It's been a few days since Asia became a devil, and things have been… Interesting, to say the least. The former Sister was slowly adjusting to life as a devil. For the time being, Asia lived with Rias and spent time with all of us in the Occult Research Club after school. That is where she learned about Japanese culture and a bit about the modern world. Which she needed.
"Magnus, look, I have a cellphone!" Asia happily displays her smartphone with a smile.
With a smile, I put my hands behind my hand. "Congrats. You are one step closer to becoming a modern girl."
"Hehe. Thanks! Koneko said she will show me how to use it!"
"Make sure to thank her." I tell the blonde.
Asia nods as she looks at the device. "I will, and Rias said she put in everyone's number, just in case I need you."
"Good thinking. Hey, why don't you call me? That way, I can have your number too."
"That's a great idea… But…" Asia looks down with a frown.
Turning my head slightly, I stare at the girl in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Asia suddenly looks up at me with a confused puppy dog stare. "I don't know how to make a call."
Asia also learned about devil jobs, like making contracts (she went with me to see Mil-Tan with me) and passing out fliers.
"I'm sorry you have to help me." Asia says as she places a flier into a nearby mailbox.
I shake my head with a grin. "Don't worry about it. You don't know the town well, so it's not a problem." As we walked through the neighborhood, passing out fliers, Asia and I just talked with one another.
"Magnus, I have a question." Asia stops walking and looks up at me. "Have you ever seen Roman Holiday?"
"Uh… That's a little random, but yes, I have. Wait, how did you see it?" I ask in confusion. "I thought you grew up far away from modern society."
"I did, but… Sometimes, a nice priest would come by with a film projector and let us watch movies." Asia looks up at the sky with a smile. "He is such a kind man; I hope he is alright."
As I stare at the smaller girl, an idea popped into my brain. Pulling out my phone, I quickly look up something online. "Hey, I got an idea… After we're done here, why don't we watch Roman Holiday?"
"What? Really?" Asia looks at me in shock. "You have a projector?"
I shake my head. "No, but I do have Amazon Prime Video. Come on."
"Oh, that is nice… Magnus, what's Amazon Prime Video?"
After a quick explanation about Prime and streaming in general, Asia and I finished up our job and went to my house to watch Roman Holiday. Which Asia thoroughly enjoyed. After finishing the movie, Rias came by and picked Asia up and took her back to her place. All and all, I believe Asia will be ready for school come Monday.
(Third Person POV: Rias Gremory)
"Have a goodnight Asia." Rias bids goodnight to her newest servant with a smile.
"Goodnight, President." Asia yawns as she closes her eyes.
Shutting the door to her room, Rias covers her mouth as she starts to yawn. "I should head to bed as well, I have an early day-" A bright red magical circle appears in the middle of the living room, shocking the devil heiress. Emerging from the circle is a silver-haired maid. "Grayfia? What brings you by so late?" Rias asks in confusion.
"Pardon the lateness of the hour, my lady, but-" Reaching into her apron, the older woman pulls out a letter. "-I have a letter from your father."
"From father? I was told there were no issues with creating Asia's records." Rias takes the letter with a frown, opening it up, the red-head scans the contents. With each and every word, Rias went deathly white. "This has to be a joke. I was told I had until I graduated from college."
"I'm afraid that is no longer an option, my lady." Grayfia bows. "There has been… Stirrings in the Underworld as of late, the old factions are gaining strength once more. Your father and Lord Phenex believe it would be best to secure their alliance."
"Do I not get a say in this?" Rias asks in vain, already knowing the answer.
Grayfia kept a neutral expression on her face, but her eyes revealed her true feelings. She hated this as much as Rias did. "Sadly, not in this matter, my lady, it is your duty as the next head of Gremory. Your father will give you a few days to get you and your fellow Servant's affairs in order before you must come back home. When it is time, I will come and collect you. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave, my lady."
Doing her best to keep her cool, Rias nods curtly. "That will be all, Grayfia."
Grayfia bows one final time as she begins to teleport. "Have a good night, my lady."
As the maid leaves the apartment, Rias's arms shook in anger. "What am I going to do?"
(First Person POV: Magnus)
"Wake up."
…. I open my eyes to see… Nothing, absolutely nothing. "Who said that?"
"I did."
"I know you… You're the voice that keeps talking to me."
"Do you know who I am?"
"You're the Red Dragon, aren't you?" Flames and light erupt all around; the fire became my entire world. I wonder if this is what hell is like? Shaking my head, I look around in confusion. "Where am I? What is this place?
"My home." The dragon's voice booms.
As I turn to the voice, my eyes widen in shock. Standing before me is an enormous western dragon, the wings are so large they look like they could cause a hurricane with just one flap. The scales are a deep red, four horns form a crown near the end of its skull, with a fifth at the end of its snout. Then there are the eyes. They are the same color as the gem of the Boosted Gear. "Red Dragon Emperor…"
"Impressed?"
I slowly nod as I stare at the dragon. "Yeah… Though, what do I call you? Dragon? Boosted Gear?" A rumbling noise like that jet engine on steroids builds up in the dragon's chest; it opens its mouth and belts out a roar that could blow apart buildings.
"Ddraig the Welsh Dragon, that is my name."
Removing my hands from my ears, a massive grin slowly appears on my face. "Nice to meet you, I'm Magnus."
Ddraig chest rumbles… So I think he (Never met a dragon before, but that is just the feeling I get) is laughing? "It's about time we talked; you've kept me waiting a long time, kid."
"Same, but why couldn't we speak fully before?"
"You were not strong enough for us to speak like this." Ddraig explains as he sits down with surprising cat-like grace, folding his wings against his sides, the dragon stares at me. "I could only speak to you in brief intervals."
"Like that dream?" My eyes widen. "Wait, you said I had awakened my power before, what did you mean by that?"
