"Ugh, I feel so sore."

"Come on, Issei! Did you see the promised land?"

"Yeah, did you get a glimpse of the naked girls?"

"Well, Motohama and Matsuda… I might have glimpsed Asia, but I never even got close to the others," the Issei in question sadly relates to his two idiot friends. "It seemed like every time I got close, something hit me in the head."

That was my fist hitting your head sixteen times, you moron. You'd think after the first three the pathetic excuse of a devil would have figured it out, but NOOOO! His freaking lust kept pushing him to peek. I was so tempted to kill him after the eighth time. Had the trip lasted one more day, there would have been a new Sekiryuutei born into the world. Quite frankly, I could potentially take him out with no one being the wiser, but that's only if Kyoto orders it. And considering how excited they are that a Ryuutei is actually Japanese, most likely that will never happen.

"... Senpai?"

"Oh, Koneko-chan! You ready for tonight?"

"... Yes, thanks to Roku-senpai, I feel much more prepared."

Surprisingly, the nekoshou has decided to walk with me to school today. She's walking quite close…

"Hey, you bastard! How do you know Koneko-chan?"

"Stay away from her!"

"Hey, I recognize you! You're the good-looking bad boy bastard who's in pretty boy Kiba's class! You're pretty popular with the girls!"

Oh great, the Perverted Trio caught sight of us. It doesn't help that one of them is a self-proclaimed lolicon with a massive crush on the girl beside me and another is her overprotective idiot teammate who wants any cute girl.

"You know, if you three stopped ogling every girl you came across, or at the very least hid your perverted natures, you'd probably get a girlfriend. There's more than enough girls here that someone would end up desperate enough to say yes."

"Wait! Does that mean Koneko-chan and you are dating?" The Sexual Harassment Baldy starts wailing in agony at the prospect that he could never hook up with his favorite girl in the entire school. Not that he ever had a chance in the first place.

"Hohoho. To think, Kurotani-san has the same interests as you, Matsuda. I wonder what the entire school would think of this."

"Down with ikemens! Let's hurry up, Motohama and Matsuda!" The Perverted Trio suddenly make a mad dash to the school, leaving me flabbergasted at the possibility that I am on the same level of idiocy as one of them… NO! Get back here so that I can put you into a coma! I am not a lolicon! Besides, only morons would take what I said and correlate that to me being in a relationship with the school's masco~ Actually, now that I think about it, I could see how they connected what I said with going out with her. … NOOOOOOOO! I can't be on their level! I can't!

"... There, there, Roku-senpai," soothes Koneko-chan, comforting me as I have a breakdown on the street. "... Everything will be alright."

"Easy for you to say! The image you've built up for the past few years isn't about to crash down and be destroyed! And it's going to be replaced with me being a … a… NOOOO!"

"... You've… built up an image?"

"... Noo…. Haha, what are you talking about Koneko-chan? Stop making such funny jokes. Here, eat some candy, Koneko-chan," I force a grin on my face, quickly stuffing some junk food into the nekoshou's mouth.

"Is that Kurotani-san, the school's delinquent? What's he doing to Koneko-chan?"

"He's giving her candy..."

"Does Kurotani-san have that kind of taste?"

… Why, why did three girls from my school just have to see me doing this just now? My life, the life I created from my imagination so I can better infiltrate Kuoh Academy is crumbling into ruins! DAMN YOU ELDERS! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!

Truth be told, I'm not very good at sympathy. I mean, in my point of view, shit happens, and you just have to get through it. Granted, it might get kind of deeper than you would ever want, but you'll be stronger once you get back to land.

Of course, that's not what you say to a girl who just lost her freedom and might eventually become a sex slave to some blonde big-headed pervert.

So, what is an unsympathetic man supposed to do to comfort an adorable girl who's crying after losing a match of such high stakes? Pat her back and tell her it's all going to be alright? Hug her to she calms down? Yell at her to make her stop crying and face the music?

Of course, I didn't try that last one. I mean, I need Koneko-chan to fall in love with me, not hate me for the rest of her life - which could be a very long time, since she's a devil with a great chance at extending her absurdly long life through senjutsu. No, I tried the other two options, which invariably proved horrifyingly awkward.

Next training: social skills.

