Chivalry of a Hollow Cryo Dragon Devil Knight

by Gaevontracey24

Ayato Kurozakuro Sparda will enter the world of Devils and learn more about himself as Rias Gremory's Pawn & Stella Vermillion Gremory Phenex's Queen , along with his mysterious family past which allows him to wield a legendary demonic sword... and he's the next Red Dragon Emperor. Harem with Stella,Rias and Mio being the main girls.

10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"" - Talking

'' - Thinking

{} - Sparda

[] - Ddraig

…

Ayato recognised the dream the moment it started to play out in front of him; a silver haired woman and a blonde haired man had a sad smile as they lay in separate beds before him, bandaged up from the incident they'd been involved in. There was little chance of either surviving from the Kurozakuro incident but his crying six year old self was still wishing that they would recover as his father took hold of his hand softly as he spoke "Ayato-kun…I want you to never give up, no matter what"

"Protect those you care for as well…" His mother spoke up taking Ayato's other hand as the young boy nodded his head as she continued

"…Remember we'll always be with you in here and here" she moved her hand to press over where his heart was before moving up press against his forehead as his father spoke

"You're not alone…Kurono-chan & Haruka-chan and your friends are at your side"

"I-I know…but how can I…" Ayato spoke up with tears still falling freely down his cheeks

"If they are not lying then why can't you trust them" His mother asked in her soft tone as she looked at the elder of the pair

"People only want to be my friends to use me…" Ayato spoke before his eyes widening as his father spoke

"Irina-chan, Gen, Yoshimori, Broly…these are only a few people who genuinely care for you and didn't want to be friends to gain nothing aside from your friendship…do not let our arrogant Clan cloud all your views of the world"

"I'll try…" Ayato spoke up, wiping away the tears as he saw both smiling at them

"That Rias-chan & Stella-chan seem like nice girls and Asia-chan…" His mother started, Ayato blushing as she continued

"You should make them happy…I know you like them three as well as the others & you like seeing your Aunt Naked"

…

Ayato woke to the sound of the familiar voice, coming from close to him as he looked around for the source before stopping as he looked at Rias who was currently securely holding Ayatoo's right arm. His face turned red as his mind started up realising his crimson haired master was naked and his right hand was sandwiched between her thighs. He wasn't sure he could get out of this position without waking her and she did look too peaceful to disturb.

'Okaa-san, Otou-san…' He thought soberly remembering the dream as he turned towards Rias, placing his arm over her waist as he tried to get some more sleep only to fail as he noticed Rias' eyes flutter open a few moments later.

"Y-yeah, when I woke up it was like this. So I didn't want to disturb you…"

"I'm sorry. I felt like sleeping while using you as my hugging pillow. I came in after you went to sleep." Rias replied before hugging him even stronger as she rubbed her face against his sleep shirt as she added

"What should we do? It might be wonderful to stay like this until it's time to wake up... Maybe doing something a little bit naughty would be a good way to communicate with my adorable servant." She kissed Ayato's cheek, his blush darkening as he pushed his erotic thoughts away as he replied

"Umm Buchou... We've got training with Stella soon…"

"True…Do you feel like doing some special training?" Rias whispered in his ear with a naughty voice, Ayato aware of her hold growing stronger again as she added

Someone knocked on Ayato's door, the teen welcoming the distraction before they called out "Ayato-san. It's almost time for morning training!"

'Out of the frying pan and into the fire' Ayato thought as Asia called out again

"Ayato-san? Are you still sleeping?"

"No, I'm awake… Can you wait downstairs!?" Ayato called out, figuring it was better for the blonde to not see what was going on at the moment with her rivalry with Rias & Stella, although he was glad it wasn't a serious fight considering they got along most of the time.

Asia, who looked really mad, shakes her body before putting her hand on her clothes, Ayato arching an eyebrow in confusion over what she was doing as she spoke

"I will also get naked! I don't want to be left out!"

"Asia!?" Ayato spoke shocked as she rushed over to the pair, his face practically glowing bright red.

…

"Itadakimasu" The Five spoke, Ayato sat between Rias,Asia & while Kurono and Haruka seemed amused from where she sat on the other side of the table with Stella.

"Any luck…?" Ayato asked, not wanting to think back to his morning experience with the two bishoujos. Kurono and Haruka had been on about looking through his parents' old things for something that could help keep his Hollow powers in check

"A few things hinting to a badge that could channel it but we haven't found it yet" Kurono replied. Rias was listening with intrigue having done a lot of research in the few days since she moved in. Kurono taking a bite of some of the food Rias made before speaking "Hmmmm, so Rias-san can make delicious Japanese food as well"

"Thank you, Kurono-obasan. I have already been living in Japan for a while, so I learned quite a bit of cooking." Ayato was happy that the high class devil was used to doing everything that most normal people did everyday as he took his time to enjoy the food before him

"Oh that's right. Ayato, today the club members are coming here." Rias told him, Ayato nodding understandingly as he remembered her explaining that it needed to be cleaned as he asked

"Are we doing something here?"

"Yes. I'm thinking about doing club activities here. Remember, I said it before. It's about time to clean the whole old school building." Rias explained to Kurono, although the young woman knew that they were devils but didn't know what they did during club activities although from the glint in Kurono's eye, Ayato could tell that she was planning something to embarrass him.

"I'm very sorry Kurono-obasan and Haruka "

"That's alright Rias-san. We're happy that Ayato has more girl friends…" Kurono replied with a teasing smile as Ayato's eye twitched as he wondered what she was planning as Rias spoke up again

"So we will have the activity here today. Please take care of us, Ayato"

…

"Let's get to it, shall we?! Today's seventh battle will now begin!

"From the blue gate, we have the man who defeated former Seven Stars representative Shizuya Kirihara in his very first match in five years!

Prestigious Kurozakuro Royal Family Prince, the genius who made an impact in the whole country as the Dragon Child in his childhood.

The moment he shone as the world champion in the U-12 (Elementary level) International Tournament , anybody would have thought so!

Great Hero, Ryouma Kurogane's rightful successor has been born right there!

However!

As the surrounding is still indulged in excitement, the genius has gotten sick of it!

He is hopelessly sick of the League's rule of not allowing real blades in battles !

He has been seeking! A real battle!

A fight with life on the line! Aiming for a higher goal!

As such, he disappeared from our sights!

Every person grieved over this loss! But!

This genius has returned to Japan!

Possessing overwhelming and unorthodox strength to the point of blurring that figure of his within our memories!

He's on a perfect eight-win streak, and he hasn't gotten so much as a single scratch since his first battle in a while!

But now, he faces a new opponent, ready and raring to bring down the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor once and for all!

It's the first-year A Rank,The Cryo Gale Sword Emperor, Ayato Kurozakuro!

With his long spiky silver hair and the school sweater of the uniform swaying, step by step, Ayato shortened the distance between him and Renren.

The audiences at their seats swallowed their breaths at his appearance.

...I-Incredible...

He hasn't changed...what pressure...!

Even though he was just walking, they felt like his sword pressure was splitting their skin from just a touch.

That pressure felt just like an unsheathed katana.

"From the red gate, a member of Hagun's student council and a favorite for this year's Seven Stars! It's the second-year Rank C, Runner's High, Renren Tomaru!

Just like Kurozakuro, she's undefeated with eight wins, but unlike him, she was ranked third among the entire school last year!

Will the third-strongest student knight among us show off her incredible strength today, or will the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor betray our expectations yet again and use his overwhelming power & martial arts to defeat her magical power?!

Ms. Yanagida is here on analysis!

What are your thoughts, ma'am?!"

"I fell asleep, what were you saying?"

"Thank you for the insight! Let the battle… begin!"

The buzzer sounded, sending a surge of excitement through the crowd. They cheered for the two knights standing in the arena: Ayato Kurozakuro, a Silver-haired boy wielding a Device much like a Nodachi, and Renren Tomaru, a girl equipped with brass knuckles.

"Heya, Kurozakuro. I saw your battle with The Hunter! It was super exciting!" Though the start of the battle had already been announced, Renren merely danced around and spoke affably to Ayato. Her skin was tanned a light brown, adding to her healthy, lively appearance.

"Thank you," Ayato said, letting a smile slip at her friendliness. "It's an honor to receive such high praise from the third-strongest student in the school."

"Aw, shucks, don't be like that. We're the same age, so you can relax, 'kay? Anyway, I've been wondering: If you're such a strong fighter, why'd you flunk?"

