The Author isn't writing this for financial benefits. All rights to High School DXD is reserved Ichiei Ishibumi and without doubt, he is very rich from it, while I'm still a piss-poor undergraduate student.
Chapter 8: The Girl Who Drinks from Cup of the Devils
"Nothing will happen to me or my friend, huh?" Issei put Raynare on his back, not looking at the effect of lightning on the door. He tried his best not letting curiosity get the best of him like Raynare did in their fight and turn his eyes from the devils.
"Your 'friend' needs to learn to speak carefully Issei-san, although I do apologize for my queen's behavior" Rias turned to Akeno, whose hands still have some sparks of electricity dancing on them "Akeno, stand down, please"
Both Issei and Raynare is surprised by Rias 'please' at the end. Raynare even more so, since from what she heard, Devils considers their peerage to be nothing more than a slave.
"Hai, Buchou" the sparks died out, and Akeno frown a little at the fallen angel behind Issei, who look at her with a little interest.
Rias also motioned to Kiba to relax, as his hand was rested on his hips, ready to attack.
Kiba only nods a little at his master's command, but his posture isn't relaxed yet.
"Anyway, regarding that, I suppose that information is worth the risk, so I will notify my associate on putting her inside the school system effective today" Rias decided. She will use her familiar to contact Sona.
"Anything else?" Rias return to her seat, back to drinking her tea.
"Yeah, about Asuka, she is a little pale this morning, anything I should know about?" Issei inquired her.
"She is a new devil, Issei-san, so she is still sensitive under light, like your friend's weapon for example or sunlight" Rias explained. Inside, she can't help but compare Issei to Sirzechs, her brother. One part of her want to exploit the trait, but she also knew that it might damage her relation with Issei, as fragile as it is already.
"Will she gets better?"
"Of course, as her body adapting to her new life sunlight will not be a problem for her. Oh, and since we're talking about Asuka-kun here, I think you should be here today, after school"
"Why?"
"I don't want her to deny her new reality and your testimony will be a great help for her" Rias don't want to waste time convincing her, she needs all hands on deck to help her fight against her fiancé.
"I see," Frankly, Issei doesn't want to come back, with the smell and how Akeno just blast Raynare with lightning, but he agreed that Asuka needs to accept her new reality as fast as possible.
"I accept"
(School Break)
Thanks to Raynare's memory power, she fooled the whole class into believing both she and Issei attended the class and skipped through the whole introduction. Issei want to ask her to do that to his parents. They got a warning from the devils, though, in form of Sona Sitri herself.
"We at Kuoh Academy strive to prevent the improper usage of magic" is basically what she said, accompanied by Saji, Sona's pawn. Issei disliked him a little, based on his body language which emit arrogance all over the place, not to mention his lecherousness that reminds him a little of perverted duo. But he gave him a benefit of the doubt, since Saji doesn't actually say anything. Raynare herself didn't care much for the devil.
Currently, Raynare and Issei are eating together, discussing what had transpired. This time he brought something from home, while Raynare only drinking an apple juice.
"That was extremely stupid" Issei commented while eating the homemade Yakitori.
"That was necessary" Raynare didn't stop slurping.
"I mean antagonizing those devils" This cause Raynare to stop and look at Issei in the eyes, annoyance oozing from her whole body.
"You were losing the negotiation, Issei Hyoudou. Frankly, beyond anything about family you just don't have any backbone, do you?"
"Negotiation is not my style" Issei waved his hand, dismissing the question.
"And crushing bones is?"
Issei doesn't answer, letting Raynare draws her own conclusion.
"Anyway, why did you save me from that lightning?"
"You're useful, despite all those problems" Issei still remembers the crushed bed and marked floor.
"And when I cease to be useful?" Raynare push, expecting Issei to say the usual stuff about free game or whatever. Issei responded by pushing his food away, losing his appetite and pissed by the question
"Then You'll be in my care until the threat has been vanquished" Isse patiently looks at her, disliking her stare.
"Oh? And no plan to use those devils to kill me? There is nothing in our contract that governs that"
"I figure as much. No, no plan. You'll be free to go" Raynare is baffled by the answer. It is not strategic in every level. Raynare searched for lies inside his eyes. She found none, so far.