"That is difficult to explain and not the purpose of this meeting." Ddraig growls as his eyes flash with annoyance.
"Okay, got it." I can always ask him later, hopefully. "So, what's the reason for this little meeting of the minds?"
Ddraig straightens up at that. "I saw your fight with that fallen angel, and I find it disgraceful that it took you so long to beat her. I have decided to show how to properly use our power, I will show you how to properly use the Boosted Gear."
"Wait, are you talking about training me?" I ask the Welsh Dragon. "What kind of training?"
"The kind of training that only a dragon can provide." Ddraig begins to stand as his wings unfurl.
Gulping, I slowly begin to back up with a nervous look on my face. "Yeah? When do we start?"
"Training begins now!" Ddraig roars as he spits a thirty-foot long lance of fire at me.
"Gah!" Shooting upward in a panic, I look around, panting heavily. "I'm in my room… I'm in my room." Taking a few minutes to calm down, I lay back with an exhausted grunt. "Dragons are dicks." I am not sure how, but I think I heard Ddraig laugh.
"Who is ringing the doorbell at… Five in the morning?" With a groan, I climbed out of bed and threw on a shirt, and headed downstairs. I open the front door and see Rias standing there in a red jogging suit. "Rias? Why are you here so early?"
"Magnus, did you seriously forget? This is part of your training, remember?" My master puts a hand on her hip as she looks at me.
"Oh, right." I smack my head with a grunt. "Sorry, didn't sleep well last night. Come on in, I'll go get changed." I motion for the crimson-haired girl to come in as I head upstairs. Once in my room, I change into some athletic shorts and my running shoes. Grabbing my headphones and phone, I walk down the stairs to see Rias looking around the living room. "Looking for anything in particular?" I ask.
"Oh, the usual, embarrassing pictures and the like." Rias replies with a small smile.
"If you want those, you'll have to go L.A. ready to go?" Rias nods, and we walk out of the house; after I lock the door and head to the street, I start to stretch.
The crimson-haired girl climbs onto a bike waiting patiently as I finish stretching. "When you're done, we'll start with a five-mile run."
"Sounds good." Slipping on my headphones and turning on the music, I start to jog down the street with Rias following behind. As I ran, I thought over the 'training' I went through with Ddraig. The dragon and I mentally 'sparred' If you can call what we did sparing more like a slaughter. The dragon kicked my ass in the Sacred Gear's depths most of the night, and afterward, we spent the rest of the time talking.
Ddraig explained to me that once I was strong enough, I will be able to transfer my power to others. This is impressive in itself; it made me a useful support player with my friends. Though, there is one thing I wanted to know…. That dream I had, the one with Dimitri…. What was that power they both used? At the beginning and the end. Ddraig refused to tell me. He said that I was not strong enough for an ability to break the balance of the world.
Break the balance of the world… Why does that sound familiar?
"Magnus, are you okay?" The red-head pulls up beside me.
"Yeah, just focused."
Rias nods, and together we finish the first leg of exercises after we head to the park. Removing my headphones, I went through a series of activities. Jumping jacks, sit-ups, squats, and finally, pushups. With one little extra feature thrown in. Rias sat on my back with her legs crossed. I told Rias about my conversation with Ddraig.
"So, once you're strong enough, you'll be able to transfer your power to others? Sounds useful." Rias mumbles with her arms, crossed. "You do know that this means increasing your training, right?"
"Figured as much, but hey if it helps in the long run." I slowly crane my neck to look at Rias, a small grin forming on my face.
Noticing the grin, my master raises an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing. Just enjoying the view." I answer jokingly, my humor was short-lived as Rias smacks my head, forcing me to the ground.
"Perv." Standing up, Rias helps me back to my feet. As I do my cool-down stretches, Rias walks over to her bike and pulls out two water bottles. "When you're finished, I have some water for you." Sitting on a nearby bench, my master slowly drinks from one of the bottles.
You know… She is stunning… I wonder if…
'I'm sure the White One has told what happens to those close to us.'
'It seems anyone involved with you is going to meet a horrible end.'
…I stop stretching with a sigh. "Damn it."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah… Just got distracted." Shaking my head, I finish my stretches and sit next to my master. Grabbing the unopened bottle, I twist the top and start drinking. Stupid dream about a past user, stupid Raynare… "Hey Rias… Can… I-" My question dies in my throat as I look at my master. Much like I did earlier, she seems distracted about something. "-Rias is everything okay? Do you want to talk?" I place a hand on her shoulder.
"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Thank you, though." Rias replies with a thin smile.
I don't believe that for a second. "Uh-huh, but really-"
"Magnus! President! I'm here!" Interrupting our conversation is Asia, the blonde girl runs toward us with a basket in her hands. "Sorry it took so long; I got a little lost."
Rias smiles slightly. "It's fine, just watch-" The red-head and I flinch as Asia trips and falls.
Jumping to my feet, I run over and help Asia stand up. "Are you okay?"
"Ow… I'm no good at running and talking at the same time." Asia whines as she rubs her nose.
"May want to work on that." Other than some redness, she looks fine; I help her stand up with a smile. "So, Asia, what brings you by the park this early? I thought for sure you would still be asleep."
"Rias told me to meet you both here." The former nun explains as she dusts herself off.
"Really? Did she say why?" When Asia shook her head, I turn my attention back to Rias, who is zoned out again. "Rias?"
Shaking her head, the crimson-haired beauty looks at us. "Sorry. I was just… Thinking about something."
"Okay… Care to elaborate?" I ask with a worried gaze.
Asia, also looking concerned, nods. "If we can help, please let us know."
"It's nothing you need to worry about, but thank you both." Rias smiles and gently pats Asia's shoulder. "Now, what was your question?"
"Why did you ask Asia to come here? Not that I mind, just curious." I shrug my shoulders. I don't buy this; something is bugging her.