"Haha. Well, y'know, things happened."

"Huh. Whatever those 'things' are, it's a crying shame. It'd be really fun to have someone like you in the same grade as me."

"What about Saijou? He's only one place below you."

"Ugh, not him. Not even close. He's all brute force; with the way he swings his sword in circles like that, he might as well be a ceiling fan. But come to think of it, maybe you're the same as him. If you had so much trouble against The Hunter, then you definitely can't beat me." Tomaru's smile became a fierce grin.

"I'll show you how the third-best fights!" She instantly disappeared from Ayato's sight. Was it a stealth-based skill like Area Invisible? No. He could hear the sounds of footsteps tracing the edge of the arena. Something was moving with incredible speed. When he focused, he could just barely see the afterimages. Renren didn't vanish into thin air, of course, she was just moving so fast that she seemed to vanish. That in itself was Renren Tomaru's Noble Art.

"It's Mach Greed! Tomaru is already giving it her all!" The trick behind her ability was the accumulation of velocity. By removing all sources of deceleration from her body, she could accelerate endlessly.

"I did some research on you, but wow. You're faster than I expected."

"Way different from how it looks on camera, right?"

"Yeah. I can't even keep up. Hey, were you talking at the start of the match because you needed to build up speed by moving around?"

"Correct! My biggest weakness is the initial velocity, so I built up to about three hundred miles per hour while I was moving around before. But three hundred is just the start—my Mach Greed really struts its stuff after I break the sound barrier!"

Tomaru continued to run around the ring, even running on the walls that surrounded it. The basic laws of physics seemed to be ignored—rewritten, even —by the principle behind her ability as she accelerated. Five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred… eight hundred miles per hour! She broke the sound barrier and entered the realm of supersonic speed, moving far faster than the human eye could process.

"Get it? I don't just disappear like The Hunter does! On top of being invisible, I'm impossible to catch! Since you had so much trouble dealing with just the vanishing act, you can't even think about beating me!"

"Hmm. So if I can catch you, will you surrender?"

"Haha! Sure, if you can! Too bad you'll never be able to! Sorry, Kurozakuro, but you're not making it to the Seven Stars. Not after you get a load of my supersonic strike!"

Once Tomaru had become fast enough that even Ayato's superhuman vision couldn't keep up, she moved behind him and prepared to convert all of her speed into a single, match-winning punch.

"Black Bird!"

Having broken even Mach 2, Tomaru generated a sonic boom as she lunged toward him from behind. An invisible attack moving at an impossible speed was sure to finish him. He wouldn't be able to block it, let alone avoid it. Hell, he wouldn't even be able to react to it. Her victory was assured.

"What an idiot," a silver-haired girl sighed contemptuously from within the audience. Shizuku Kurogane, a girl so beautiful that she could be mistaken for a porcelain doll, Ayato's little sister, and a Rank B knight, had earned the nickname Lorelei through her reputation of winning by drowning her foes.

"Big Brother wasn't struggling against that trash just because he couldn't see him."

Of course, Shizuku didn't speak loud enough for Tomaru to hear her. Tomaru realized it quickly enough anyway, though.

Chasing you around will quickly bore me, so I propose we set a time limit. Cut her off, Mukuu Samui Kekkai.

As he spoke that incantation, Ayato's magic took form. The Blue green glow that enveloped Ryuuzetsu suddenly intensified, and violent ice winds began rampaging across the battlefield.

"Kh!" The Ice gales, which kicked up so much sand that Renren couldn't even open her eyes, spiraled as they rose into the day , trying not to be pulled up along with them, dug all ten of his digits into the earth.

Ngh, an ice smokescreen?!

The Ice sand storm created by Ayato's Noble Art had robbed him of her sight and ability to act. She was impressed by how effective the technique was, but immediately realized that such a way of thinking was horribly naïve. As someone who sought power and Technique, Ayato would never use a technique to hinder his foe; Mukuu Samui Kekkai was sure to have some sort of terrifying direct effect.

Mukuu Samui Kekkai had a more terrifying, more direct ability, and that was—

"This…!" I can't… breathe! —the forced removal of oxygen. The updraft Ayato had created was robbing the battlefield of it, drawing it up high into the sky, denying Renren the luxury of time.

After using that Ice Sandstorm, She witnessed the unthinkable: in an instant that seemed like an eternity, someone was staring straight at her. It was Ayato—his eyes were digging into her very soul!

N-No way! How was he able to react?!

The very next moment, he disappeared from the path of her supersonic fist, sending it—and her—sailing through the air, right past her target. . Ayato then slowly moved into an attacking stance. He raised his arms such that his sword was horizontal. In the next moment, Ryuuzetsu unleashed its harshest glow yet and became surrounded with ice wind. The ice wind seemed to suck in the very space and time around it, rolling and raging as it devoured the air and Moisture. It was then shaped into an ethereal blade, forged by ice gales folded countless times over. A Cryo wind tornado sword that could sever all of creation, Ayato was using the Noble Art that had felled both the Crimson Flaming Princess and the Hunter. "Kori Kusanagi, the blade that severs the full ice moon.

"Gah!" The force of the Noble art knocked the wind out of her, and before she could catch her breath The Noble Art was slicing and engulfing her whole.

"Looks like I will win."

What happened? How did he catch me? Tomaru was flabbergasted. The only thing she knew was that she had lost.

Interrupting Tomaru's Mach Greed meant all of the velocity she'd accumulated went away. She required perpetual motion for her ability to continue working, but she wouldn't get the opportunity to start accelerating again. Not against this samurai. Coming to that realization, she nodded vaguely and surrendered to Ayato.

"And it's over! What an abrupt conclusion! Ayato Kurozakuro has defeated the third-strongest student in the school, the Runner's High, marking his ninth consecutive victory! This could end up being the first time that a Generation has ever represented our school at the Seven Stars!"

"Whoa, for real?!"

"Not even Tomaru could touch him."

"What's with that Rank A?! How did a monster like him flunk?!"

"S-So cool…"

"That's Ayato for you. Another easy victory." From among the cheering of the host and crowd, the tall, handsome woman standing next to Shizuku, Nagi Alisuin, applauded. "He didn't even have to use Ittou Shura."

"Of course he didn't, Alice. Big Brother didn't have trouble with The Hunter because he couldn't see him; it was the full stealth and long-range attacks with his bow that were the problem.

No matter how fast or unseeable you are, if you step into the range of his world-class swordplay & magic, you're not gonna make it out unscathed."

A swordsman as skilled & powerful as Ayato might as well have a barrier around him, created by his sword. Anyone who stepped within his range, be they visible, invisible, fast, or slow, would be noticed by his sixth sense, and he'd react in the blink of an eye. That was Tomaru's fatal mistake.

"Good work out there, Ayato." A red-haired girl praised him as he left the arena through the blue gate.

"Hard to call that battle 'work'. I just dislocated my arm a little, is all. Oh, but good luck to you, Stella.

"Let's keep up the hype and get to today's eighth match! The girl entering the ring now is Rank A whose hair is as red-hot as her personality! It's the Crimson Princess, Stella Vermillion! Just like the Man she lives with , the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor, she's on an uninterrupted eight-win streak! Every single one of her opponents so far has surrendered instead of fighting her, too! Not only is she untouchable, but she hasn't even had to lift a finger! She's the superstar rookie who wins through sheer intimidation! But todaaaaay, her foe is one heck of a buffalo!"

Entering from the red gate, taking Tomaru's place, was a giant of a man with a long coat and a shaved head.

"He's the fourth-strongest student in all of Hagun Academy! They call him The Destroyer; it's Rank C Ikazuchi Saijouuu! His long uniform flutters in the wind as he stands coolly in front of Vermillion! I don't see a hint of nervousness in him like I did in her previous opponents—just the hard glare of a man who's ready to take what's his! The Hagun newspaper told us that 'young Japanese men don't run away', and boy, is this one eager to win! Is it finally time for us to see the Crimson Flaming Princess fight?! The fighters have materialized their Devices... and there's the buzzeeeeer!

"Ooooooough!"

"Whoooa! Saijou is spinning his Device, Zanbatou, above his head! It's moving so much air that I can hear and even feel the roar from all the way up here in the announcer's seat!"

"Is it possible that you know the truth behind my ability, Princess?" he asked Stella, still spinning his blade.

