contrary her face was a healthy pink and her eyes were bright, filled with life, while her hair was neatly taken care of, a far cry from that night at the church…and he was happy for it. He greeted the devils with a hand wave and a smile, most of them responded back, most of them. Then his eyes laid on Asia and with no words muttered he began approaching her.

As he walked up to her, he stared directly into her eyes; confusion began etching into her face – with no words muttered he simply bowed forming a perfect ninety degree angle.

"I'm sorry!" he said with way too much conviction in his voice, more than necessary.

The members of the ORC just stared blankly at him – way to make things awkward.

"…Eh?" was the only thing that left the mouth of a very confused Asia Argento.

"I'm sorry, I made a selfish wish and took away a decision that was rightfully yours; I shouldn't have done so…but…I couldn't bear the thought of someone innocent dying when I could have done something to prevent it"

Understanding what the boy before her meant, her eyes widened; she wanted to say something in protest but was cut off when he kept talking.

"I was also part of the Church; I know Holy maidens are forbidden to consort with Devils but…at the time…I was unable to find other way. So if you are angry with someone for what happened, be angry with me, they aren't at fault"

He later lifted his head and was met with a surprising sight to say the least. All the Devils of the ORC had surprise faces except for Kiba; he was still glaring daggers at him. Rias had her eyebrows raised in surprise; Issei had a confused face, latter he started grinding his teeth furiously and…was that anger on his face? Koneko remained as apathetic as ever, though she gave him a quick glance before proceeding to eat her sweets. And Akeno had at first reacted in a similar fashion to Rias, with both of her eyebrows raised and an uncharacteristic surprise etched in her soft features, but later started giggling like crazy while muttering her catchphrase endlessly; this made a chill run down his spine.

Asia well…Asia was red as tomato and was waving her hands and shaking her head like no tomorrow.

"D-don't w-worry about it! I-I should be thanking you! Y-you saved me and Issei-san. You gave me this chance of living again" she responded flustered with embarrassment; she then proceeded to mirror his actions, she stood up and expressed her gratitude bowing her head in similar fashion to him

"Thank you!"

He got relatively close when he decided to apologize so when she decided to respond in kind…both of their heads crashed together…it was pretty embarrassing –after it both were left rubbing their now red foreheads.

"Sorry…you are not angry with me?" he asked while raising an eyebrow; his left hand still massaging his sore spot.

She in turn shook her head as a bright smile appeared on her features.

"No, on the contrary" she then placed both of her hands on top of her chest "I am happy, I may have lost my humanity but I gained so much more; I can now make lots of friends and live my life alongside Issei-san, and for that I am thankful, Hirai-san"

He in turn stood in front of her bewildered; his expression latter changing into a half smirk.

"You shouldn't be thanking me; when I arrived Issei had already done most of the job, all I had to do was clean up" he then motioned with his head towards the perverted boy.

"I-I see, t-thank you nonetheless" she stuttered once again, becoming increasingly embarrassed.

"Don't worry, just remember if you need help you can always trust me"

Her features softened once again as a smile appeared on them.

"You are just like Issei-san told me – you are very kind"

Seeing the girl before him smile so brightly put a kind-hearted smile on his face. Both of them stayed in silence and so did the rest of the room…well except for one person of course.

"Oi stop using your European charm with her! You Damn Handsome!" he heard Issei scream from his position on the couch.

"…huh?" he said while eying the perverted boy; he was met with the sight of a fuming Issei, steam coming out of his ears, face red with anger, brow furrowed and fist clenched to the point they could turn coal into diamonds.

Issei then made his way to him and started poking his chest while narrowing his eyes on him.

"Don't think that I don't know what you are doing European Prick face!" Issei then proceeded to deliver a punch to his gut, which ended up hurting the boy more than him, if his now red hand was anything to come by.

"Damn you! What are you made of? Steel?!" the pervert exclaimed as he rubbed his hand in comical anguish.

"Or your hands are made of noodles" he said while raising an eyebrow.