"You're not fucking serious"
"I am"
"Why? Easier to just kill me to prevent future problems rather than letting me do God knows what" Raynare argued. She couldn't even comprehend such reckless action.
"Because tou-san told me that a man's measure is his word, and I never break my promise" Issei answered, 100% believing what he just said.
"Now stop staring at me"
Club activities after school - Kendo Club
Asuka considers herself a morning person, a sort of counter to Issei's usual laziness. But now, she is out of energy. Her swings become much sloppier than usual, and her stamina rapidly dropped. Especially when she stands in bright areas directly under sunlight.
It's gotten worse as time passes.
"Asuka-chan, are you okay?" Murayama comes over to her side after she was hit by an attack she usually able to dodge with ease.
'No'
"Yes," Asuka smiled, Murayama isn't convinced.
"Asuka-chan, lets put the training on hold, okay? You don't look okay" Murayama advised. Murayama can't have her friend sick a week before the championship. She is, after all, the ace after the Murayama, the leader herself.
"NO!" Asuka roared, causing the entire practice to stop at her sudden outburst.
"I mean, yeah, fine, whatever, god!" Asuka throw away her shinai, leaving Murayama worried. Murayama wanted to follow her, but then a hand holds her back. Looking back, it was Katase's, who shook her head.
"Leave her alone Mura-chan, you know how she is when angered" Katase gives her own advise/warning "And it looks like her brother will help"
Murayama looks in Asuka's direction, where a spiky haired guy walks behind her.
I hate it. When people look at me like that. Like I'm WEAK. Mama, Papa, Issei-ni. I hate it. The caring or pity eyes. I'm not weak Yet people still treat me like a china. I know I'm small, rivalling Koneko-chan, even, but height doesn't warrant weakness damn it.
"Asuka"
"Issei-ni?" I turn around, half expecting him to start worrying about my health like a good big brother. But no, Issei-ni didn't say anything like that.
"Come with me" His tone is final with no room for question. Usually I obey immediately, but the anger coursing inside my brain probably helped, so I ask anyway. "Where?"
"It will be explained later" Issei-ni sighed, Now this is new. Issei-ni she knows is never tired, lazy, yes, but never tired. That sigh is a tired-type. Psychological one. Perhaps It is important, that is what I think, and I decide to follow him.
I don't know what is stranger. The fact that this building still stands, the perfectly fine condition of the inside, or the fact that Issei-ni brought me to [Occult Research Club].
Either way, when the door opened, my eyes are treated by the sight of some of the perfect members of Kuoh Academy.
The two beautiful Onee-sama. The princely Kiba-senpai. The cute Koneko-chan. And the girl that rapidly climbs to the hall of beauty, Issei-ni's girlfriend Yuuma-chan, sitting on the couch.
So what mama and papa said is true. Nobody's perfect. Even the two great ladies have interests in strange things.
"Hi Asuka-chan" Yuuto Kiba greets her first. Is this what they call love? My heart is melting
"That chan is not appropriate, blondie" and Issei-ni brought me back to reality.
Even if I somehow have Kiba, he needs to handle Issei-ni first. I don't want Issei-ni crushing his perfect face. Wait, what am I thinking?
"Issei-ni?" I turn my eyes to my brother, which is an achievement by itself, Kiba is just…. Oh well, lets hope Issei-ni can't read minds. Focus Asuka focus.
"Rias and Akeno will explain" Issei-ni walks past them and sit on the couch opposite of Yuuma. How cold for a new couple.
After a few introductions, Rias-senpai drop a bomb. Yes, literally a bomb in my mind.
I'm a devil. And the pervert who attacks me (yeah, they said it really happened) is a fallen angel. Yeah, shocking. Like hell I believe that. This is just a club activities, right? And Issei-ni offered me as a guinea pig?
"Issei-ni, this is a joke, right?" But Issei-ni's face is deadly serious.
"No this is not" Issei motioned to Yuuma-chan, who summon a spear of light and throw that at Akeno-senpai, she somehow countered with lightning from her hand.
Holy Shit. If this is Issei-ni's tricks, It is a leap and bound to what he usually performed.
