Having finished another amusing contract, this one involved persuading a newly divorced husband to sign over sole custody of the children to his female client, the black haired Devil had been summoned back to the clubhouse, and was unsuprised to discover that his perverted teammate was once again looking like he had just been told that his porn collection had gone up in flames.
"Judging by the forlorn look on your face Hyoudou, not to mention the fact that our master seems to be in a slightly irritated mood, I take it that you somehow managed to make her rethink her decision in turning you into a Devil. Let me guess, you got caught trying to peak in on the Kendo Club again, only this time instead of running like a coward, you tried to worm your way out of it by attempting to place the girls under hypnosis"?
Knowing that Dante could easily knock him out without doing more than raising his hand, and conscious of the fact that Rias was already displeased with him for being friendly with a remarkably cute nun, Issei could only feel a mixed sense of relief and embarrassment as as his crimson haired master surprisingly decided to come to his aid.
"I would be grateful if you didn't give Issei any more ideas on how to use his new abilities, though thankfully the possibility of him being able to do that currently is so low its not even funny".
Ignoring the brunette's slight whimper, though she couldn't tell whether it was because she was drawing attention to his low power levels or the fact that he couldn't fulfill his perverted fantasies, Rias proceeded to bring the black haired Devil up to speed with the current situation.
"As to why he's less than happy right now, I just finished scolding him for interacting with a member of the church. Apparently after I had you go off to take care of another client, Issei made the acquaintance of a nun, who thankfully had no idea that he was a Devil".
Having turned her head to give Issei a look to convey just how disappointed she was in his actions, Rias didnt catch the brief moment when Dante's face morphed from its bored looking expression into something that couldn't only be described as feral. Conscious of the slip, the black haired Devil schooled his features back into his normal persona before he turned his attention to the still fully chastised brunette.
"Congratulations Hyoudou. You have managed to exceed my expectations for how far your stupidity extends. I would have figured even a perverted moron like yourself would have had enough common sense to stay away from anything remotely associated with the Church. Clearly I was wrong".
Despite knowing that Dante only had to wave his hand in order to harm him, not to mention the fact that he had already disappointed his gorgeous master by his misguided, but not regrettable actions, Issei struggled to maintain control over his temper as he defended his actions to the mocking Devil.
"I didn't know Asia was a servant of the church until she told me. How was I supposed to know that a cute girl like her would turn out to be a nun"?
Raising an eyebrow at Issei's attempts to justify what he did, Dante was amused to hear that he wasn't the only one who wished to critize the brunette for his poor choice of action.
"...Perhaps if you weren't imagining what she looked like with her clothes off...you would have been able to tell".
Despite the barb being delivered with her near monotone voice, Koneko's intense glare was enough to convince the gathered Devil's that Dante was not the only one who held Issei in high esteem. Something which managed to cause a different of reactions from the other members of the group.
Issei fought hard to keep himself from breaking down in hysterics, since it was already bad enough that he was being picked on by the foreign born Devil, but the fact that the school's cute mascot also held him in such low esteem almost made him want to cry out loud. Kiba merely shook his head in bemusement at the way in which the two rooks ganged up on the likeable...if somewhat single minded pawn. While Rias merely sighed at the actions of her servants since while she agreed with her rooks to a certain extent, that didnt mean that she approved of their constant mistreatment of her only pawn.
However before she could make her views known, the unmistakenable giggle of her right hand Devil echoed from the door way.
"Fufufufu. As much as I would like to continue watching the amusing spectacle of you two ganging up on poor Issei, I'm afraid that it will have to wait until later".
Walking into the room with her usual serene smile, though Rias was unsuprised to see that it had a little extra warmth when directed towards the other black haired Devil, and doing her best not to laugh at the jealous look Issei was sending at his fellow male, Akeno's welcoming aura soon turned business like as she told her King that their free evening had just been cancelled.
"We've just received word from a high ranking archduke. One of his former servants has been seen entering our territory, and we've been ordered to take care of it".