"I don't. Unlike Ayato, I don't bother to study my foes before a fight."

"Hah! You're different from any other famous A Rank like Kurozakuro; there's simply no room in your brain for a Rank C like myself."

"It's not like I came here unprepared. At the end of the day, this battle and the Seven Stars are just trials I have to tackle to become a more powerful Mage Knight.

When terrorist Blazers attack, I won't be able to study what they can do, so I just have to be strong enough to win against even the unknown unknowns."

"So you go in blind to foster that state of mind, huh? Your willpower is admirable, for a first-year student. This time, however, it'll be your downfall!"

The air boomed as Saijou pointed Zanbato at Stella. His blade, even larger and more imposing than Stella's golden Lævateinn, was coated in magic, it's supernatural powers already activated.

"My ability is the accumulation of slashing power! The more I spin my weapon, the heavier it gets! It can grow denser and denser until it reaches ten tons! Charging into battle against an ability like mine was a fatal mistake!" Saijou swung Zanbato down toward Stella as he roared, "Crescendo Axe!"

The accumulation of slashing power—Saijou certainly wasn't lying. His slash would rend the very earth in two.

"If your sword is so heavy, then all I have to do is dodge it." That was the reason he couldn't beat Renren Tomaru. Crescendo Axe probably had the most power of any single strike out there, but such a large sword couldn't be swung very fast. To a speed demon like Tomaru, beating him would be child's play. Stella may not have been as fast as Tomaru, but she didn't need to be. She could evade a slash from that thing with her eyes closed. "But I'll take the blow!"

"Whaaat?!" The deafening clang of metal on metal rang out as Saijou's Crescendo Axe swing met Stella's Lævateinn. But they didn't just meet—Stella put all of her strength into her sword and pushed Zanbatou away.

"I-Impossible!" Saijou was shocked beyond belief at the fact that he had lost in a battle of pure force. He wasn't present during Stella's mock battle with Ayato Kurozakuro,only having seen blurry videos taken by people who couldn't even keep their cameras steady, so how could he have known that Stella had the power to shake the earth with her own strike?

"Remember this, Saijou." She parried Saijou's sword and grabbed his now exposed collar. With a cruel grin, she spoke,

"Strength, ability, cheap tricks—I'll face them all head-on and win. I'm A Rank because I can win." Flames exploded from Stella's hand, tearing Saijou's collar and tossing him ten yards into the air before he fell back down into the arena. Covered in soot and not moving, he had clearly been knocked unconscious by the point-blank explosion.

"This duel is over! Our winner is Stella Vermillion!" The referee judged the situation in a jiffy and declared the winner.

"She's done it again! Saijou came at her with daring resolution, but he didn't stand a chance against the Crimson Flaming Princess! This is what world-class, top-tier power looks like! These firstyears are just too strong for us, folks! These girls may just be able to bring Hagun Academy the glory of the Seven Stars King!"

Showered in cheers from both the host and the audience, Stella walked leisurely out of the arena. Lush greenery had filled the campus as summer began, about a month since the start of the Seven Stars Battle Festival selection battles. The Cryo Gale Sword Emperor, Ayato Kurozakuro; the Crimson Flaming Princess, Stella Vermillion; and Lorelei, Shizuku Kurogane Sparda. All three were famous throughout the school for their perfect nine win streaks.

"Congratulations, Big Brother! "

Ayato felt a soft impact on his waist as soon as he departed the fifth training field. He looked down to see himself reflected in his little sister's jade eyes. Waiting behind her was Alice.

"Thanks, Shizuku. But try not to hug me with so many people around, okay? It's kinda embarrassing."

"Okay. But you're so cute when you're embarrassed, Big Brother."

"Alice, quick question. Lately, my little sister doesn't seem to listen to me. Do you think it's because we haven't worked on our communication in eight years?"

"Teehee. That may have something to do with it."

"Aaargh! Shizuku, you're hugging Ayato again?!" Ayato, still stuck in Shizuku's embrace, heard an angry voice coming from behind. It was, of course, Stella, who had left the training field after him. Shizuku's face turned from sweet to sour the moment she caught a glimpse of Stella.

"Why are you making such a fuss?" she asked. "Adults should know not to scream at random."

"I'm making a fuss because you're doing weird things to Ayato!" Stella shouted.

"'Weird'? I don't know the meaning of that word. I'm just being nice to my brother. Right, Big Brother? We're just such loving siblings, aren't we?"

"S-Sure." Ayato didn't know how else to respond. "But I think you're a little too close. Could you back off a bit, please?"

"See? He said 'sure'." Shizuku had completely cherry-picked Ayato's reply.

"He said more than just that! You can't just ignore the parts you don't like!"

"Come now, I have no idea what you're talking about. Besides, think about it like this: I may be clinging to my big brother, but it's not like I'm clinging that tightly. And even if I were clinging to him as hard as I could, such a strong boy could just push me away like it was nothing. So, if my big brother doesn't want me clinging to him, wouldn't he be pushing me away right now?"

Shizuku put on her best teary-eyed puppy-dog face and continued, "You wouldn't push your doting little sister away, though, would you, Big Brother?"

"N-No, I guess I wouldn't." Ayato couldn't just push her away like that.

"Ayatooo!" Stella whispered in protest.

"It's not my fault! I can't say no to that face!" he replied.

"Do you get it now?" Shizuku asked, interrupting their quiet discussion.

"This is consensual brother-sister affection. I think outsiders should keep their mouths shut, Stella."

"I-I'm not an outsider!"

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"W-Well…"

"Don't give me any of that 'servant' nonsense. It would be absurd for a servant to complain about every little thing her master's little sister does. For example, the people of your country are essentially your parents' servants; does that make them your servants, too? Of course it doesn't.

But I bet they're oh-so-courteous to you. Do all Vermillions only think logically when it's convenient?"

"No… Rgh!" Stella seemed to want to retort Shizuku's violent assault, but she stopped herself.

Ayato Knew what she wanted to say: their relationship had changed on that night one month ago. More than mere roommates, they were a couple.

Stella was a princess, however; they could hardly go around telling anyone and everyone about it. Ayato knew that as well, so he agreed to keep it a secret between them .

But any woman could hardly bear to stand and watch her lover's little sister—a sister that loved him as more than just a brother—clinging to him like that. Stella was no exception, but all she could do was watch in silence. Shizuku shot a bored glance at her.

"Spoilsport."

"You say something, Shizuku?"

"Nothing, Big Brother. Sorry. Let's get going."

"Ugh." Stella glared at Ayato spitefully as Shizuku started to drag him away. He could see tiny tears forming in the corner of her eyes. It was kind of cute. "Uuuugh! Grrrrr!" Is she growling?!

"H-Hey, Shizuku. Maybe we shouldn't be walking around school arm-in-arm like this. I mean, we're high schoolers."

Realizing the danger he was in, Ayato started to pull himself away from his sister. "Okay," she said disappointedly and released him. "I don't want my big brother to hate me, after all."

"C'mon, Shizuku. I couldn't hate you." He could deny that easily; who could hate such a loving little sister? No matter what, he would always love her. Shizuku smiled, a little embarrassed.

"Thank you, Big Brother. But…" she started to whisper, loud enough for only Ayato to hear.

"If you're too gentle, you might never be able to make the next step." Ayato could tell that Shizuku had already seen through their ruse. Never make the next step, huh? Maybe that was true, after all.

In the month since he and Stella had started dating, their relationship hadn't progressed at all. In fact, it almost seemed to have deteriorated. They were secret lovers, after all, so Ayato had to be more conscious than ever of his interactions with Stella.

He wanted to be closer to her, to feel her, and he was ready to take that next step. However, due to his lack of relationship experience, he never knew when to broach the subject, much less how. What would I even say? Should I sit her down for a heart-to-heart? Or should I just bring it up casually and act like it's no big deal? I have no idea what to do. To make matters worse, Stella was equally hopeless.

The two of them were up a creek without a paddle, and their canoe wasn't going to last long. Maybe Shizuku was right.

As a man, I should be more proactive. But what if I come on too strong and push Stella away? That thought always kept him away from being aggressive, and as a result, Ayato and Stella hadn't so much as touched each other that whole month. Ugh. I'd at least like to kiss her sometime soon. They were dating, but the distance between them seemed greater than ever before.

"And this is a picture of Ayato when he was in primary school League tournaments." Haruka spoke, holding on of the photo albums

"Ara ara. So he won The U-12 World Tournament at such a young age."