So, after trying a ridiculous hug, with a few "reassuring" pats on the back, and figuring out rather quickly that those actions went nowhere, I'm stuck sitting across from a teary-eyed white-haired nekoshou. She's so emotional now, her tail that she hides has popped out and her cat ears twitch around. I mean, seeing her in this extremely sad state is making all my protective instincts go haywire. You try sitting there, watching an unbearably cute little girl cry. I'm sure every single guy would want to take her in their arms, eager to fight off any and all evil that comes across her.

Huh, maybe I'm starting to see this girl as a little sister. That … I can live with that. Of course, that whole "she's your future mistress" thing would probably close the door on that one quickly, but it'll allow me to get closer with her. Of course, the day she calls me any derivation of "onii-chan" is the day each and every elder mysteriously disappears off the face of the earth, but that's left for another day.

"... Ro~ Roku-s~senpai, what sh~should I d~do?"

Tough question. Time to stall… Okay, ways to calm a crying girl… give her ice cream? Hey, I heard that usually works! And I'm at the Koneko-chan's place, so she's bound to have some ice cream… "Just a sec, Koneko-chan. Let's see here… Cherry maple syrup? Chocolate green tea? What type of flavors are these?"

Luckily, Koneko-chan figured out my actions. "... I wike zem mixed…" She snuffles, somehow making it understandable enough. I secretly blanch at this but her teary eyes make me quickly pile as much of each as possible. And I thought the puppy-eye look was the most effective of all pouting.

I'm just about to bring it out when a bright light envelopes the apartment, shocking the nekoshou. A transportation circle? It has the Gremory crest on it, so maybe it's a team member of Koneko's? … Wait, if that's the case, then what the hell am I doing here? I've got to activate my Sacred Gear quick to find a way to escape… why is Koneko-chan hiding behind me, holding onto my arm like it's her last lifeline? No, Koneko-chan, I'm a ninja! I can't be seen, so let go!

Unfortunately, before I can get her off me and find somewhere to escape, the mysterious figure appears, gracefully walking out of the light. "Ah, Kurotani-sama, I am glad you are here."

"... Excuse me?"

"Shall we sit down?" The visitor beckons towards the couches, which I find somewhat odd, since she's not really the host of the apartment. Still, I sit down, waiting for her to continue. "I believe we were not properly introduced last time. Please accept my humblest apologies. My name is~"

"Oh, I know your name. What I want to know is why are you glad to see me, Lucifrage-sama?"

That's right, the number one beauty in all the underworld, Grayfia Lucifrage herself, is somehow in Koneko-chan's living room, and the first one she recognizes is me. Something isn't right. And that doesn't include Koneko-chan finding herself a seat… on my lap? I mean, sure, I guess she can get comfortable, since she knows the Maou's wife firsthand, but why on my lap? And Koneko-chan, isn't it rude to eat ice cream in front of a guest?

The devil smirks ever so slightly, which oddly makes her all the more beautiful. Well, I've always wanted an onee-chan teasing me, so seeing one of this scale with such a seductive smirk makes me seriously want to bow down and start worshipping her. I still have to play smart here, though, so I try to avoid any more lewd thoughts. It doesn't help that her superb rack is like a magnet for any wandering eyes.

"Kurotani-sama, it is alright to interrupt what I say, since I am merely the head maid of the Gremory. However, if you were to speak so rudely in front of, say, the Maou, you would not live to see the next minute."

"Ah, sorry about that. Bad habit from my dad - he's used to barking orders and hates it when people say something that really wasn't necessary." I scratch my head sheepishly. Has it been this long in front of a beautiful older woman that I've become skittish? Ugh… I've really got to stay away from these lolis.

Grayfia-sama curves her lips a little, still trying to look professional despite my clear patheticness. "As I was saying, I was hoping to meet you, Kurotani-sama. I have a… business proposition for Kyoto."

Wow, this is news. I have to wonder who this is from - the Maou or Gremory? Seeing as this really isn't an appropriate time for the Head of the Gremory to try a sneaky deal, I'm inclined to say it's from a little higher up, but it's best to confirm. "And what exactly is Sirzechs-sama willing to offer, Lucifrage-sama?"

Again, the gray-haired beauty shows a hint of emotion, her eyebrows lifting in surprise, though it quickly morphs into as professional as it could be. "I believe it is more common that he that is offered usually hears the terms of the deal first, rather than his reward."