Nodding her head in thanks to her raven haired queen, Rias turned her attention towards the remaining members of her peerage, and on the whole she wasn't surprised by the reactions of her servants, though she had to admit that she found the expressions on her newest minions to be mildly amusing. While the crimson haired beauty expected Kiba and Koneko to meet this news with determined acceptance, Issei's confused expression revealed that he still didn't know about all the responsibilities his new role as a Devil imposed upon him. Dante on the other seemed to be fully aware of what Akeno's announcement meant, but unlike his teammates, the expression on his face indicated that not only did he know what they were about to do, but that he was also looking forward to the unavoidable bloodshed that was to come.
Seeing no reason to delay their departure, and interested to see how her new rook would perform in combat conditions since she had only seen him use his abilities when directed against her more helpless servant, Rias motioned for her servants to stand in the center of the room so that she could prepare a transportation circle to take them to their destination.
Only Dante hestitated before moving to join the others in the glowing circle, something that was immediately picked up upon by the raven haired beauty, who promptly proceeded to drape her arms around Dante's shoulders, smirking slightly as she felt his body become rigid as he felt her sizeable assets push into his back.
"Theirs no need to be nervous about this little trip. Stay close to me and I'll protect you. Might even get a chance to show you some useful skills if your a good boy".
Scowling at the teasing manner of the ponytailed girl, though he almost found the strength to endure it if only to enjoy the tear filled glare of jealousy that Issei was sending him, Dante disentangled himself from Akeno's grasp before offering his smirking master a pointed glare.
"If it's all the same to you, I think I'll forgoe your little magical carpool, and meet you at the location".
Receiving a nod from his still smiling master, Dante quickly vanished in a swirling cloud of shadows before Akeno could try and prevent his escape.
While his departure caused mixed reactions to be felt from the Gremory group, namely Akeno pouting at the fact that the black haired rook had managed to easily escape her grasp, Rias quickly activated the circle, sending the remaining members of her peerage to join up with her more independent servant.
...
Walking into the seemingly abandoned warehouse with a confidence that was expected of one of her rank, Rias turned to an understandably anxious Issei with a calm, yet serious expression.
"Issei since your still new to all of this, I want you to simply observe your teammates while they do battle with the Stray Devil. Once your body has finished adapting to your new status, then I'll begin the process of training you, but for now your primary task is to learn".
With the slightly creepy atmosphere of the darkened building, Issei silently nodded his head as his eyes searched desperately for the stray Devil they had come to terminate. Seeing his slightly fearful expression, Kiba tried to console the frightened brunette with a reassuring pat on the back.
"Don't worry Issei. Rias wouldn't place you in harms way unless she was fully confident that we could protect. Besides, pretty soon you'll be trained enough to help us out on this little missions, and then you'll discover that their was nothing really to be nervous about".
Doing his best to retrain himself from wiping the cheerful smile off of the supportive blonde's face, Issei was prevented from voicing his own thoughts on his current predicament by the sudden appearance of his shadow using teammate.
"No offense Kiba, but I think our master follows the sink or swim approach when it comes to instructing her new servants when it comes to their new responsibilies. Which isn't a problem if an individual is fully capable of dealing with unexpected circumstances, but when its a person of Hyoudou's caliber, I'm not sure if theirs such a thing as Devil water wings".
Shaking her head with a sigh as Dante decided to yet again mock the capabilities of his teammate, though she had to admit that Dante had a point about her teaching method, Rias was prevented from doing anything more by a sickly sweet voice echoing from the shadows.
"Hehehehe, something smells delicious, but also disgusting. But then again, I've never been one to pass up a free meal. So which one of your tasty morsels wants to be devoured first. How about the one with the crimson hair. Yess...you definitely have enough meat on you to make it worth my while".
Smiling at the fact that their target had decided to reveal itself rather than making their task more difficult by clinging to the shadows, though somewhat disgusted by the stench of rotting flesh that seemed to cling to the stray Devil, Rias quickly adopted a more regal persona as she proudly declared her groups purpose.
"Stray Devil Viser. An order has been given for your extermination. Surrender now and I'll consider making your death quick and painless. What say you"?
