AN: HI GUYS EVERYTHING IS CAPITAL oh wait that was caps lock.

First announcement thingy, this chapter is the longest chapter to date so far! Hopefully that's not a bad thing, but I really didn't want to spend an extra hour pulling (teeth) words out to thin it down. We're also winding down on the Asia Arc (at long last!)

Second, while writing the chapter last week, I wrote 2k words in the first day. Then I looked at it, realized it was useless and while I could write it, it really wasn't plot relevant. So I deleted that, and wrote 400 words that day. As of now, I'm still 2k words short on the chapter. I'll try to catch up and stay a good few chapters ahead, but there may be a delay in February if I keep losing progress like this.

Last thing and a semi-warning, there is a mention of Androphobia in this chapter, the fear of men. I am A: Male, B: Not dealing with Androphobia. I tried to do some research and be at least somewhat realistic, but if I didn't get it quite right, please know that I meant no offense.

Disclaimer: Honestly, if I wrote Highschool DxD, Issei would probably be asexual, as might a large part of the rest of the cast. I'm sure you're all glad it's not a shy teenager like me at the helm, huh.

It was evening by the time we actually left, Rias citing that as devils, we would be more powerful in the night. And since it turns out that Koneko had been keeping an eye on the situation previously, we knew that we'd be fighting four fallen angels, plus whatever exorcists there might be. So we would need all the power we could get.

We reached the abandoned church where Koneko had located the fallen angels past six-thirty at night, just after sundown. No lights were on, and there was no sign of life. But that didn't mean much.

As we moved forward, Buchou gave me one final piece of advice. "Keep in mind, Issei, that a pawn's strength is only truly shown in danger. When you are in the middle of enemy territory, you can use Promote. This ability allows you to choose whatever piece you want and use it's abilities as if you were that piece. Rook, knight, bishop, or even queen."

That actually gave rise to a few questions. Weren't pawns just as powerful as queens while fighting then? And if the queen had all the other attributes, why would the pawn ever pick something different? But we were already at the steps, and Buchou went to hide before I could ask her anything. But promotion, huh? Maybe being a pawn wasn't so bad.

As we walked up the steps together, I noticed that the stairs were cracked, but looked new. Like someone had just taken a hammer to them, instead of time. Wasn't this church supposed to be abandoned?

Then we reached the door and all froze. The large doors, instead of hanging on their hinges, were on the floor of the room, and we could see unmoving forms on the floor just inside. "I smell blood," Koneko said simply, and I felt a chill go up my spine. Something had happened here. Was Asia alright?

Stepping forward gingerly, the group soon came upon the downed and bleeding forms. Two fallen angels, judging by their extended wings, both dead with a small pool of dried blood by each one. This had happened hours ago.

A feeling of terror washed over me as I saw their sightless eyes, staring outwards in an expression of fear. I saw a door on the other end of the room and ran towards it, ignoring the shouts of the peerage behind me. I had to make sure Asia was okay! Bursting through the door, I found a hallway in front of me, lined by doors.

I tried the first door, and it opened into what was either a bedroom or torture chamber, sharp metal instruments lining the walls with an opulent bed as contrast in the center. Then I remembered Raynare and shuddered. It could easily be both.

The second door was locked, and I felt a spark of hope that Asia might have been locked in, safe from the murderer. "Asia!" I yelled, hoping it would reach through the door. No response. I tried again, and this time picked up a faint sound from within. Now certain that I had the right spot, I tried breaking the doorknob, hoping that my devil strength was enough.

When that failed, I remembered what Buchou had told me. "Promotion: Queen!" I tried, but nothing seemed to happen. Another attempt at the door proved that nothing had changed. Which meant this was no longer enemy territory. I felt a chill go through me at that, the idea that every person in the building was killed.

No, that was impossible. Asia still had to be alive! I was about to try ramming my shoulder into the firm door when a small soft hand stopped me. Koneko had appeared. She made a fist, and with laughably little effort, blew apart the doorknob, allowing me free entrance into the room.

I rushed in, not even pausing to thank the small girl. "Asia!" At first the room seemed bare, a single futon on the floor with no furniture of any kind in the room, but then I heard a noise coming from the closet. A muffled sob.

I almost tore open the door to find Asia seated on the floor of the closet, knees tucked to her chest and gazing up at me with watery eyes. "Is it… really you, Issei-kun?" I nodded shakily, trying to figure out how to comfort the girl.

She made the decision for me, leaping at me and tackling me to the ground, before winding her arms around me and beginning to cry, deep sobbing wails that made my chest vibrate. "I-I was sho shcaaared!" She wept, and all I could do was embrace her. She must have been in that closet for hours, unable to escape and not knowing if the murderer would come in and kill her too.

"I could hear them," Asia confessed, still dampening my shirt with her tears. "I could hear the screams." And I hadn't been able to protect her then, either. What kind of horrible friend was I.

I pulled her body closer to mine as we lay there. "Don't worry, Asia. I'll protect you. I'm here, and I won't leave again. I promise." Even as I said it though, I worried that I might not be able to keep this one. I'd broken the others, after all.