"Well, as you know, Asia has been staying with me. At least until she could get her own place." Rias explains with her arms crossed. "After talking it over with her, I think we have found a suitable place." My master's eyes dance with mischief as she looks at Asia.
"So…. I am here to help her move?" With a raised eyebrow, I look at the blonde, who looks away with a slight blush. "I'm cool with that, so how far is her place?"
Asia looks down, embarrassed, as Rias just chuckles. "Not far, in fact, you've been there before."
"I have?" This is very suspicious.
"Yes, you have; in fact, you live there."
"Oh, that makes sense-Wait what!?"
"…. Why is there a mountain of packages in front of my house?" I ask in confusion. After the shocking revelation of Asia moving in with me, nobody explained why or gave me a choice. (Why do I feel like this is my life now?) The three of us walked back to my place only to find a mountain of brown boxes in front of my door.
"Oh, these are all my things." Asia speaks up rather nervously.
"… How?" I ask in confusion. "When I first met you, all you had was a tiny suitcase… "
Rias shakes her head. "We ordered some things for her online and had it shipped here."
"Oh, well, that makes sense." I nod, following along so far. "Just um… One question… Why, my house?"
"When I took Asia out to look at apartments, but she didn't want any of them. So, I asked her where she wanted to live and said with you." Rias shrugs and then pokes my ribs. "Plus, you have the room, and you don't pay rent."
I cannot argue with that logic, which is why I'm going to ignore it. "Not the point, and you know it. Don't I get a say in the matter? Plus, what about my parents? They do check in on me, you know, and once summer comes around, how am I going to explain this?"
"Um… If it's too much trouble, I can go somewhere else." Asia mumbles with a downcast expression.
…. That is not fair, not fair at all. "It isn't any trouble… I'll find a way to explain this to my folks, and Rias is right I do have the room." The real question is… How?
You may want to learn how to say no to these women, kid; otherwise, they'll walk all over you.
"Thank you, Magnus!" The happy look on Asia's face made me blush.
The rest of the morning and most of the afternoon was spent setting up Asia's room the way she wanted it. Once done, the Rias and Asia sat in the living drinking tea. Me, on the other hand… I was trying to take a nap on the floor.
"-Do you think he is alright?" I heard Asia ask.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Rias says.
As the girls talked about this and that, I slowly felt myself drifting off to sleep.
"Magnus?"
"Mm?" I groan, opening an eye to look at the girls.
"I was wondering, where are your parents?" Asia asks curiously.
"Back in the states, I came here a year ago." Siting up, I slowly yawn. "They check when they can, and during vacations, my brother will join them. Sometimes my older sisters will come if my parents can't." Oh crap, I haven't talked to my folks in a while… I really need to give them a call.
Asia frowns sadly. "Isn't that lonely, though? Living in this house by yourself?"
Lonely? I will admit when I first came to Japan, I was lonely. "A little, but I'm not alone now." I answer with a smile.
"I guess not." Asia giggles happily.
The very next day is Monday, which means… Asia's first day of school. I am not sure how Rias's dad got the paperwork done so fast, but it was damn impressive. On our way to school, poor Asia began to fidget nervously. I tried my best to ease her tensions, but nothing seemed to work. "It'll be fine."
"But what if I embarrass myself?" Asia asks her green eyes wide with fear. "It's my first time ever going to school. Or what if they don't like me?"
"Asia." I move in front of the smaller girl and place my hands on her shoulders.
"M-Magnus." Asia looks into my eyes with a blush.
Taking a breath, I gently rap her behind the head.
"Ow! Why did you hit me?" She asks in confusion.
"First, it was more of a love tap. Second, you're overthinking things." Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, I give Asia a comforting squeeze. "Listen, it's okay to be nervous. Going to school for the first time usually is." I slowly start to walk, explaining on the go. "Don't worry about embarrassing yourself, we all do it from time to time. Oh, and there is no way anyone will pick on you. You're too cute to pick on."
"C-C-Cute!? You think I'm cute!?" Asia's eyes widen.
"Yep, and if someone does try to pick on you… Leave them to me." A broad grin appears on my face.
The former nun looks down with a small smile. "Thank you, Magnus. I think… I think I feel a little better."
"Good. If you need help, I'll be there. Now, we should hurry up. Don't want to be late on your first day." Letting go of her shoulder, the two of us continued to walk to school. On the way, we saw several students, some of them whispered and pointed at us both. Ignoring the looks, I led Asia to the faculty office to meet our homeroom teacher. After talking to our teacher and getting Asia's class schedule (which is the same as mine), we went to homeroom as class began. Taking my seat, our teacher instructed Asia to introduce herself to the class.
"Um.." Shifting back and forth, the blonde looks around nervously.
We lock eyes for a moment, and I gesture for her to take a deep breath and mouth. 'Relax'.
Asia nods, and with a deep breath, she smiles at our class. "Hello, my name is Asia Argento. I hope we get along." The class was silent for a few seconds before everyone started talking all at once. Due to the noise, I only caught a few words, but most of it was the same.
"She is so hot!"
"Look at all that golden here, it's like silk!"
"She is so beautiful! I think I'm in love!"
The teacher eventually calmed down the class and directed Asia to sit in the desk next to mine. I spent the rest of the morning helping Asia out in class, giving her a quick explanation of things she didn't understand. Or outright know. However, I noticed that my human (still weird to say) friend Aika watched us interact. Ever since I became a devil, I haven't really talked to her as much… I need to apologize; despite everything going on, she is still my friend. Eventually, it was time for lunch, and poor Asia was rushed by a group of students.
"So, Argento-san, where did you come from before here?"
"Do you like living in Japan?"
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
The questions came one after the other, each one threatened to overwhelm the poor girl. I was about to step in and tell them to back off when Aika pushes her way through the students with a frown. Putting her hands on her hips, the brown-haired girl glares at the other students. "Alright, all of you back off. Give her some room to breathe." All the other students back up with embarrassed looks on their faces. "You okay, Argento-san?" Aika turns to the former Sister with a friendly smile.
