Disclaimer: I don't own Highschool DxD and any of the other franchises mentioned/hinted in this story. This is a work of fantasy, and thus it's propriety of no one but my imagination.

Harem Summoner: Chapter 1

A ten year old boy was walking alone in the park. His name was Hyodo Issei, and he was feeling lonely. A week ago his best friend and neighbor Shidou moved to another country because of his parents' work.

It saddened him, because Shidou was not only his best friend but also his only friend. Sure there were other kids he used to play with but they were just that, playmates: they weren't as cool as Shidou, with whom Issei often played [make-believe], where the two boys would pretend to be superheroes and go around defeating villains and saving innocents. Before Shidou left the two boys promised each other they would become real heroes and meet again.

So here he was, feeling lonely but not sad because Issei knew he would meet Shidou again. He would keep his promise and become a [hero] together with Shidou.

It may seem strange for a little child to take a promise so strongly, but despite his young age Issei's heart was already able to understand that friends and promises between them are very important and must be taken seriously.

Perhaps it was this instinctual [seriousness] that prevented Issei from becoming friends with others children, as most of them were not ready for this level of commitment.

"Aah…" Issei released a sigh as he sit on a bench. 'What should I do?'

"Why are you sighing like an old geezer?" A young, cheerful voice suddenly asked. Looking to the side Issei came face to face with a girl that looked around his age. Her auburn hair were tied into two short braids to both sides of her face, amber colored eyes sparkling with mischief from behind pink spectacles. She was wearing a white sleeveless dress, red sneakers on her feet.

Issei blinked in confusion. "I am sighing like a geezer?"

"Yes." She bluntly told him.

The boy's cheeks turned red in embarrassment. "I-It's nothing!" He tried to defend himself. "I'm...I'm just feeling lonely."

"Why?" The girl sit on the bench next to Issei. "Don't you have friends?"

"One, but he went to another country because of his parent's work."

"I see." She adjusted the glasses' position on her face. "Wanna be friends?"

"Eh?"

"You don't have friends. It's not right." She nodded to herself. "So, I can become your friend."

"B-But you're a girl!"

"And?" The girl's eyes narrowed, her mind instantly categorizing the brunette as one of those boys who thought that girls are, in their words, [yuk!].

Issei scratched his head, looking down to avoid the girl's gaze. "I never had a girl as a friend. So I don't know what to do."

The girl with braids blinked, having not expected such answer. "That's it? There is nothing to do. When it comes to friends there is no difference between boys and girls."

"Truly?" Issei's eyes went wide in amazement: he didn't know that!

She giggled at the boy's expression. "Of course." She hold out a hand. "I'm Kiryuu Aika. Do you want to be friends?"

Issei shook her hand with his own. "Yes! I'm Hyodo Issei, but many call me Ise. Let's be friend forever Aika-chan!"

Aika giggled again. "So honest. I like that."

Without letting go of Issei's hand she stood up and began to drag him with her. "Come on Ise-kun. Let's play!"

Issei smiled, the first real smile he showed since Shidou left.

The two spent some time doing typical children's games, from tag to hide-and-seek. Eventually, as they wandered the park, they came across an old man preparing the necessary for a picture story show. Hearing the ring of the bell to signal the start they grew excited and sat down with the other kids. The old man distributed bowls of pudding before beginning his tale.

"Long, long time ago. At a certain place, Geezer and Granny were living there. On a certain day the Geezer went to the mountains for lawn mowing. Granny went to the river to do washing. When Granny was doing washing at the river..."

The old man changed to the next picture while looking at the kids with a smile.

"An Oppai flowed down."

Issei felt intrigued as, of all things he was expecting, an oppai wasn't one of them. 'Aren't oppai those things on the chest of mothers from where babies suck from?' What was one doing in a river?

Aika seemed to think the same as she adjusted her glasses again. "Oppai don't flowed down rivers." She said loud.

The old man just smiled kindly. "This one did. It was a gigantic-"

"No they don't." The girl insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "They grow on the chests of girls when they got older."

"Eh? Not only mothers? So they're called oppai even if they're not a mother?" Issei asked, amazed at the new discovery.

"Uh uh!" Aika nod with a smirk.

The other children too began discussing among themselves about oppai, trying to decide who was right, the girl or the old man. On that topic there were mixed feelings and contrasting opinions.

"Boys? Boys?" With a frown replacing his early smile the old man tried to calm down the commotion. "The story, is not finished. Oppai? Want more pudding?"