I don't know how long it was until the others found us, but it was Buchou's "What are you doing!" and Akeno's "Ara ara~" that made me realize that anyone was there at all. Turning, I could see them standing in the doorway, all looking downwards at me. Akeno was laughing, Rias looked upset, Kiba seemed apologetic, while Koneko was as uncaring as ever.

What were they upset about? It wasn't like I was doing anything wrong, I was just hugging Asia-

Then I realized what it might look like from an outward perspective and began stuttering to explain. "N-No, it's not what you think! I-I was just trying to-" Unable to respond against their varied stares, I tried sitting up and pushing Asia off me to prove that it was all normal, but immediately stopped when I felt her shaking limbs tighten again, and remembered why I was holding her.

Readjusting my hug to a slightly more comfortable position, I gave up and laid back onto the floor again, casting a glare at the people in the doorway. "Oh nevermind. Just go away, you jerks."

"No, no, this seems interesting," Akeno smiled, pointedly arranging her uniform and sitting down upon the floor, making it clear she wasn't planning on moving. Buchou plopped down right next to her, still seeming upset, while Kiba settled down in one corner and Koneko eagerly claimed the futon for herself, adjusting the blanket until she was comfortable.

Apparently they were actually there for a reason though, and I listened as they explained that there were no signs of any exorcists, although there had been some used rooms, they could only find three of the fallen angels, one being missing, and that Raynare was dead.

"I want to see the body," was my first reaction at hearing the last piece of information. I didn't know if it was lingering affection, a desire for revenge, or a need for closure, but I had to see how she ended.

"Impossible." I was instantly refuted by Buchou, who had her arms folded, showing how serious she was. And also how serious that bust was…

"I need to see it for closure."

"I won't allow it."

"Why not? What's wrong with it?" I was starting to get annoyed by the constant rejections. What was so bad about me seeing the body? I'd already seen the other fallen angels, hadn't I? "What's wrong, Buchou? Why can't I see her?"

Rias opened her mouth to respond, but Kiba spoke up just before she did. "I think you should at least tell him, Buchou. You don't have to explain the details, but he deserves to know."

Biting her lip, the king considered for a moment before deciding on something. "Alright, I'll tell you." She took a deep breath before speaking again, and I couldn't help wondering how bad it was going to be. "She was still alive when we found her."

"What!" Asia stirred in my arms, shivering, and I quickly lowered my voice. "You mean you killed her?" I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Raynare had been an awful person, but I wasn't sure how I felt about hearing that Buchou had murdered her like that.

"No," Rias refuted strongly, "I saved her." How did that make any sense? She continued. "The enemy came specifically for Raynare. The other angels were killed relatively quickly, and we can't even find fatal wounds on them, they're simply gone. But Raynare was still alive when we found her. Think about that, Ise."

I did, and my breath caught in my throat. If you were specifically targeting someone, there was only one reason you would want to keep them alive. My mind flashed to being forced to helplessly watch Asia heal Kado while shedding tears.

As if in response to my thoughts, Asia finally spoke for the first time in minutes. "I'm… happy." Her voice was muffled, but I could hear what she said clearly. She looked up from my shirt and I finally realized something that I hadn't before, too distracted by her tears and sorrow. Her eyes were dead. They still held life and sorrow, but I could tell that something that made Asia so pure and innocent had died today.

The ex-nun went on, staring into my eyes unblinkingly. "I don't think that anyone should be…" she hesitated, clearly unsure of saying the word, before simply moving on. "But I am glad that she suffered. I shouldn't be, but I am." Her head dropped back to my chest again, saying one final statement. "It's divine retribution, I suppose." Then she fell silent once again.

The others had clearly heard it as well, but they hadn't known the young nun like I had, and the apparent change in her shook me deeply. I was extremely glad that Asia was alive, but I mourned for what she had lost. Was this what the supernatural world was like?

I suppose that is the truth of this world. That we all lose. The group sat in silence for a time, nothing more really needing to be said. Asia was safe, the fallen angels were defeated, and nobody had died this time. Which was a step up from the last few encounters, honestly. (coughKadocough)

Buchou cleared her throat, throwing me out of the contemplative mood I was. "So the next question is, what are we going to do with…" she didn't finish, but her hand motion towards Asia was clear enough. But why did something have to be done? Obviously I was going to take care of her, what else needed to be said.

Then a lightbulb went off and I narrowed my eyes at the red-haired girl. "Is this about Asia being a nun? Because there's no way I'm abandoning her after all that she's been through, no matter what she used to be."

Rias raised a hand defensively, cutting me off. "That's not it." Then she seemed to reconsider and winced slightly. "Well partially. But the fact is, we're devils, so it's extremely unusual to have human affiliates, unless they are magicians." She shrugged, as if there was nothing she could do, although Kiba had a slightly uncomfortable look on his face that I could see from the corner of my eye.

"She would have to keep her distance from the peerage, and that's if the Maous don't get involved," she finished. Where did devil kings come from?! But there was a bigger problem. What would happen to Asia if she didn't stay around me? Would she just be cast off into the world without somewhere to go or a place to live?

Asia, for the first time in minutes, pushed away from my chest. "You have room in your peerage for a bishop, don't you?" the girl asked, pressing a hand to her chest and looking at the king defiantly. She was serious. But she believed in God, didn't she? Was it really alright to just leave that and become a devil?