Asia nods with a relieved look. "I am, thank you... Um…"
"Kiryuu Aika."
"Thank you, Kiryuu-san." Asia smiles. "Oh, and please call me Asia, I am not one for honorifics."
Aika crosses her arms and turns to the rest of the class. "Okay, now you can ask your questions. One at a time." As the students asked their questions one by one, Aika makes her way over to me. "So Magnus want to talk to me about her?"
"What about?"
Aika's eyes narrow. "Come on, Maverick, ever since your birthday, you've been acting weird. Even for you. No pranks, joining the Occult Research Club. Avoiding me and everyone else, and now showing up with a random girl. Something odd is going on."
Aika has always been perceptive, and she is right about something odd going on. "I'm not avoiding you or anyone, I've just been busy." I look down with a thoughtful expression. How do I explain this? "Club activities have been keeping me busy." That could work…. Learning how to be a proper devil could count as club activities.
"Riiiggghhttt." Aika rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Say I believe that. What about Argento-san?"
"She recently came here from Italy, and I have been helping her adjust to Japan." Which is true. "But… I want to apologize... Just because I've been busy, doesn't mean I shouldn't make time for my friends." I bow my head with a sigh. "So, please forgive me."
"Fine, I forgive you. Just don't be such a stranger." Aika laughs and shakes her head as a grin appears on her face. "So, want to tell me about Argento-san? How did you two lovebirds meet, huh?"
"Lovebirds?" My face begins to heat up at her words. "We're just friends, Aika-"
"Sure you are, sure you are." Aika dismisses my reply. "I saw the way you acted with her-"
"I'm just helping her adjust-"
"-So is it overwhelming being in a different country Argento-san?"
"A little, but luckily I have Magnus to help me. He was kind enough to even let me stay with him." Asia answers happily.
….. Taking a deep breath, I slam my head into my desk.
"You were saying?" I didn't have to see it to know that my human friend was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
With a groan, I lift my head and look out the window. "I think falling to my death would be less painful than this conversation."
The rest of the day was like hell on earth. The rest of the guys were either glaring at me or staring at me in jealously. While the girls eyed me suspiciously and did their best to keep Asia close to them. Which is good for Asia. She'll definitely make friends, and I am all for that. After school, Asia and I went straight for the clubhouse. Rias gave Asia the day off from devil duties. So she could work on her homework. As I helped the former Sister with her homework, Koneko ate her snack food, as Kiba read one of his books, Akeno helped me with Asia's homework and gave her some helpful study tips for the future. As we worked, I noticed that Rias was preoccupied with a letter. Whatever was on it had her on edge.
Maybe I should ask her about it? Shaking my head, I go back to working with Asia. I'll ask her about it later. A couple of hours go by, and finally, we finished our work and got some studying done. By the end of it, poor Asia looked utterly drained.
"Well, I think it's time for us to get going. You ready, Asia?" I ask as I stretch out with a groan.
"Uh…" Asia groans tiredly.
"Don't worry, Asia, you'll be fine." Kiba chuckles good-naturedly.
Akeno rubs the smaller girl's back. "Just remember if you need help, we're here."
"You got this." Koneko nods.
As I help Asia gather up her things, I turn to Rias once more; she hadn't taken her eyes from that paper during the entire study session. "Is everything okay, Rias?"
"Hm? Oh, yes." My master lies with a smile. "And I would hold off on leaving just yet, I have something important to tell you two." Standing up, the pure-blood devil walks around her desk. "It's almost a full moon."
"Uh… Last time I checked, we were devils. Not werewolves… Wait, are they real?" I ask with wide eyes. "Because if they are, I have a lot of questions and I can see now is not the time for them." I say when Rias glares at me.
Rias shakes her head. "Now, you know how we have you pass out fliers?" When Asia and I nod, Rias continues. "Newer members of the household will pass them out, for a time at least. Tell me, how do you think we pass them out when we don't have new members?"
"Now that you mention it…." My mind flashes back to my birthday; the flier was given to me by a woman. "… Who was that chick in the cosplay outfit?" I ask in confusion.
"That was my familiar." Rias holds out her hand as a puff of smoke appears and forms into a tiny bat creature. "She can take on human form." As she spoke, the bat creature moves away from Rias, and in another puff of smoke, the bat became the woman that gave me that flier.
"Holy crap…" My eyes widen in shock.
Akeno clears her throat. "I have one as well." In her hands is a small grin creature with a horn sticking out of its head.
"He's so cute!" Asia cries happily with a smile.
"This is Shiro." Koneko holds up a white kitten, that has on a brown collar with a bell attached.
"A kitten? It suits you." I grin at the small girl and tentatively hold my hand out to the animal—Shiro paws at my hand with a meow.
"Here's mine." Perched on Kiba's shoulder is a small golden bird that looked like a hummingbird, crossed with a bald eagle.
"That's really cool… It's like their Pokémon." Everyone but Asia groans at my comment. "Oh come on, they do look like pokémon. Except for Shiro. So, how could I not make a reference to Pokémon?" I cup my chin in thought. "I wonder if they have a Charizard like familiar?"
"It's not a dragon type, though." Kiba mutters with a frown. "Salamence would be better since you're the Red Dragon."
"Wait, what?" I stare at Kiba in confusion. "Are you a Pokémon fan?"
"Magnus, not the time." Rias chastises. "Familiar's are a part of being a devil, they are incredibly useful. Not just as a companion, but for scouting, miscellaneous tasks. The list goes on and on."
"That's great! Wait, how do we even get a familiar?" Asia asks.
"Go into the tall grass and throw a metal ball at one." I say offhandedly.
Kiba groans. "You're not going to stop, are you?"