As he heard the tell tale sounds of the stay's approach, Issei could only fight the near paralyzing sensation of fear that passed through his body, since this would be the first time he got to safely experience the brutal nature of his new lifestyle. However as their target's upper torso became visible, all thoughts of destroying this creature quickly disappeared as Issei took the time to admire the tantalizing picture in front of him.
Though her lower body was still concealed by shadows, the upper portion was clearly visible, giving the brunette a good look at her large, not to mention uncovered breasts, long silky black hair, and a beautiful face that bore the faintest traces of a mischievous smirk.
Seeing the lustful expression on her pawn's face, Rias quickly moved to slap him on the upside of his head, ignoring the pain filled yelp as she proceeded to explain to him the nature of what they were dealing with.
"Don't be distracted by her human half Issei. That's just a visage to lure her unsuspecting victins in closer so she can easily restrain them. Once you see what she truly look's like, you'll come to regret that you ever stared at her with lust filled eyes".
Scoffing at the crimson Devil's words, the stray ran her hands over her large assets as if to convince the brunette that his master was wrong.
"Now now, theirs no reason why you have to make his last hour on earth unpleasant. He should be happy that he gets to see a lovely vision like myself before I eat him".
Taking a step towards the still wide eyed Issei, the stray Devil formed an amused smirk as the clearly perverted boy took in her full form. While the upper half of her body was that of a gorgeous naked woman, her lower half resembled a gigantic beast, with four legs ending in sharpened talons, and a long snake like tail that casually swayed in mid air.
While Issei stared up in horror at the deceivingly former beautiful woman, Dante merely regarded the stray with a raised eyebrow before he turned his attention to his amused looking master.
"I don't suppose you'll just let me kill this thing quickly instead of using it as a way to inform Hyoudou about the importance of Evil Pieces"?
Fighting the urge to smile at the rare image of the black haired rook offering to make the life's of her peerage easier, Rias shook her head to indicate that she wanted to use this opportunity to instruct Issei about the various abilities of his teammates.
"Thank you for the offer Dante but I'm afraid that would be detrimental in the long run. It's important that Issei gets as much knowledge as he can before he starts battling with the rest of you. Kiba, if you would like to start us off"?
Bowing his head in acknowledgement, Kiba launched himself at the now infuriated stray, moving so fast that it appeared to Issei that he disappeared. Seeing the confused look on her pawn's face, Rias proceeded to explain what was happening.
"Since I used a knight piece to resurrect Kiba, that means his greatest ability, as it is with all Devil's who have been revived with that particular piece, is his speed. When he combines the ability of his piece with that of his exemplary swordsmanship skills, it makes him a very skilled opponent on the battlefield, since few opponents are unable to match his agility".
Watching in awe as the blonde knight effortlessly dodged each of the four legged Devil's attacks only to then deliver a blow with his summoned swords, Issei was almost unaware of the fact that Koneko was calming walking towards the battle without a care in the world.
Noticing the concerned look on his face, Rias watched with slight interest as Viser's front forelegs coming dangerously close to squashing her white haired servant, before she turned her attention back to Issei with a reassuring smile.
"Koneko's piece differs from that of the knight in several key areas. Unlike Kiba who primarily relies on his piece's ability to either dodge, or wear down his opponent, Koneko.."
At this point Issei gave out a cry of horror as he watched the white haired loli get crushed by the stray Devil's foot, only to be quickly silenced as the monstrous hybrid was thrown onto it's back by the emotionless girl.
Chuckling at the gobsmacked expression on the brunette's face, Rias continued her lecture from where she left off.
"As you can see, Koneko possesses greatly enhanced strength and durability courtesy of the fact that her evil piece was a rook. Which coincidentally was the same piece I used to reincarnate Dante into a Devil. Though from what I've seen, he prefers to rely upon his natural abilities rather than those he recently gained".
Having been transfixed by the unimaginable sight of a small girl like Koneko going toe to toe with a monster that was nearly 7 timers her size, Issei almost didn't process what he was being told about the more vindictive rook. But once he did, he stared at Rias with an almost pleading look as he vainly tried to cling to the belief that what he heard wasn't true.