"Eh, it's just a habit of mine, taught by my father. He says that often times, the guy proposing the deal will read the other's face to see if he could lowball them. By getting a set price out in the open, it allows me to figure out whether I can get more from the deal or not."

"And I thought devils were masters at swindling. Maybe we should be wary of you kitsune," Grayfia-sama praises, another slight smirk forming on her face. "Very well. However, I must say that this deal is strictly personal; in no way is any other devil apart of this. This is strictly between Sirzechs-sama and Kyoto. And Sirzechs-sama is willing to offer any price for your cooperation."

"Any price? That's pretty big. He must be desperate." I eye the older devil suspiciously. "Please don't tell me that he's desperate enough to kill. Even though I'm trained to do it, Kyoto would prefer it if I kept myself out of another faction's business, especially if it is outside of our sphere of influence."

Grayfia-sama shakes her head. "No, Sirzechs-sama expressly stated that no one was to be permanently harmed in this endeavor. However, I must stress to you that this entire operation we are asking for you to orchestrate is strictly off the books. If any devil leader found out about what we are planning, Sirzechs-sama may indeed lose his seat as Maou."

"And that could cause a chain reaction to a second civil war, correct?" The maid merely nods her head. Sighing, I motion for her to continue. "Carry on, Lucifrage-sama. Let's hear what you want me to do. After that, we can decide on my price."

"EEEEKKK!"

Oh damn, I forgot about knocking. I guess I really should consider not using my Sacred Gear to enter other people's homes. Otherwise, I may just startle innocent blonde former nuns.

"Ah, sorry about that. It's Asia-san, right?"

The brand new bishop of the Gremory clan tries to get her breathing back to normal. Despite the fright, she appears to welcome me in. "Ano, yes. But may I kindly ask who you are?"

Oh dear, this girl really is innocent. "I'd prefer not telling you that." The girl gives an understanding nod and turns back to caring for her comatose friend. "...You know, I'm currently trespassing, having used a mysterious power to bypass what most likely was several barriers. I'm dressed from head-to-toe in black, and most would assume that I am some ninja. Shouldn't you be in the least worried that I might be here for the wrong reasons?"

… Oh my kami, I can seriously see question marks popping up around her head. The sheer naivete of this girl is something to behold. I wave her lack of concern off and walk up to the boy resting in his bed.

"Do you know Ise-san?"

"Huh? I guess you could say we've met in passing sometimes. I try to keep him from peeking on girls, including at baths in the mountains." The girl picks up on this and instantly comprehends my meaning. Hmm, so she's not dumb. Still, noticing the slight grimace of disappointment, I say this girl sees the pervert as someone more than a friend. "Oh my god."

"Thou shalt not take the Lord the God's name in va~ Oww!" Asia grasps her head, having forgotten to refrain from reciting scriptures of her previous life. She shakes her head (cutely, I admit, though I can't say I'm attracted to it) and questions me on why I stand there shocked. A few minutes later her face turns bright red, clearly embarrassed at what I had just said, confirming it as truth. I shake my head; for someone to actually fall in love with this guy who thinks with his penis… unbelievable.

"You won't tell him, will you?"

"Oh, too embarrassed about your crush?"

"Th~ That's not it!" The girl bows her head, still completely red, and mumbles her reasons. "He~ He loves Rias-buchou."

"Asia-san, knowing this idiot, he'll be more than happy to go out with you."

The girl looks up, full of hope. "Really?"

"Doesn't he want a harem? Last time I checked, that entails more than two girls; I'm sure one of them could easily be a blonde, innocent bishoujo." Seeing her smile happily, I couldn't help but tease her a little bit more. "And here I thought nuns were supposed to be celibate. Also, whatever happened to 'thou shalt not commit adultery'?"

Her face instantly goes a deeper shade of red. Innocent girls are so fun to tease. "Th~ That~"

"Hahaha. Relax, you're a devil, remember? Feel free to lust after this idiot, though you might have to wait until Rias-san's route is conquered, which might happen sooner than later. And I better warn you that quite a few girls from school will seriously worry if anything is wrong with you. The guy isn't very popular, as I'm sure you've figured out by now." The girl nods, smiling knowingly. I shake my head again, bewildered. Still, I better get to why I'm here now. "So, shall we wake up your crush?"