"Damn Handsome" he then glanced to the nun who remained with a confused face during the whole event "Come Asia, we don't need this Damn Handsome!"

He then proceeded to take Asia's hand into his own and dragged the girl out of the room while stomping loudly; the girl in response started blushing madly and he could swear, as she made her way out with Issei, she moved her lips muttering 'Thank you'…it was that or he was starting to prematurely lose it.

Before he was out of the room The Harem King just had one declaration to make…and he wished he didn't.

"From now on you are banned from accessing my secret stash of magazines!" then he slammed the door shut leaving an awkward silence in the room.

The room was quickly permeated in an awkward silence and the gazes of all the members were directed at his hunched form.

"I see…" surprisingly enough, it was Koneko who decided to break the silence left behind by Issei "Katsuo-senpai is a pervert as well…"

That wasn't fair, he had never seen Issei' secret stash; hell he didn't even know he had one! And most of the times it was he who talked about harem and boobs with him, not the other way around. He was about to retort to Koneko's statement but someone else had more coal to contribute to the fire.

"Ara, ara. But of course; when Katsuo-kun and I met he was carrying quite the dirty magazine with him" Akeno said while placing a hand to her cheek with an innocent face that betrayed her tone; she then gave him a glance "Which reminds he still is in need of punishment"

The center of his back shivered.

"…I see" responded the white-haired girl with a nod.

"W-wait a minute; t-that was a misunderstanding!" he tried to protest back but was quickly shut down by another voice.

"To think that a member of the church could be so lecherous, I think understand why you left" Rias stated while shaking her head while a mischievous smile appeared on her features.

"Y-you too?!" he could only scream in bewilderment.

Without much more to say the white haired girl decided to stand up, taking her plate of sweets and making her way to the exit door; she proceeded to open the door but before she could make her way out, with an impassive face and tone, she directed one last word to him.

"…disgusting" she then proceeded to close the door behind her.

"That was unnecessary…" he said while directing his deadpan face to his two assailants; to which both girls in question just laughed.

The next member to make his way out of the room was none other than Yuuto Kiba; he said that he had a contract to attend to, so he walked up to the magic circle. Later he proceeded to give Rias and Akeno a hand wave and a smile to which they responded with their own. He also tried to cordially give Kiba a goodbye wave but was quickly shutdown by a glare sent his way, leaving him with an awkward smile and his right hand half raised; after it, the Blonde boy disappeared with a red flash leaving only smoke behind. To this, Rias only could shake her head and sigh in frustration.

"Sorry for that, Yuuto hasn't…come to terms with you yet…" the redhead said while closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead.

"Don't worry about it…I'm sure he has his reasons…" he responded with an awkward tone as his smile wavered.

After that the mood soured and no one uttered a word; he was left scratching his head while staring directly at the ceiling, as the two other devils in the room were left to their own devices; Rias tending to some paper work and Akeno was occupied brewing a tea of some sorts. Feeling the cozy atmosphere and noticing that the sofa was now left free; he decided to make his way to it and proceeded to sit on it. In hindsight he understood…he really shouldn't be doing this in his situation; he requested to meet Asia because he felt the need to apologize to her after what he did, after doing so there shouldn't be any reason for him to stay in the abandoned building, after all this was the base for Rias' peerage and despite his mutual understanding with the Devils of Kuoh, that didn't mean they were friends.

On the other hand he could understand why Koneko spent so much time seated on that sofa; it was sure comfortable, more so than his own bed. He placed a hand on top a cushion and gave it a little squish; the covers were really comfortable, probably leather and the insides were also soft. Perhaps Rias wouldn't mind if he took a little nap here; he took that cushion and placed it behind his neck, crossed his arms and shut his eyes closed. He had missed some sleep time as of late and with all the things that happened regarding devils and fallen angels, they wouldn't mind if he borrowed their sofa for a few minutes. He could feel his mind drifting into the void; his thoughts becoming obscured, and his notion of time diminishing as he…


Before me laid a wide plain with big bushes filled bright green leaves; the place was littered with trees, every single one towering above me, reflecting the light with their bright leaves creating an everlasting green aura that enclosed the place into its own light.