At the mention of more sweets those presents started to calm down-

"So, are oppai and breasts the same thing or not?"

Until that single question reignited the discussion back at full force.

The debate grew so fierce that the commotion attracted the attention of nearby adults, who almost instantly began to yell things like [Pervert!] and [What are you showing the kids?!] at the old man. Some even called the police.

Later we found Issei and Aika sitting on the grass, eating the last of their puddings as they watched the old man being taken away by a policeman.

"That was...what do you call it?" Issei thought about the right word to use. "Interesting?"

"Definitely an experience." Aika replied, using an expression her father use often even if she didn't fully understand what it means.

"Uhm…" Issei closed his eyes in concentration, sucking on his spoon until he took it out with a loud [pop!]. "So what's the big deal about Oppai?"

"...I think adults like oppai." Aika answered with a finger over her lips. "Mom said that Dad love her oppai, especially when he gropes them."

"You grope oppai?"

"Mom said so. Oh!" A metaphorical light bulb appeared over Aika's head. "Maybe that's why people get married! A man find a woman with oppai he like and then propose to her!"

Aika was Issei's friend, and so her statement made sense. He smiled, excited. "You're so intelligent Aika-chan!"

"Eh eh." She grinned, basking in the praise.

Issei had a sudden thought. "Aika-chan. If you grow oppai too, will you marry me?"

"No way." She playfully showed him her tongue. "You aren't handsome enough. Mom said that handsome guys are the best."

His hopes shattered Issei cried out: "Curse you handsome guys!"

Many years later this would become one of Hyodo Issei's most famous catchphrases.

"Just wait!" Issei jumped on his feet and pointed a finger at Aika. "When I become older I will find a lot of girls that like me, and I will spend all the time groping their oppai. I will show you that being handsome isn't everything. That's a promise!"

"Ah! I will not fall behind!" Aika mirrored Issei's actions. "I will marry the most handsome guy there is, one that everyone will be envious of. And we will be destined ones! That's also a promise!"

Under the setting sun the boy and girl grasped each other's hand and shook it vigorously, a serious expression unbefitting young children on their faces.

""BRING IT ON!""

A passing younger boy on a tricycle looked at the scene with a deadpan stare before looking away, muttering a single word:

"Idiots."

"I welcome all the new students. As you know, Kuoh Academy recently turned co-ed. Among you are the first male students that this school has the honor to receive in its ranks. I trust that you will-"

Issei turned out the principal's speech almost immediately, choosing instead to give an appreciating look at the other assembled students.

Only the female ones of course, he wasn't interested in dudes.

'Yosh! All the girls here are very cute! My dream of romance will finally come true!' The brunette, now a 15 year old young man, thought with delight. With brown eyes, his brown hair kept short as always, he wore the school uniform: a dark purple blazer with white accents over a white, long-sleeved dress shirt with black highlights, a black ribbon on the collar and dark purple pants. However he personalized it by adding a black T-shirt underneath his open dress shirt and blazer and wearing white and red sneakers in place of dress shoes.

On his right hand was still visible the birthmark in the form of a black crescent moon he possessed since birth. Once, during a visit to a shrine, a priest commented that it most likely was a sign of divine blessing. Issei didn't care: if it wasn't something that could help him get the attention of girls, he wasn't interested.

After the assembly ended Issei, together with the other students, went to check the classroom assignments on the bulletin board in the atrium. Once he found his classroom he asked for directions to a passing teacher and quickly reach it.

Entering he gave a quick glance around. 'Some guys, but the majority are girls. Perfect!'

He just put his bag on the top of a free desk that someone called him. "Ise!"

Instantly recognizing the voice he turned around with a big smile. "Aika!"

The bespectacled girl grinned in her usual sly way. Like Issei she grew up a lot, but didn't change much in looks: her auburn hair were still tied into two braids to either side of her heads, her amber eyes looking proudly from behind a pair of pink glasses. She wore the female version of the school uniform: a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon on the collar and a magenta skirt with white accents. She forgone the inclusion of a black shoulder cape and button-down corset, opting instead to wear a red sweater jacket over the shirt.

They raised their fists and tapped their knuckles together. "We're in the same class. Is this fate?"

"Nope, it's God who is looking upon our sacred mission with approval!" Issei gave such a cheesy reply without an ounce of shame. "How it went so far?"