"Hey Akeno-san! Onee-san!?What are you showing her!?" Ayato shouted annoyed, his face red as he wondered what had happened to club activity after his ninth win in the Selection Tournaments.

"...Ayato-senpai's embarrassing past"

"You also can't look, Koneko-san!" Ayato spoke as he looked over the first year's shoulder to see her looking at a photo of him in fancy dress as a knight.

"...Small Ayato." Rias & Stella and Mio mumbled as they stared at a picture of when he was a child, Their cheeks red as They continued

"...Ayato when he was a child...Ayato when he was a child...Ayato when he was a child...Ayato when he was a child..."

.

"I think I know how Buchou-san & Stella-san feel!" Asia grabbed both Rias & Stella's hand as she spoke, her eyes sparkling as Rias spoke up

"So you also know how we feel. I'm so happy."

Even Yuuto was looking at the album with a smile, Ayato sighing as he just gave up trying to stop them, his eyes turning surprise as he turned to the next page

"Do you remember this?" Yuuto asked, turning the album so Ayato could see the picture of a young version of himself and a silver haired girl who could easily be mistaken for a boy with her short hair.

"Really…?" Ayato spoke surprised, looking over the picture again as he heard the television being turned on. He turned to see that his Auntie had put in the recording of when his band had taken part in the school talent show. The song they were performing was 'All My Best Friends Are Metalheads by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones'. He was only thirteen and was standing at the front with an electric guitar along with his three friends, Gen who was playing a bass guitar, Yoshimori who was on another electric guitar and Broly who was playing the drums.

"Auntie, did you have to find this out?" Ayato shouted to his Aunt who smiled at him as she went back to speaking to Akeno over the pictures.

"…I didn't know you were so musical" Koneko spoke up as she turned her gaze to the TV which was soon followed as the others took notice of the added music into the living room, recognising Ayato's voice singing the lead.

"We broke up after Gen, the blonde boy with the bass guitar, had to move away with his mother…" Ayato spoke with a reminiscent smile as Kurono spoke up

"You won that as well for that song didn't you…?"

"Yeah…" Ayato replied, embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head.

"You surprise us more each time, Ayato" Rias spoke up, watching Ayato easily seeming to handle playing and singing as his spiky silver hair swayed as he moved in the video.

…

After he'd dusted off his electric guitar and demonstrated a bit of his old skills with it, at Rias' insistence, the group had settled down to deal with there club activity for the day with Shizuku & Alice, Kurono heading out for her day off with some friends as Ayato looked confused at the others as he asked

"A familiar…?"

Rias nodded with a smile as she explained "Yes, a familiar. You and Asia still don't have one."

Suddenly a red bat appeared on Rias' palm after making a sound, Ayato jumping slightly at the surprise appearance as she spoke

"This is my familiar."

Ayato noted that it had a noble atmosphere with it that seemed like Rias & Stella

"This one here is mine." The thing Akeno summoned was something which looked like a palm-size Oni

"….This is Shiro." Koneko spoke as she hugged a white kitten which Ayato and Asia both found cute.

"Oh…Mine is Kojirou" Yuuto smiled slightly, a small white bird appearing on his shoulder. Ayato quickly noticed that Rias' bat was flying over his head.

"Familiar is basic for devils. They could help their masters. They could be used for information transmission. They could be used for persisting. You and Asia also need one since it can be used for adapting to certain situations."

Rias says while She & Stella was patting Ayato's cheeks before a magic circle appeared on the floor on the room as Akeno reported

"Buchou, preparation is set."

Rias then looked at the pair with a smile as she spoke "Now, let's go and capture your familiars."

…

When the glow for the transport magic circle stopped, the group was in an unfamiliar forest.

"In this forest there are many familiar devil users living here. Today, I will have Ayato and Asia get their familiars here."

'The Forest of Familiars' Ayato thought as he looked around in amazement as the giant trees that were growing around them, his ears picking up the faint noise of flapping wings as he looked up only to find a large freezing orange Dragon dive towards him with its talons out.

"WSHH!" Ayato shouted in surprise as he was snatched up by the large bird, Akeno and Rias quick to fly up after him only for the large dragon to disappear in a bright blaze of light both covering their eyes to avoid being blinded before gasping in surprise as Rias spoke

"A Dragon…just took Ayato"

"But why…?" Akeno thought aloud as they looked around for any sign before flying back down to wait for their guide to come and lead them to where the bird could've gone.

…

"I have been waiting for a kind soul like you" The Dragon spoke as it dropped Ayato into the large nest it had at the top of a nearby mountain, Ayato quickly adopting a fighting stance before faltering as he remembered what it had just said to him.

"Wait…you've been waiting for me…Why?" Ayato asked surprised as a large brown eye seemed to focus on him as it nodded and explained.

"I wanted to find a suitable devil for my daughter"

{A Ice Dragon would be a strong familiar…based with ice type powers as well as healing skills}

Sparda spoke up, making Ayato think it was ironic that he would have another legendary Dragon become his familiar after he'd defeated Raiser whose powers were based off of the phoenix.

"I'll gladly accept her if you think I'm suitable" Ayato spoke with a half bow, looking up to see the Dragon pick up the icey red golf ball sized egg from out of some of the twigs and leaves that made the nest with its mouth before moving to place it into his cupped hands.

[I'll help you with channelling your energy] Ddraig spoke, Ayato summoning his gauntlet before placing the egg onto it as Ddraig helped him put his demonic energy into it at a steady level. After a minute or so the red purple egg glowed brighter and started to grow and change till it was about a eight inches tall scaly blue & strong body dragon which roared happily as it flew up to sit on his shoulder rubbing its face against Ayato's cheek as he heard the Dragon spoke

"I would like to name her if it's isn't too much trouble"

"Of course not…" Ayato spoke with a smile, gently rubbing a finger through the wings of the baby as its parent spoke up in response

"Orihime…Do you find this name suitable for Sekiryuutei?"

"I do like that…Orihime…" Ayato spoke, the baby Dragon roaring happily as it flew to land before him before glowing as if on ice as she started to change form, growing till she was about five foot two with long flowing orange hair which reached her waist, brown friendly eyes and a buxom nude figure which caused Ayato to blush as she hugged onto him as she spoke

"Master…! Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…Orihime…Can you just call me Ayato?" Ayato asked as she looked up to him, nodding with a happy smile.

"Yes Yukio-sama"

The Dragon chuckled at Ayato's embarrassed face, who spoke up to Orihime "We best get back to Buchou,Stella and the others before they worry…and return to your animal form please"

"Yes Ayato-sama" Orihime spoke as she glowed Red purple before returning to her dragon form, sitting down on his shoulder as she nuzzled the side of his face with her own as Ayatp's blush fading as he bowed to the Dragon again

"I will take good care of her" The Phoenix bowed as well as it spoke up

"I am sorry to have whisked you away from your friends…I will teleport you back right now"

"Thank you" Ayato spoke, finding a ring of cold wind around his feet as a portal activated.

…

(The Next Day)

When they entered the room, the other members were already there along with others who didn't belong to the club

"Ay?" Ayato heard turning his head to see the lone guy amongst the other group, Ayato's eyes widening at not hearing that nickname since the band split up as he asked in a surprised tone

"Gen…? How the hell have I not seen you around campus before now?" the silver haired teen walked over to shake hands with him, Saji chuckling as he scratched the back of his head as he answered "I've been busy with the council you know…I would've found you sooner if I knew you were here"

The two groups looked surprised as Saji decided to ask "So how did the band go since I moved…?"

"We had to break up…you know, we just couldn't replace you"

"Saji" The voice drew both teen's attention to one of the Student Council Presidents who was sitting on the sofa, a slightly surprised look on her face

"Sorry Kaichou…It's been a while since we caught up" Saji replied embarrassed as he smiled which caused Ayato to slyly smile at his friend.

"Seito-kaichou" Ayato greeted with a nod, well aware of who was sitting there, Shitori Souna otherwise known as the third most popular girl of the school. She had a scary atmosphere that wouldn't let anyone come near her, it's also because she had the eyes of a strict person, but she is also quite the beauty. She's more popular amongst female students than male students, and she may be more popular than Rias,Stella & Akeno with girls.

"It's a shame that Rias-senpai didn't tell you about us, we could've met up before now." Saji spoke with a friendly smile as Ayato looked curious over what he meant.