"Please tell me your joking. You mean to tell me that not only can that vindictive bas...I mean Devil, create things out of shadow, but he can also go head to head with a monster like that and survive without so much as a scratch"?
Receiving a nod from his visibly amused master, Issei struggled to keep himself from flinching as the object of his fears decided to shoot him a predatory smirk.
"Theirs no reason to worry Hyoudou. As long as you and I are apart of the same peerage, than you needn't worry about me turning on you. That isn't to say I'll hold back on my usual disciplinary methods if you continue with your usual idiocy, but unlike what Koneko is doing to that Stray, you'll have a fairly descent chance of recovery".
Taking a moment to enjoy the fearful expression on the brunette's face, Dante briefly turned his gaze to his watching master before he refocused his attention towards the combatting Devils.
"Seeing as how you've already let blondie and the midget have their fun with the deformed creature, I don't suppose you'll let me have a turn in showcasing my abilities. I promise that I'll leave the killing blow to either you or Akeno, but I'm getting bored just standing here listening to your attempts to educate Hyoudou on the facts of his new circumstances".
Frowning in consideration since it had been her intent to let Akeno be the one to incapacitate the stray Devil before she delivered the finishing blow, Rias was slightly surprised when her violet eyed queen, whose penchant for tormenting her opponents was well known within certain circles, willingly allowed her black haired teammate to take her place.
"Fufufufu. I think Rias that this would be an excellent opportunity to test just how skilled your new rook is. I for one am interested to see if his confident attitude can be backed up by any relevant skills he may possess".
Nodding her head in acceptance at her queen's reasoning, since she too was intrigued to discover just how skilled her new rook could be, Rias turned to give Dante permission to get involved in the battle, only to discover to her annoyance that the black haired Devil was already calmly making his way towards the bleeding, but still deadly monster.
Despite the pain she felt from the numerous wounds that had been inflicted by the agile swordsman and the petite brawler, who mercifully broke off their attack when they saw their comrade enter the field, Viser couldn't help but give a wheezing laugh at the approaching Devil, thinking that she would gain the satisfaction of killing an overly confident boy.
"That's right boy. No need to rush your Death. Savior these last moments of your life before I dev..ARGHHHH".
Having grown tired of the monstrous hybrid's condescending tone, the black haired Devil raised his hand, uncaring that the rest of the Gremory group were staring with mixed expression of fascination and admiration at the sudden display of his abilities. With each of it's taloned feat skewered by a series of pikes rising from the floor, and finding that no matter how much she tried her hands simply passed through the poles as if their was nothing there to grab, Viser lashed out with her tail at the slowly approaching Devil, only to cry out in pain as she felt another pike pierce her body. Only this time instead of merely keeping her in place, this conjured pillar tore the whip like appendage from the stray's body, causing Viser to shriek in pain as her new tormentor got closer to his victim.
"Wow. That looked like it realllly hurt".
Smirking at the venoumous glare he was receiving from the wounded hybrid, Dante called upon the now swirling shadows to form multiple coils of barbed wire, enjoying the look of painful anguish that came over Viser's face as she experienced the sensation of his sharpened metal digging into her flesh as they tightly coiled around her.
"Oh, now hang on. That looked like it hurt a lot more".
Ignoring the fact that he was now stepping into a growing pool of the stray's blood, Dante looked at the fearful hybrid with mocking consideration.
"So, lets try and clear this up. Ok Viser? What hurts more? A"?
At this the stray felt the painful sensation of another pike stabbing through her body. This one going right through the underbelly of her lower half.
"Or B"?
Waving a new coil of wire towards the stray Devil, directing it to wrap around the section where the human looking half connected with the bestial lower half, Dante couldn't fight the grin that was forming on his face as he listened to the painful groans of his victim.
"Pike...or Wire"?
Expierencing the agonizing sensation of her body being mutilated by this sadistic insect, Viser idly felt her bulk collapse to the floor, prevented from moving by the conjured restraints that had pierced her flesh. Muttering to herself in anger, the stray devil chocked out a painful grunt as she felt herself being lifted by her neck until she was at eye level with the black haired Devil, who merely smirked at her wide eyed expression as he formed a swirling ball of shadow into a deadly looking scythe.
