…I might've made a mistake.

I had known, dreaded being the New Kid™ once again, knowing but not quite understanding that my situation and my companion would make the usual looks and whispers at least five times worse. Turns out I had been undershooting, by quite a bit.

Gossipy bitches.

Everywhere I went, I got looks and whispers and giggles and mumbles and it was shit. I hated being the center of attention, which was why I had Solana to run the company and although I knew I would have to take center stage at some point, I really wished I didn't.

The downside of having a 'cool, stoic beauty' as a bodyguard, as in someone capable of violence in the case of someone being violent with me, was also the upside in that her presence was a deterrent. More than once I noticed someone about to sack up and come chat with me, only to look at Beth and rethink it.

The minority population of boys were somewhat ironically the biggest gossips, muttering to each other about me, questioning if I'd come to steal all the ladies for myself, especially the Great Ladies of Kuoh; the top being Rias Gremory, second Himejema Akeno, third being Tsubaki, fourth being Kiba and fifth being 'Shitori Souna.' The loudest of those were Issei, the future Red Dragon Emperor, and the other two of the aptly-named Perverted Trio; a taller bald teen named Matsuda, aka 'Perverted Baldy' and a shorter one with a mop of hair and thick glasses named Motohama aka 'Perverted Glasses.' Imagination was apparently in short supply.

It wasn't actually my plan, but if those fuckers were gonna keep insinuating it then I was tempted to so out of pure spite!

Which is how I found myself sitting alone the first lunch of my stay at Kuoh Academy, unable to openly talk with Beth as she stood near the corner, keeping her covered eyes on the exits and entrances.

"This is stupid," I sighed over our comms, a subtle implant near the vocal cords that could turn unspoken words into audible sound. On the outside my mouth wasn't moving except to chew, but my throat was subtly flexing. "No one wants to talk to me!"

"I told you, didn't I?" She replied with an audible smirk, "But you said, 'oh Beth, there's no way people as stupid and hormonal as teenagers would let a bodyguard get in the way of chatting with the new guy!' And it was your idea to be a student in the first place. I suggested we pose as teacher and assistant, but you said no. You made your decision, so you get to live with it."

I probably looked a bit silly, giving my silent, stoic bodyguard a dark look over my pork. "And so do you, seeing how you can't shut off the connection. And I told you, being the new, cool young teacher wouldn't be as effective as a new student. All of the Devils are students, and being one myself is a commonality and force multiplier when it comes to gaining their interest."

"Do you mind if I sit here?" The question came from the slender blonde I'd met at the doors, Kiba Yumi herself. I still wondered why that was different, but not too much, though. She was holding a bento and standing by my claimed, empty table with a small smile, and it was one the prettiest things I'd seen all day.

"Yeah!" I said, probably a bit too loudly. Coughing into my hand, I gave her a welcoming nod and gestured to the seat across from me. "I mean, please, sit. I'd welcome the pleasure of your company."

"I'm glad to give it," she said jovially, smoothly sitting in the chair across from me and popping her bento open to reveal four neatly packed onigiri, sliced apple with a few small containers of soy sauce and wasabi and with a small bundle of pickled ginger. "How are you liking Kuoh Academy so far, White-san? I imagine being in a new country, let alone a new school, is quite anxiety-inducing."

"Very true, Yumi-san," I sighed, reaching into my satchel to retrieve a thermos and a cup, "Honestly, I expected the attention, but this is worse than I'd hoped. Can't be helped, I suppose, but still tiring. And please, call me Saul. Tea? It's white jasmine." I opened the thermos, letting loose a billow of fragrant steam and poured myself a cup.

I almost saw her nose twitch at the scent. "I wouldn't want to impose…" I pulled a second cup from my bag and she nodded with a smile. "Please and thank you. I know from experience that being a foreign student makes the attention all the more onerous, but it will fade in time. Have you given any thought to joining a club? I, myself, am part of the Occult Research Club but I like to occasionally spend time with the Kendo Club."

Chewing a chunk of spicy pork and rice and washing it down with delicate, sweet tea, I licked my lips and answered, "Not really, no. I figure I'll settle in first, find out where everything is for the first week, then shop around and take a look at them." Tapping my chopsticks against the box, I thought about what I should say next. "Kendo, eh? As I understand it's quite rule and technique-heavy, but I admit that I've always been fascinated by swords, well, weapons in general. But swords? Swords are dope."

Nothing I said was a lie. Weapons had always fascinated me, and more than once my mind would run wild with ideas for different kinds, from melee to ranged, even before I arrived in a world where those skills were a necessity. I usually kept my ideas to myself, generally because I couldn't draw that well, but that wasn't a problem anymore. And now that I had a Sacred Gear and any machine I could imagine, well…it took a lot of self-control to not spend every waking moment not fabricating and testing weapons all day. Or swinging a stick around making noises with my mouth.

That only happened once.

…A week.

Kiba smiled prettily, plump lips parting to show sparkling teeth, her eyes glimmering. "Indeed," she murmured, sipping her tea as a brief look of surprise crossed her face, "Ooh, this is rather good, Wh-Saul-san. What about weapons fascinates you so?"

"It's my favorite blend," I replied, taking a sip of my own cup to gather my thoughts, "Well, I suppose it could be for a philosophical reason, like how not all tools are weapons, but all weapons are tools. The dichotomy of reason, like those who blame a weapon for taking a life when it's the one who swung it who caused it," her eyes flashed so briefly I might've thought I'd seen something, "Like…Muramasa, you know? They say Muramasa swords are eeevil or have a demon sealed inside of it, when in reality it was probably some skilled bastard with a good sword, because, heh, 'demons,'" I air-quoted the word with a skeptical face.

"Indeed," Kiba nodded, a bit of a knowing smirk on her lips before she hid it with her cup.

I toss my hands up and lean back in my chair. "Or maybe it's the sheer variety. Like, it's a sword, how complex could it be? There's one edge, two edges…oh, that one's curved, ah, that one's really big and curved, that one's huge, how would you even use it? Wait, that one has, like, an ax head, that's weird…" I shrug and grab my chopsticks again, "Or it could be because they're generally shiny and shiny things are nice."

"Mm, quite the conundrum," Kiba nodded, an amused smile quirking her lips.

I gave her a half-shrug, "Just call me Solomon White, Lunchtime Philosopher…sorry, I'm rambling," a bit embarrassed, I popped a bite of lunch in my maw.

"That's quite alright, I don't mind listening."

"Seems like Yumi-chan's made a new friend," a husky, feminine voice interjected, followed by a sensual giggle, "Fufufufu…"

And it did literally sound like 'fufufufu,' which was kinda weird, but she made it work.

"Not a subject I would've chosen, but it's nice to see," commented another, slightly deeper but still youthful voice, "I see you're making the new student comfortable, Yumi-chan…"

Turning in my seat, I was unprepared for what I beheld.