The sun was already setting and I could feel the cold of the night starting to permeate the atmosphere, it wasn't an unbearable burning chill, more like a welcomed cold after a hot summer day. Yet the bright red sphere in the horizon only helped to the calm and peaceful atmosphere before me.

I could hear the singing of the birds and the warming sound of a nearby river, the sound of water flushing and hitting the rocks in waves filled my mind with peace.

The plain seemed like a utopia; it was way too perfect, way too ethereal, to be real…Yet I've seen this place before…

When I saw this place I was nothing but a mere child…only a mirage being left behind.

I looked around me, as if looking for something lost, finding all sorts of plant life and vegetation in the process; their green color indicating their prime. I watched the setting sun; I marveled at the orange sky and analyzed the flora around me

But I was unable to find what I was looking for…something essential to this place…something that was missing.

As I turned around I could feel the world around me start to dissolve, as the sun banished from the skies and the plains were left in a soothing night, illuminated by the shining moon above.

Everything began to become blurry and I could feel my consciousness fading away. All that laid before me now was an empty void. There was no light, no sound, there was neither up nor down. I couldn't feel my body; it felt as if I was a cloud, only filled with my consciousness, slowly drifting away in the wind.

I couldn't gather more thoughts, so I decided to give in – let my mind drift apart and lead me wherever it wants to go, that is until-


….

"Ara, ara. What do we have here?Ufufufu" he heard a feminine voice; suddenly he opened his eyes and scrambled himself up; he was able to distinguish a very familiar black pony tail and a pair of violet eyes that could only belong to one person.

"S-sorry, sorry…I'm awake…" he then proceeded to rub his eyes to get a clearer view of the individual before him.

"I'm sure you are, ufufufu" he was greeted with the face of an amused Akeno, who had her right hand placed on her cheek while giggling coyly "did you enjoy your little nap"

"…ha, ha…" he responded.

Once he was able to fully stand, he proceeded to stretch his back and raised his arms high.

"To be honest it was kind of refreshing"

"It doesn't surprise me; you have been sleeping here since you finished talking with Asia" she said with the smallest hints of amusement in her voice.

He paled at the implication

"D-do y-you mean t-that I essentially…skipped the rest of classes" he began sweating and his blood ran cold at her words.

She only giggled as response.

"And none of you decided to wake me up!" he exclaimed in while swinging his arms in exaggerated worry.

"Ara, ara. Buchou had a contract to attend to, so she left shortly after and I couldn't bring myself to do it, you looked so cute. Ufufufu"

"…I'm sure that is the reason why…" his eyes narrowed.

"Ufufufu. What are you insinuating Katsuo-kun?" she asked placing her index finger on her lips in a teasing manner.

"…Nothing…" he said releasing a defeated sigh; then proceeded to make his way towards the exit door but was quickly interrupted by the voice of the black-haired girl.

"Do you mind if I accompany you?"

"Huh?"

"School is already over, I don't have any contracts and Buchou asked me if I could close the Club room" she then proceeded to give him her usual smile "so if you don't mind"

He stood there, before her, speechless for about five seconds but felt more akin to one long minute – he was later able to recompose himself and gave a response to her request.

"Y-yeah sure" he stuttered out, a small hint of pink in his cheeks.

As response she grabbed her school bag and proceeded to head his way. Both of them then made their way out of the room and walked through the long corridors of the Occult Research Club, throughout their walk none uttered a word; Akeno remained with her usual cordial smile while his eyes drifted around the halls, focusing in every detail of his environment while ignoring the young woman beside him. The silence continued between them, it wasn't a deafening one, but rather it was one of soothing peace, like a peaceful afternoon. Though he enjoyed her company, he didn't understand the why; out of the devils the only one he could consider a friend was Issei, the others couldn't be consider anything but acquaintances, so he didn't understand why she would offer her company to him, even in something as trivial. He decided to drop the inner question and focused on simply making his way out of the club – but in the end one of them had to break the atmosphere.