"Last night really happened Asuka, you were dead, and these devils managed to resurrect you as one of them" Issei-ni explained, contempt can be easily read from his face, directed at Rias-senpai.
Contempt? Why? He is not happy I'm alive? Questions start filling my mind. The endless train of thought is stopped by Rias-senpai, who is kind enough to re-explain.
"We devils are citizens of the underworld, enemies of God" Rias Senpai starts explain the reason of all these wars, before Yuuma-chan followed.
"And we fallen angels are angels who falls for possessing… hmm…. What to those assholes with white wings said? Impure thoughts"
"We, the Devils, have been at war with the Fallen Angels since ancient times. We have been fighting over the possession of the Underworld, which is also known as Hell in the human world. The Underworld is split into two areas, one for Devils and one for Fallen Angels. The Devils form pacts with humans and receive their sacrifices and increase their Fallen Angels on the other hand control humans to eliminate Devils. At this point the Angels come in to destroy these two races on God's orders, which creates the three factions. This has been going on since ancient times"
O-oh, this is way beyond my imagination, this is a great fantasy story.
Issei-ni pick up where Rias-senpai and Yuuma-chan left off.
"If those are too long for you, then I make it simpler. You possess what they called sacred gears, tools granted by God for whatever reasons. Devils want to include you within their ranks, Fallen Angel just wants to kill you before you become a threat" Issei-ni point to both Yuuma-chan and Rias-senpai
Kiba-senpai continued after Issei-ni.
"Most of the Sacred Gears have functions that are only usable in the human society. But there are exceptional Sacred Gears that are a threat to us, the Devils, and Fallen Angels. Asuka-chan, raise your hand." Ignorning Issei-ni's comment about Kiba-senpai adding suffix-chan, which I don't mind, I followed his command.
"Imagine the strongest thing that comes to your mind"
"Strongest? Zangetsu? Ichigo?"
"Then imagine it, mimic the particular pose when he looks the strongest," said Akeno-senpai.
The strongest…..
I held out my hands, like Ichigo holding Zangetsu in fight against Byakuya.
"Imagine it strongly, okay? close your eyes" Rias-senpai adds her bits.
Oh, this is embarrassing.
"Don't hold back" Koneko I'm not holding anything back.
"Hurry and do it!" Kiba-kun commanded, wait, since when I add kun, whatever it is not important. What is important is….
Am I supposed to shout it out loud? Oh well, you only live once. I'll bash Issei-ni's head if this is a prank.
"BANKAI!"
"In this room filled with energy, it should be easier for the sacred gear to manifest, open your eyes" Rias senpai tells me.
As if on cue, when I open my eyes, My left arm glowed. What the hell, another prank? No… No…. This looks real.
Can I use Tensa Zangetsu now?! Will a pillar of light shot to the sky? Wait, it will destroy the room isn't it?
And the glow died, leaving behind a red gauntlet covering my left arm.
"That's it?"
Despite my disappointment, I am fascinated by this gauntlet. It has a gem-like object embedded on the back of my hand. Wait...
"WHAT IS THIS?" I shouted, no, screamed. I turn my head to my cousin/brother.
"Is this your trick, Issei-ni?"
"Nope"
"That's a Sacred Gear. And it belongs to you. Once it appears, you can use it anywhere and anytime as you will." Kiba-kun explained.
This red gauntlet is a Sacred Gear? I still can't believe it.
"The Fallen Angels saw your Sacred Gear as a threat and therefore killed you." So the thing about the pervert looking man wanting a fight boils down to this sacred gear.
Wait, Then the part where I was killed by him was real too? So how am I alive?
"You called me when you were on the verge of death. I was summoned through this paper." Rias-senpai pulls out a single leaflet.
I know that leaflet. When I was on the way to Mura-chan's house a strange girl with big breasts giving out leaflets gave me one. It's a leaflet with a weird magic circle and a catchphrase that reads, 'We will grant your wish!'
Now that I examined it, The magic circle on the leaflet is the same as the big magic circle on the floor.