"Saji, it can't be helped because we are not supposed to contact each other at normal times. Also it hasn't been that long since he became a devil. Hosomaki-kun is responding like he is supposed to." Souna spoke calmly, Ayato Understanding now that his old friend was a devil like himself.

Akeno then started to explain to him "The Kaichou, Shitori Souna-sama's real name is Sona Sitri. She's a top-class devil who is the next heir of the house of Sitri. The house of Sitri is one of the 72 pillars that survived the Great War just like the house of Gremory and the house of Phenex. This school is actually controlled by the house of Gremory, but at day time it is the student council…in other words the house of Sitri is in control. The time of being in charge is split between day-time and night-time."

Saji then spoke up in a joking tone "You guys are getting peaceful school life because Kaichou and us, the devil servants of Sitri, are working at daytime…I'm Kaichou's Pawn just so you know"

"Wow…so you're a "Pawn" like me, Gen" Ayato spoke up as Saji nodded as he spoke

"Too bad there aren't more of us…we could try and start the band up…"

"That's assuming you haven't got sloppy with your playing, '' Ayato joked, closing one eye as he looked at Saji.

"I took four Pawns pieces, how about you…?"

"Eight mutations & one Mutation Queen…"

"Damn you… you were always more popular then I was" Saji spoke with a sigh as Ayato shrugged his shoulders as Souna spoke up

"The reason we came here is to introduce our new servants amongst fellow top-class devils where we both have this school as our base. In other words, it is a meeting to introduce you and Rias & Stella's servants, Hosomaki-kun and Asia-san."

"Saji, you should know that your friend was the one who defeated the third son of the house of Phenex as well" Sona added, Saji looking surprised at Ayato before starting to laugh

"So the hero strikes again…eh, Ay" Ayato sighed, as he was reminded of some of the things he'd done when he was younger, noticing the curious looks as Saji added

"Saving cats from trees gets boring for you or something anyway… Please get along with me Argento-san" Saji spoke as he bowed his head down at her, Asia smiling as she replied

"Yes. Let's get along."

"I didn't think this would happen" Rias spoke up as she watched Ayato and Saji joke around, Souna & Stella nodding as she looked at them before Saji spoke up

"We'll have to meet up to jam for a bit" Ayato Nodding in agreement as the girls grew curious of what they would play before their attention was drawn back to Souna who spoke, after sipping her tea

"I love this school. I also think that the work of the student council is worth the effort. That's why I will not forgive those that ruin the peaceful life of this school. Whether they are human or devils. That applies to you, the people in here, and also Rias & Stella."

Ayato understood immediately that those words were directed to the new devils being him, Asia and Saji. In other words she will not forgive anyone that ruins the school life. So she loves this school, Hagun Academy, that much. No wonder she is one of the kaichous.

"I think this is enough for introducing our rookies. Then we will pardon ourselves now. There's also a match which I want to finish during lunch time."

Souna spoke as she got up and tried to leave.

"Sona Sitri-sama. I will be in your care from now."Ayato spoke with a bow, Asia quick to follow as she spoke up

"Y…yes! Please take care of us!"

"Yes, let's get along." She replied and smiled at them.

"Rias, I will be looking forward to the Rest of the " Selection Matches." She added to Buchou with a smile, before she left the room.

…

"Oh, look."

"It's the Crimson Flaming Princess! Lorelei and the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor are with her, too."

"Man, those three really are larger than life, huh?"

"Don't act like you know anything about them. You're right about the girls, but the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor is just a Rank A who got lucky a few times."

"You don't honestly still believe that, do you?"

"Didn't you hear? Vermillion and Kurozakuro fought the fourth-and third-best students in the school today. Y'know, those student council guys? And get this: they both won."

"Seriously? Then the only ones left above them are the Blutrote Dame and one of the student council pres, right?"

"Those two are the strongest in the school, no contest. Still, the Crimson Flaming Princess and the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor have come this far already, so they're shoo-ins for the Seven Stars unless they get crap luck. Lorelei is on a nine-win streak too."

"This year's new kids are something else, huh? That tall guy with Lorelei is a first-year too, right? He's pretty tough."

"Don't call her 'that guy'! Do you even know Lady Nagi's nickname?! She's the Black Rose! Have you ever heard a cooler name than that?!"

"Yeah, that's right! I can't believe you'd call her 'that guy'! What's wrong with you?!"

"O-Oh, sorry."

"There are so many promising knights this year, even if they're all newbies. Maybe this is the year we take the Seven Stars!" The four of them could feel countless stares on them as they walked down the path between the fifth training field and the main school building.

It was pretty normal for them to be noticed, though; the list of potential candidates kept getting smaller, yet they were all undefeated in the month since the start of the selection battles. Of them, the one getting the most attention was Ayato.

Beginning with The Hunter, the Cryo Gale Sword Emperor brushed off insurmountable odds in every single battle, his forward charge sending shockwaves throughout the entirety of Hagun Academy.

At first, the students thought the sight of his victory was so unrealistic that they had trouble accepting it as the truth, but after he'd racked up nine wins, they could no longer deny it. Those who had called him a Failure who never had a chance a mere month ago were forced to change their tune.

Nearly every knight recognized his incredible overwhelming and unorthodox strength, even if they were bewildered by it. Many of them even believed he could make it to the very top. Taking note of this, Stella chuckled.

"Hehe. Good to see that those idiots finally recognize Ayato's strength."

"But of course. My big brother is the loveliest man in all the world. It's honestly appalling how long it took them to see it, but a lot has changed in the past month. So many people are coming to his lunchtime lectures now."

"You've got that right. I still can't believe that even some third-years showed up."Ayato's lunchtime lectures were a result of his classmates constantly begging him for martial arts lessons. He agreed, but it wasn't just swordsmanship he taught them. He also showed them how to handle shortswords, lances, and even bows.

Being well-versed in all sorts of martial arts after teaching himself how to use every weapon imaginable—all for the sake of predicting his enemies' actions— it was a class that only Ayato himself could teach. He knew that the only weapon he'd mastered was the sword, however, and since his students weren't quite ready to learn advanced techniques to begin with, his lectures only covered the basics of the basics.

The lectures started off with only a few of his classmates, but as Ayato became more popular, Hagun's students seemed to be swept up in some sort of martial arts fever. It became more than just his classmates; students from every year started coming to watch him.

He had thought things would die down if he left them alone, but onlookers had been flooding in for a week, and the situation didn't seem to show any signs of improving. With the way things were progressing, he couldn't keep ignoring it. It was such a major change that it was hard to believe only a month had passed

"But that's not even the biggest change these days," Ayato told them.

"What would you say it is, then, Big Brother?"

"Well, I think I have some sort of stalker."

"Whaaaat?!" Stella and Shizuku both screamed hysterically.

"A-A-A stalker?! You mean like those guys who follow you around all day, go into your room uninvited, and send you razors in the mail?!"

Stella was shocked, but Shizuku didn't miss the chance to correct her.

"Stalkers only put the razor blade in the mail, Stella. Nobody would put the whole thing in there."

"Maybe they're trying to help you with your hygiene," Alice joked.

"Quite the kind stalker."

"Jeez, shut up, will you?! They just forgot to take the blade out, okay?!" Stella couldn't hide her embarrassment.

"Whatever, that doesn't even matter right now!"

"You're right. Big Brother, could you tell us more?"

"I first noticed it about a week ago," Ayato began.

"Ever since then, I've had this feeling like someone's staring at me from behind, day in and day out. I bet you've noticed it, too, Alice."

"I did," she confirmed, "but since you seemed to be trying to ignore it, I kept my mouth shut. Figured I'd let you deal with it."

"Have you done anything to make any enemies?"

"Eh, not really."

Ayato couldn't find any reasonable answers to Alice's question. They didn't seem to have any ill intent, though, so it was unlikely to be a grudge.

"Maybe they're in love with you, then?" Stella suggested.

"That's not unlikely." Alice nodded in agreement. "I'd bet there are more lovestruck stalkers out there than there are hateful ones, anyway."

"Big Brother is a popular knight, especially among girls. Maybe he made eye contact with someone who was watching him from afar and they thought he was interested in them. Or perhaps a fan ran up to talk to him and thought their conversation meant more than it actually did. There are endless possibilities, really."

"Ayato is pretty bad at dealing with the ladies," Alice teased.