"That was nice of you" her uncharacteristic heartfelt voice broke through the soothing silence, catching his attention in the process "what you did for Asia"

"Ah that" he kept his eyes focused on the ceiling, as his right hand came to scratch the back of his head "It wasn't that big of a deal, I am sure anybody in my position would have done the same"

"No…they wouldn't" she responded while shaking her head and keeping her usual proper tone "As you now know devil wishes are meant for selfish reasons; saving someone's life isn't one"

"Taking away someone's ability to choose their fate is; there was nothing noble about that – just selfishness"

"Ara, ara. You sure have a very unusual way of looking at things" she said arching an eyebrow.

He couldn't help but release an awkward chuckle.

"We aren't exactly usual high school students"

"Yet your desire is to be one"

"Yeah…I guess I do" he said with a longing smile on his face, one that she did not miss.

They fell back into silence until both of them arrived in front of the ORC building.

"I still believe that was sweet of you" said Akeno after closing the close behind her; the smile in her face was unusual, it wasn't neither her usual proper lady-like nor her mischief-filled smile, this one appeared to be a bit more warm and slightly, if only a bit, more genuine than normal – He liked it.

…that previous observation was quickly shattered in the span of a second, when her previous teasing demeanor came back; the edges of her lips curling upwards and her tone becoming more provocative.

"Who could have thought that the big bad exorcist could be such a softie? I wouldn't mind inflicting damage on such an innocent boy. Ufufufu"

"Well I was just a rookie after all" he said only offering a weak smile and a head scratch, his cheeks a bit red at the implication; he then proceeded to turn on his heels and take his way back home, not before giving her some last words of course. "Goodbye Himejima-senpai, see you tomorrow"

To this she decided to respond in kind.

"Take care of yourself Katsuo-kun"

He really enjoyed that, her company today was pleasant instead of the normal overwhelming teasing she usually displayed. The only problem he found was how to approach her; her two personalities made her a puzzle to him. But today, despite some minor teasing, she behaved more like a normal high school girl, and just like the smile she displayed earlier – He liked that.

…and just like that; that notion was quickly shattered.

"By the way I heard Kaichou was looking for you"

His blood became cold as ice.

"Ara, she seemed quite angry" he heard her voice behind him, filled with fake innocence and mischief "I think she said that she would like to meet you at the Student council after school; I don't know why"

Turning his now dread filled face one last time to face her, he spoke in a shaky voice.

"Oi, y-you k-knew…all this t-time"

The only thing she got as a response were her giggles

With no more words uttered he started making his way to the Student Council; Akeno's giggles filled the air as his hunched form traveled lazily through the school grounds, tears coming out of his eyes with each step he took.

He would truly never understand her…


Sona Sitri expected many things when entering the Student Council room; seeing members of her peerage working or preparing themselves for their daily duties was one of them, finding Rias waiting for her with a topic of interest at hand was one of them, her queen Tsubaki standing next to her usual sitting spot was one of them – and now…finding Katsuo Hirai sitting seiza with a pained expression…was also one of them…

So when she opened the door and found him agonizing on the floor she wasn't in the least surprised.

"Hirai-san, I guess you finally decided to wake from your sleep time – Though it would be better if you'd assisted to class instead of lazing around in Rias' Club room" her face betrayed no emotion, but by the way she addressed him made it clear that she wasn't in the least pleased by his actions.

"You also knew!"

"Akeno told me"

His response was only some incoherent mumbles under his breath; pushing his reaction aside, she decided to address the topic at hand.

"How long have you've been there"

"…for about 45 minutes" he responded, his entire body shaking in the process.

"Regardless – that wasn't the main reason why I was looking for you" She then took her usual seat and with a push of her glasses continued "I was looking for you because there is a matter of importance"

At her voice he stiffened; his face became unusually serious and his more relax demeanor was left behind. His eyes narrowed on the woman before him as he asked.

"What is it? Is it serious?"