The girl blushes a little bit more at my words but nods again. "How will you do that? I've healed all his injuries, but he still won't get up."

A small flame of foxfire pops to life in my open palm. The blonde bishop shivers at the sadistic grin that adorns my face despite it hiding behind a mask. "Maybe he needs to be warmed up?" And before Asia-san can do anything, I light up his amazingly horrible hair like a Christmas tree.

His response is exactly what I expected: him jumping five feet in the air, waving his arms around, trying to put out the fire on his head while screaming like an Irish banshee. I grin like a Cheshire cat, happy at my little prank. After a few minutes of watching one of the best scenes in my life, a snap of my fingers makes the flames disappear, leaving the weed of a haircut just as it was before.

"Oh, thank~ Hey, you're the guy who showed up with my Boosted Gear!"

"Greetings, Sekiryuutei-sama! How are you feeling?"

"I… I'm feeling pretty good."

"You can thank Asia-san here, along with her amazing application of her Twilight Healing."

"Thanks Asia… Hey, wait a minute! How do you know about her Sacred Gear?"

"I returned Boosted Gear to you, remember? Wouldn't it be slightly conceivable that I have almost complete knowledge of what happened the night you guys attacked the abandoned church?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess."

"Ise-san, I think we can trust him," pipes Asia-san in helpfully. I give a slight nod of gratitude and then turn to Hyoudou-san. "So, Sekiryuutei-sama, today is the day of the engagement party."

"Engagement party? You mean Rias'? Then that means we~ l~" The young man trails off, depression setting in.

"Yes, you lost, though a great many of the higher-level Devils were reportedly quite impressed with your conviction, Sekiryuutei-sama. I must say, continuing to get up even after losing consciousness is quite impressive. In fact, someone else was wishing to commend yo~ ah, here she is." A bright light announcing the arrival of someone through a transportation circle engulfs the room. "Asia-san, perhaps you should get a cool towel for Sekiryuutei-sama. And if possible, drinks would be welcome." The blonde devil acknowledges my request and heads out of the room just as a gray-haired maid steps out of the light.

"Ah, I see you are awake," observes Grayfia-sama. The boy just stares blankly ahead, depressed. The maid turns to me, asking me silently whether I told him the outcome of the match, to which I nod in the affirmative. She sighs and wearily asks, "Can't you come to an agreement with this, Hyoudou-san?"

The high school student hurriedly looks up at her, anger and jealousy flaring up in in his eyes. "No, I can't accept it! Buchou doesn't even like that bastard, and she has to marry him? There is no fucking way!"

Grayfia-sama chuckles at this. Hyoudou-san looks up sharply at her, but before he can berate my goddess for showing a softer side, I step in. "Think, Sekiryuutei-sama. I said some of the higher-level devils were interested in you. Now, who does this woman work for?"

It takes a few minutes, but the idiot figures it out. "The Maou…"

At this, the head maid of the Gremory holds out a small piece of paper. "My Master, Sirzechs-sama, says, and I quote: 'If you want to save my sister, barge in the hall.' This will allow you to get to and from the hall where the engagement party is. I trust that you will need it." She then turns to me, stares to make sure her message is clear, and then disappears in the light of another transportation circle. I look back at Rias-san's shocked pawn and smirk. This might be a little more fun than I anticipated.

"So, Sekiryuutei-sama, have you heard any weird voices lately?"

"Wait, what?"

"You know, voices that seem to come from inside your mind, that only you can hear?"

"Er… maybe. But that makes me sound shizo~ schiso~"

"Schizophrenic? Well, it would… if you didn't have that red gauntlet."

"Huh? What does Boosted Gear have anything to do with this?"

"Boosted Gear has everything to do with this, you moron. After all, it's basically the soul of one of the two most powerful dragons of all time."

"Ah! So that's what that red dragon from my dreams was talking about!"

"... You mean, your King hasn't explained to you properly what a Sacred Gear is?"

"She just explained that it was something given to famous humans. Also that desire can make it stronger."

… You've got to be kidding me. She expects this brainless peon to grow stronger without actually letting him know how to? "... Sekiryuutei-sama, please hear me out and don't get mad when I say this: your King is an idiot."

"WHA~"

"Why would she ignore explaining you the basic details of a Sacred Gear? Desire? Sure, it helps… but getting to know the spirit behind your Boosted Gear is faster and easier."