"Asia-chan, you-"

The girl turned her head to look at me with the same eyes, but with a spark of fire in them. "Please, Issei-kun. This is important," she pleaded. How could I say anything to that face? I just gritted my teeth as Asia resumed speaking to Rias.

"I am the bearer of the sacred gear Twilight Healing." She manifested the rings as proof, but I knew it was unnecessary. I had told Rias previously that Asia had healed Kado, and was forced to confess about Twilight Healing when pressed. I regretted that now, that Asia was forced to do something like this just to survive.

But Asia didn't know that, and could have kept it a secret. She'd told me how hard it was for her because God had given her the gear, and now she was throwing herself into the same scenario. Wasn't she afraid the same thing would happen again? But I kept quiet, like Asia had asked me to, just waiting tensely for the resolution. She had made her choice and I would respect that, so long as it would make her happy.

"So," Asia wrapped up, "I beg you to allow me to be a member of your peerage. I will serve you as well as I can, so long as I can remain close to Issei-kun." My fists tightened as she spoke, recognizing that she was giving up her life in the church and any hope she might have had for redemption, just so she could stay with me. What had I done to deserve her affection?

Then I saw Rias' smile and realized that if Asia hadn't offered herself, Rias would have mentioned the possibility herself. She was using Asia to add Twilight Healing to her peerage. But I took another look at Asia's face and buried the feelings. This was Asia's choice, and I didn't want to let her go either. If I forced her to rescind the offer, she would be even worse off, and I wouldn't be able to protect her.

And there was a part of me that was already rejoicing at having another cute girl like Asia in the peerage. There could never be enough beautiful women around me. Never.

"I would be delighted to bring you into my peerage," Rias declared, reaching into her uniform to produce a red bishop piece that looked a lot like the one that she had used on Kado when resurrecting him, but naturally a different shape.

I tried one last time, just in case. "Are you sure you want to do this, Asia-chan?"

She turned a smile to me, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Of course, Issei-kun. This way, I can always be with you." How could I respond to that? In the end, all I could do was stay silent and watch as the piece was implanted, Asia becoming a devil with two bat-like wings sprouting from her back at the conclusion, solid proof that the act was complete.

I was happy that I would be able to stay with Asia, but I also couldn't help but feel sad, that we'd lost something that couldn't be won back. So even as I scooped Asia up into a big hug and congratulated her, I still felt like this wasn't a victory at all.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

I was feeling pretty cheerful by the time I got home, which naturally meant it was time for the world to kick in and do what it does best. Turns out that when you miss an entire day of school, something that I had never done before, the faculty calls your home to make sure your parents are aware of your educational infidelity.

And in Kuoh academy, you quickly learned that "the faculty" equals "Shitori-kaichou." I don't know exactly what was said on the phone, but it resulted in dad grilling me for exactly what I had done out of school and if I had any proof with an almost panicked expression.

He calmed down considerably after I explained that a friend from school had a date and I was accompanying them, offering to call them if he needed further proof. Normally dad was a lot more relaxed with these kinds of things, and I could only assume Souna had them practically convinced that I was stealing or smoking or something.

Seriously, what did that girl have against me? Then again, according to Souna's directions, dad called back to report that I hadn't been up to any kind of crime. He hung up the phone a few minutes later with a confused expression on his face and told me "She says she needs proof before excusing anything, and you're going to need to explain tomorrow at school."

At this point I knew something was up. Did any other students have to go through this kind of harassment? In the end, all I could was agree and then head off to sleep after a quick dinner of instant noodles, with something else to look forward to the next day.

And the actual school day didn't go much better than I expected. I had barely walked through the school gate when Shinra Tsubaki, the vice-president of the student council stepped in front of me, stopping my progress.

"Kai Kado-san?" she asked, already looking straight at me. Then she went on, not waiting for a response. "You are expected to arrive in the student council room at twelve sharp. Kaichou will be waiting for you." Then she walked off, expecting that I would simply do whatever she said.

Which I would, to be honest. There was no way that I was going to oppose the student council like that, not when Souna already had me on a thin rope as it was. It still rankled me that she didn't care if it was a good time for me or not, I was expected at the proper time.

The other point is the fact that she addressed me in the middle of the main student thoroughfare, making it sound like I was in trouble, possibly headed to expulsion. And judging by the effectiveness of the Kuoh rumor mill I had already experienced, by lunch I would have killed two people and Souna would have become the heroic detective who caught me in the act.

Time and place, Tsubaki! And this was neither one! But there wasn't anything I could do except heave a sigh and heft my bag slightly higher up on my shoulder before leaving the gate area to find Kioko. Hopefully she'd be able to calm me down.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

Turns out she wasn't able to, since she never showed up in all the time that I waited for her. In the end I had to head off to class unsure of where she was. It wasn't quite to the point of needing to call her and verify her location though. She could have just slept in or been late for some other reason, and the call would be completely unnecessary.

Didn't keep me from worrying though.

Classes were about the same as usual, with the exception of both the male and female population of the class being convinced that I was either a manly-man or a pervert, depending on their gender.