"Gravely so – one could say that your future here in Kuoh depends on it"

The tension in the air rose; he didn't utter a word, as he awaited Sona's revelation. It wasn't normal hearing Sona speaking of a topic in such gravity, while she was usually strict and stern, it was mostly with school related matters; and after his discovery of the true nature of the student council president…well to say he was wary now, could be an understatement – but what could be the reason of her referring to this matter with such seriousness, what could garner such gravity that his stay on Kuoh depended on it…perhaps…perhaps The Grigori is looking for him…him killing four of their members may raise some questions and some may look for revenge; and now considering he isn't associated with the church, or any other faction for that matter, he is fair game to them….

His inner rambling came to an end when Sona Sitri opened up her eyes and voiced the imminent revelation…

"You haven't joined any school club"

…while making him feel stupid in the process.

"Is everything okay?" she asked while eying him with confusion.

"…yeah"

"Then why are you hitting your head against the floor?"

He raised his head up, showing his now red forehead, and directed his gaze to her.

"…for nothing…I just thought that this matter of 'grave importance' would be more along the lines of…the supernatural you know…" he spoke in a more hopeless tone than usual.

She just raised a confused eyebrow in response.

"You told us that you wanted to stay as separated as possible from that world and I said that we would like to get along just as simple students – nothing more…what did you think I was referring to?"

"…Normally when someone speaks of matters of 'grave importance' they tend not to be about school"

"Isn't the lack of affiliation to a school club of 'grave importance' to any ordinary high school student?"

His eyes widened for a second before reverting back to his usual relax state, though there was a hint of sorrow within them, a small bit that Sona didn't notice.

"…Yeah, ordinary high school student – I forgot…" he said while scratching his head and giving an awkward chuckle.

"Exactly my point – So, as you may know it is mandatory that all students partake in an after school club activities; otherwise you could be expelled…and considering your average grades and subpar assistance, I'd say this is of grave importance to you." She said directing all her authority and the edge in her voice towards him.

He instinctively gulped

"Have you considered any options?" the student council president continued.

"No…to be honest I haven't even checked what kind of clubs there are – perchance is there a swordsmanship club?"

"There is the Kendo Club – but is female exclusive"

"How about a music Club"

At this question Sona seemed genuinely surprised and interested; she had been looking for students with musical expertise who could form a student band. The fact that he could be potentially the initiator of that, raised her hopes

"Do you play any instrument? I never took you for a musician"

"No, I just like to hear it"

…and in an instant she was let down

This seemed to irritate the student council president, the frown in her face made it apparent.

"S-sorry…how about just joining Rias' Club, they don't seem to do much after school"

"…that would mean becoming part of her Peerage"

"Is there a way to join the club without becoming a devil?"

"You would have to talk to her – and I doubt she would let pass the opportunity of making you part of her Peerage"

"…huh?"

"Taking on four fallen angels is no small feat – and as you may know, we devils are creatures of desire; if the opportunity to obtain something we want presents itself, we will take it – that goes for both Rias and me"

A dumbstruck expression appeared on his features.

"That was…quite ominous…so I guess that Rias' Club is a no…"

"Yes"

"And the same goes with yours…"

"Yes, but for different reasons"

"…what Reasons?" he asked a little reluctant to hear her answer.

"The Student Council is supposed to represent the best our school has to offer, by joining it you should strive to embody all of our morals and values, you no longer are a simple student, you are the example your peers must strive to be – sadly you are not fitted for the bill; you are always late, have spend more time in detention more than any other student in recent history and if it were up to you, you would only lazy around instead of doing the council duties"

"…why do I bother coming here…every time I do, you end up destroying my self-esteem" he said releasing a defeated sigh in the process "Fine I'll find a club that suits me…but give me time to sort it out at least"

"You've had your time since arriving here…but I'll make an exception this time"

His back shivered.

"…I'm gonna regret it…"

She, on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why do you say so?"

"…for nothing" he responded with a deadpan expression.

