I don't own DxD.
Issei sat nervously in the pub. It hadn't even been an hour since Shin demonstrated what was known to Issei as Magic. Nothing added up at the moment. He nervously gazed at Ran, who was scratching her ear on the ground next to him. The Inugami pup looked up and offered him a comforting bark before bounding off towards her master.
Shin walked out of the kitchen with some hot tea for the both of them. Sitting down on the barstool next to Issei, he took a sip. Earl Grey. It was his favorite blend of tea. Folding his hands, he sighed and took a look at Issei.
"Okay. Get all of it out. I know you have a lot to say to me so-"
"I actually don't. I'm more shocked about you knowing… magic than I am at Gremory-senpai being a devil. It's so surreal. Your best friend hides something this massive from you your entire life," Issei said. If he had to be honest, he felt a bit hurt that Shin didn't trust him enough to tell him this secret. It made him feel that all those years they had as friends might have been a lie.
Seeing the turmoil on his friend's face, Shin placed a comforting hand on his back. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you because I didn't trust you. It's because of something else. Do you remember what happened back at the park? The night that Fallen Angel stabbed you with a spear?" he asked.
"I… vaguely. All I remember is getting stabbed. Everything else is a blur," Issei answered.
"Do you remember seeing me use magic then?" he asked.
Issei had a contemplative look on his face. Remembering the blue light emanating from Shin's hands and the black flames that emanated from Ran's fur, he nodded. "You used magic back then too. I thought I was just seeing things. But my question is why? Why didn't you tell me what this all was?"
"To keep you safe. My family… when we met you, my parents made me swear to never tell you what this all was. This was all of course to keep you safe." He downed the rest of his tea.
"If you keep telling this was all for his sake, he'll never understand. Give him the reason why Rowan and Akane made you keep your mouth shut all this time." Vivi floated in the air above the two, invisible to all except Ran and Shin. He nodded with his eyes, before turning to Issei.
"I know you're gonna ask safe from what. But first, let me tell you something. When that Fallen bitch was going to kill you, do you remember anything odd about what she said?" Shin said.
"Not really. I was focusing on staying alive," Issei replied. What did this all have to do with Shin's magic and why he didn't know.
"She said to blame the Big Man Upstairs for placing something inside you. Something she sees as a threat to herself and possibly her kind. That is, if she acted alone. We never know with these guys. For example, like the Stray Devils we fought with Gremory-senpai and her peerage, there are also Rogue Fallen Angels. So-"
"There's a possibility. Yeah, I get it. But that still tells me nothing."
"The reason why you were never allowed to know about all… this." He gestured to himself and Ran. "It's to keep that one thing inside you from waking up. The moment you were born, you… well, I wouldn't call it a curse. But it will lower your chances of living a really long and productive life by a lot. That thing is known as a [Sacred Gear]."
The words registered inside Issei as he took note of it.
"In order to prevent it from ever awakening and letting you live a normal life, we decided not to tell you. This decision was made by my parents and Irina's pa-"
"Irina?"
"Yeah, she knew too."
"Am I the only one who didn't?" Issei asked, now feeling annoyed that his two best friends never told him anything.
"Yeah. But, if we did tell you, I can say that there's a really high chance you would die before you started puberty," Shin said. His cold stare sent shivers down Issei's spine.
"R- Right." Shin's words hit Issei hard. Was it really that hard to live knowing what went bump in the night? His recent encounters had hammered this concept down somewhat but Shin's words served as the final nail in the coffin. "So, about your family? You said you'd tell me everything."
"Right, my family. We're a family of specialized magicians, stretching back… a few hundred years. We're not famous or anything. At least our family line wasn't. Just a few backwoods mages practicing in the Scottish wilderness. That's my dad's line. My mom's line… well…"
He trailed off. His mom never liked her side of the family. She went on and on and on about how her parents, his grandparents, ranted about taking the Sacred Bird back from Clan Himejima. When his mother declared that she was marrying an outsider, she effectively cut herself off from that side of the family. However, that was a story for another time.