Fighting it wouldn't do anything, so I just sat and ignored it as best I could, taking notes and lightly doodling in my notebook. It wasn't until the end of class that I realized what I had somehow drawn. I was no artist, and my sketches tended towards the stick-figure side of the scale for the most part, but on the page in front of me was something that looked like a cave wall, with a mess of blank lines carved into it that looked both random and beautiful.

Absently reaching into my school bag, I produced my set of colored pencils and began to fill in the empty lines, never using a pencil for more than a few strokes before switching to a different color. I didn't know where it was coming from, but it just seemed right to have it like this. Pattern in chaos, perfect imperfection.

I only really came back to my senses when I felt a firm hand on my shoulder and looked up to see the history teacher, Chisaro Rakurai, looking worriedly down at me. "Are you all right, Kai-san? I tried calling out to you, but you didn't respond. Do you need to visit the infirmary?"

The words were entering my ears, but I couldn't quite seem to hear them properly. With a shake of my head, they seemed to fall into place with a click, and I realized that I was still in class. And hadn't it been science last time I looked up? I sat up straighter and realized the muted giggling around me, classmates of both genders apparently enjoying seeing me get into trouble.

"Sorry, Chisaro-sensei. I just got caught up in my drawing, I guess. I didn't miss much, did I?" I rubbed the back of my head to add to the effect, hoping I wasn't in too much trouble. I already had enough on my plate.

The teacher glanced at my paper and his eyes widened slightly at seeing the drawing that took up almost half a sheet of paper by this point, before wrinkling into a frown. "While that is admirable, I would encourage you to hone your skills during art class. Luckily class has just begun, but please pay attention."

I did as he requested, pulling out the notebook I used for history notes, but before I put away the other one with the drawing in it, I glanced at the picture once more and had a strange impulse to color the previously gray background in a bright shade of red, virtually the only color I hadn't used so far.

Resisting the urge, I closed the notebook, slipping it back into my bag. Class was more important right now. It didn't help the feeling tickling at the back of my head for the next few hours though. That or the strange glimpses of red I would get when I closed my eyes.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

At eleven-thirty I packed up my bags along with the rest of my classmates, and figured I had enough time to check and see if Kioko had made it to school after all before eating lunch and still making it to my appointment with the student council at twelve.

That was the moment that Hyoudou Issei ran into the room looking panicked. He skidded to a stop just inside the door and looked around frantically. I briefly entertained the thought of ducking under my desk for cover, but the brown-haired boy had already spotted me by that point, and it was too late to choose.

"Kai-san!" He came barreling down the aisle and stood panting at my desk. "Kai-san, have you seen Motohama and Matsuda?"

See, it wasn't that I didn't like Issei. He really was a great young man, if one without enough self-control. But you see, Hyoudou has a certain reputation in Kuoh. And I mean the city, not the school. I could already hear the whispers around me, the precursors of the tornado that would inevitably erupt from something like this happening. To put it shortly, I was now dead to the female populace of Kuoh high.

I turned to him with a sigh, putting a look on my face that said he'd better understand what I was giving up because of this conversation. "I'm guessing that you mean your two friends that you are usually with?" I tried to stay far away from the whole mess, so it was understandable that I didn't know what their names were.

It seems that I had guessed right though, since Issei was already frantically nodding before I even finished talking. "Yeah! I usually meet up with them a little before lunch to do… stuff, but they weren't there today!"

I could guess what he meant, and blessed all the gods that he hadn't directly blurted out the planned activity. Luckily enough, using it like that didn't seem to give me a headache, unlike the singular "G," so I guessed I was using it from now on. Hopefully He wasn't the jealous type.

Before I could respond to Issei's question by telling him that I had no idea where the other two were, and maybe they had just beaten him to the punch, another body inserted itself into the small area where we were already standing. Ashida, the same guy who had started off the whole rumor mess before.

"Hey there, I didn't mean to interrupt," Liar. "-but you guys weren't here yesterday, right? There was a whole big thing that went on yesterday. The police were involved and everything. You sure you guys haven't heard anything?" His large shaved head looked from me to Issei and back again, honestly asking.

Both me and Issei froze at his innocent comment, the same thing running through our minds. Perverts who had been illegally peeping on students for over a year were only now being picked up by the police? And on a day where Issei happened to be gone? There was definitely something else happening here.

"What do you mean the police came here? What did the police do!" Okay, so maybe me and Issei weren't quite on the same page. The sole remaining pervert looked like he was almost begging, a distraught look in his eyes. Did this really mean that much to him?

Ashida just scratched his head and looked thoughtful before speaking. "Well they came and arrested the two other guys you mentioned. Caught them right in the act too, peeping on the swimming club."

Issei's face had gone chalk white. Did he finally realize how important his actions actually were? That they had real consequences? Then he erupted. "Those jerks!" He yelled, shaking a fist. "We were supposed to do that today! They went without me!"

Well, Issei, you just keep surprising me. I really don't think that's a good thing in this case. I took over, bringing my classmate's attention over to me. "Why is Issei still here then? Didn't they say anything about him?"

It was only too late that I realized I'd just referred to Issei by first name, and without honorifics at that. It was just a slip of the tongue, "Hyoudou" feeling wrong, but that wouldn't matter to the gossip-hungry piranha that were indigenous to high school.