"Anyways, that will be all – if you excuse me, I have others matters to attend to, but it was nice talking with you Katsuo-san, it would be better if it wasn't in detention next time"

"…Y-yeah, right…sorry" he responded, awkwardly scratching his head.

He then started to stand up, his knees cracking and his legs shaking…only to be put down by Sona's harsh voice.

"and don't think you can fool me – the room is warded remember, you have been inside it 15 minutes; there is still more than half an hour of detention left – and because you tried to deceive me and skipped class, that will be 2 more hours"

With a resounding click she left the room, leaving him with his legs shaking and the sense of regret and imminent doom present on his mind.

"…I'm really gonna regret it…"


During his week he finally started his training with Issei.

The pervert, once again, waited for him after school and demanded to start with his training lessons; thankfully he already thought about that and came prepared for the occasion, he had to spent his monthly allowance and go to an antique store to get it but it was necessary for the training.

The reasoning behind the lessons being after school rather than before it – was since he apparently always arrives late to school, it would be impossible for them to train early in the morning, because otherwise he would simply arrive late to the training, to school or most likely both…the sad thing was, the pervert was right. Regardless, he was pumped to get some training done after so much time.

But Issei could see something, dare he say different, in Katsuo that day. He seemed excited, more excited than usual…when speaking of the topic of training.

"So tell me Gaijin-san; what are you gonna teach me, some crazy sword fighting, or perhaps some secret monk martial arts?"

"No and no; we are going to start by the basics – improving your overall endurance and physical strength"

"Eh? that sounds lame…you said that you would teach me about your fighting style!"

"After we are done with the basics…because not to be harsh but…you suck"

"…Oi…"

"You look like you have no endurance, no speed, no physical strength and no muscle development whatsoever"

"…Oi!"

"Even with your devil enhancements I doubt we could, as of now, get into heavy weightlifting"

"…heavy weightlifting...will you try to turn me into a gorilla?"

"If you want to learn my style you'll need to increase your strength and endurance drastically – and seeing that you have no endurance to support my method of strength increase…"

"…what exactly is your method?" he was reluctant of the answer.

"…starting with your endurance seems like the best option"

"…so…what will you make me do…run around the school campus a thousand times"

"No - we are going to play a game!"

"A…game"

"Yes a game, it's not as bad as it sounds; have you heard of 'hide and seek', it's something like that but with a small twist – it helps you build stamina quickly, plus its pretty fun once you get the hang of it"

"…and you are sure this will help me get stronger"

"But of course! – my childhood friend and I used to train like this all the time back at the church and I turned out pretty strong"

"…if you say so"

"Great! Trust me you are not gonna regret it!"

Well, it was just a game how bad could it be.

"I just got a question…If we aren't training swordsmanship…why did you bring a medieval sword with you?"


Issei Hyoudou really lamented his life choices as of right now. It was this kind of moments that made him question himself and ask: "How exactly did I end up here?"

He had asked his friend for help in training, nothing more. He expected to do some pushups, some squats, running a few miles, some abdominals and perhaps getting a few pointers when it came down to battle; after all Katsuo proved himself to be strong after taking on Raynare – so it would be natural to ask for his help. The dude said that he was rusty in training, so probably the first days of training would be easy right? At least he thought so...and besides he said that their training would be a game – he surely was expecting something more serious than a 'game', but wouldn't complain nonetheless. At the same time he didn't understand at the time why he said that they would train in the school woods…okay, he found the idea weird…but whatever he was the fight expert.

So that landed him in his current situation; running for dear life through the woods, his legs cramped, sweet pouring from every part of his body, his face filled with a sense of dread, panting like no tomorrow while the sound of trees crashing down disturbed the once silent atmosphere like an imminent thunderstorm, each crashing sound was equal to a lightning striking down the earth and as they grew closer – announced his inevitable doom.

He took a time to catch some breath after the crashing sound seemingly stooped. Supporting his back against the most nearby tree, he decided to rest for a bit.

"I - I t-think I lost him" he said releasing a breath of relief in between gasps.