"Let's ignore my mom's line. It's something I'd rather not talk about without her permission."
"Jeez, is Akari-oba-san on bad terms with her family?" Issei asked.
"Something like that. Where was I? Oh yeah, when you were born, which was after me and before Irina, your parents held a small party to celebrate your birth. That's when my parents noticed it. A Sacred Gear inside you. Thus, we made sure to protect you and this town. The thing is only my sister and parents know which one you have. But judging from the protocols and precautions we took prior to all this, I can only assume that you have a powerful one," Shin said.
"A strong one? Like how strong?"
"Strong enough that a member from another faction saw you as a threat to their kind's continued existence and killed you. Strong enough to make a High Rank Devil come off her silver-spoon life just to turn you into a Devil," Shin said.
"So what magic can you use?" Issei asked, changing the subject.
"You can show him. Should I show myself too?" Vivi asked.
"It'll help." He smiled.
Vivi materialized silently behind Issei. She leaned in, breathing into the young high school student's ear. "Boo."
Issei jumped, spilling his tea on the counter. He whirled around fast, so fast that Shin thought he heard Issei's spine snap from the force.
"W- Wha- Who are you!?" he stammered.
"Hahaha! You scare so easily!" she cackled, clutching her sides as she floated in the air.
"Issei. This is my Sponsor, Vivi. Don't ask what her actual name is. She won't tell you. She teaches me the magic I use," he said, demonstrating it once more.
"Hiya you absolute degenerate scumbag," Vivi said, floating above Issei. Several daggers manifested from a blue light around her.
Issei gulped at the sight of them. Shin sighed. "Vivi, stop scaring him."
"Aww. You ruined my fun," she said, floating over to a chair and taking a seat.
"So any more questions?" Shin asked.
"W- What's a Sponsor?"
"A Sponsor is an entity that bonds itself to a human and teaches them their magic," Shin explained. It was a simple explanation that didn't cover everything but it got the basic gist of it down.
"So you're like… her Miko and she's your Guardian Witch?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, that's actually pretty accurate," Shin said. "Starting from today, whenever Gremory-senpai isn't borrowing to teach you your duties as a member of her peerage, I'll be the one covering the basics and advanced stuff with you. I don't doubt her ability to train you. I doubt her ability to know how to go about doing it."
"So, you doubt her?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, basically."
"It's nice to have the day to ourselves. That's something we haven't done in a while. Hang out," Issei said, walking down the street.
Shin smiled and nodded. It had been a while since he and Issei hung out. It was mostly due to recent events. Issei's life as a Devil had made him busier than ever. Training with Rias during the daytime and contracts at night. In the few breaks that he got from the Gremory Peerage, Shin had been properly easing him into things like combat.
Issei could confidently say that Shin was a good teacher and a good sparring partner. Of course, their spars all ended with him on the floor but he felt he was getting better. Last night, Issei had managed to land two hits on his more experienced friend. Something that he and Shin were both proud of. It showed Issei's progress.
"I let Vivi run the bar today. It should be fine if Ran is there in her human form helping out." He placed his hands in his jacket pocket.
"I can never get over that. I'll never look at maids the same way ever again," Issei said, shivering.
That night that Issei confronted Shin, he had also caught sight of Ran's human form. At first, he was confused until he learned that this was the dog he had loved since he was a kid. The fact that Ran could even become human had thrown him for a loop. The Supernatural World was truly a strange place.
"Don't be like that. You hurt her feelings when you freaked out. Ran sees you like a second master. An older brother even," Shin said.
"I mean, I'll try. But, I guess we can get started with head pats. Does she like those?" Issei asked.
"She loves them. So much so that-" he stopped talking when something bumped into Issei. The impact wasn't that hard but the surprise certainly did all the work in knocking them over. Issei fell on his rear end, looking at the person who had run into him.