Even Ashida cast me an odd look as he answered my question. "Yeah, that's the strange part. The two that got arrested tried selling Hyoudou here out," he jerked a thumb at Issei, just in case I didn't know who he was talking about. "But that didn't do much. A couple more people came up to them and told them there was a third one as well, but all the police would say is that they didn't have any evidence."

If I hadn't been sure before, I was positive now. And it had Shitori-kaichou's fingerprints all over it. From the earlier meeting I had with her, she hadn't seemed like the kind of person who would allow rampant perversion like the trio had blatantly carried out. Apparently she had just been waiting for the right moment. Probably for Issei to be recruited. But if she had been resisting expelling the group for that long, how long had the devils had their eye on Issei for recruitment.

A chill ran up my spine as I realized that this was far bigger than I had thought. And why did they want Issei so badly when the only thing that was really special about him was his perverted nature. Even his sacred gear, his special ability, was something described as weak and common.

There was something else going on here, and I was just missing it.

"So they're in jail now?" Issei asked incredulously, his face at least returning to a more natural shade. "We've got to do something! Friends don't let other friends get kidna-arrested!"

…There were so many things wrong with that statement. Before I could launch into an explanation of why exactly the young devil shouldn't try and start a jail break, I was once again interrupted by Ashida. "Relax! They're minors, so they can't be held in jail. Just fined, given a restraining order, placed under house arrest, given an ankle tracker, and expelled from Kuoh!"

Issei, who had begun to brighten at the beginning of the statement, rapidly began to fall back into depression as Ashida continued. "B-But, it wasn't that bad, was it? I-I mean, we didn't…"

He trailed away and the short-cropped classmate gleefully picked up the slack in the conversation. "Why not? Peeping is a class 1 misdemeanor, and while that isn't too awful, with sufficient repetitions it becomes a class 1 felony, which means it's equal with murder or severe robbery."

The taller boy hammered his point home by poking Issei in the chest several times, finally losing his almost permanent smile. "You and your buddies were committing serious crimes and it's honestly a shock how you guys weren't arrested years ago. I know that we have had dozens of female students reporting your actions to the police in tears because they feel so dirty that they were seen by you three!"

His voice was easily a shout by the end of his tirade and it looked like his probing finger was about to poke a hole through Issei's school uniform. The rest of the room was dead silent.

The boy coughed awkwardly, as if just realizing how incensed he'd gotten. "Sorry about that," he said, retracting his finger. "My dad's in the force, and I've heard a lot about you guys and all the harm you cause. I promised myself I'd be a bit more open-minded if I actually met you, try not to judge from rumors and stuff. Guess I was a little more upset than I thought."

Huh, surprisingly, this guy wasn't that bad. I suppose it would be all right to forgive him for inadvertently starting the rumor about me and Kioko. Then he turned to me with the guileless smile on his face once again. "Don't you need to be at the student council so they can talk to you about your inappropriate activities?"

Don't state it like it's a fact, darn it! With a quick check of the wall clock, it was too late to try and find Kioko before the meeting. It would have to wait until afterwards. Grimacing, I wished both Ashida and Issei the best of luck and half-meant it, before heading to the student council offices.

The offices were at the top of the third floor because of course they were. Not to mention tucked away into the farthest portion of the school from the stairs, as if to ensure that you had the longest walk possible to reflect on your crimes.

Which resulted in me walking as fast as I can through the corridors, since I didn't want to risk a member of the council popping up from the woodwork and slapping corporal punishment on me for the infraction of daring to run in the holy halls of school.

Finally pushing open the door that must have been carefully regulated to squeak that loudly, I was in a room that was, as always, tastefully decorated with bright paintings and vases that looked like they might have been from a museum with how priceless they seemed.

What was new to the room was the dark gloom that the room was shrouded in, each window closed and covered with thick black curtains. My devil vision kicked in instantly so there was no difficulty seeing the room, but the change in brightness was still a little odd. The feeling was enhanced by the fact that one of the heavy curtains was open just enough to send a ray of sunshine upon a single wooden chair positioned in front of the mahogany desk that Souna used.

While to most people it would have been a picturesque scene, to a devil like me it was as good as saying they were going to be torturing me. That had to be a threat, right? I mean, Souna was a devil too, she had to know what that meant.

I carefully edged into the room, still seemingly absent of life or unlife courtesy of any devil-presidents or the student council that usually surrounded her. This entire setup was just screaming "trap" to me, and I realized that perhaps going into territory like this without any kind of protection was a really bad idea.

"Close the door, Tsubaki." A voice rang out from the dark and I did a double-take at the previously empty chair behind the president's desk which now had the figure of Shitori-kaichou sitting regally in it.

And right afterwards, my head swiveled to the door just in time to see the portal sliding shut behind me before the long-haired noirette turned the lock with a click that was clearly audible in the nearly silent room.

Well, that wasn't ominous at all. Locked door, covered windows possibly reinforced with magic, and more reinforcements that could be hiding. I had no offensive capabilities, and Souna didn't seem like the type to want to talk things out peacefully. Talk things out viciously, maybe.

"Kai-san." Souna's voice rang out once again and I faced her again, taking note of her clenched jaw and furrowed brow. She was not happy. "Please take a seat." She motioned towards the chair seated in the sole beam of sunlight. Because of course she did.