"Probably not no." I admit truthfully.
Rias shakes her head. "Getting back to the topic at hand, to get a familiar-" A sharp knocking sound interrupted the red-head. "-Akeno, would you mind?"
"Not at all, President." Akeno bows and walks to the door and opens. "Oh, hello, please come in." Walking into the room is-
"The student council!?" My eyes widen. "What's Sona and her goon squad doing here?" I couldn't help but notice something different. The student council had some new members. The first would be a girl, a first-year if I had to guess. She is short, around five foot two with brown-hair in long twin ponytails, with a pair of green hairclips, and green eyes. She has on the standard female Kuoh Academy uniform, with striped green stockings.
The second member is, surprisingly, a guy. He has short blonde hair and gray eyes. He has on the male version of our school's uniform, only he didn't wear the blazer, and his long sleeves are rolled up. He is around five-foot-five and built like a reed. As we lock eyes, the guy looks shocked to see me…. Weird. Though he does look familiar. I wonder… Have we met before?
The student council president glares at me. "Hello Maverick-san, still refusing to wear the school uniform fully, I see."
Shaking my head, I turn back to Sona. "I don't see you getting on their case." I say, pointing at the two new members of the student council.
"It's after school."
"Then why are you getting on my case?" I ask in annoyance.
Sona ignores me and turns to face Rias. "I apologize for not being here to help you during the fallen angel incident, but I had an urgent matter to deal with in the underworld."
"Wait, how-" I turn to Rias with a shocked expression. "-She's a devil!?"
Rias smiles at my reaction. "I told you there were more devils in Kuoh besides us. These are them, my pawn and bishop. Magnus Maverick, Asia Argento, I would like you to meet Sona Sitri. The heiress of the great Sitri family, and no need to apologize. We had the situation well in hand."
"Huh…?" They were supposed to help us? "What could have been so important that you-"
"Family business." Sona says in a tone so icy I felt my blood partially freeze.
Rias sighs heavily. "Magnus, drop it. Sona, who are these two? Are they new as well?"
"Yes, allow me to introduce my new pawns. Saji Genshirou, Nimura Ruruko." As the student council president introduces them, my eyes widen in shock.
"I remember you! You were with that group of thugs that got shipped off to juvie…." Hell bells…. We met because of Yuuma-No, Raynare. If I hadn't stepped in that day, I would never have met Raynare. If I hadn't stepped in…. Genshirou would have been killed.
"So, finally, remember me?" The blonde devil steps forward angrily, as the student council and the occult research club stare at us in confusion. "You ruined my life."
I scratch the back of my head and look away. "Yeah… I think you may have dodged a bullet with that trip, and ruin your life? I don't-" 'This is the fate of those involved with us.' 'It's your fault.' Swallowing my words, I look at the ground and grit my teeth in frustration. Shut up, voice!
"Saji-san, if you're done embarrassing us and me, please step back." Sona instructs my fellow pawn; as the blonde steps back with an ashamed look, Sona bows her head. "My apologizes, he's still rather new."
Rias waves off the apology. "As long as you forgive Magnus for his attitude, now what brings you by? It can't be just for introductions."
A thin line appears on Sona's face (Is she smiling? Is that how she smiles?). "Correct. I heard you were going to see the familiar master."
"How would-Oh, I see the problem." Rias sighs and shakes her head. "This could be a problem; he only takes groups once a month." Cupping her chin in thought, Rias furrows her brow. "Why don't we settle this with a friendly contest?"
"A contest?" Sona asks with a surprised look.
"Yes." Rias smiles. "Whoever wins, gets the right to go."
"I hope you're not considering a-" Sona starts to ask but stops when Rias shakes her head. "-Good, besides now isn't the right time to call attention to yourself. Given your situation."
The friendly look on Rias's face disappears. "Don't go there." A tense silence fills the club room as the two devil heiresses stare at one another. Finally, Rias breaks the silence. "We can settle this like high school students, with sports."
Since we had the school to ourselves. It was decided that we would play dodgeball to determine which peerage would get familiars first. Our group changed clothes first, and as the student council changed, we began to stretch.
"Hey, since they outnumber us, is that a little fair?" I ask as Koneko punches my outstretched hands. "Ow. Not so hard, Koneko."
"Suck it up." She says in her usual monotone.
"I asked them to sit out and act as referees," Rias explains as she tosses a ball towards Kiba.
"My legs are on fire!" Asia shouts in pain. "I don't know if I can do this!"
"Just a little further, you can do this!"
"What in the world?" Asia is doing the splits, with Akeno trying to help by pushing against the smaller girl's back. "Uh…" I look away with a blush.
"Are you ready?"
The student council walks into the gym, all of them… Weird thought, why didn't we all change at the same time? The locker room is big enough, at least the guys are. Not sure about the girls. Shaking my head, I help set up for the game, and once we were done…. All hell broke loose. Literally, powers were being used by both sides… Which means… Chaos. Arcs of lightning, water, and various other elements followed behind the rubber balls.
Koneko, one of the team's strongest members, used one of the balls as a shield. Kiba using his enhanced speed, would try to quickly knock out the others. Akeno and Rias stayed in the back, acting like artillery, with poor Asia looking lost. Fine, if that is how things are… Summoning my Sacred Gear, I begin to Boost my power. "Boost!" Ducking and weaving in between the insane attacks, I continue to boost my power… Not sure what I'll use the energy for, but it may come in handy.
"Boost!"
Eventually, I found myself in near the front and right in front of Sona. "Crap baskets."
"I've been waiting for this." The Sitri heiress grins as she holds up a ball and throws it at me.
The moment I jumped, I realized my mistake. The power that I had stored up went into my jump; flying through the air, I flip myself around and land near Rias and Akeno. "Empty Night… That was awesome!" I shout excitedly.
"Magnus… Heads up." Rias points in front of me.