"Huh?"

Suddenly a reddish glow starts shining from his left arm, and then his gauntlet pops out. [He's right, brat.]

Hyoudou-kun jumped in surprise, probably because this was the first time Boosted Gear popped up without him calling for it. I shake my head, wondering how this idiot is still alive. I mean, the minute Kyoto became aware that I had a Sacred Gear, they were instructing me on how I could communicate with whatever spirit was stored within Night Reflection. By the way, it's a shadow person, for anybody who wants to know.

Anyways, back to the topic at hand… "Ah, do I have the pleasure of talking to the Red Dragon himself?"

"Red Dragon? You can hear Ddraig?" Hyoudou-kun cuts in, but is simply ignored. Instead, my attention is on his left arm.

[Yeah, you seem awfully smart when it comes to stuff like this.]

"Eh, to hear it from someone that made God and the Maou scared is embarrassing."

[Huh, flattery. At least someone here knows what he's talking about.]

Dragons. All of them are the same: praise them, and they lap it up. Hyoudou-san is too confused right now, but give him a couple months with a few victories under his belt, and that dragon attribute is going to be a little exhausting. What's even scarier is that he's going to get a ton of women, too… To think, the idiot will probably fulfill his dream within the year. Then again, considering how dense the pervert is, it might be pretty fun watching him be completely clueless at the harem antics that will surely be happening.

Leaving those thoughts aside, I look back up at the Boosted Gear's wielder who has a confused look on his face. "So, Sekiryuutei-sama, I'm assuming you want to find a way to beat the Phenex."

"Huh? Oh yeah! I need to beat the yakitori's ass down!"

"What do you know about Balance Breaker?"

"... Huh?"

"... Red Dragon…"

[Brat, listen up! You're weak!]

Hyoudou-san slumps down at that. Hearing your own tool berate you must be pretty damn depressing. Oddly enough, the Shadow Person hidden inside Night Reflection seemed pretty optimistic and cheerful when I was learning her capabilities, always thrilled about the littlest things I could use her for.

I tend to ignore whatever she says nowadays, so that cheerfulness has basically become complaining.
[Stop being such a pussy!] Ddraig, noticing his partner's mood, yells at him like a drill sergeant. [The White One will just kill you if you act so pathetic.] Hyoudou-san looks like he wants to ask a question, but before he could, he notices my head shaking. Now is not the time. [Anyways, you, brat, are weak… but luckily for you, I'm a dragon. And let me tell you, dragons aren't weak. No, we take what we want and don't give a fuck.]

"Sekiryuutei-sama, Sacred Gears, by themselves, are relatively powerful. But that's their basic form. If you have enough 'desire,' as your King said, and if you have enough of a reason, they can go up a rank."

[Yeah, and believe me, brat, Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker is no joke. I didn't put the fear of God into the Big Guy Himself by frolicking in a field of daisies.]

"Cool! So, with this Balance Breaker, I can defeat Raizer?"

[There's no "can" about it. Raizer is nothing more than chicken shit when compared to my Scale Mail.]

"That's so awesome! How can I get that?!"

[By leveling yourself up by a ton and facing death.]

"... Wait! Buchou's engagement party is tonight! I can't 'level up' or 'face death'! There's not enough time!"

[Yeah. You're not ready for my full Scale Mail.] Hyoudou-san slumps down again after having it confirmed from his left arm. [But that doesn't mean you can't use a weaker version of it. Granted, you won't be able to hold it long, but it should be more than enough to take out that Phenex bastard.]

Hearing that, an excited grin spreads across the perverted devil's face. Huh, so the guy has a little battlelust in him. That's interesting… "That's great and all, but are you sure he'll stay down after whatever time limit you have? He is immortal, after all."

The two are silent for a few minutes. I'm starting to wonder if the dragon is an idiot too for not having figured that out.

Luckily, the resident nun stumbles into the room. I blink. Hyoudou-san blinks. If Ddraig were there, he would have blinked. And then all of us share a … devilish grin looking at her. The girl takes a step back in fear at the rising killing intent that is emitting from her perverted crush and me.

"Yes. That should be perfect."

"So you sent him off to take on a high-level devil like that?" Raynare asks me in an incredulous voice. I glance around at the family restaurant we're in, noticing the glances by the various customers. Meh, they're probably thinking I'm some older brother talking to his younger sisters about some game that the younger ones seem to enjoy.