Well, if I was going to go out anyway, I might as well do it right. Tucking my hands into the pockets of my uniform, I looked the president in the eyes and said "I'd rather stand, thank you very much. I don't exactly trust you right now."

Meanwhile, my left hand opened up the phone in the pocket as stealthily as it could, pressing the lump into my leg to hide the glow. Souna's face didn't change as she repeated the statement. "Kai-san. Please take a seat."

Eh, why not. My thumb hovered over the middle button of the tiny keyboard of my phone, before I changed my mind and closed the device. "Sorry, kaichou, but over my dead body." Then pulling my hands out of my pockets, I made an exaggerated show of shock and spread my arms wide. "Oh wait, that's what it would be if I sat in the chair!"

The temptation to speed-dial Kioko was still there. I had an idea of what she could do, and if this went south like I was sure it was going to, having her with me would be a great help. But I didn't want to pull her into this if it turned out to be something she couldn't handle. I didn't think being able to understand rocks and trees would help her against a fully formed peerage willing to kill.

I heard a snort from the shadows and another figure impossibly materialized with folded arms and an unimpressed expression. "Oh quit being so dramatic, a little sunlight won't kill you. It'll be uncomfortable at worst." The figure had red hair done in pigtails and brown eyes. She was in the track club, wasn't she? I hadn't ever seen her in the student council before.

Raising an eyebrow at the girl, I took a few steps forward and held my hand out into the beam of light, fighting to keep a wince from breaking out on my face. Nothing happened and the girl opened her mouth to say something, a derogatory look in her eyes, but I held up my other hand, the fingers counting down. "Three… Two… One…"

On cue, a slight wisp of smoke began to rise from my outstretched hand. Seeing the girl's eyes widen, I retracted my hand and quickly blew on it, hoping to cool the overheated flesh. It was red and stung like crazy, but I knew the burns were only skin deep and would heal before too long. It's not like I would have a weakness to something as common as sunlight without doing a bit of experimentation.

"You are a dangerous man." Turning away from the still-shocked red-head, I continued to blow on my hand as I looked back to Souna, who had spoken. "Hmm? What do you mean?" I noticed with a slightly detached sense of fear that even more bodies were apparently melting out of nowhere. It was probably some kind of spell for camouflage, but man was it creepy to see them popping into existence.

"Most people would simply say that they had a severe adverse reaction to sunlight," Souna continued. Her brow had relaxed somewhat and it now looked like she was studying me instead of planning to kill me. "You, on the other hand, simply placed your hand directly into it for a demonstration. That kind of thinking is dangerous."

Shaking my hand to get some of the feeling back, I said, "Well it's not like you would have believed me if I'd told you. And I really don't want to be in a position of weakness anyway when you've got me surrounded like this."

"So you damaged your main method of fighting to keep from being in a position of weakness." I could hear amusement in the voice, but couldn't pinpoint it to the figure it came from. Either the short one with brown twintails or the one with ringlets.

"Well it's not like I'd be able to actually fight off all of you if I tried," I easily confessed. "But I'd rather not do anything that would slow down my best asset." I tapped my legs to make my point and heard a snort of laughter from the red-haired girl. Maybe I'd be able to talk through this after all.

"Regardless, that was not the reason I asked you here today," the central figure said, standing from her seat and walking around to the front of the desk. Drat, never mind. "Tsubaki, the area is secured with no chance of being seen, correct?" Was this a spy film? Because this felt like a spy film right now, one of the ones that went wrong and the main character died gruesomely.

The previously silent queen responded. "Yes, Kaichou. The barrier is secure." And there went my backup plan of trying for a window. I mean, I could probably survive a three-story drop and they wouldn't be able to hurt me with witnesses. So that meant my best option was taking a hostage. Which was still ridiculously low.

Souna straightened, taking a deep breath, and I mentally readied to try taking off towards her peerage if needed. The brunette with braids looked like she might be the easiest to take by surprise, possibly a bishop.

Then Shitori Souna, the highest ranking official of Kuoh Academy, slowly began to bend her body with her hands clasped on front of her, as if she was a rusted gear slowly grinding down. I just stared, wary of some kind of trick, until her upper body was at about a sixty-degree angle and stopped.

"I… Sona Sitri," Oh man, it sounded like she was biting this out through gritted teeth. Was this going to be a duel request or something? "Heiress to the Sitri clan," and wasn't her name Shitori? Was that a fake name? I mentally shelved that for later as she continued. "…Humbly beg… forgiveness for my wrongful assumptions and…" she paused for a moment before the rest came rushing out in a flood of words. "Offer-a-boon-as-sincerity!"

In shock, I merely stared, still barely comprehending what she had said for a moment. The president slowly straightened and I saw a gleam of sweat on her brow just before she stumbled, a knee buckling. I stepped forwards, but before I could begin to cross the distance, two girls were behind Souna in an instant, helping support her weight as the prideful devil sagged into their arms.

What. The heaven. Just happened.

Clicking out of analysis mode I, ironically, tried to analyze what had happened. I had been invited alone, a barrier around the room and what I assumed the entire peerage in the room. They weren't there as a threat, they were there for moral support.

Oh gods, she was afraid of men, wasn't she. Especially devil men, since her attitude only got worse once I was turned. I didn't even want to think of what could have caused that particular fear, but I had the urge to punch whoever had instilled it in her.