That relief was shortly lived as the sound of a very distinct accent put him on edge once again.

"Achtung!"

As that word broke through the woods, the tree he was previously resting on split into two, a silver flash being the only indication of the object used by his assailant. Then the once strong tree, that probably spent years in Kuoh Academy's woods, came crashing down on the perverted boy, to which he thankfully rolled out of the way in the last second – sadly he landed very pathetically on his rear.

Now in front of him stood a very familiar silver-haired boy; a huge grin on his face while on his right shoulder rested what seemed like a classic European silver board-sword with a golden hilt. His expression was one of joy, like a kid who was allowed to play at the park after a long rainy day.

If only the pervert could share his same enthusiasm…

"Are you trying to kill me asshole!" the brown-haired boy screamed while waving his arms frantically.

"Trust me you won't think I'm an asshole when you're stronger" he responded full of enthusiasm.

"Yes I will!"

"Don't be so whiny, I did this all the time with a friend when I was younger"

"What was your friend!? A gorilla!?" the pervert once again screamed in bewilderment.

He took a time to ponder about the question; his left hand moved under his chin and started rubbing it while his eyes closed themselves in deep thought. No sooner than later he reopened his aqua orbs and responded the question with a mixed expression.

"In a sense…she kind of was one…" a grim chuckle left his mouth as he said so – an embarrassing memory of a distant past resurfaced at that moment.

"Huh?"

His previous composure and enthusiasm returned instantly with a quick shake of his head.

"No time to reminisce"

He then proceeded to leap into the air and as soon as he flew into the air, he crash landed before him while doing a downward slash, leaving a huge crater where Issei once was. The only thing Issei could do was roll out of the way followed by scrambling himself up. At the sight of the damage caused, and the joyful grin present in Katsuo's face, the only thing the pervert could do was start running in the other direction while screaming at the top of his lungs.

After that day a new rumor surfaced on the Academy's grounds; they say if you stay after school and head towards the more secluded areas of the woods, you can hear the lamenting cries of long dead problem students, as they are hunt by the reaper for their previous acts on School campus…

Such a ridiculous thing could only be a rumor…right?


His week went on and aside a few minor things, it was pretty ordinary – go to school, power through the boring classes, spend some time talking with Issei inside the Occult Research Club, go to detention, after school training with the pervert, go out to eat and finally come home and do homework. There wasn't any extraordinary about his routine, all in all it was pretty tame for him, but he liked it that way; it gave him a much desired sense of normality to his life. That isn't to say that it didn't have it fair share of dare he say…weird moments to it…

The first was regarding Rias; he didn't talk much with her, despite him spending more time in her club room as before, they were on pretty cordial terms nonetheless…but during the week he couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be…distant. There was a clear feel of melancholy and sorrow in her eyes and she spent most of her time, or at least while he was present in her club room, staring at the window aimlessly – it was weird; he could have approached her and ask what the matter was, but she didn't have that sort of trust with him, so he wouldn't pry.

The other weird thing that happened during the week was in regards to Issei. The boy one day arrived…happy…way too happy to be normal, he seemed more entranced than happy to be honest; the pervert spent most of the time daydreaming about…something – he didn't know about what, the only thing that he got as response when he asked was something along the line of 'seeing the glory of paradise' – he had no idea what it was about…and frankly, considering it is Issei he was referring to, the less he knew the better…

But by far the weirdest thing that happened during the week was what he could only call as the 'Yakitori incident'. It was pretty bizarre and frankly speaking, he didn't know how to describe it; he arrived at the ORC after class, he went there mainly to look for Issei since he wasn't in their usual training spot, in reality he thought that the pervert had just given up on training, but to his surprise Issei was actually there alongside the whole ensemble of Rias' peerage – but what was different was the atmosphere present in the room. All of them had sour expressions in their faces and there was a sense of gloom in the air, but the most surprising of them was none other than Issei, instead of having the gloomy expression that everybody else had, his face was livid, livid with unquenched ager – He tried to ask them what was wrong; the only answer he got was one word uttered through the gritted teeth of Issei with venom dripping from his mouth.