"Hmm? Yeah, there was nothing much more."

Raynare also notices the onlooking customers and hushes down a bit. "You just sent him to take on a Phenex with a little advice?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it was a little. After all, I did help him come up with a way to get a limited Balance Break. Team that up with Holy Water and a cross, and even the Maou would flinch, let alone some second-rate narcissist who thinks way too highly of himself."

".. That, actually makes a lot of sense."

"What do you expect, Ray-chan? Master is good at planning; of course he'd come up with something to take out a devil. Master, please let Micchan reward you tonight 3!"

"Rejected." The blonde ex-Grigori really should know better by now. "Anyways, I'm actually somewhat concerned about the pervert. I mean, given the nature of Boosted Gear, it's not a surprise that he could add stuff to it. But by adding any amount of the holiness element, he's become a serious threat among the devils. There's an actual chance he could kill the Phenex."

Both of the fallen maids are absolutely shocked at this turn of events. "Wait, when you say add…"

"There's a reason why your old God gave Sacred Gears to humans. Unlike you and others from all the pantheons and such, humans have imagination." This just leaves the two completely confused. "Think of it this way - humans are by far the weakest of the sentient beings on this planet. Unlike you Grigori, humans can't shoot light spears out of thin air, they can't fly, and they can't live hundreds and thousands of years. And yet, they've developed a weapon that could easily obliterate the angel you two practically worship, along with however many troops he has at the time. And you only have to look at two cities in this country to know its true.

"Now imagine what humans could do with something like a Sacred Gear. I'm going to tell you now, I'm nowhere near the upper echelon of Sacred Gear users, but I could potentially take on a few of your leaders and come out alive. Not victorious, but still alive. And the abilities of my Sacred Gear are relatively limited compared to what Boosted Gear can do. That thing can be an absolute monster - it's purpose is to keep adding power until it's strong enough to take on anything and anyone. And if that means adding stuff that would normally prove detrimental to the holder, then so be it. As the dragon himself said, it 'takes what it wants, and doesn't give a fuck.' All that matters is the limit of imagination of the Sekiryuutei."

Raynare and Mittelt just sit there, mouths agape, horrified at the possibilities that the Sacred Gear could achieve. The black-haired maid lets out a hoarse whisper, muttering darkly: "I should have killed him when I had the chance."

I chuckle a bit at that. "You know, you might actually have a point there. If I had actually known what he had when I stumbled on you two in the park, I may have just let you do it. Still, I really doubt he'll be too much trouble in the future. The pervert has a one track mind, and it has nothing to do with battle and bloodlust."

Mittelt giggles at this, while Raynare nods her head in understanding. After all, from what she told me, Hyoudou-san had simply stared at her breasts for most of their date. Of course, she also admitted she purposely showed it off in order to lure him. Recalling the maid's ample chest before she reverted into chibi form made me actually give the pervert the benefit of doubt for once. I probably would have had trouble focusing on her face if she had been attempting to seduce me, too. Luckily, loli form had nothing to seduce me with… flashes of a hot spring incidence notwithstanding. Damn, Koneko must have not hit me hard enough.

"By the way, Master, didn't you say that the Maou's wife hired you to help the Sekiryuutei? What was the price?"

"Oh, about that…"

"Wait, are you blushing, Master?"

"Oooh, an embarrassed Master is definitely a cute Master 3!"

"Shut up!" Calm, self, calm. "Ahem. I had a few requests. First was a decent sum of money."

"... Go on," deadpan the two simultaneously. Damn them.

"I then asked for a photo album of Lucifrage-sama."

"... That's not why he's blushing."

"Yeah, Master is quite vocal in his preference for older women. Being given porn by the number one beauty of the devils wouldn't embarrass him at all."

"It's not porn! I'm not that disgusting!" Seeing the two waiting patiently, ignoring my attempts to avoid my true price, I relent. "And… I might have asked if the devil side would be angry if I date Koneko-chan," I mutter in an extremely quiet voice, my face completely flush.

The two have their eyes widened to their fullest. They slowly turn to each other, blink, and then burst out laughing extremely loudly. Quite a few customers look completely affronted by the lack of proper manners of the two girls, but all of that is ignored.

"Oi, it's not that funny."