Things seemed to click into place after that, and I slowly walked over to where six girls including the vice-president were all clustered around their king, providing comfort and protection. I came to a stop a few steps from the outside of the huddle, and dipped into a low bow of my own, all too aware of the suspicious gazes from the females before me.

"I humbly accept the Sitri clans apology," whatever that was, "and extend forgiveness for the perceived slight. I will kindly refuse the boon though, as I have not earned any such thing." This could be a tricky thing, since often rejecting gifts was a sign of rejecting the offer itself, but I couldn't imagine that kaichou would be able to sleep soundly knowing a man held something like that over her head.

I heard muttering from the girls in front of me, but kept my head lowered and did my utmost to block out what they were discussing. The talk was cut short though, as a labored voice spoke. "I… am afraid I cannot let you do that." Souna, or apparently Sona, still tried to speak, as weak as she was.

The peerage immediately rose their voices in protest, but were quieted by their leader. "The Sitri Clan is one of the original seventy-two pillars and has immense political power in the underworld." Well that was a statement loaded with information if I ever heard one. "I have done you a great disservice and must offer this in repentance." Then for the first time since I had walked into the room, her voice lost the haughty, regal tone I was used to hearing from her. "And for Faust's sake, raise your head."

I did as requested, muffling the smile that wanted to break out on my face. The fact that she had lost the formal tone meant this was no longer Shitori-kaichou. I was actually talking to Sona Sitri, a person I hadn't even known existed before this.

"Sorry, Kaichou, but I really can't accept it. I have no need for any kind of boon when I did nothing to-" I was cut off by the girl in question hefting herself back onto her own feet, shooing some of her peerage away, and shooting a glare in my direction.

"Oh be quiet for a moment, will you." I fell silent as commanded, feeling the urge to smile grow larger. "I get it, you don't want to have any kind of power over me, that's the kind of person that you are."

Sona interpreted my skeptical eyebrow raise correctly, rolling her eyes. "You don't think I would actually do something like this for just anybody, did you? I've insulted far more people than just you in this school, and I had to be completely sure about you before even seeing you again, much less doing something like an apology."

Honestly, it was admirable how long Sona had held her head high while in a position like student council president. It also finally answer the question of why the entire student council was female. "And respond, will you?" Sona snapped, freeing one of her hands from Tsubaki's grasp and lifting herself to sit on the edge of her desk. "It feels like I'm talking to a statue with you just standing there."

I finally let the smile bloom on my face, positive that Sona wouldn't see it as some kind of threat or mockery at this point. Meanwhile her peerage were staring back and forth between me and their king, as if seeing some kind of rare species they didn't know existed before.

"Righto, Kaichou. You are correct that I don't want to leave something like that floating around, but it's also true that I don't need any kind of boon." True that, but I certainly wouldn't turn down a lifetime supply of bookstore gift cards either.

"And I can't accept it back, so it looks like we're at an impasse, aren't we," the fierce girl shot back. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't really want to offer it in the first place, but that her pride wouldn't let her back down with it anything but fully satisfied.

Well, let's hope this wouldn't trigger anything. "Ah, but I have already received a boon from you and by extension the Sitri Clan." I went for a dramatic sweeping bow, hoping that the exaggeration would lower the impact of the words some. "I received the gift of being the only male that Sona Sitri has ever apologized to, and that is something worth a thousand boons."

I held the pose for a moment before hearing a burst of laughter from before me. I raised my head to see Sona laughing unrestrained, while rolling her eyes. "Aha, laying it on a little thick, aren't you!" Another fit of laughter erupted before her mirth seemed to subside. "Very well, I will accept the debt paid in full then." Then she tilted her head, cheeks still stained red from laughter, and gave me the first smile I had ever seen the stiff president make. "And call me Sona, will you?"

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

I let my muscles loosen as the door closed behind Kai, slumping down and releasing a long sigh. The room was immediately filled with Tomoe and Ruruko's clamoring, Momo and Reya's concerned questions, Tsubaki and Tsubasa's silent worry that was almost palpable, and Christie's calm that was almost as telling as her usual frosty outrage.

Holding up a hand, I waited for silence, though it didn't stop Reya and Tsubaki from patting me down as if to check that I was still whole. Once there was a degree of silence in the room, I spoke. "Yes, that just happened. No, you shouldn't kill him."

The old familiar joke caused a ripple of laughter in the girls, but it was tinged with a sense of tension. Their king had just been in a position of weakness with a male, and their instincts, created from their own experiences and my worries were telling them to remove the threat to me.

I wouldn't hold it against them since I felt much the same. Already, I was holding myself back from taking the easy road out, from simply hunting down and butchering the man that had not only gazed upon me, but that I had shown my true self that I normally hid behind thick walls and thicker pride.

And yet there was a barrier keeping the flood from overtaking me and my actions. My sister's voice, from years ago, tinged with worry and muffled through a locked door. "You'll be living your life in fear, So-tan. I don't want you to spend your life like that."

It was time I stopped letting fear rule my life. "We discussed this previously, and we all agreed." A few rebellious looks had me amending my statement. "Well, eventually agreed. Under duress. And two of you weren't here so we voted in your absence, but still."