The first was a vision of sheer sensuality; shapely legs and plump thighs sinfully hidden by the uniform skirt, her shirt straining slightly to contain the bounty of her bosom, made all the more prominent by the window provided by her corset and cape; a heart-shaped face, full, pouty lips and a button nose and large violet eyes made for smiling. All of that was topped with dark purple hair tied up with an orange bow, so long it ended somewhere below her knees and pale, creamy skin.

And the second…I'd seen her at a distance, and yeah, it was zoomed in, but still, in person…it was entirely different then. Gleaming eyes of the bluest sapphire, curtained by hair the color of fresh blood that ended around her thighs; full cheeks, full lips, high cheekbones and a sharp nose painted an aristocratic visage, with a slender neck leading down to a chest that, while a bit smaller than the first girls, was still quite sizable. A trim waist blooming into wide hips and thick thighs, leading down to long, curvy legs with skin that of a ripe peach.

Anyone who could look at two beautiful creatures like that and say, 'yeah, they're definitely human' was a fucking idiot.

The first girl bore a teasing smile, the second with a friendlier curl to her lips, both with a bit of interest gleaming in their eyes and carrying bento boxes.

Something hot went down my spine and my heart thumped in my chest. Oh, goddammit.

"Ah, Saul-san," Kiba stood from her chair, gesturing to the two beauties with a smile, "These two are Himejima Akeno, the Vice President of the Occult Research Club and Gremory Rias, the President. Ladies, this is White Solomon."

I remember standing and giving a polite bow then offering my hand, but my vision was filled with waves of red. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I said, "Your hair's beautiful," I thought.

Rias smiled widely, which did nothing to calm my racing heart. "Why thank you!"

"Fufufufu, it seems the President has charmed another, so quickly, too!" Akeno giggled, delicate fingers covering her mouth.

I gave them a confused look. "What?" I played back the last few seconds and suppressed a groan. "I didn't mean to say that…"

The redhead arched a delicate eyebrow. "So, my hair isn't beautiful, then?"

I stiffened, my jaw clicking shut. I knew she was playing me, both Akeno and Kiba were giggling at my expense. I sucked in a breath and, realizing I was still holding her hand, bent my head and lightly kissed her knuckles. Her skin was sinfully soft. "What I meant to say is: It's very nice to meet you, my name is Solomon White, but you can call me Saul…and yes, your hair is very pretty." I pulled out the chair next to mine. "Seat?"

"Thank you, don't mind if I do," Rias bobbed her head with a smile, taking the seat as I turned to Akeno and offered her my hand.

She took it with another husky giggle. "Ooh, a gentleman, I see," she teased, eyes glittering, "Though, a real gentleman would've paid me a compliment as well."

My lips touched her knuckles and my thoughts raced. "…Yeah, you already know you're gorgeous, I doubt I can say anything you haven't heard before, but…uh, your eyes would put the amethysts cut and polished by a master jewelcrafter to shame. Seat?"

Kiba was the one to pull the chair out for Akeno while I retook my seat, taking a moment to cut off access to my body and give myself a small neural shock. Snap out of it! You are no simp! Beauty is more than skin-deep, motherfucker! Other things like that! Returning access, I took a deep breath, accidentally inhaling some melange of sweet scents from the three Devils sitting around me, and turned back to the blonde girl. "…Personally, I think I'd prefer to use a spear. I mean, the simple staff is still the king and whacking things is fun, plus most of the kata form the basis for all sorts of other weapons, which is handy if you want to diversify. And hey, you can stab things from farther away, so, you know, bonus." Smooth.

"Fufufufu, we've only just met and you're already speaking of impaling things on long rods," Akeno giggled, pouring tea for herself and Rias from a thermos, "Perhaps I misjudged when I said you were a gentleman, White-san."

I shot her a dry look. "I'm gentle when I need to be and manly where it counts, Himejima-san." I instantly wished I hadn't taken the bait.

Her amethyst eyes glittered. "Promises, promises."

I downed my tea and wished it was ethanol.

"Now now, Akeno-chan, perhaps you should ease off on teasing the new student," Rias, that angel, rebuked gently, before shooting me a mischievous look, "He's going to be here for a few years, no need to spend it all so soon."

Nevermind, she's Satan.

"I'm only joking, Saul-san," the redhead commented as I bit into the last of my pork like it owed me money, "I noticed that you drove here; that's quite the bike you have. Where did you acquire it?"

"I didn't acquire her," I replied, taking a calming sip of my tea, "I built her myself from the ground up and none of the places I looked had the parts I wanted, so I had to fabricate what I wanted. I call her Kusanagi."

Kiba hummed thoughtfully. "Hm, you really do like swords, don't you Saul-san?"

I shrugged, starting on the salad, "I mean, yeah, she's designed to cut through anything; highways, back ways, dirt roads, gravel roads, no roads…but, y'know, I also named her after the Major." Not something I would've readily admitted anywhere else, but it was Japan.

To my surprise, I received confused looks. "What Major?" Rias asked, idly dipping a sushi roll in sauce.

It was my turn to give them a look. "…The Major? You know…Kusanagi Makoto, from Ghost in the Shell…? The masterpiece of an anime that defined modern cyberpunk…?" Their faces were now even more concerned. I paused and accessed the internet, bringing up a search for Ghost in the Shell. First result: Did you mean Specter in the Tank?

No I damn well didn't. Scanning through the result revealed the truth: this Hell World didn't have Ghost in the Shell, instead it had Specter in the Tank about a redhead android with a human mind named 'Colonel Uchigatana Mikoto,' instead.

The. Fuck.

"…Yeah, the sword," I corrected after the split-second it took for me to rustle up that information. "She's not quite finished yet, but she rides smooth as silk. Do you like bikes, Rias-san?"

The redheaded Devil shrugged. "I can't say for certain, given that I've never ridden a motorcycle, but I do enjoy driving."

"You should give it a try sometime," I said, finishing off my salad, "There's nothing quite like tearing down the highway like a bat outta hell, a powerful machine thrumming between your legs, the wind pulling at your hair…it's like, what I imagine flying under your own power would be." Realizing the possibility of innuendo, I made a show of noticing the time, "Ah, would you look at that, my next class is coming up, time for me to go."

Kiba made to push her chair back, "Ah, Saul-san, allow me-"

I politely held out my hand to stop her. "That won't be necessary, Yumi-san, I'm leaving early so I can learn my way around the campus on my own, but thank you. And, thank you for joining me for lunch, I hope we can do so again," she held her hand out, palm down, and I took it and kissed her knuckles again before turning to the other girls. "Rias-san, Akeno-san, thank you for the conversation and the company, let's do it again some time."

Then, with a nod to the table, I turned on my heel and left with Beth shadowing me.

…

"Ah, he forgot his tea cup…"

"Fufufufu, Yu-chan, have you found a boy who finally interests you? If my guess is right, he's kissed your hand twice now…"

"…Three times, actually…"

"Oho, do tell, Yumi-chan!"