However before Dante could decide just where to use his new weapon, his master decided to intervene.
"Dante that is enough. If you continue what your doing, Issei is going to faint, and Akeno will do something that will prevent her from helping me to continue my lecture. So unless you want the important responsibility of instructing Issei about the importance of the evil piece system, then I suggest you stop what your doing".
Scowling at the commanding tone of his master, Dante nonetheless waved his hand to vanish his conjured weapon before turning his back on the stray, giving him a pefect view of the amusing spectacle of a frightfully pale brunette, who looked like he was deciding whether to be sick or to black out, as well as the slightly irritating expression of the busty queen, whose flushed face and lustful eyes indicated that she was either within an inch of either fainting from excitement, or possibly launching herself at the annoyed looking Devil.
Giving a brief nod of acceptance to the buxom red head, Dante silently moved to join his teammates, being sure to use his fellow rook as a buffer between himself and the widely grinning Akeno.
"My my. That certainty was an impressive performance you did for us Dante. Especially those restraints of yours. A girl can get all kinds of ideas just by watching you work. I hope that sometime in the future, me and you can enjoy a session like that".
Raising an eyebrow at the raven haired girl's rather forward matter, and ignoring the jealous glare that was being sent his way courtesy of the perverted brunette, Dante turned his attention to his fellow rook, relieved that unlike her more curvy teammate, Konkeo's face remained expressionless.
"Tell me, is she always like this? Or is this just because she enjoys teasing me"?
Turning towards the black haired devil with a ghost of a smirk, Koneko delivered her one word verdict.
"Both".
Taking a moment to chuckle to herself at the amusing scene of her new servant further integrating himself within her peerage, Rias nodded towards the violet eyed beauty that she could have fun with the stray as she continued to lecture a now frightful Issei about the remaining types of evil pieces.
"Now unlike a rook, a knight, or a bishop piece, which grants it's user greatly enhanced magical abilities, a queen is not limited to one set of abilities, and it is because of that that many consider the queen to be the most powerful piece of the game".
Watching the pony tailed girl calmly approach the heavily bleeding monster, Issei watched with horrid fascination as Akeno extended her hand upwards, causing a bolt of lightning to appear and strike the stricken hybrid, who shrieked in pain as the electricity travelled through her body.
"My you certainily have a pair of lungs on you. I wonder if you can scream even louder if I increase the voltage".
Watching her queen torture the stray with a small smile of amusement, Rias continued to explain the specific traits of Akeno's evil piece.
"Because the queen has the ability to use the characteristics of a rook, a knight, or a bishop, though she tends to use that trait more than the other two, Akeno is exceptionally verstailie when it comes to combat".
Notcing that her two new servants were starring at the raven haired queen with mixtures of horrified and curious glances, Rias quickly sought to ease their worries lest they begin to worry that Akeno might turn the full extent of her power on them if she became upset.
"Not to worry you 2. While Akeno is considered to be the ultimate sadist, she is extremely kind to her friends and allies, so you have nothing to worry about. Though considering your earlier display Dante, she might be a tad more aggressive in her teasing towards you since she's never had someone to match her in brutality. I for one can't decide if I should be pleased by this develop, or worried about it".
Smiling at the developing scowl that was forming her rook's face, Rias walked over to the now smoldering stray, slightly impressed that it still managed to remain conscious despite the excruciating pain in must be in.
"Stray Devil Viser, do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out"?
Despite the agony it caused her, Viser managed to turn her head so that her remaining eye could stare directly at the regal looking heiress.
"Killlll meee".
Forming a sphere of crimson energy in her hand, Rias gave the begging creature a single nod before she mercifully condemned it to oblivion.
"Very well".
The last coherent emotion Viser had as her body was consumed by the destructive energy of the buxom beauty, was that of relief since she would no longer have to suffer at the hands of the pair of black haired sadists.
Seeing that their was no trace of the former Devil left behind, Rias turned towards her servants with a pleased smile, fully intending to praise them for their efforts in this little hunt.