The girl before them had blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Her face was cute and her expression gave her an aura that made them want to protect her. She wore a nun's robes. Unlike the regular black, this one was a sort of dark teal and she wore a white habit on her head. On her feet were a pair of brown shoes and underneath her skirt, there were…
"Pink," Issei said, staring at the nun.
"Pink?"
"Pink?"
Shin and the nun looked at Issei with confused eyes. In less than a second, Shin realized what Issei had meant by the color pink and offered his hand to them both.
"Come on, get up. The ground's dirty and you don't want to get your pants dusty. And Sister-san, you want to keep your robes and habit clean," he said, chastising the both of them lightly.
"I'm sorry. I new here. I… Ah… Auu. This isn't how it's supposed to go. Darn me for not learning this language soon enough!" the nun said, looking down at the ground with an embarrassed look on her face.
"Learn what language?" Issei asked with a confused look on his face.
"You understood that? When she started speaking Italian?" Shin asked.
"She was speaking Italian?" he said, looking at Shin now.
"Right… that thing."
He had forgotten that Devils were capable of speaking any language in the world. Any mortal language that was. Arcane languages were a different matter. A Devil could not speak the Holy Language of Angels lest they burn their voice boxes.
"What thing?" Issei said. He was genuinely confused. Didn't Shin understand the girl?
"Since you can speak Italian, I'll let you guide her around town. I'll be here to babysit you two." He grinned, patting Issei on the back. Shin turned to Asia and smiled. Pointing his thumb to Issei, he bade her to speak.
"Uh! Mister! I don't know your names. Uhhh…" Asia stuttered cutely before them. Her head was spinning and it was visible in her eyes.
"Hyoudou. My name is Hyoudou Issei. And this guy is Faulkner. Faulkner Shin," Issei said.
"Oh! Mister Issei and Mister Shin! I'm sorry to run into you. I was just a little lost… you see I'm new here and I'm just trying to find the church!" she said.
Church? Isn't that place…
"Sure! We'll help you find it. Come on Shin," Issei said.
"Huh? What? Hold on, Issei. We need to talk for a moment." Shin grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side. Issei's face became even more confused at Shin's actions.
"What? What's happening?" he asked.
"The church she's talking about. It's the one at the edge of town right? It's the only one in town," Shin said, making sure to keep his voice low.
"Yeah, so?" Issei pressed.
"That church has been out of service for years. Why would she go there? That place is practically a safety code violation," Shin replied.
"You think she's being scammed?" Issei asked.
"Probably. Let's take her back to the bar and you can take her from there," Shin said.
"Wait, what? Take her where?" Issei asked.
"Back to your house obviously. It'll be better for her to be in a place where there's someone who can understand what she's saying. Your devil traits are letting you understand Italian so you're the most logical choice," he said.
"What why me? Why can't you take her? I'm a horrible choice for this!" Issei hissed.
"I don't know Italian! How am I supposed to-"
"Doesn't Vivi know Italian?" Issei asked.
Shin went silent. He got him there. Vivi did know Italian. The perks of being a Genus Loci. Decades of tourism allowed her to gain the ability to speak multiple languages fluently. The only ones she didn't know were some African Dialects and Native Languages from other countries such as the United States and Australia.
"Besides, you're better at taking care of people than me. That's why I work in the kitchen and not up front as often," Issei said.
Shin sighed. "Fine. But only because you being seen with a girl might get you arrested by the cops," he said.
"Oi."
"Just go tell her."
"Fine." He turned around to face the patient nun. Asia had been looking at a few birds when Issei called her name. "Um, Asia-san!"
"Y- Yes!" she said, turning around.
"I have some bad news. The church you want to go to has been closed for some time. I'm sorry," he said.
"E- Eh? But… they told me to… where will I go now?" Asia said, tearing up. "That was my last chance to…"
"Last chance?" Shin mouthed.
Issei shrugged. "Come on. You're probably hungry. Let's go. I know a great place to eat."