"This is one of the leaflets we give out. This magic circle is used to summon us Devils. These days there aren't many people who would draw this circle to summon us. So we give these leaflets to people who look like they would summon Devils. This magic-circle is safe and easy to use. That day, one of our familiars was disguised as a human and was handing them in the area. You got it at that time, Asuka-chan. After you were attacked by the Fallen Angel, your will to survive subconsciously calls me and Akeno while you were on the verge of death. You wished so hard to be alive that it summoned not only me, but also Akeno. Usually only my servants like Akeno and the others would be the ones to be summoned."
That time I was impaled by the Spear of Light. Even though I was convinced I was in a dream. Parts of me tried to get up. To defeat that man. I really, really want to.
So then, the people that appeared at the end of that dream, no, the one that appeared at the end of that incident really was two great Onee-sama?!
"When I was summoned and saw you, I knew right away that you were a Sacred Gear possessor and that you were attacked by a Fallen Angel. But there was a problem. Asuka-chan, you were on the brink of death. Devils' body will deteriorate and die when impaled with a light spear of fallen angels, but humans too will die if they are impaled. You were in that condition. So I decided to save your life as a devil. As my servant. As Rias Gremory's servant"
At that moment, wings sprout from the backs of everyone around me, not counting Issei-ni and Yuuma-chan. Bat wings. How fitting.
Then a strange sensation happened, originated from my back. Looking over my shoulder, I see the same black wings growing from my back.
I'm really a Devil? I'm no longer human? This is not a trick?
"Let's re-introduce ourselves everyone. Yuuto."
Kiba smiles at me after Rias-senpai calls his name.
"My name is Kiba Yuuto. As you already know, I'm a second year, Hyoudou Asuka-chan. Umm, I'm a Devil too. Nice to meet you."
"First year like you.…Toujou Koneko. Pleased to make your acquaintance.… I'm a Devil too." Toujou Koneko-chan bows her head.
"My name is Himejima Akeno, and I'm in third year. I'm also the vice-president of this Occult Research Club. Nice to meet you. Even though I'm like this, I'm also a Devil. Ufufu." Akeno-senpai bows her head very politely. The epitome of Japanese girls. I'm so envious.
Lastly, it's Rias-senpai. She waves her crimson hair, her beauty almost blinds me.
"And I'm their master as well as being a Devil from the House of Gremory, Rias Gremory. My house holds the rank of a Duke. Let's get along from now on, Asuka-chan."
This is….. an indescribable situation, and I look at Issei-ni, hoping for him to just say "Just Kidding."
Then Issei-ni exhale fire from his mouth.
My legs lost their energy, my vision went dark, and I lost my consciousness.
The last thing I hear is Issei-ni shouting my name.
Author's Note:
Another rant. Why the hell is everyone wanting to be spoiler-ed? If I met someone who spoil me movies, even though he is the director or the main actor, I'll punch their usually perfect faces with a knuckle brass.
Okay. Another plot development. What do you think? Oh, and the title for next chapter is... Chapter 9: The girl who (formerly) drinks from cup of the Lord.
No fights I know. The hell you want? fight everyday? The days passing from chapter two to this chapter is only 4 days, and you want another fight? Issei just fought two battles in a day -_-
Anyway, here is an omake
"The straw that broke the camel's back"
"They told me to make her accept reality immediately!" Issei defended himself.
"By breathing fire through your mouth?" Raynare lift her right eyebrow. Meanwhile the ORC members are busy treating their newest member
"What? They grow out a fucking bat wings from their back, I'd say breathing fire is milder"
"That girl has been through seeing someone summoning light spear, someone else summoning lightning, an ancient story, sacred gear awakening, her death and resurrection story, and growing devil wings from her back" Raynare counted.
"I'd say your fire breath is what the human said as 'the straw that broke the camel's back'?" Raynare laughed at her own joke. Issei is not amused.
"Don't talk about camel here!" Rias shouted while looking after her servant. Hearing that, Raynare has a good idea, or bad.
'Camel!' Raynare stealthily appear next to Rias, holding a camel-looking light construct she just created.
Rias shrieked in response before she too loses her consciousness.
.
.
.
"Raynare what the hell?!" Issei shouted while he and the fallen angel escape through the window, a crazed priestess-looking girl shooting lightning behind them.
I don't know if this exist in manga/anime, but Rias has fear of camels in Light Novel. If you realized, the title work on three levels: Asuka, Rias, and Akeno. I know don't explain the joke T_T