"Some interesting faces, but most of them are only mediocre." Aika raised a hand on her chin. "However I saw a pretty blond guy that seem to qualify, but I want to hold my judgment for now. You?"

"Do you even have to ask me? It's full of beauties!"

"This is true."

The other students started to give them fleeting glances, confused at the duo's interaction.

"But I'm surprised." Aika adjusted her glasses. "The requirements to enter Kuoh are pretty high. I'm a genius, so it was easy-" She shamelessly boasted. "But how did you do it?"

"With the true, proven method of hard work!" He put a closed hand on his chest. "I basically entered [zombie-mode] to do it! But if it means I won't be separated from you, I'm ready to endure anything!"

"Oh, that's so sweet." Aika grinned.

By now some arrived to the conclusion that the two were a couple.

Such a supposition couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Your dedication deserves a reward." Aika searched into her bag and took out a DVD case, which she handed over to Issei.

"[Beyond the Expanse of a Distant Era]?" Issei read the title and opened the case. "Sound cool. What does it speak of?"

Aika adopted a dreamy face. "It's the story of a young girl that, on the first day of a new school term, together with two classmates fall into an old well and end up in the Tokyo of the Heian Period. There it's discovered she's the miko of the Dragon God, tasked to defend Tokyo from the evil Oni clan with the help of eight handsome young me-"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Issei let go of the case and jumped back, pale from pure terror. "This is an Otome game!"

"Well, yes." She blinked, nonplussed. "Your hentai have big breasts, and mine have pretty boys. What's the matter?"

The other girls gasped at the bold declaration.

"The matter is that you can't just give them to me!" Issei produced a DVD case from his own bag. "If you want to give me a gift, it needs to be something like [this]!"

"[Breast Ultimate Showdown - Big Breasts VS Tiny Breasts]?" Aika took the case and read the title. "Wow, they're not even trying to be subtle anymore. And a turn based card battle at that. How's the gameplay?"

"Very simple, but there are a lot of heroines and scenes: I needed seven walkthroughs to finish the gallery."

"Too simple. Mine is a mix of visual novel, role-playing game and board game. Sadly there isn't a harem route, but I finished it with only eight tries!"

"Well, mine has better art!"

"Oh yeah? But does it have an onsen scene?"

"No?!"

"Yes!"

And so on. Now all the students, both male and female, are gaping at the two weirdos who are openly discussing about hentai games in a classroom. And if some guys have a nosebleed or a perverted smile, no one call them on it.

You see, there was nothing romantic and/or sexual between Hyodo Issei and Kiryuu Aika. Strange as it sounds, they were friends. Not just friends, but Best Friends Forever.

It just so happened that they were both shameless perverts. Issei dreamed to have a harem and liked big breasts, while Aika liked handsome boys and dreamed to marry the most good-looking guy ever. And they both supported the dreams of the other one, helping out as they can.

"You two." Hearing that both Aika and Issei stopped and turned to the speaker, a teacher that was glaring at them with barely restrained annoyance. "What do you think you are doing?"

They looked at each other, then at the cases in their hands and finally back at the teacher. "...Discussing hentai games?" They replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

A vain pop up on the teacher's forehead.

"DETENTION! FOR BOTH OF YOU!"

As the fuming teacher dragged them outside the classroom by the neck of their jackets, like it happens in manga, Issei asked Aika: "Do you think we screwed up?"

"Nah." She stuck out the tip of her tongue. "But we probably established a new record: detention on the first day, before the lessons even began."

"Cool. Maybe I can try for a [bad boy] imagine?"

"No, it doesn't suit you. Try for [rebel]."

"SHUT UP!" The teacher screamed.

Back in the classroom, a guy with a bald head and one with glasses secretly made plans to include what proved himself to be a fellow pervert into their little group. And maybe his girlfriend too.

That was the day that heralded the birth of the [Perverted Couple], soon followed by the [Perverted Duo].

Despite Issei and Aika' insistence that they weren't a couple, and the fruitless efforts of Matsuda and Motohama to created the [Perverted Four].

And, done! Slice of life, butterflies, that sort of thing. First time I wrote about characters who are little children (I'm not too good with them) so tell me if I made a blunder, I will correct it.

code R.R. : no, it's not Persona. I'm taking inspiration from fantasy card games for iOS such as Ayakashi Ghost Guild and Devil Maker Tokyo for this, but I will pretty much add my own original spin.

That's all for now. Remember that reviews, both good and bad, fuel my inspiration: the more you write, the more I will update ^^