"Huh? Crap." I mutter as I see the ball Sona threw, heading straight for me. Holding up my left hand, I spread my legs and brace myself. "Boost!" My eyes widen as I catch the ball. I think she broke my hand. Shaking my head, I ignore the pain and grin at the student council president. "Hey, Sona! I got something for you!" I toss the ball into the air and jump. "Boost!" Spinning around, I kick the ball back at the pure-blood devil—the projectile rockets toward Sona, who narrowly avoids the attack.
Saji, who was standing behind her, was not so lucky.
The ball hit him in the crotch.
"…. If he didn't hate me before, he does now."
Suffice to say we won not long after that. The student council tried to avenge the fallen Saji, but they failed miserably. After the match, I apologized to Saji, but he didn't accept it. I don't blame him, but hopefully, he isn't the vengeful type.
The following night is the night of a full moon, which means we will get our familiars. Though before that-
"Cheers!" The sound of clanging classes rang in our ears.
-We were having a little victory party.
Asia smiles happily as she looks around. "Thank you, everyone, for helping us."
"Yes, thank you." I reply in kind.
Rias shakes her head. "You both should be very proud, especially you, Asia. You got the final hit of the round."
"She's right, you're a total hero." Akeno pats the smaller girl on the back.
"You kicked ass." Koneko nods with a small smile.
Kiba takes a sip from his glass before saying. "And because of that, you both will get familiars."
"Speaking of… How do we get them?" I set my drink down with a raised eyebrow.
Rias motions for us to follow her. "The Familiar Master, he lives in an ancient magical forest. That is where you'll get your familiars, maybe."
"Maybe?" I ask as we walk onto the teleportation circle. "What do you mean-"
"-By that." Looking around in confusion, my mouth drops slightly. "Okay, this looks like a magical forest." All around is tall and dark trees; the sky is blood red, with a full moon in the sky, illuminating the area in an eerie light.
"It's kind of scary." Asia mutters as she looks around nervously.
"Don't be scared, Asia, we all came here to get our familiars." Kiba reassures his fellow blonde.
"I hope there aren't any ROUS." I look around with a frown.
"What are those?" Asia asks with wide eyes.
"Rodents of unusual sizes, but I don't think they exist."
Koneko tugs on my blazer. "They have those here."
"Huh, neat. So, where is the Familiar Master?" I ask, looking around.
"Who wants me!?" Looking for the voice, my eyes widen as I look up. Standing on a large branch far above us is a young guy, he looked to be between ten and fourteen. He is wearing black cargo shorts, a white tank-top, a blue jacket wrapped around his waist. A green backpack, black fingerless gloves, and a ball cap flipped backward. Auburn hair sticks out from the hole in the hat. "I am Zatouji from Madara Town, and I want to be the world's greatest familiar master!"
My mouth drops as I stare at him. "Holy crap, it's Ash Ketchum." Granted, he looks like Gold and his rival Silver, but still the attitude, the voice…. It all screams Ash Ketchum!
The kid jumps to the ground with a grin and rubs his nose with his index finger. "I like you."
"Hello, Zatouji." Rias walks forward with a friendly smile. "Thank you for taking the time to see us."
"Not a problem, Lady Gremory, always happy to help." The kid replies.
Rias turns to Asia and me. "Don't let his age fool you, he is an expert when it comes to familiars."
"So what kind of familiar do you want? A strong one, a fast one? Maybe a poisonous one?" Zatouji grins as he pulls out a book from his backpack. "Maybe one that sets fires?"
I rub my chin in thought. "Good question… What do you recommend?"
Reaching into his backpack, the familiar master pulls out a book. "Let's see… You're the Red Dragon Emperor…" How does he know that? "… This would do nicely!" Rushing over, Zatouji pushes his book into my face. "This is who I recommend, The Chaos Dragon, Tiamat!"
Tiamat!? Kid, under no circumstance, are you to meet with her.
Shaking my head, I pull the book back and look at it in confusion. The picture is of a serpentine celestial blue dragon, a brief description of who Tiamat is. "The only female among the Five Great Dragon Kings…" Questions for later. "As strong as the devil kings, once was a part of the Babylonian pantheon as a goddess… Cool. At least she isn't like the D&D Tiamat, a five-head fiend/goddess that wants to rule the world."
"That sounds cool!" Zatouji shouts excitedly.
Ignoring the wannabe Pokémon trainer, I focus my attention on to Ddraig. "Partner, why don't you want me to meet her?"
"Who is he talking to?" Kiba asks our friends in confusion.
"I believe he is talking to the Red Dragon." Rias explains.
Let's just say she and I don't get along and leave it at that. I'll tell you later.
"Was she your ex or something? Did you guys have a nasty breakup?"
That… Among other things.
"Okay, I'll hold you to your promise… Okay, maybe this won't do… Though how does a legendary dragon become a familiar?" I ask in confusion. That doesn't make much sense to me.
Zatouji pulls his book from me. "Familiar is a loose term; it's more like a partnership you enter with an animal, a creature, or being. While most just pick animals, magical or otherwise, legendary creatures or beings can be used. Though it is rather rare. It's not the same as being a Beast Tamer; those are two completely different professions."
"Beast Tamer? What in the world are those-"
Rias clears her throat. "We can explain later; right now, we should look for familiars."
"Right, so while you are trying to decide what kind of familiar would you like?" Zatouji turns to Asia with a smile.
With a thoughtful expression, the former sister holds her hands up together like she is praying. "Well, I would like the one that is cute and fun to be around."
"Fun? Done and done!"
The seven of us went forth into the magical forest to locate a cute and fun familiar for Asia. As we did, I flipped through Zatouji's book on creatures. "Hydra… Why would anyone want something like that? Yeah, it's powerful, but the fact that most kill their masters… Nope. Not for me." Plus, even if that wasn't a problem, where would I keep it? My house isn't that big.
Kid, I hate to tell you this, but you're lost.
"Huh?" I stop moving and look around with a frown. "Oh, come on!" Groaning, I close the book and start looking around. "Why didn't you say anything sooner, Ddraig?"
I tried you weren't paying attention.
"Great, just great." Looking around in confusion, I pull out my phone. "No signal…"
You're in a magical forest; I really doubt your provider covers travel to other realms.
"I get it, I'm an idiot. Now… How do I find my way back?" I tried to go back the way I ended up even more lost than before.
You may want to work on your wilderness survival skills, kid.
"I'm a city boy, you overgrown lizard." I grumble in annoyance. "You know if I-" Something snapped behind me; turning around with my Boosted Gear summoned, my eyes widen in surprise. Instead of a deadly and monstrous creature, it was something… Dare I say? Cute? It is a purple/white-furred creature, no bigger than a German Shephard puppy. It is bipedal like a t-rex, with large hind legs, and short arms, with six black claws at the end of its paws. A long fluffy tail swishes back and forth, as it's black-tipped ears twitch in my direction. The strangest thing about this creature is the weird triangle gray stone in the middle of its head. "What in the world?"
I don't believe it… Kid, you need to bond with this thing.
"Why? What is it?" This creature looks like a dragon crossed with a dog. Bending down, I extend my hand out and watch as the creature sniffs the air and cautiously walks toward me.
It is known as a Carbuncle in South American folklore, though it's actual name is Aether Dragon. The entire species was hunted to near extinction eons ago.
"Okay… Why?" I ask in confusion. "It's okay little guy, I'm not going to hurt you." As the Carbuncle walks closer, it sniffs my hand.
Do you see the triangle-shaped stone in its skull? That is a gemstone that can store and re-direct a vast amount of power; I'm sure you can fill in the blanks from there.
"That is… Well, crap, no wonder people hunted them. Doesn't make it right." As I thought over what Ddraig told me, the Carbuncle slowly nudges my hand. "Oh, right, sorry." Slowly I start to pet the creature, which let out a purr of pleasure as the gem in its skull began to glow red. The Aether Dragon's entire body then started to shine as well. "Stars and Stones… "
It's just a hatchling; take care of it, partner.
"I will… Though… My question is… How do I make it stop glowing?" I ask as I try to keep the light from blinding me.
Wandering through the forest with the Aether Dragon in my arms, I came across a strange sight. I found my friends and Zatouji, but most of the girl's clothing was burnt, and in certain places… Gone. On to of that, there was a tiny blue dragon in Asia's arms. "Okay… What did I miss?" I ask, doing my best to avoid looking at the girls.
"There you are, Magnus!" Rias says as I come into view. "What happened to you?"
"I got lost reading Zatouji's book." I explain, handing said book back the familiar master, who was just staring at me in awe. "So what happened to you guys? Everyone, okay?"
"We're fine." Akeno smiles. "We went looking for you and ran into these slimes, luckily this little guy-" The black-haired beauty points at the blue dragon. "-Came and helped us out."
"Turns out he's a Sprite Dragon, though he doesn't like other men." Kiba mutters that last part as his left eye twitches.
Guess he found out the hard way. "Glad you're all okay. Though the slimes eating clothes thing… Isn't that a little cliché?"
Before returning to the human world, Asia and I had to promise to come and visit Zatouji. He really wanted to study our familiars because of how rare they are. Which wasn't a problem in the slightest; after that, we teleported back to the ORC club room. Rias and I stayed back as everyone left via teleportation because of their clothing. Apparently, we needed to talk.
"First, congratulations on obtaining a familiar." Rias comments as she pulls my blazer tighter. "Also, thank you for this."
I rub the back of my head with a blush. "No problem. So… What did you want to talk about? Does this have to do with me getting lost in the forest?"
"Not exactly, but we can discuss that at a later date." My master says.
"Then what?" I ask as I set Noble (my familiar) on the ground. "Are you going to tell me what has been bothering you?"
Rias looks away with a sigh. "I…" A look of frustration and anger passes over her face and her arms start shaking.
Without a word, I pull the crimson-haired girl into a hug, much to her confusion. "I don't know what's going on, but I'll help you."
"Magnus?" Rias looks into my eyes as if she is searching for something. "I…" She pulls away with a tiny smile. "Thank you, but I'll be fine."
"Uh… You're welcome?" I rub the back of my head. I'm not sure if I believe her.
"You should probably head on home; you don't want to keep Asia waiting." Rias says offhandedly.
With a sigh, I nod. "Alright, but seriously I'll help you no matter what it is. So, if you want to talk, call, or text. Hell even drop by the house." As I pick up Noble, I smile at the older girl one last time before I leave.
(Third Person POV: Rias Gremory)
As the bronze-haired teen leaves, Rias lets out a sigh and sits down. "Why didn't I tell him? I have to tell him and the others…" The heiress wanted to tell her servants and friends about what was going to happen. That their lives in the human world would be over. Rias couldn't tell them though; poor Asia wanted to live life like a regular student; Koneko didn't face any persecution here because of her sister's actions.
Akeno, who could live at her family's shrine, Kiba, while he sought revenge, had found some measure of peace here in Kuoh. Gasper, the adorable dhampir, is sealed away; he was at least safe here. Then there is Magnus…. She promised he could be in his parent's life. Burring her face into her hands, the red-head shook, not knowing how she could get out of her engagement.
'I don't know what's going on, but I'll help you.'
'That boy… Magnus. You like him, right?'
'Oh… It's just; I saw the way you looked at him when he wasn't paying attention. Plus, the way he looks at you.'