A cloth wiped sweat from my brow and I thanked Momo for her consideration before continuing. "Something has to change eventually. I know that I have my own… issues with men, but I always feel like that is keeping the rest of you from pursuing interests that some of you may have."

My keen eye caught a few furtive glances to the sides and shuffling feet at that pronouncement, enough evidence even if I hadn't already noticed the signs. "No matter how badly I want to ensure that none of you are ever hurt, I cannot make that choice for you, and do not wish to hold you back from the true happiness that you may find."

A sardonic smile slipped to my lips. "Goodness knows I have enough problems without dragging the rest of you along with me." More denials and oaths of loyalty were shouted, but I had heard them enough times, and wanted this to be something new. "And so," I said over the hubbub, "consider this being my first step to at least being able to function properly around men without shutting down into a cold wall of ice." Oh if only I had half the casual social skills of my sister.

"Any other comments about the situation, or shall we return to our work." My gaze drifted from one side of the crowd to the other, searching their faces for signs of discontentment. Tsubasa had a stormy look on her face, while Tsubaki seemed worried, but neither one of the main opposition to my plan spoke up vocally.

Momo seemed nervous but determined, Tomoe seemed oddly excited while Ruruko looked practically vicious. The final two, Christie and Reya, had very different expressions on their faces though. Reya seemed oddly pensive for her usual shy demeanor, but she had always been one of the most vocal for new experiences.

As Christie and I locked eyes though, the yuki-onna stepped forward, clearing her throat with an almost musical sound. This instantly drew the attention of every pair of eyes in the room. The quiet woman rarely spoke, and when she did it was always her true feelings on a topic.

"I am, as of yet, unsure of the exact nature of men in general," she began. The yuki-onna tribe were nomadic women who traveled around snowy mountain ranges searching for potential husbands, so Christie was still unused to men in general, approaching them with an air of curiosity instead of fear.

"But," she continued, "I do believe that this Kado is a trustworthy one. He is fearless and does not seem to be searching for his own personal gain." Huh, that was more than the reticent girl usually said.

An idea popping into my head, I narrowed my eyes at the white-haired girl. "This isn't about how he stuck his hand into sunlight, is it?" Yuki-onnas had a natural aversion to sunlight, and that increased by the natural devil weakness meant that sunlight was extremely painful for Christie. Seeing someone else so casually place endure the same pain must have struck a chord in her.

The snow-woman's expression didn't change, but her head turned to the side just slightly and she began playing with one of her ringlets. "Of course not, my kind chooses their husband by much more refined methods." She paused, gazing off into space musingly. "…It does offer a certain sense of fearlessness though, does it not?"

…Not my problem. Clearing my throat, I tried to move on. "Well, since we at least do not have vocal protest, we shall consider the matter adjourned and prepare for our next appointment." Hyoudou Issei was coming in next for a discussion about what Rias had informed me happened last night, and I would have to be in top form to stand up to him.

The various members returned to their previous positions, ready to protect or attack as needed, and activated the invisibility spells I had taught each of them. As I passed by Christie's position on the way to my own chair, I heard her say musingly "I wonder if he would so easily place his hand into cold as well…"

Not. My. Problem.

End AN: Waaaay back in chapter... I wanna say 5? When I first introduced Sona and had the idea of her Androphobia, I realized that having Saji as part of the peerage simply would not happen. So I tried to figure out who an alternative would be, besides simply removing the character altogether. Come over a month later and writing this chapter, where I panicked and literally just looked up the list of minor characters on the DxD wiki.

So meet Christie, a character from a DxD side story, who was a Yuki-Onna. Better known and recognized as Yetis, giant muscles and hair included. So I tossed that and made Yuki-Onna closer to what it is in the myths, and she's replacing Saji with the same number of pawns, so Sona still has four left unused. She's cold, both physically and emotionally, but is still loyal to Sona. (#Backstory~)

Another effect that I tried to get across of Sona being different is that she is colder to the general populace of the school, but much warmer and closer to her peerage, which is something I tried to get across in the writing, mostly by how she almost always refers to her peerage members by name. I also have backstories that probably aren't canon for most of them.

Another big change and something that honestly confused me in canon is how in the world Sona, for how straight-laced she is, allowed the Perverted Trio to even step onto campus. So I made it a bit more realistic I think, where Sona's simply been biding her time due to Rias' request to keep them around just in case they had a sacred gear. So once Issei is part of Rias' peerage, Sona has no reason to let the rest stay. I also looked up the Class 1 felony bit, and it's what I could figure out it would equal to in America, but I'm not so confident that's what it would be in Japan. I do know that peeping like that is definitely illegal and would face criminal charges.

Asia's still a part of Rias' peerage, but this isn't just to stick with canon. I honestly considered what she would do, but I figured that in her current mental state, (unhealthy, by the way) she would latch onto Issei and join the peerage to stay close. Something that Rias did bank on, but if Asia hadn't wanted to join, she wouldn't have forced her.

And nope, I'm not saying what Kioko did to Raynare. Simply put, Rias was doing her a favor.

Hermedy herm, I can't really think of anything else to mention in this chapter. Not very much Kioko in this chapter, but that will be remedied in the next chapter. See you then!