"Excellent work everyone. I was pleased to see that you all have been taking your training seriously, even if our recently deceased target was far below us in terms of strength. Would also like to take the time to acknowledge the abilities of one of our newest team members, who I think managed to surprise us all with his earlier display".
Acknowledging the red head's praise with a slight incline of his head, the black haired Devil managed to surprise everyone by adjusting his usual disinterested tone into something that vaguely resembled respect.
"I don't suppose that it would be possible to learn to be able to do something like you and Akeno just did? While I realize that the power of destruction is a familial trait, am I wrong in assuming that their is a more common version of that power"?
Hiding the surprise she felt at discovering that her new rook was somehow knowledgeable about her families abilities, Rias nevertheless answered the usually mocking Devil's question, since it was her obligation to not only protect her servants, but to also allow them to develop their abilities to their fullest extent so that they could better server their master.
"Well, their is the option of using your demonic energy to such an effect, but its no where near as powerful, and it takes a lot of power to fuel, and since your neither a bishop or queen, you'll find your power reserves quickly depleted if your solely relied on that method in combat".
Pleased to see that Dante accepted this bit of information with a determined nod, indicating that he understood the limitations but was not willing to give up on them, Rias had to keep herself from smirking as she listed the more plausible route for the black haired Devil to increase his already impressive set of abilities.
"As for learning to summon lighting, it is easier to learn if one has the patience for it. I confess that it isn't a specialty of mine, but I'm sure if you ask Akeno nicely, she might be willing to take you under her wing".
Smiling at the chance of having some alone time with the now blank faced Devil, Akeno readily gave her approval for such an opportunity.
"Oh more than willing Rias. After all, it is my duty to ensure that all of your servants are at their best, so it would be my pleasure in ensuring that Dante becomes even more formidable than he already is".
Smiling at her enthusiastic queen, Rias waited to see how her black haired rook would respond to this offer, since it would give a good indication of just how serious he was about increasing his power.
Deciding that the benefits of learning a new skill just barely outweighed the fact that he would have to spend alone time with the rather forward girl, Dante gave a curt nod of acceptance to show that he agreed with the offer.
Pleased with his answer, the crimson haired Devil signaled to her servants that it was time to go, but as she started to make her way out of the bloody warehouse, Issei's pleading voice rang out from behind her.
"Umm...Madame President. You didn't say what piece I was. Since I know that you already have a queen and two rooks, does that mean I'm a bishop or a knight"?
Looking at the brunette with a gaze that could almost be described as dismissive, Rias told him.
"No Issei. The position you have in my peerage is that of the pawn".
And that's another Chapter done.
This chapter was a tad difficult to write (i.e. I wrote a different beginning, was pleased with it, but didn't really flow with the rest of the story. But I think it turned out pretty good all things considered.
Got to see more of Dante's abilities, and also how he deals with opponents who annoy the hell out of him (Hopefully you all enjoyed his dialogue when fighting the stray...Idea came to me after watching the film where John DiMaggio does the voice of the clown prince of crime)
More of Dante's fighting abilities will be showed off soon, since I have no intention to leave him as a brawler like Koneko. Plus the fact that with the stray devil...it was already defeated so he was just toying with it. As for the willingness to learn how to use lighting in battle, apart from some specific abilities (i.e. Regeneration, Power of Destruction, and to a lesser extent senjutsu) the series shows that any Devil can learn how to use their energy as a weapon, the only difference being concentration, stamina, and ability. So I think its within the realm of possibility for Dante to learn how to use lightening. It has nothing to do with the fact that I am a fan of various successful Sith Lords :P
As for the developing relationships...well...I think we can all agree that Akeno would be attracted to someone that likes to play with his victims.
And since the series tends to have Issei gain more members for his harem the more powerful het gets, Think its safe to say that it could work for another character.
Next chapter will see how Dante interacts with the other members of the peerage, thinking either Kiba or Koneko, or mybe both. And of course will see the introduction of everyone's favorite insane excorist, and perhaps the possibility of having Issei's 3rd meeting with Asia interrupted by both his killer and his teammate.
As always, REVIEWS ARE A MUST. Vote for the choice of familiar in my poll, and til next time