As the memory of her discussion with Susan flashes through her mind, Rias stopped shaking. "Could Magnus…" An idea suddenly appeared in Rias's mind, something that would break her father's agreement with Lord Phenex. "I could, but…" Rias takes a deep breath as she stands. She needed to think about this a little more, but if she went through with it… Not only would the others get to stay here, but she would also be free. "If I do this… I hope Magnus will forgive me…"
(First Person POV: Magnus)
As I walk into the house and close the front door, I set Noble down on the ground. "I'm home."
"Welcome home, Magnus!" Asia walks into the entryway with a smile. "How was your talk with Rias? You're not in trouble, are you?"
Something is bothering Rias, but unless she talks to me, not much I can do. "No, I'm not in trouble, we just chatted a bit."
"Oh, good." Asia smiles happily.
"Anything you want for dinner?" I ask, walking toward the kitchen, Noble on my heels.
"Oh, let me cook dinner tonight! I want to make spaghetti!"
As Asia and I, both made dinner for ourselves and our familiars, we learned that our dragons did not like one another to the point that we had to keep them separated. Or else they would start to fight. Apparently, Asia's dragon Rassei did not like other males, while Noble didn't like anyone except for Asia or me. So, anytime Noble got near the blonde girl, Rassei would try to attack him. So, for now, we kept both of them as far apart as we could. After dinner and cleaning up, Asia and I took our familiars to our rooms and went to bed.
"Here you go, Noble, this will be your bed." Putting the Carbuncle down on a makeshift bed of blankets and pillows, I put on some sweat pants and a tank top. "Goodnight, little guy." With a yawn, I practically fall into my bed. As I slowly drifted off, my thoughts drifted to Rias. "I hope she will be okay…"
"Magnus, hey Magnus, get up! You're going to be late."
Who is shaking me? Groggily I open my eyes to see-"Kiba!? What are you doing in my room, and why are you wearing a tux?"
The blonde just laughs as he helps me stand up. "Come on, you know why now let's get going. You don't want to be late for your own wedding."
"Wedding?" I mouth as I look down to see I'm wearing a tux of my own. "Okay, if this is a prank, you got me… Where did the church come from? Wait, Kiba, what are you doing? We can't go in there!" Chasing after the Prince of Kuoh Academy, I pushed open the double doors and received the shock of my life. Standing at the end of the aisle is Rias is a white ballroom wedding dress, with a silver tiara and veil. I… She is… She is beautiful.
"Come on, Magnus." Rias smiles as she holds a hand out to me.
I slowly walk down the aisle toward the crimson-haired beauty; as I did, the pews suddenly were filed with my family and friends. Walking up to Rias, I take her outstretched hand, bewildered. "This has to be a dream…"
"Or a nightmare." Rias's smile becomes cruel, as her sapphire blue eyes darken and become like amethysts.
"Empty Night!" Jumping back with wide eyes, I watch in horror as Rias turns into Raynare.
"What's the matter, Magnus?" The fallen angel brushes a strand of hair away from her face. "Not happy to see me?"
I wanted to say something witty, I really did, but my words died in my throat. Okay, lousy dream… Just need to wake up! Wake up!
"As much as you want this happen, we both know the end result don't we?" The wedding dress melts away to reveal a black dress, with a mourning shroud instead of a veil. The atmosphere in the church changed from joyous to mournful, the pulpit became several coffins. Each one filled with the bodies of my friends, my family, Rias…
"No… No…." Backing away in horror, I notice that one of the coffins was empty.
"This is your fault. This is the fate for those involved with the Red Dragon Emperor." A spear of light appears in her hand. "If you hadn't gotten involved with them, then none of this would have happened. You could blame God for giving you a Sacred Gear, but it's your fault at the end of the day. Especially her death." Raynare gestures to Rias's body with a look of pity. "If only you didn't love her, she might have lived."
"Love her… I…" Before I could finish speaking, Raynare rams the spear into my chest.
"Gah!" Where am I? What's happening!? Looking around in a panic, I pull up my shirt to see… No hole… No blood… "Dream… Just a bad dream…" Panting heavily, I tried to get my heart rate down. Why did I dream about…. THAT? Closing my eyes, I take in several deep breaths. "Do I really love Rias?" I ask myself with a frown. "I… I don't know… I know that I like her… A lot."
My room is suddenly filled with light, as a red magical circle appears on my floor. "Like who a lot?" Emerging from the floor is…
"Rias? What are you doing here?" I ask in confusion… Okay, first the nightmare and now this? What is going on?
The crimson-haired girl smiles sadly at me. "Do you remember your offer to help me?"
"I… Yes?" I ask in confusion. "What's going on?"
As the magical circle vanishes, Rias sits on my bed's edge and gently touches my face. "I need your help, something only you can do."
Okay… Now is not the time for this…. Not while I'm trying to sort out my feelings for you. "Okay… Rias? What are you doing?" I ask as the older girl pins me to the bed, a look of desperation in her eyes.
"I know this doesn't make sense, but I need you to have sex with me."
Hey guys I'm back! Sorry for not posting for a little while, been busy with life things. However I am back. Now thank you to everyone who faved and followed me and my stories. It really means a lot. Now in this chapter I did go the anime route of things, but I feel like it fits the story. At least in my opinion. Now onto the reviews!
AdrianLee28: Thanks! I like it to!
Jehu: That is an interesting idea, one I will need to take into consideration.
Merendinoemiliana: Glad you think so? How have you been? Staying safe?
Fraco Perez: I have some plans for Raynare, hopefully you'll like it!
Kamen Rider W: That is what I'm trying to do :D Somewhat, I will say that while I am following canon, I do have alterations coming.
Kpop1392as: Happy to hear that your enjoying everything.
Ace: Aye, it's sad what happened to him. Things are well, how are you? And yes I have watched The Boys. Different from the comics, but I am cool with it. The voice is his own, but it sounds like Raynare. It's going to be an issue for Magnus to deal with as time goes on. As for Raynare, you'll just have to wait and see.
Anyway, I hope to see you all in the next chapter! Stay safe out there everyone!