"And here I thought Master wasn't into younger girls!"

"I'm not!"

"Then why is your face as red as a tomato?"

"Well… I … I don't know! It might be because I'm embarrassed about being forced into a relationship that I really don't want!"

"Sure."

"Really? How would you two feel if Azazel all of the sudden forced you to marry someone you really didn't know?"

That shut them up. It's obvious that the two had never even considered the possibility that their beloved leader would use them so openly. Up until Dohnaseek ripped their wings off their shoulders, they're lives were pretty good. They had the freedom to do what they wanted. Sure, now they are forced to become my maids, but that is more due to my ability to protect them than anything. In the end, they're still getting a good deal out of this. Whereas my life is centered around being passed between people like a trading card for the good of Kyoto. Devils aren't any better, since they're using some girl that already has identity problems. It's like our leaders see as nothing more…

"Your leaders see you as nothing more than a pawn, don't they?" I jump up, startled at the new voice that announced my own thoughts aloud. My head swivels around, trying to find whoever read my mind. It doesn't take long to find him.

There, sitting at a neighboring table, is a single man - if you can call him a man. If I had to compare him to anything, it would be an elf, thanks to his oddly pointed ears poking out of his long, black hair. He may have been beautiful in the past, but now his features are sharp, as if every inch of his face was put under a whetting stone and polished until it could cut air. And every sharp edge seems like it's pointing to his eyes, scarlet and piercing. His eyes capture mine, forcing me to look into them - into him - forcing me to look into the soul and allow me to determine the truth: that there is nothing there but madness. Pure, unadulterated insanity. A raw, primitive emotion, desperately wanting to be free and rip, tear, and kill anyone and everyone.

An endless feeling of bloodlust.

My two companions instantly choke on whatever they were swallowing. Yet despite their coughing fits, their eyes never waver from the man, as if they recognize him. Searching them, I find that they are sharing the same unearthly feeling - sheer terror. I may not know who this is, but I know that he could kill me without a second thought and, even more frightening, without any regret. My breath starts going haggard, and my chest clenches up in a cold chill.

"So, Mr. Pawn, if you fulfill your duty and inform those leaders: in one month, I plan to start a war, the likes of which this planet has not seen since arch-angels and Satans begged each other for some respite. It will consume the Underworld. It will consume Heaven. And it will consume Japan. I already plan on having some devils and exorcists invited over as guests for the commencement - perhaps someone from your end can show up as well? If not, it doesn't matter - my war will happen here. In one month." And with that, the man stands up and walks out of the restaurant, chuckling darkly.

My eyes flash over to Mittelt and Raynare, asking them without words. After a few minutes, they gain control over their breath, enough to utter a single name: "Kokabiel."

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. This is bad. This is very bad. Kyoto has to hear this, and as soon as possible. I can't deal with this. Neither can those devils. No one around can.

And if there is no one at all, then war is coming.

May whatever God out there help us.

Hello, everybody, and once again, welcome to another chapter in the life of Kurotani Rokudou. It's been awhile - and I mean awhile. I have to admit, I was completely lost for a while there. I mean, I wanted to incorporate Rokkun into the Rating Game somehow, but that just became impossible. I also wanted him to meet a certain someone, but there was nothing that could make sense. And so, I had this happen - Rokkun and his ninja maids meeting a certain Fallen Angel. I have some interesting ideas for Kokabiel - he will be slightly different from canon, but not too much. I mean, there are some fics on this site that paint a very different Star of God very well, but there is a reason he fell. I'm hoping to give a new spin to him.

I also got my first negative responses! Too bad they were from guests, which often mean little. One guest, however, brought up a very good point: harem stealing. I know, Koneko fell in love with Issei in canon, so it should stay that way. It's just I never really liked how Koneko fell for Issei. For four books, she hated him. Then he says something along the lines of "I don't really know what happened, but I believe in Koneko!" and she instantly is head over heels for him. That's poor form, even for something in the harem genre. So, the fanfic author relenteth, and the fanfic author taketh away. Don't worry: Issei will still have most of his girls, and potentially a couple more. And for future warning: there will be one more girl that is definitely in Issei's current harem that will be removed, mostly because the reasoning for her interest is even worse than Koneko's.

Anyway, I'll probably write an epilogue for Nekomata and the Club Trip still. I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers!