~Chapter 3~

"…Ayame….AYAMEEEE!" Bloodedge woke up from his bed while screaming. The nightmare still haunted him since that day to remind him of his hopelessness. He smiled bitterly; Ayame would probably laugh at him if she saw him like this. He had promised her not to let her death affect him and live on for her sake as well. He looked at the clock.

"7 already? Tch, what a drag." He muttered to himself. Bloodedge would want to skip school but since he had many questions for the girls yesterday, guess he had to go to that forsaken place.

-Timeskip-

Bloodedge made his way to Kuoh High School without any troubles, except many skeptical eyes toward him when he arrived at the school. Like he would damn care though. He managed to survive the first periods until the lunch break. Just before exiting the classroom, a petite girl stood on his way with a stoic expression. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"…Buchou wants to meet you. Follow me." The girl said quietly. Bloodedge searched for her name in his brain and found out that she was Toujou Koneko, this school's so-called mascot. She turned around and walked, which was the signal for him to follow her lead. They entered an old building behind the school. Despite the exterior, the inside was actually pretty clean.

"Guess they want to make it look like some old castles in those two-cent movies." Bloodedge said to himself. Koneko seemed to hear him but chose to ignore. After few minutes, they reached an office of sort with an 'Occult Research Club' sign on the door. The mascot girl opened it for him and headed inside.

"Oh hi Erston-senpai." A handsome kid greeted him with a smile. Bloodedge nodded at him as reply. The revived kid from yesterday was here as well. Judging from his expression, he was confused as hell. He soon noticed Bloodedge and proceeded to greet him as well. He saw fog in the room and looked around to find the source.

"…"

There was a bathtub, I repeat, a bathtub in the middle of the room. Bloodedge twitched his left eye at the scene; who the hell designed a freaking bathtub in the room?! He turned to Koneko and the handsome kid, Kiba if he recalled right, and pointed at the thing with a deadpan face. They shrugged.

"Ara Erston-kun, I didn't notice you." The black-haired girl stepped out from the counter, 'Bathtub and a bar counter in a room…Brilliant' he thought sarcastically, and said to him. She was holding a tea pot and went to the table to fill the cups. "I prepared some tea. Hope you will like it." She said with a smile. He took a slip and widened his eyes; it's surprisingly good. It reminded him of Trinity –

…..

"Let me get this straight: you built a freaking bathtub in the mid of this room and you have no problem with changing in front of people?! Have you no shame, woman!" Bloodedge yelled while turning around. It's not like he could not look at other women's bodies, but he made it clear that he wouldn't betray Ayame for such things. Rias chuckled at this.

"Erston-san, to me, it's no shame for doing this at all. You will get used to it eventually."

"…Ayame, if you can hear me, please forgive me for looking at other girl's body without your permission…" Bloodedge mumbled loud enough for the people in the room to hear. Rias and Akeno blinked few times before looking at each other and laughing. Kiba smiled lightly while Koneko still focused on her lunch. Issei stared dumbfounded at him.

"Erston-senpai has a girlfriend already?! No fair!" He cried.

Rias coughed twice to gain the attentions from everyone and said. "Erston-san, Issei-kun, we have summoned you here to discuss something with you. If you may, Akeno."

Akeno nodded and stepped forward to summary the situation to him and the kid. She told the history of the Great War between 3 factions: Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels. The ones with black wings he had met yesterday were Fallen Angels and they targeted Issei for his 'Sacred Gear'. Issei asked what the Sacred Gear was and she explained..

"…Interesting. So these Gears are similar to Nox Nyctores…" Bloodedge said small enough for him. Akeno went on, saying Issei's Sacred Gear was one of the Longinus class ones. After the conversation with Issei, Rias and Akeno turned to him.

"By the way, I haven't identified yours yet, Erston-san. Can you give me some details about it."

"Err you are talking about Susanoo and the Azure Grimoire, right?" Rias gave him a puzzled look. He sighed as he explained to them a small fraction of the Sankishin Units' origin.

"So you mean this Sankishin: Susanoo of yours comes from the so-called 'Boundary' and your Azure Grimoire is the strongest Grimoire that ever exists?" Bloodedge nodded at this. He made sure that he left the important parts out not to raise unnecessary suspicion. The redhead tried to digest the information when she spoke up.

"Can I please see your Susanoo Unit one more time? I need a closer look at it."

"Eh sure." He held his right hand up and the seal on the Azure Grimoire opened. Seeing no need to release the Susanoo's power, Bloodedge mentally commanded the Unit just to appear for a few minutes then disappear. It complied. Seithr from the Grimoire covered him and soon he emerged in the Unit. Issei and Kiba gawked at him but Koneko had an unusually scared look on her face.

"…Dangerous. You are dangerous." She muttered while shaking in fear. She could feel an immense aura of darkness and malice from him, and it scared her a lot. Bloodedge saw through this and sighed before disabling it. Rias said something to Akeno before turning to him.

"Thank you, Erston-san, for your cooperation. Now if you may, you can return to your class. I will borrow Issei a bit –"

"Hey, I have been wondering for a whole time here. Are you guys really humans? 'cuz I can sense the auras that usually belong to the supernatural beings." He said. Rias blinked before giggling at his question.

"Oh, you haven't listened to Akeno at all, have you?"

"I believe that I left out some when she talked to the kid. Enlighten me then."

As soon as she finished, she, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko spread their demonic wings to him. Bloodedge immediately summoned the Muramasa and jumped back, his hand preparing to draw it.

"You damn demons…" He muttered. Rias quickly reassured him. "No wait Erston-san, we mean no harm!" She signaled the others to withdraw their wings. There was a panicked look on her face.

"Sorry for keeping this from you. I thought it was safer to do this but I was wrong, I am sorry."

"…Tch, damn woman. Yeah yeah I was exaggerating a bit so it's my fault too. Now tell me, how the hell can you live with humans so casually like this? I thought devils, demons, whatever you are tended to suck their souls and stuff."

Rias sighed and began explaining to him about the stories of old again.

….

"You know what, screw you. I won't join your stupid 'Peerage' shit. I won't discard my humanity for petty things like immortality. I'm fine with the way I am now." He scowled. "About the kid, lucky for you that you saved him for noble reason. Otherwise, I would have cut you down right now."

Kiba stood before Rias, a sword on his hand. "Try it and you die, Erston-san. I won't let you insult Buchou any further."

Bloodedge smirked and drew Muramasa. "Hah! Bring it on, brat." He lunged at Kiba, who didn't react in time, and grabbed his neck before flying through the windows. He slammed Kiba on the ground strong enough to make spider-web crater behind him. The teen coughed up blood as result.

"Well, where is the attitude earlier, brat?" Bloodedge grinned cockily. Kiba struggled under his grip but failed. "Devils? Hah, just a bunch of weak idiots –"

"…You, take that back." Koneko suddenly appeared behind him and raised a fist at him. Bloodedge caught it so casually that she widened his eyes in shock. He stomped Kiba twice before throwing Koneko away. He drew the katana back, gathered energy and then thrust it forward.

"Hadou Meppu!"

The fiery wave almost annihilated the two Devils if it hadn't been for a gigantic energy ball from Rias. The redhead descended down with Akeno, who donned in a miko outfit and energy cackling on her hands. Following behind was a clumsily flying Issei.

"Erston-san, please calm down! Kiba didn't mean like that!" Rias shouted. Bloodedge looked at her. "Why should I believe a Devil?"

"Because it –"

"E-Erston-senpai, please stop it!" Issei pleaded after crashing down on his face. He grunted a bit before running to him. "It was a joke! Yeah, It was a joke right Kiba?"

"I…have nothing to say with that man." Kiba mumbled angrily. Bloodedge brushed his pants as he laughed. "Oho, want some more, brat?"

Rias glared at Kiba before saying apologetically. "Please forgive Kiba. He's reckless sometimes. I will make sure it won't happen again."

Bloodedge wondered what to do for a minute. He then nodded. "Very well. I will let this slide for now. And Rias Gremory." He used her full name. "I still have many questions for you. I will meet you after school. And now." He looked at the damages he had caused. "I will have to fix these things."

"…I will handle this." A stern voice spoke up. Bloodedge turned to see a very, very angry Sona Sitri and her Peerage. "Bloodedge, you will meet me after school, got it?"

"What the hell, woman? I already made an appointment with Rias –"

"I said. Meet. With. Me." She raised her voice. "Got it?"

That's for today. Again, I am sorry for short chapter. And I am sorry too for making the DxD characters sound so OOC. The story can't progress if I stick with the canon at this rate so I have to change them.