Vivi sighed as she slumped against a wall in the kitchen. Ran was dashing around, making food to the best of her ability. Which was…
"How are you making food so well! We have like 12 covers to fill and you're filling all of them!" Vivi said.
"These abilities are to serve Shin-sama. As such, I must be capable of perfectly executing them," Ran said. She tossed an onion in the air and casually sliced it to pieces with a knife.
"Well, I guess I'll take this out to Table-" the sound of a customer entering the bar caused her to groan. "I'll go serve the next customer. You just keep doing what you're doing."
When she walked out of the kitchen, Vivi sighed in relief. This nightmare will finally be over. Shin, Issei and the blonde girl can help out.
Wait… blonde girl? A girl wants to hang out with Shin and Issei knowing that Issei is there?
"Hey, Vivi! We'll sit over here at this table if you don't mind. Don't worry about getting food for Issei and Asia. I'll be the one serving their table!" Shin said, seating the two.
"Who's that girl?" Vivi said, giving the customer their food.
"Some nun that came here. She said that she was sent to an abandoned church at the edge of town. Something's not right here," Shin said, walking with her into the kitchen. "Ran, what table is this for?"
"Table 5, Shin-sama," Ran said.
"Thanks." He went out and gave the customer their food before walking over to Asia and Issei. "Alright kids, what will it be today?"
"Shin, we still have sliders right?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, I can ask Ran to make some burgers for you guys," Shin said.
"Um, Mister Issei, I don't know what to get. They all look…" Asia looked at Shin and pointed to the cheeseburger on the menu.
"And I'll have what she's having too," Issei said.
Shin gave him a deadpan expression. "She ordered a burger, you bonehead. I'll be back in a few. Just sit and have fun, you two," he said, walking into the kitchen.
Issei's lunch date had gone rather well. The two hit it off almost immediately. Shin had watched from the sidelines as Issei practically scored the girl's heart. Though, Asia was a bit deprived of human interaction. Issei must have been her first friendly one in forever. It would stand to reason why she got so close and started clinging to him unconsciously.
When Issei attempted to help out, Shin waved him off and said he could go on without him. Grinning, he patted Issei on the back and nodded over to Asia. Issei sighed but made sure to tell Shin to call him if he needed anything. Even in the end, despite all that, Issei decided to take her home anyway.
Shin whistled a small tune as he wiped the tables. The last customer had left an hour ago and it was almost closing for them. They didn't expect any more people to come in, especially during the workweek this late at night.
"Shin, I'm going to go help Ran in the kitchen. Call me if you need anything," Vivi said, disappearing in a flash of blue light.
Shin nodded and was about to continue cleaning when his body locked up. But it wasn't out of fear. Shin turned around towards the door. His hand had a slight blue glow to it as it opened. It was an unnatural presence but it felt familiar. It almost felt like…
"A Contractor," he whispered.
The door fully opened to reveal a girl dressed in a black academy uniform. Underneath her blazer was a beige vest with a white button-up shirt and she wore a grey plaid skirt. Her violet eyes shimmered as she locked her gaze on Shin. Her lips curved upward in a smile as the door closed behind them.
"Well, well, it's about time we finally met." The girl's smile never faded as she sauntered up to Shin.
"You're a Contractor," Shin said.
"Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, fellow Contractor. I am Sophia Asterope, an operative of Lord Azazel and the Grigori. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Asia Argento
A sweet nun with a past that's less than favorable. She comes to Kuoh in search of a new life due to circumstances. By chance, she encountered the Red Dragon during her trip here.
While she may have been saved from whatever nefarious plot she may have fallen into, the danger she is in remains present.
New chapter! Sorry this took so long. As I may have already said on my other fic, I've been focusing more on my original story on Royal Road, Memento Mori. It's the one by Qrim. Yes, I changed my penname there. This one feels easier to find and more professional than NutellaSandwichEnthusiast.