'Yakitori'

…he didn't understand the meaning of it…it actually left him more confused than earlier – what could grilled chicken do to them to garner such hate from the group? Perhaps they ate some and it was rotten, now they had to deal with indigestion and stomach cramps, plus if it got too bad they would have to end up going to the hospital…but all that was speculation.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get any more input in the whole 'Yakitori' thing, and that he wasn't exactly welcomed at the moment, he decided to excuse himself and with a wave left the room.

The only thing that the whole thing left him was the inexplicable hunger for some grilled chicken.

Regardless; now that the week was over he was ready for a relaxing and well deserved weekend, where he most likely would sleep late, wake up late and laze around his apartment…and he would enjoy every second of doing so

But right now he was tired, way too tired – so as soon as he arrived back at his apartment, he let himself fall directly onto his bed like a boulder sinking into the sea, his consciousness drifted away and he was able to watch a familiar view once again…


I was greeted with the same sight as before.

The wide plains laid before me, its flora as bright as the last time, the sound of a river filled the air, an ever glowing green aura permeated the place, the brisk cold filled the atmosphere and the red sun was once again setting on the horizon, tainting the skies orange.

But this time there was something different…

Something that I felt was missing last time…

but was now found – as my eyes were finally set on a familiar and beautiful sight.

Before me stood a sword, its sharp blade cutting the green aura of the forest and its hilt reflecting the red sun in the horizon. It was created out of a peerless metal and was forged by hands that were beyond human. The sword stood there, plunged into a ****, waiting to be pulled by someone worthy of its use.

I knew the sword…its hilt was familiar to my hands, its weigh was ideal for my swing and its name was etched into my brain.

The sword was named *******

I didn't approach it; doing so would represent making a choice that I am unwilling to make. Pulling it represents choosing a path of which I am unworthy of taking; it represents taking a mantle that isn't mine to bear.

I am not the one to pull the sword out of the ****, it's not my desire to do so…

Once again the sun finally came down and the world was cast into a great shadow…leaving me once again trapped in a void, my consciousness escaping me, as I drifted away…


He was suddenly woken up by the sound of crackling electricity and a crimson-red aura that illuminated the entire complex of his apartment; he watched as a crimson magic circle appeared on the middle of his apartment, just a few centimeters away from his bed.

Without much thought he jumped into action, rolling away from his bed and landing next to the wall that separated the kitchen from the rest of the room; acting on instinct he took the black guitar case and prepared himself to undo the sealing.

Thankfully he didn't need to – when the energy died down and the magic circle was finally complete, it revealed a familiar red-haired woman with buxom figure wearing a very familiar school uniform, her unmistakable blue eyes opened confirming his initial suspicion, before him stood no other than Rias Gremory.

Seeing the familiar face he let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to leave the guitar case in its place – then that relief turned into confusion as the Gremory heiress started making her way to him.

"What are you doing here Gremory-senpai? Its 3.00 am – came to collect my soul or something?" he said rubbing his eyes while letting out a sarcastic chuckle.

The red-head didn't respond, just kept approaching him.

"…and talk about an invasion of privacy – you know I have a door right? You could've just knocked" he continued, his tone becoming a mix of awkward and mocking.

Once again – his comments fell on deaf ears.

At this point the red-hair was in front of him and her stare was fixated on him – with no words uttered or any sign given she raised her hand and pointed her index finger directly at him.

"The time of reckoning has come, Hirai Katsuo – the debt you have acquired shall now be paid with something of equal value. You asked for the resurrection of Asia Argento; you barged for a life – in return you will be ask to pay with another life in return, your life."

His mind was a complete mess at this point trying to understand what she was referring to; that didn't stop her from continuing.

"Be overjoyed Hirai Katsuo, from now on your life will belong to me and you will live for my sake – live for me as my servant – I, Rias Gremory of the House of Gremory, order you, Hirai Katsuo, join my peerage."