"…I'd rather not."

…

Once we were around the corner, I tapped my temple. "Scan: organics." A pulse of blue filled my vision followed by data. There were no other people around, either at lunch or in class. "Beth."

My head rocked to the side as her palm met my cheek, then came down as she grabbed my neck ribbon and pulled me to her lips, kissing me firmly. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her; a hint of metal and oil, with sandalwood and lilac. I nuzzled my nose against hers then stepped back, adjusting my stupid ribbon.

"Better now?" She asked stoically, brushing my lapels.

"Definitely," I nodded, breathing a sigh. If dealing with Devils was always that troublesome, our sex life was going to get exciting. "I need to add tox filters to my nostrils, I swear I breathed in something unnatural from those Devils…"

Tapping her fingers on her briefcase, her lips quirked slightly. "Oh yes, I'm sure that's what it is…"

"You know what, I don't think I appreciate your tone."

"How terrible."

…

The next week was…alright. The whispering had died down a bit as people got used to me, and even a few actually chatted with me. Most seemed content to gossip and watch us, though, and I had an inkling as to why.

This was an anime world, sometimes. Like, there were still wars where people got blown apart and died screaming, but I blatantly remember the first time I walked into a Texan gas station and saw a dude with naturally white hair buying smokes from a chick with naturally green hair. I know it was natural, I checked.

The ur example though, was the Perverted Trio and how they were handled. Sometimes, typically between classes but occasionally in the middle, one or all three of them would bust out porn and openly discuss the contents within, one of them would be overcome, usually Issei, who would stand up and loudly proclaim that he would one day be The Harem King with legions of busty babes at his beck and call.

I could admire his honesty and ambition, but there was a time and place to be thinking about titties and in the middle of a lesson about how many families down to babies in cribs were murdered during the Edo Period wasn't one of them.

Then a girl, usually Katase and Murayama, a girl with pink hair held back with a headband and a girl with long brown hair (both on the upper side of average but pretty scale) respectively, would pitch a book at his head. They'd get flattened, the girl would shout at them, the rest of the class would either titter or growl, depending on gender and then class would go on like nothing happened.

The Trio would avoid those antics when it was homeroom or Kobayashi-sensei was teaching; she seemed to take pride in her accuracy with chalk. One time, all three of them got into it about what kinda porn was better in class and she threw three pieces of chalk, nailed Issei and Matsuda in the eyes with two and hit Motohama in the throat with the other.

I started wondering if I should pull her into the supernatural world somehow. That accuracy was preem.

Other than that and one other specific time, things were rather normal. I ran into Kiba quite often and the blonde swordswoman would join me for lunch most days, with Rias and Akeno occasionally dropping by, but more than once I ate alone.

Another thing was Koneko. After that first day, I literally ran into her again, in the same spot, too. And once again, I offered her a sweet as an apology and went on with my day.

Next day, I almost ran into her again, but managed to stop myself that time. She looked up at me, face stoic, then deliberately stepped forward into my space and bumped me. And then held out a hand for 'reparations.' I gave her an amused look and handed over a couple of homemade almond Roca that were my choice of sweets that day.

That continued on for almost the whole week: I would almost run into her, she'd bump into me, I'd hand over a sweet and we went on our way.

It came to a head on Friday. It was a pretty nice day out, so I'd climbed a tree to eat my lunch; Beth was leaning against the trunk and out of sight, so she could relax and eat, too. I had just started in on my sandwich when I felt Beth stiffen and heard a creaking in the branches. Turning, I found Koneko's stoic visage sitting across the trunk from me, with what looked like a glimmer of triumph in her eyes.

"…My tree," she said, and held out her hand.

Arching an eyebrow at her, I took her hand, turned it around and kissed her knuckles. "Nice to see you, too," I greeted sarcastically, "Your tree? I'm sorry, I didn't think you could own nature, my apologies. But maybe if you do, a single tree might be too small a scope if you're thinking of rent."

She blinked and dropped her hand, looking somewhat nonplussed. "Ah…I usually sit here for lunch," Koneko explained, kicking her legs idly before gazing at me, "You can sit here if you want."

"Thanks." We sat in silence for a bit as I chewed my tempura shrimp and vegetables and she started working on a bento full of sashimi.

After a few minutes, she spoke up again. "…Why do you always have sweets on you?"

I swallowed my bite and shrugged. "Well, I've kinda got a sweet tooth-"

"Ha!"

"-shut up, Beth. A little sugar rush helps when I'm trying to think and I like making things and I always make them in bulk," I reached into my bag and pulled out a container of homemade almond joy, popping the lid and taking one for myself before offering it to her. "You know, you don't have to come up with excuses, if you want some you can just ask me."

Koneko rolled the chocolate covered coconut candy between her fingers before taking a bite, her hazel eyes lighting up with joy. Licking her lips, she commented, "You know, it looks pretty weird when a younger girl asks an older guy for sweets, right?"

"When they've just met, yeah, but friends share things all the time," I pointed out.

She arched an eyebrow. "…You want to be friends with me?" She asked. I nodded. She stared for a few long minutes. "…Suspicious."

"Hey, you're the one bushwhacking me for candy, lady, you don't have room to talk."

Koneko hummed quietly and we went back to eating. Just as I was finishing up, I noticed her opening her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted. "White-san?" A masculine voice asked, and I looked down to find a blond-haired gray eyed boy looking up at us.

"Yeah?"

"Souna-kaichou wishes to speak with you," he replied, looking between Koneko and myself suspiciously.

I grunted in acknowledgement, storing my containers away in my bag before jumping down and landing with a thump. "Let's talk later, alright?" I asked, giving her a wave as Beth and I made to follow who Noah would call 'Sona's Biggest Simp.' Koneko nodded and waved, and then the three of us set off around the school grounds. "You're Genshiro Saji-san, right?"

"Yes, the newest member of the Student Council," Saji said proudly, straightening his cuffs before giving me a severe look. "Souna-kaichou," he said her name and title like it was worthy of worship, "Is taking valuable time out of her day to meet with you, White-san. It would be best if you speak when spoken to and only reply when necessary."

Ah, classic simp symptoms. Simptoms. Trying to monopolize all of their targets time while pushing away any sort of possible threat, real or imagined. So sad.

Though, after running a scan I realized we were taking the long way around the grounds to get to the Council's Office, almost circling around the campus behind the girl's locker room…when I heard giggles and mutters from a conveniently placed set of bushes. It wasn't hard to spot the Perverted Trio, they weren't really trying to hide their activities, openly squabbling about who's turn it was to peep through a hole in the wall.

Saji glared at the Trio but made no move to stop them, even muttering under his breath, "Lucky Bastards…"

He probably didn't think we could hear him.

I made to step around the building, only for Saji to complain, "Stop wasting time, White-san-!"

I shot him an unimpressed look. "We would've been there a couple minutes ago if you hadn't taken the scenic route, Genshiro-san. This'll only take a second." I had wondered why he took us out of the way and at first I thought it was just to obliquely threaten me to be polite, but then I figured it must've been because the Kendo Club was changing at that time and he might've hoped they left the door open or something.

Stepping up to the door, I firmly rapped my knuckles on the wood. A few seconds later, the door opened a crack and a pair of eyes squinted at me. "Yeah?" The girl asked, sounding irritated.

"You're aware there are three boys at the back of your building looking at you through a hole in the wall, yeah?" I replied, hands in my pockets.

Her eyes went wide and the door slammed shut following an outraged squeal. A moment later the doors flew open and the Kendo Club stormed forth, most half-clothed in their uniforms. They raced around the building and within seconds the meaty sound of wood meeting flesh rang out along with pig-like squeals of pain.

Following, I found exactly what I thought I would, a bunch of girls smacking a trio of perverts with wooden swords while another stood off to the side, watching with a bit of drool coming out of his mouth. I thought perhaps I'd misjudged Saji and he was truly the worst kind of a simp: a masochist. A maso-simp. A simp-ochist.

But then I took a look and realized that in their haste and with their efforts, most of the Club's tops had fallen open, and one girl's hakama had even fallen down around her ankles, though she was too into whacking the bald one to notice.

Subtly skirting the edges of the melee, I crept into the bush and pressed my hand to the wall, releasing a small swarm of nanites to fix the hole. Personally I'd never understood the desire to peep, I had perfect access to the internet, if I wanted to see naked women I could so with a click of a button then and a thought now. And most importantly, the women on the internet tended to know that they were naked and wanted to be looked at.

Keeping my eyes carefully fixed on the sky, I heard panting as the girls worked out their indignity on the Trio, followed by a few shrill cries of shock and a loud slap as they realized they weren't as buttoned up as thought and that Saji was well aware, respectively. "It's safe to look, White-san," a girl, Katase, as I found out, said before I looked down. She and the other members of the Club kitted a polite bow in my direction. "Thank you for warning us about them." She shot a venomous look over her shoulder at the groaning Trio and Saji, who was rubbing his cheek.

"Guess you're not as bad as we thought!" Murayama added, giving Issei a final whack across the back.

I frowned. "…What do you mean, 'not as bad?' How am I a bad guy?" I hadn't even done anything…unless it was something to do with Koneko, but she instigated every 'random bump in the hallways' after the first one!

The girls, as in, all of them, blushed and looked away. Apparently it was consensus that I was a bad guy. One of them gestured to Beth, my silent shaded sentinel and stammered, "W-well, I-I mean, you have h-her and she's l-like, a s-slave-"

"Slave?!" I hadn't meant to shout, but it still came out louder than intended, "Beth is my bodyguard! She's paid, a lot, to protect my life! She's not my servant, or my gopher and definitely not a slave." I turned to Beth. "Beth! Cut down that tree!"

Her head barely turned to silently regard me behind her sunglasses, then turned back. I shot the sheepish girls a look.

"W-well, we know that now," Katase defended, brushing back a few strands of escaped pink hair, "And, you know…" She waved a hand at the recovering Trio and Saji, his Devil physiology already healing the slap to his cheek.

"Four perverts have really made you that suspicious of every guy, eh?" I muttered, scratching my cheek, "Talk about letting a few bad apples spoil the bunch…"

Katase and Murayama bowed again, as did a few others though I still got a fair share of suspicious looks. "We're sorry for judging you so harshly, White-san," they said, "If you'll excuse us, we have practice."

The Club headed off, a few girls getting in one last kick before leaving the area. After a second, Saji raised a hand and called, "Wait a minute! If any of you want to make a complaint to the Student Council-!" And raced off after them. Apparently he'd already forgotten about catching a hand to the face for staring at half-dressed girls, because I doubt anyone with half a brain would want to remind the still-angry girls carrying blunt objects that he'd also been a target for their ire and without the biggest offenders present, the most likely complaint they'd level would be against him. It was possible he wanted to make the Trio look bad, somehow, while downplaying his own actions and that sort of duplicity made me mad.

It was possible I was overthinking things and he was just that dumb.

Looking at the Trio, who were swiftly recovering from a beating that must be a frequent occurrence, I could only pinch the bridge of my nose. "Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you guys?" It was bad enough that they couldn't shut up about their various fetishes in the middle of class, or break, or lunch, or PE, usually openly and loudly and sometimes holding porn but this? It was an anime thing I could never get behind back home and was worse in person; it was like a li'l joke, 'ohohoho, look at these perverts watching unsuspecting girls change, isn't it funny that they're getting their rocks off while spying on people? Oh and look, they got caught and now they're being so viciously beaten you'd think they'd never be able to walk again, hohoho, when will those perverts ever learn?'

There were few things I considered sacred, and my privacy was one of them. It was one thing to be a model or a porn star, knowing and getting paid to show off with the knowledge that someone somewhere was gonna rub themselves raw to pictures or videos of you; it was quite another to be at school, somewhere that should be considered safe, just changing your clothes and then it turns out someone was watching you the whole time, beholding you in your most vulnerable state besides sleep.

In hindsight, I found it hard to blame the girls of the Kendo Club for viewing every guy with suspicion.

At the moment though, I was angry.

Very angry.

But I sucked in a deep breath and tamped my emotions down before I did something I might regret later.

"Us?! What's wrong with you?!" The perverts shouted, jumping to their feet to point the finger at me, "You can't just leave us alone, you rich bastard?! We weren't hurting any-"

I carefully modulated my strength, cupped my hand just a bit, and slapped Issei across the face. Then Matsuda, and then Motohama. The sound would hurt more than the impact, and compared to the blows they were getting from the Kendo Club my slap probably felt like a love tap. The three Perverts reeled back in shock and confusion, clutching their cheeks. "The indignant screams and kiai as the girls you were peeping on beat you with blunt weapons says otherwise," I replied dryly. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you-"

It only took a second for their faces to go from wearing surprised expressions to angry ones, taking a threatening step forward. "You son of a-!"

I slapped Motohama, Matsuda, and then Issei across the face again, on the other side. "-that physically those girls are unhurt, but that their feelings and emotions have been damaged by your actions? That the reputation of every other guy in this school suffers because you three almost literally can't keep it in your pants?" Issei opened his mouth and my hand met his cheek once more. "Maybe you think it's a 'manly' thing to do, constantly discussing your obsessions and your fetishes where everyone can hear you, maybe you think, 'hey, every guy's a pervert, at least we're honest about it!' And that somehow, that makes you better than everyone else."

Motohama opened his mouth. I raised my hand and he closed it.

"It doesn't. It makes you boys, less than boys. Children." Matsuda made to protest and I slapped him, "But instead of a trading card game or some anime or manga or whatever, it's women. And the worst part is? I get it." They all went to say something and I slapped all three of them at the same time. "There's nothing wrong with admiring or desiring women, even on a physical level. There's nothing wrong with having a healthy libido; hell, masturbating can be good for you! And there's certainly nothing wrong with being honest. Honesty is a virtue, after all."

I leveled them with my darkest look, my eyes glowing slightly in the shadows cast over my face. "But there's nothing virtuous about your actions, boys. You make things worse for everyone, including yourselves. Tell me, do you honestly think anyone even remotely likes you? Maybe Aika tolerates you, but that's because she's also a pervert, just a lot better at keeping it contained, so when she talks about dick size and wanting her hair pulled while getting railed it's just an indecent quirk. But you three?" I shook my head. "I've been here a week. Do you know what I've heard about you? The Perverted Trio, The Proud Hentai…the future rapists, the future train gropers. And that reputation is gonna follow you to college. If you're lucky you might be thirty before a woman you haven't paid touches your dick."

Oddly enough, they looked stricken at being called future rapists and train gropers, and while no one had said it directly to me, my enhanced hearing meant I'd heard more than my fair share of gossip. Most of it had been wondering if I'd be as bad as those three, but plenty of it had been about them and their antics. Hell, more than a few were already convinced they'd done something.

There were also a few who wished the Trio's perversion was focused on them exclusively. Apparently they found the Trio's single-minded devotion to their obsessions admirable and, like most women, wished to turn all that attention on themselves. However, they were equally convinced that any of the Trio would be unfaithful in the long run, which was a dealbreaker. Except for one chick who really liked the idea but kept quiet because she didn't want people to know.

I sighed loudly and cracked my knuckles. "It isn't too late to make a change, though. Boys, I'm gonna make you a deal. For two months, two whole months…you are gonna rein it in. No perversity, no discussing fetishes or porn, certainly no actual porn, and definitely…no. More. Peeping." They opened their mouths to protest and I raised a hand, but not to slap them, though they jerked back just in case. "At school. As long as it ain't on campus or in public somewhere, I don't give a shit. You do this for two months, and I bet you, your reputation is gonna change. Hell, I'll say one of you could even get a date. If, by the end of those two months, your reputation isn't better, then I'll buy all three of you a lifetime subscription to Cyax dot Net."

The Trio gasped in awe. "I thought it was just a myth!" Motohama gasped, his glasses fogging up.

"The Holy Grail of Porn!" Matsuda continued, looking faint.

"The Greatest Spank Bank in the World!" Issei finished, eyes wide and glistening, before he blinked. "Wait…how do you know about it?"

I looked all three of them in the eye, slowly arching an eyebrow. "…There's nothing wrong with admiring or desiring women," I echoed myself, and the look of realization on their faces was a magical thing to see, "It's invite-only, though. Very exclusive. Very expensive. So how about it, boys? Do we have a deal?"

The Trio of perverts traded looks, then expressions, then nods. One after the other, they reached out and shook my hand, sealing the deal.

"…Oh man, this is gonna be so hard," Issei moaned, rubbing his eyes, "To not talk about boobs…or look at boobs…or-"

"Boys, it might be long and hard, but if you've got the sack you might just come out the other end with a girl on your arm!" I proclaimed, drawing a few surprised chuckles as I threw my arms around their shoulders, "Because you know what's better than looking at girls? Being with girls."

The Trio paused to take in that thought, and I took advantage of their distraction to pull them into a huddle.

"And remember," I whispered, staring at them, "This is a bet sworn on our manhoods. So if you break the deal…don't expect to keep them for long." That said, I clapped them on shoulders and pushed them away, "The bet starts tomorrow! Have a good afternoon, boys!"

I had to resist the urge to say 'Have fun storming the castle!' because I sincerely doubted they would understand the reference, so I just waved as they stumbled away. Behind me, Beth muttered, "You know, they'd probably worship the ground you walk on if you told them you owned Cyax."

Which was true. "Better to imply that I use it," I replied, hearing footsteps behind and turning to find Saji coming back with a fresh handprint on his cheek.

"Making friendly bets with perverts, are you?" He sniffed disdainfully, literally looking down his nose at me, "You should avoid relationships with perverts, White-san."

"I agree," I said agreeably, tucking my hands in my pockets, "Let's keep our relationship professional, Genshiro-san."

Nodding in satisfaction, Saji strode off towards the Student Council Office.

Beth was right, though, I could probably earn the Trio's everlasting awe by telling them that I'd created and owned 'The Holy Grail of Porn' as they'd called it, but I never used it. Creating the YouTube of porn before YouTube was a thing (also YouTube) was just smart business and would pay dividends in the future. All the ad revenue, plus the subscription part would make plenty, and it would only grow as SOS began to market smaller, cheaper and more advanced computers, tablets and phones to the world. Probably also shouldn't tell them that the 'exclusive' part isn't gonna last forever, because it'll go public eventually; as much as an adult website can go, anyway.

Eventually, we arrived at the Office, with Saji shoving the door open and announcing without preamble, "Please excuse our lateness, Kaichou, White-san wasted time-"

I pushed the door back open after it had closed in my face, holding it for Beth behind me. "Dude," I interjected, giving the blond simp an incredulous look, "A bunch of girls were getting peeped on. You call warning them a waste of time?"

I guess he wasn't expecting me to speak up, because he seemed nervous at the looks he was getting from the rest of the Student Council. "W-well-"

"And you took us the long way around the back of the campus, Genshiro-san," I added plainly. I could've been wrong, but it seemed like he'd taken me the long way not only to possibly get a show from the Kendo Club but also to make me look bad when we showed up 'late.'

I hadn't considered trying to get Sona's interest, but if this was the quality of man pursuing her, I just might have to, if only to provide her a second choice.

And spite.

"Genshiro-san, we will have a discussion later," Sona said severely, adjusting her glasses with a light glare, "You have other duties. See to them."

Saji bowed and hurried away, though not without giving me a dark look. Eat my ass guy, I wouldn't have said shit if you hadn't been a prick and tried to make me look bad.

With him gone, that left myself, Beth, Sona and a few other girls milling around doing stuff. I found it odd that, with Saji being the only guy on the Student Council, they didn't seem to take the Trio's antics seriously. I mean, I knew they were all Devils, but Sona was the only one who was born a Devil, as I could remember the others were all reincarnated humans.

Sona gestured to the couch across from her, a coffee table with a chess set between us. "I apologize for Genshiro-san's attitude, White-san. Please, take a seat. You aren't in any trouble, I simply wish to speak with you concerning your first week at Kuoh Academy."

Seeing as white went first and it was on my side of the table, and if I recalled right Sona was something of a chess nut, I sat down, scanned the board and moved a pawn. "It's been fine so far," I replied, catching her surprised look before she made her move. I made another. "I expected it would be hard to socialize, given everything, but I feel I've at least started on making friends…most of whom are in the ORC, oddly."

The President frowned slightly and moved another pawn. "Are you considering joining the Occult Research Club?"

"Not yet, I figure I'll shop around for clubs tomorrow; though, given that they're the only ones who've been talking to me, probably," was my answer, followed by moving a rook.

"I see," Sona said, eyes flickering over the board before she made her next move, "Well, I hope you'll keep an open mind. Perhaps the Student Council would be more to your liking?"

I moved my bishop and arched an eyebrow at her. "…Aren't clubs supposed to be fun?" I asked flatly, giving the other members of the Council, all handling some type of paperwork, an incredulous look. "Check, by the way."

The bespectacled Devil blinked in surprise, realizing that my rook had a straight shot at her king. "W-well, clubs can be fun, but they are a simple and effective way to network, making connections and friends that will be important later in life. It's smart to test the waters and see where you'd fit best." She moved her king out of the line of fire, and I used one of my bishops to take her queen.

I hummed in agreement, noting her using the movement of a knight to defend her king. "There is one major concern I've had, though." I moved my bishop into position and waited for her next move.

"Which would be what?" Sona asked, moving her knight intercept.

"The 'Perverted Trio,'" I answered, moving my rook back to line up on her king, "I believe that's checkmate."

She blinked and looked down, her glasses slipping down her nose as she confirmed that yep, there was nowhere for her king to escape. "I…it is. Checkmate. The game is yours, White-san." Behind her, the Student Council paused in what they were doing, looking over at us with shock plainly written on their faces.

"Mhm," I hummed in agreement, reclaiming my pieces and lining them up again, "Another?"

"Indeed," Sona nodded, moistening her lips as she watched me make the first move, "What concerns you about them, exactly?"

"Uh, all of it?" I said, giving her an incredulous look, "They've openly discussed what constitutes porn, the best kind of porn and the best positions porn should be filmed in. As well as body types." One of the Trio's better characteristics was that they unanimously agreed that femboys and futa were trash. "It's disrespectful to the teachers, the class, the students and themselves. Not to mention it makes learning harder. The biggest concern I have, however, is that you, and the Student Council, don't seem to care about any of it. Would you care to explain your position?"

Sona had gone into full Noble Mode, sitting up straight and imperiously fixing her glasses. "I can assure you, White-san, as President of the Student Council I take all complaints and disciplinary actions seriously."

"Somehow I doubt that," I muttered, making another move, "Given how they never seem to be punished, or how those punishments don't deter them from their actions. Sure, the teacher might nail them with chalk or a girl might chuck a book at their heads, but that's not a punishment."

"Isn't it?" She asked, seeming genuinely confused, countering my move.

"…No?" I gave her another surprised look, "It doesn't stop them from doing it and according to my asking into the situation, they've continued to escalate since the first incident. And I'm fairly sure one of the Trio is a masochist, though I can't prove it. Like, seriously, I caught them peeping on the Kendo Club and that's apparently the third time this week. If this was America they'd have been arrested and expelled by now." An American school wouldn't have a Kendo Club in the first place, so there's that.

It was Sona's turn to wear an incredulous look. "Really?"

"Yes!" I moved my bishop into position, noticing that she hadn't been paying too much attention to the board. "Matter of fact, Japan's decency laws are about twice as strict as America's, the fact that Trio can openly carry pornographic materials to school, no less, is baffling." I gave the girl sitting across from me a searching look. "You aren't from Japan, are you?"

If I hadn't enhanced my eyes or been looking for it, I probably would've missed the way her expression tightened or the glint of shock in her eyes. "What…what do you mean?" She unthinkingly moved her rook to a defensive position.

I waved a hand over my face. "I mean yeah, you've got a Japanese name, but your features are more of a general 'could be from anywhere' look. That, and the fact that these really basic things you should be familiar with as both a girl and an authority figure are apparently mysterious to you. I'm guessing wherever you come from doesn't take sexual harassment or indecency as seriously as Japan does." I moved my bishop into place and nodded. "That's checkmate."

Sona wasn't subtle about her shock that time, as it had only taken about twelve moves to checkmate her. Chess was pretty easy when you had a supercomputer for a brain. "I…well, we haven't received as many complaints for their conduct recently, I had thought they might be winding down their antics…" Her eyes narrowed at me behind her glasses, "How'd you do that?"

"Not familiar with the Bashkir Maneuver, I see," I replied, once more setting the board and spinning it on the table so white was on her side. "Care to go again? And are you sure you've gotten less complaints because they've learned their lesson, or because your response has been so poor that the students don't trust you to actually handle the issue and thus they see no point in making a complaint?"

The Student Council President bit her lip, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "I…don't know," she admitted, making the first move, "I'll need to conduct an investigation…"

I figured that was the end of the conversation, as we focused on chess. We played three more times and I beat her every time, though the last one was close…because I let it. I sacrificed every piece except two pawns then led her on a merry chase across the board while I snuck a pawn into her backline to promote it, then took her queen and checkmated her in one move.

I thought she would've been mad with a losing streak like that, but if anything the more she lost the happier she seemed. I didn't really get a chance to question her, as it came time for school to end, but I think beating her at chess made a better impression on her than being polite did.

Devils are weird.

…

The next few weeks settled into a routine and before I knew it, I'd been at Kuoh Academy for a month.

The Trio were boys of their word and the very next day, they showed up obviously fatigued but not a dirty mag, doujin or even sexy card to be found. They still goofed off in class, but they didn't bring up anything remotely perverted so that was fine with me.

Ironically, the sudden switch made the other students more suspicious and I heard mutters about them planning some kinda grand peeping scheme while trying to throw off suspicion; but after a week, most were content to enjoy the new status quo.

Of course, it helped that Sona pulled them aside and loudly warned them about stepping out of line and the waiting punishments for doing so. I wish I could say I'd planned it at all so that the Trio would be locked in double jeopardy, having to follow the bet or face even worse consequences, but I couldn't.

Otherwise, things continued apace. At lunch I was usually joined by Yumi, though we didn't talk about swords and weapons all the time…just mostly. Occasionally, Rias and Akeno would join, the latter typically with some friendly teasing and the former with politely probing questions about 'the family business.' And every once in a while, Koneko would deign to share her tree, and I my snacks. We didn't talk much, but then again we didn't really need to.

Surprisingly, I got a couple of visits from the Student Council, more than once sharing lunch and tea with Tsubaki and Sona; the latter would sometimes play me in chess and while I would still win, some games were closer than others. The one time I thought about taking it easy on her, she shot me a look and almost scratched strips out of the table.

…And she did look damn cute with those glasses.

I did, also, add tox filters to my nostrils so that I wouldn't get so lightheaded around the Devils…

Yup, things were settling down, I was starting to make friends and things were fine bordering on peachy.

But then I found a note in my locker, asking to meet me outside after school…

…

They had just sat down in the Occult Research Club with Akeno having prepared a light snack before they set off to fulfill their requests as they usually did. "So Yumi-chan, should we expect to see you and White-san out on the town soon?" The purple-haired Devil teased, pouring herself a cup of tea.

The swordswoman hid the heat in her cheeks behind her cup. "It isn't like that, Akeno-chan," she protested vainly, "We simply have a common interest and subsequently, conversations about that interest."

"Yes, almost everyday," Rias commented with a friendly smirk, enjoying the sight of the normally unflappable Knight getting all pink in the face, "And correct me if I'm wrong, Yumi-chan seems to be rushing more in the mornings, perhaps trying to meet a certain someone at the doors…?"

"W-well-"

"I can smell him on you," Koneko chimed in while steadily working through a pouch of pocky.

Rias and Akeno shared a surprised look, then turned devious smiles on the blonde swordswoman. "Oho, a secret, torrid affair, hm? Yumi-chan, how bold! Fufufufu…"

King and Queen giggled as the Knight's face resembled a tomato. "Not what I meant…" the Rook complained with a sigh, "…Perverts."

"H-he is a gentleman who kisses my hand when we meet, n-nothing else!" Yumi interjected, pausing to take a deep breath and gather her wits, "That is all there is to it, Buchou…"

Rias arched a delicate red eyebrow with another smirk curling her lips, "…For now?" she added, a touch hopefully.

The Knight mumbled something into her cup and took a deep drink.

"Aw, is Yumi-chan not going to share with her beloved Peerage?" Akeno asked with faux-sadness, innocently fluttering her eyelashes, "How rude…fufufufu…and all that talk about swords and weapons and blades, hm? Maybe our gallant knight has a hidden S-side?"

"We don't always talk about weapons, you know," Yumi rebuked quickly, "We talk about other things, too."

"Like what?" Koneko asked, giving the blonde a level look as she opened a container of homemade candy, "Your dreams?"

"Yes. His dream is to take humanity to the stars and beyond, to truly become the master of their own destinies while also, and I quote, 'not being total assholes about it either.' Obviously I had to be vague about my own, but still." She cleared her throat, "Though today we were talking about blades."

"Aha!"

"You don't actually have an S-side, do you Yumi-chan?" Rias asked with legitimate concern, sending a look at Akeno, "One is already more than enough."

"How rude…and untrue."

The blonde knight shook her head. "I don't, no, and we weren't really talking about that, he simply mentioned that lightsabers have magnetic containment fields around their blades, which would indicate that there's some level of metal in the plasma because of 'magnetohydrodynamics' which I…don't entirely understand," she gave a shrug, "Which led to a discussion on monomolecular blades, that is, a blade with an edge only a molecule thick which could theoretically cut anything."

"Interesting," Rias murmured as she took a sip, a flash of pink among red as she licked her lips, "Is this something you can do, Yumi-chan?"

Yumi bobbed her head thoughtfully. "It's entirely possible, though the conversation that followed was about the drawbacks of such a thing. You see, when you have an edge that sharp, it means that swinging a sword with a monomolecular blade through the air would immediately dull the edge. It would still be extremely sharp but not that sharp. He ended up talking about creating a magnetic field around a monomolecular blade to hold the edge even after it's used…"

"…So you do mostly end up talking about weapons," Koneko noted dryly.

The Knight crossed her legs with a frown. "Actually, the conversation was more about how to create a finer blade for more delicate surgeries, not weapons. Though, the ideas still apply. I'm looking forward to finishing my requests so I can try them out."

There was a knock at the door before it was pushed open, revealing the slender form of the Student Council President. "…Good afternoon," Sona greeted them distractedly, taking a seat and accepting a cup of tea, absently playing with a lock of her hair. Her violet eyes darted about the room, realizing that she might've interrupted. "My apologies, were you speaking of something?"

"Yumi-chan's secret lover," Akeno immediately replied with a cat-like smile.

"Saul-kun isn't my lover!" Yumi protested with a red face.

"Ah, of course," the Sitri Heiress clicked her tongue with an unreadable expression, "A month along and still the center of gossip."

Rias finished off her tea, setting the cup on the saucer before standing from her desk and slinking over to the window overlooking the Academy grounds. She loved looking out from the window, half-hidden from below, looking out from the shadows like some sort of scheming villainess. "Oh? It sounds like you've heard something interesting, Sona-chan."

The Student Council President huffed. "Somewhat, yes." Her expression twisted slightly before she could no longer contain herself, "Did you know open perversion is against the law in Japan?"

Rias, Akeno and Koneko spun towards Kaichou with surprised looks. "It is?" The redhead asked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Sona replied with a nod, "In fact, most of what Devils consider as minor acts of Lust are against a lot of human laws. The open discussions, the lewd magazines and even the peeping, all accepted in the Underworld are actually illegal up here…who knew?"

Kiba gave them all incredulous looks as she raised a hand. "I do!" She proclaimed, "I've complained about the conduct of boys at this Academy before, Kaichou! You said you had it handled!"

"Yes, well…" The Student Council President sighed morosely, "I can see now that I've been viewing the Academy rules through the lens of our own culture instead of the culture of the land. It will take some time to regain the students' trust, but I've already started cracking down on the worst offenders."

Rias nodded firmly. "Good, it's best we blend in as well as we can…speaking of, Akeno, why didn't you say anything about this?"

The purple-haired Queen gave her King a nonplussed look. "…I grew up in a shrine, Rias," she pointed out, "I wasn't exactly well-liked there, and then the rest of my time up to now has been with you."

"Hm," the Crimson Heiress hummed thoughtfully, turning her gaze out the window. Below, she spotted something interesting, namely a certain new student standing alone by the entrance gate. Entirely alone, too, his ever-present bodyguard was nowhere to be seen. "Say, Sona-chan…what caused this revelation?" She had a feeling she already knew.

"Well…" Sona actually looked flustered, "I called Saul-san to a meeting after his first week and after finding the Perverted Trio peeping, and he, well…took me to task over my lack of knowledge." She sat up, eyes flashing. "He compared us to the American School System…in favor of the American School System! But, truly, he wasn't wrong. We've investigated and it turns out that confidence in the Student Council is very low due to our conduct. It's quite embarrassing."

"I see…" There was a moment of silence broken only by the clink of tea cups on saucers. "Say, Yumi-chan, was there something you were going to do before you started on your requests? A meeting, perhaps?"

The blonde swordswoman gave her a questioning look. "…This?"

The Sitri Heiress shot Yumi with a surprised expression. "Really? I was wondering why you were here, too, Kiba-san. There were rumors that Saul-san received a love confession note in his locker, I figured it would've come from you." She bobbed her head in thought. "Though now that I think about it, I figured you would've confessed somewhere romantic, possibly under cherry blossoms."

"Th-that's not relevant!" Yumi protested, "Why do you ask, Buchou?"

Rias pointed out of the window. "Because he's waiting for someone, alone."

There was a blur and suddenly the Knight was there, peering out through the glass, swiftly joined by the other Devils. But in the second it had taken for them to gather, Solomon was no longer alone by the gate. "Wait a minute, isn't that…?"

"It is." Akeno answered, her visage becoming like stone.

Yumi's teacup cracked in her grip.

…

"H-h-hello! T-thank y-you for c-coming!" The girl who joined me at the gate was a knock-out, no doubt about it. Curves obvious even under her uniform, with a chest that could rival Akeno with a couple buttons helpfully loose and a skirt pulled up just a bit higher than usual, hazel eyes peeking out from under navy blue tresses, pink in her cheeks. "I-I'm A-Amai Ko-Kozuki, -Solomon-kun! I-I've l-l-liked you for a l-long t-time, p-please go out w-with m-me!"

The shyness was very endearing, as was the third year symbol on her uniform. A hot, shy older girl interested in me? Hell yeah I'd try to snatch up a Hinata for myself, I'm not stupid. The biggest issue, besides my plans for the future…

…It was all fake.

I hummed and nodded. "How about you cut the bullshit and tell me what you really want." Scan.

Kozuki looked surprised, recoiling briefly…before standing up straight, dropping the shy hand-fidgeting and looking me dead in the eye. "What gave it away?"

Scanning…

Result: Fallen Angel

Power: Two Wings

Threat Assessment: Minimal.

"None of your fidgeting was off-beat, it was all rhythmic; you're not sweating and only your cheeks are pink but on the surface, so your heart rate isn't elevated so there was no nervous trembling that an actual shy girl would be having," I listed, "And most importantly…there wasn't any sign of anxiety in your eyes, just a bit of embarrassment for acting like someone you aren't." I crossed my arms and leaned back against the gate. "How close am I?"

She grunted, brushing a few stray locks away from her eyes. "On the spot," she sighed, biting her lip. "I thought guys liked the whole 'shy' thing?"

"I would've liked it if it was real," I shrugged, before fixing her with a firm look, "So what do you actually want, Amai-san?"

"So cold…" Kozuki huffed and flipped her hair, "Honestly? I'm bored, you're interesting and not bad looking and I think we could have some good times. That's it."

"Nothing to do with the amount of money I could throw around, is it?" I questioned, "If you want a sugar daddy I'm not down for that."

"Pfft," she waved my question off, "Like I give a shit. As long as you don't expect me to put out after getting me a scrunchy and a cheeseburger, we're good. I'm just looking for a good time, not an expensive one."

"Hm. Alright," I stood up and nodded behind her. The disguised Fallen Angel jumped as my bodyguard seemed to melt out of a nearby copse of trees, returning my nod and walking off, "So, you wanna take a stroll and see if anything seems fun?" I asked, offering my arm.

"…Now?" She seemed surprised.

I shrugged. "Got anywhere else to be?"

Kozuki blinked. "Huh…no, not really." She took my arm and we strode off towards town. "You know, I think my first impression might be right. This is gonna be interesting."

…

…

…

…

…

A/N: Welcome back to Deus Ex Machina! As you can see, I'm still on the idea train when it comes to this story which is pretty typical for me when it comes to new fics. An idea comes along that I really want to write about, I write about it and then I get more ideas and I write about it some more.

Glad to see people enjoy the story! Got a lot of good reviews and comments, along with some not that good ones, but I'm enjoying the engagement.

This chapter would've been out earlier, but I've been caught up playing Persona 5 Royal. It's a lot of fun. And it gives me a lot of ideas, too.

Speaking of this chapter, some more time passes and we're getting closer to the meat of the story…so I guess you could call this the potatoes, or at least one of them. Some friendships and acquaintances are made, some things happen and stuff also happens.

I know some people are gonna give me shit about dealing with the Perverted Trio, but honestly they got off lightly. In real life, well, a lot of things wouldn't have happened but their actions would've gotten them a severe beating from the other guys at the Academy if the police and their parents didn't get involved. Seriously, three dudes are tanking the rep of every other guy at your school and no one seems to care, what are you gonna do? Whip their asses so they stop.

And I know some jackass is gonna pull out the ol' 'at least they're honest about it!' card which, as pointed out in the chapter, doesn't actually make it better. An honest asshole is still an asshole.

So instead of like, crippling them or something like I was tempted, instead they were given a deal to shape up because wholesale yeeting them from story is lazy when they could be developed instead. Not that they're gonna be major characters or anything.

Same thing with Sona. She's supposed to be this stern, buttoned-up Student Council Prez, why does she not do anything about the Trio's antics? Easy answer, she's a Devil and that kinda thing ain't no thing to them. It was all I could come up with besides willful mismanagement. I know if I was a girl in Kuoh, I wouldn't be going there for long if those kinds of shenanigans were allowed.

I will accept criticisms for how long those sections are, though, they get pretty wordy.

'Cyax dot net' also isn't a thing as far as I know.

And then, the last part of the chapter. Yup, the Fallen are keeping an eye on Solomon and no, it isn't Raynare. You'll just have to see how it plays out in the next chapter, but there ain't gonna be no impaling going on here.

Not with spears, anyway.

Big thanks to my patrons supporting me on Pa-treon dot com/Soleneus! If you wanna support me as well, there are benefits! Patrons will get the chapter before anyone else, as well as votes on what story they want me to focus on that month! And later, vote on new stories. Also, other goodies.

After that, members of my Discord get to see the chapter before it goes public. Here's a link if you want to join, we're pretty chill. discord . gg / jmyqMsg4

And big thanks, as always, to NSG for being the source of knowledge and anime tiddies he is! He's just published a new chapter for Advent of the Shadow Monarch, go check it out on FF or AO3 or QQ.

Up next, as voted, is Chapter 14 of The First Pillar!

Stay Awesome!

~Soleneus

P.S.: Honestly I wasn't expecting that I'd like writing interactions with Kiba so much. It wasn't planned for her to kinda be the main LI and it still isn't, but I think that relationship is gonna be fun. Definitely gonna focus on 'Kozuki' next chapter, though, as well as the other Devils. I've got some fun things planned for that.

Also besides Persona 5, part of what's taken me so long is work troubles. I'm not getting enough hours, so I'm looking for another job. Got a couple things in the works, so hopefully it's only a short-term problem.

On the other hand, I've been having a lot of new story ideas, well, a few older ones that I've just been really wanting to write and yeah, one of them is a Persona 5 story. All new MC, all new Persona, I'm honestly not sure if anyone's actually done what I've been thinking about.

That, and a Legend of Korra story where the main character has a unique power and a DC story with a cryokinetic OC. I'm trying to restrain myself from putting out too many new things this year and focus on what's already published, but man some of them have been eating away at me.

Thanks for stopping by to read this story, truly. Even if it's not your bag, I'm glad I could distract and entertain you for however long it took. Look forward to more, and as always…

Stay Awesome Some More.

~still Soleneus