"Definitely. If someone asked for a handshake, he'd do it in a heartbeat. He's pretty much at his fans' mercy." Ayato smiled wryly at Stella's criticism. The three of them were right, though.

Ayato's cold, kind, mild -mannered personality and soft face drew girls in. Lately, students were coming to his matches for no reason other than to cheer for him, and he just didn't know how to deal with them. He wasn't like Shizuku or Alice; he didn't have it in him to mercilessly reject his fans, but he didn't know where to draw the line with accepting their requests either.

Unable to ignore those who took time out of their lives to support him, Ayato would stop and talk to anyone who asked, even shaking their hands if they wanted. It wasn't rare for him to be late to class because he kept stopping to talk to girls. Maybe he was giving them the wrong idea, after all.

That was Stella's opinion, at least, but Ayato wasn't so sure. Their presence lacked malice, but it also seemed to lack love or any other warm feelings. It almost felt like he was simply being photographed.

"I'll accept girls idolizing my big brother, but to lay their filthy hands on him is going too far. The only solution is torture."

"What are you going to do with that feather duster, Shizuku?" Stella asked.

"I'm going to catch them and tickle-torture them, of course."

"That's a surprisingly cute torture method. How unlike you."

"I'm going to tickle their eyeballs."

"Scary," Ayato, Stella, and Alice all said in unison.

"Well, at this point, we're pretty much just speculating. I'll figure it out after I have a chat with them myself," Ayato said, turning back in the direction they had just come from. "Ayato, are they still…?"

"Yeah. They've been following me since my morning jog." They had been observing Ayato for a full week, sticking to him like glue. He could feel their gaze coming from a thicket along the paved path, so he took a deep breath and yelled at them.

"Hey, you, I know you're in there. Wanna tell me why you're following me everywhere?"

"Hyah?!" A girl sprung out of the thicket like a frightened animal. Even if she wasn't malicious, following someone around all day just wasn't normal.

Ayato was prepared for some sort of vile snake to slither out, but the stalker's true identity was, surprisingly, a polite-looking, tidy, black-haired young woman. In each hand she held a tree branch, as if trying to use some clichéd method of blending in with the brush.

"A-Aaahh! N-No, this isn't what it looks like! I-I… Waaah!" Clearly unprepared to be called out like that and astonished that she had been exposed so easily, the girl turned and dashed away. She didn't seem to have noticed the small pond behind her former hiding place, however.

"Aaahhh! Glrgh?!" In her panic, she tripped over the rocks that surrounded it and fell straight in, head-first. Bonk! The group heard a noise that made them think the worst, then watched in silence as she slowly floated to the surface back-first. She wasn't moving at all.

"H-Hey, is she okay?" Ayato asked.

"She definitely doesn't look okay! Alice, help me get her out of the water!"

"Oh, my. This is bad," she said, and ran over with Ikki to help.

"Ayato's stalker was that gorgeous?!"

"Seems the time to use my feather duster has come much earlier than expected." Stella and Shizuku's womanly intuition signaled danger.

A small, dark room. The only light was provided by a small desk lamp. Surrounding the sole girl, who sat in a chair in the middle of the room, were four men with furrowed brows, reinforcing their already-intimidating appearances.

"Tell us the truth!" they yelled at the girl.

"You were the victim's stalker all along, weren't you?!"

"They caught you red-handed! Don't say you didn't do it!"

"N-No! I wasn't stalking him…" Overwhelmed by the sudden interrogation— and blinded by the lamp—she struggled to think of how to respond.

"You'd better not be coming up with some excuse!"

"Eek!" "It's clear as day that you've been following him around for an entire week!"

"And you're still gonna play innocent?!"

"To hell with it. Let's get to the torture!"

"S-Stooop!"

"Huh?!" She awoke from the nightmare world, a clean, white ceiling over her head. From the smell of medicine around her, she could tell that she was in the infirmary. Someone must have brought her there. Good. It was just a dream, then, she thought, calming herself down.

"Candle torture, flagellation, denailing, the rack, the pillory…" Turning her head, she saw a silver-haired girl whispering to herself.

"Immolation, water torture, crucifixion, public execution, the wooden horse. Oh, you're awake." "What were you just whispering?"

"Who knows? You were probably just having a bad dream. Big Brother, she's awake!" The silver-haired girl, Shizuku, called out toward the opening in the privacy curtain, and Ayato, Stella, and Alice walked in.

"My, you're already awake? I guess even a nasty bump like that can't stand up to Shizuku's healing powers," Alice commented.

"We couldn't put you in a Capsule since the wound wasn't from a duel. You're lucky Shizuku was here. Does it still hurt at all?" Ayato's genuine concern put her at ease.

When she saw their four faces, she finally understood what had happened. After she lost consciousness in that pond, they brought her to the infirmary and treated her.

"N-No, I… I'm fine. Thank you for helping me." She stood straight up and quickly bowed her head to the group. Such a polite stalker. She was avoiding eye contact, though, instead looking in every other direction she could.

"Well, it's basically my fault for surprising you," Ayato admitted. "I'm just glad this didn't end up any worse. But, uh, why won't you look at us?"

"D-Don't worry about it. I-It's a personal thing." Her voice was panicked. Not only was she avoiding eye contact, but her body was trembling as well. Possibly because she felt guilty about following Ayato around, she looked profoundly uncomfortable. There's no way to know unless I ask, I guess, he thought.

"Well, if you're not hurt, I'd like to ask you a few things. First off, could you tell us your name?"

"I-I'm Ayase Ayatsuji, a third-year student."

An upperclassman? That's surprising. Considering her clumsiness when we first met and her clear discomfort now, she doesn't seem older. Ayato figured he should be polite regardless. Changing his tone, he jumped straight to the question that was bothering him the most.

"Okay, Ayatsuji. Sorry for asking you again, but why were you following—Uh, excuse me?"

"Wh-What's wrong?"

"Now your entire head is facing away from us. Really, is something wrong?" Ayase was looking at the wall behind her, while the rest of her body was still facing Ayato. Her neck was creaking audibly under the strain.

"D-Don't worry about it. It's nothing." "It doesn't seem like anything! I've never had someone try this hard to avoid eye contact! What's so interesting about that wall?!"

"I-I just… I'm embarrassed."

"Huh?"

"I-I can't just make eye contact with a boy I don't even know." Ayase's voice was as quiet as a mouse, and her face was so red it looked like it had caught on fire. "How are you able to look a girl you just met straight in the eyes, Kurogane?"

"Um… I think it's pretty normal to look at someone when you're talking to them."

"N-Normal? Really? Wow, I could never do that. Even if it seems rude, I just can't keep looking forward when people are looking at me." Ayato never thought someone would admire him for something he thought was common courtesy. But she didn't seem to be lying; Ayase would occasionally glance at him, but the moment their eyes met, she would look away again.

She was obviously doing her best to look him in the eye, but apparently the embarrassment was too much for her to handle. She must have been exceptionally shy, especially given that she was older than him. Jeez. I wish she would just look at me. Without seeing her face, it would be hard to tell if she was lying. Ayato pondered his next action for a short time.

"Then why don't you talk to us girls?" Stella asked, standing with Shizuku in Ayase's line of sight. The two of them were probing her with their doubtful expressions.

"Out with it. Why were you following Ayato around? What were you planning?"

"Well… um…"

"There's only one reason a girl would follow a boy around," Shizuku stated.

"You were giving my big brother lascivious looks!"

"Really?!"

"N-No! I wasn't, I swear!" Maybe it really wasn't a grudge or love, Ayato began to think. But then why in the world would she stalk a flunk like me?

As Ayase frantically gesticulated in her attempts to plead with Stella and Shizuku, Ayato took notice of her hands. They were covered in calluses as a result of swinging a bamboo sword thousands upon thousands of times.

Those calluses… and the name Ayatsuji… Suddenly, a light bulb lit up deep within Ayato's mind.

"Excuse me, Ayatsuji. Are you related to Kaito Ayatsuji, by any chance?" Ayase opened her eyes wide and turned to face him.

"H-He's my father, yes. How did you know that?"

"I saw the calluses on your hands. Those are the hands of a swordsman. And you're definitely athletic since you were able to keep up with Stella and me while we were jogging. Between all that and the name Ayatsuji, it finally clicked. I didn't know he had a daughter, let alone that she was enrolled in the same school as us!"

Stella was confused by Ayato's sudden excitement.

"Hey, Alice. Who's this Kaito Ayatsuji guy?" she asked.

"Who knows? I certainly don't." Stella didn't understand Ayato's sudden excitement, and while Alice was equally confused, Shizuku was able to answer the question for them.

"He's a non-Blazer popularly known as the Last Samurai. Many Blazers don't care about martial arts, so it's no surprise that you don't know about him. But all swordsmen know about the man named Kaito Ayatsuji. He's just that famous."

The Imperial Tournament, the International Competition, the Musashi Cup, the Grandmasters' Tournament—he was a world-famous swordsman who had won countless competitions, a master who took any and all glory for himself. In his prime, he was able to suppress many Blazer criminals all by himself, even as a non-Blazer.

"Blazers have magic to protect themselves from anything, with even gunfire leaving a bruise at worst," Shizuku continued. "Kaito Ayatsuji, for as strong as he was, didn't have an advantage like that. He probably lamented not having been born a Blazer more than anyone else in the world; Mage-Knight society didn't take very kindly to a non-Blazer being so powerful, so despite his incredible swordsmanship, he isn't too well-known nowadays."

"But you know about him, Shizuku," Stella said.

"Unlike most other Mage-Knight families, ours knows just how useful proper swordsmanship can be."

Once she grew tired of the family that abused her beloved brother, Shizuku stopped taking the Kurogane family's martial arts classes. Even so, the name of the Last Samurai still lingered in her mind. Ayato, however, was so dead-set on the path of the sword that he was sure to know that great hero's name.

"I used to study Kaito's videos when I was a kid.

But I'm so glad I'm meeting his daughter! How is Kaito doing now? I haven't heard his name in a while, so it's been tugging at my mind." Ayato was still obviously excited, but Ayase's face clouded at his question.

"Well, actually… He was injured in a duel. He's in the hospital."

"Oh, I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"N-No, it's not a problem. I'm glad someone as incredible as you cares about my father so much. Plus, this is actually related to why I was following you around."

"How so?"

"Since my father and mentor are hospitalized, I've been working on the Ayatsuji Single-Blade Style on my own, but I'm starting to hit a wall." It was only natural that she couldn't match her mentor's movements without his help. "

Then, I heard about you. It's hard to find a good swordsman, but when I heard there was a first-year who was one, I thought that maybe I could figure it out if I could just talk to you, or something…" Her voice trailed off and she started avoiding eye contact again.

"B-But ever since I was a child, I've never been able to talk to any boys besides my father and his other disciples, so I just didn't know how to talk to you…"

"Is that why you've been following me around for an entire week?"

"It's embarrassing, but…" Ayase nodded, her eyes pointed to the ground. Wow, she's really reserved. If she were a bread roll, she'd be the one you put in your desk drawer and forget about until she eventually got covered in mold.

The gang, save for Ayato, was speechless. That was why she had to stalk him? In the silence, Ayase bowed her head to Ayato again.

"I-I'm really sorry for following you around so much! I won't blame you if you think I'm weird, but I swear, I'll never come near you again! Just… don't report me to the police, please."

"Uh, I wasn't really thinking of calling the police." As a matter of fact, quite the opposite was true: the swordswoman he'd just discovered piqued his interest. She wasn't just any swordswoman, either; she was the Last Samurai's favorite disciple! He was incredibly interested in seeing her swordplay.

"Actually, Ayatsuji, if you'd be willing, I'd love to train together with you."

"Huh…?"

"We're both trained swordsmen, so maybe we could give each other tips. And I want to experience the Last Samurai's style in person. Videos are limited to a single angle, so I can't learn much from them."

"Really?! Thank you! I'm so excited!" Grinning from ear to ear, Ayase instantly leaped off of the bed and took Ayato's hands in hers. She had avoided looking at Ayato before, but now, she was staring straight at him. As soon as she realized what she was doing, however, her face went beet-red and she jumped ten feet back.

"Oh, s-sorry! It's so unladylike to just grab people like that!"

"Haha. I think that's a bit of an overreaction just for grabbing someone's hands." His mind jumped to his little sister, who'd kissed him straight on the lips, and one of his princess girlfriends, who'd put on a swimsuit and bathed with him.

"So, how about it? Matches are over for the day, so I was thinking we could train until dinnertime."

"Yes, please. Also, you don't have to be so formal. You're going to be my teacher, after all; it would be strange for you to act like that toward your student."

"Please. I'm not good enough to be called your teacher, really."

"You are! You tried to make me feel better by saying we could give each other tips, but honestly, I don't have a single piece of advice to offer you. I'm just a novice."

Ayato chuckled as she exposed his attempt at politeness. There were definitely things he could learn from her, but he didn't need advice from her given that he could steal her style just by watching her. Continuing to try to be humble would probably come off as disrespectful, so he went for a compromise.

"All right, fine. I won't be super formal anymore, but I can't just be completely casual. It's just really weird to talk to an upperclassman without being at least a little polite."

"Okay. I'm looking forward to learning from you." Ayase Ayatsuji was no longer a stalker. She had become a disciple.

After class, Ayato Kurozakuro trained his swordplay in a forest clearing behind the school. The lack of concrete and the shadows cast by the tall trees were deeply calming, making it the perfect place to move around during the muggy Japanese summer. His training began with a simple warmup, followed by practice swings with Ryuuzetsu.

Once he got comfortable, he began striking imaginary shadows, simulated from within his mind.

Next to him, Stella was training with Lævateinn in a similar manner, and on a nearby bench, Shizuku and Alice trained their magic control by molding a special type of clay without using their hands. There was little to no conversation within the group.

Even Stella and Shizuku, who were usually fawning over Ayato, were completely focused on their training. That was par for the course when the gang trained together, but the past three days had one difference: a new member had joined them. That was, of course, Ayase Ayatsuji.

"Hup! Hah!" Ayase swung her scarlet Device, Hizume, through the air, tracing arcs as she went. She was no longer hapless and clumsy; a stark contrast from how she had acted before.

She was fiercer—her eyes wide-open and focused, her visage surprisingly valiant. Her fear of men disappeared entirely when she held her weapon.

She had agreed to Ayato's offer of mutual, equal training. Though he was the superior swordsman, he could estimate Ayase's ability and limit his own to match her. Then, he could measure her true skill. Unsurprisingly, the Last Samurai's daughter had a very good grasp of the basics. She could keep up with Ayato and Stella during their jogs, and her core was also well-honed—no matter how much he forced her to twist and bend, her balance and form remained intact.

She was mastering her martial arts as well. Her footwork and swordplay flowed perfectly, never requiring her to stop midway through an action. Her form must have been drilled into her brain through thousands of repetitions. That didn't mean she was pigeonholed into one style, though. Ayato would often attack her in sneaky ways meant to specifically counteract her style, but she was able to defend herself swiftly and skillfully, responding with impressive speed.

Never forgetting her style, yet never held hostage by it. When it came to real battle, Ayase was a very impressive swordswoman. It was plain to see that she had put incredible effort into her studies. At the same time, though, Ayato could see why she was struggling.

"Hold on a second, Ayatsuji."

"Hm?" Ayase's Hizume had just parried one of his blows and was already trained on his torso, but hearing him speak, she stopped her attack on a dime.

"What is it, Kurozakuro? I'm not tired yet." Ayase stared blankly at him, surprised by the sudden interruption. Her gaze was still a bit unsteady, but it was better than when she would turn her neck 180 degrees. Training together for the past three days must have helped her get used to him.

"I can tell that the Ayatsuji Single-Blade Style is a passive style based on counterattacks," Ayato said.

"Oh, um, yes. Did you figure that out just from sparring with me?"

"I had one master, so I've learned to watch and steal. Thanks to that, I think I've figured out why you feel like you're not making progress."

"R-Really?!"

"Yeah. I think it's because you think you'll never be as good as your father."

"Right!" Ayase nodded excitedly.

"No matter what I do, I can't move as smoothly as my father, even though I can remember his movements exactly."

"You've got it all wrong."

"I do?"

"Trying to perfectly imitate your father is the source of your problem."

"Are you saying it's my father's fault, because I learned from him?" Ayato saw anger flare up in Ayase's eyes. She didn't want to be told that her mentor was the problem.

She really trusts him, Ayato thought.

He was a little envious of her for having a father that she could take such pride in, but he swallowed it down and shook his head.

"No, that's not what I mean. Kaito was definitely an amazing swordsman; there's no doubt about that."

"Then why shouldn't I try to imitate him?" she asked bitterly.

"Because you're not the same sex," he explained.

"'Not the same sex'? Does that really have anything to do with it?"

"It does. Men and women have inherently different bone structures, which means their muscles are different as well. Consequently, a man's optimal movements are different from a woman's. The more you try to perfectly mimic his actions, the more you'll experience this incompatibility."

"Ah…" After Ayato's simple and polite explanation, the fire in Ayase's eyes was replaced with the light of understanding. It wasn't that he was making fun of her master, it was the very fact that he was so incredible that was the problem.

Swordplay as an art was created by men, after all, so her father's style being better suited for men wasn't a huge surprise. The closer she copied him, the more apparent it became.

"I have an idea of how you can reform your style, but if you pride yourself on perfectly mimicking your father, I won't force you to do it. You don't have to, after all, and how you feel is more important than meets the eye. In the end, you should do what you want to do. Just know that if you choose to reform your style, there's no turning back."

Ayase was forcing herself to use a style optimized for men. It led to her straining certain parts of her body, wearing down her power and speed. If she took Ayato's advice, she would be smoother and more in-control than ever. Once she became used to her newfound fluidity, however, Ayase wouldn't be able to go back to her old, stiff swordplay. She would be too focused on that fluidity. Thus, Ayato wanted to confirm whether or not Ayase was truly willing to accept his instruction.

She looked toward the ground for some time, wrestling with the decision. After much inner turmoil, Ayase fixed her gaze on Ayato, resolute.

"Please, teach me! I desperately want to be stronger!" She looked him directly in the eyes as she earnestly beseech his aid. She may have been conflicted, but her desire to grow stronger won out in the end. Realizing he had nothing to worry about, Ayato lightly touched her arm and smiled confidently.

"All right. Leave it to me," he said.

"Eep! K-Kurozakuro?!" The sudden skin-on-skin contact turned Ayase's face red, and she let out a tiny squeak. Ayato was serious about helping her, though. If he was going to reform her style, he couldn't make mistakes just because he was distracted; they couldn't be taken back. As her teacher, he had to make sure he did everything correctly, so he didn't bother to be embarrassed.

"We're going to be changing your form. Direct contact may be embarrassing, but we'll just have to accept it."

"O-Okay. I will." Ayase bit her lip, her face so red that it looked like she'd start spewing steam. Though he hadn't broken a sweat during their training, a cold sweat had formed on Ayato's brow as he touched Ayase's body while grimacing. She could tell just how serious he was from his expression, so she suppressed her embarrassment and surrendered her body to Ayato's touch. If Ayato was going to try so hard for her sake, she couldn't let his efforts go to waste because of her selfish shame. "I'm only going to move you fractions of an inch. Make sure you focus on these changes so you can remember them."

"Okay… Mm." With a touch as gentle as a glassworker's, Ayato adjusted Ayase's posture. He lowered her shoulders and brought her arms closer together, then brought his hands between her ample thighs, broadening her stance.

"Ah… Hah…"

"Compared to men, women have remarkably flexible joints—this is especially true for the hips.

The pelvis needs room to expand during pregnancy, so women's hips protrude somewhat. In practical terms, they have a much wider range of motion, especially laterally. It's an advantage only women have, so if you can get used to moving your body through your hips, you'll be faster than ever in no time."

While lecturing Ayase about her own body, Ayato traced his hand from her thigh to the back of her knee, drawing a line through her muscles. Her knees wobbled, unused to the sensation of a man's touch, which made Ayato feel a bit guilty for what he was doing. He didn't let it affect him, though, and continued his adjustments.

"Alright. This is about how your stance should be." With his work completed mistake-free, he glanced at Ayase. She was as red as a lobster and looked like she was ready to cry. "Do you think you'll be able to do this on your own?"

"I-I think so…"

"Uh, sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have done that."

"N-No! It's fine! I asked you to, anyway, so don't worry about it!" Ayase wiped away her tears and forced a smile. "

Besides, your hands are like my dad's. They're big and strong, but gentle too."

"Hah, sure. Though I didn't think you'd say something like that about gross hands like mine." The skin on Ayato's hands was thick from years of holding a sword. No matter how much his skin tore or his blisters popped, he kept on swinging. He didn't think his hands were worth complimenting.

"They're not gross," Ayase said, shaking her head in response to his self-deprecating statement.

"It's very manly to have hands like those. The best boys are the ones who are driven."

"Huh?" Ayato was at a loss for words.

"Ah…" When she realized what she had just blurted out, Ayase went into a panic.

"Oh, um, I didn't mean it like that or anything, I swear! Just, like, from a general point of view!"

"Y-Yeah, I get it. Don't freak out like that, though. You'll break your posture."Ayato calmed her down and got her back into position. He couldn't bear to watch his work go to waste, especially when he had been so nervous about it.

"Oh, but… This feels a little stiff, Kurogane."

"Your body can't get rid of all its bad habits with just one adjustment. You'll have to get used to it through repetition. For now, just get used to how it feels." Ayato materialized Ryuuzetsu and stood in front of Ayase.

"Parry my slash like you did before, but this time, be mindful of the angles of your elbows and knees when you counter. Make sure to feel yourself moving through your hips, too."

"G-Got it!" Ayase's expression fiercened as she readied Hizume and focused herself. Once she had fully prepared herself, Ayato attacked at the same speed and angle as before. And just like before, Ayase parried the blow with her sword and launched a counterattack at his torso. The basic actions were the same, but thanks to Ayato's adjustments, she had performed them with much greater speed. Ayase was speechless. Unable to believe what she had just done, she looked back and forth between Ayato and Hizume, her mouth agape

Phew. Looks like I got it right. Ayato heaved a sigh of relief, happy to see that his modifications were correct. Previously, Ayase had been fighting using only her upper body. With a man's upper-body strength, one could smoothly transition into their next action without much trouble. Women, on the other hand, typically couldn't match men's upper-body strength, so they would end up planting their feet on the ground.

As a result, their bodies would stiffen, ultimately delaying their followup. Ayato was aware of that difference, so he decided to change her stance to allow her lower body to take the impact.

Women's flexible joints and the way their inner thighs were constructed made their lower bodies ideal for absorbing impacts, most of which could be counteracted through leg strength alone.

Doing so didn't require any extra effort, meaning the body wouldn't stiffen up, allowing for smoother action. Achieving that result was the entire purpose of the adjustments Ayato made.

"W-Wow… That's so cool! This is amazing, Kurozakuro" Having finally understood the major implications of his minor changes, Ayase smiled broadly and took Ayato's hand, shaking it wildly.

"I spent my entire second year worrying about this, and you solved it just like that! They ought to give you a PhD in swordsmanship!"

"I'm just glad my teachings worked out," Ayato replied humbly. I'm really not worthy of a title like that, though. He wasn't at the point where he could give every one of his students such concrete direction.

It was his first time ever mentoring someone so closely, but seeing Ayase jumping for joy and cheering because she was finally able to break through that wall made him glad he tried.

Fwoom!

He was actually more nervous helping her than he was during a real battle, and it made him ten times more tired than training. It was all worth it in the end, though.

Fwoom!

Being a teacher might not be so bad—

Fwoom, fwoom!

"Hey, Stella?"

"Yes, Doctor Sword?"

"Why's it so windy all of a sudden?" Ayato turned toward the source of the point-blank, blustery assault on his face. It was Stella, swinging Lævateinn around with a very unhappy look on her face.

"Oh, s-sure."

"Goodness, I do beg your pardon. I just couldn't help but get mad when I saw a pervert groping a girl's thighs and calling it 'training'. I guess it's affecting my swordplay now. Maybe you should make some adjustments for me, too?"

Ayato nodded in fear, considering he didn't really have a choice in the matter. I'd rather not intrude on her style, though… Stella's style was befitting of someone with her level of power; she could just mow down her enemies indiscriminately. Ayato's style, however, was meant for those with techinque and power.

The two were fundamentally different. He didn't see any way things would turn out well, but if he didn't just smile and nod, he'd never hear the end of it.

With no other choice, Ayato began thoroughly examining Stella's sword swings.

Oh? Her swings may have appeared rough at a glance, but on closer inspection, Ayato could see she struck with form that wasted no power whatsoever.

Every part of her lower body, from her hips to her toes, worked in perfect harmony.

She may have thought she was swinging randomly, but Stella's superhuman sense for movement led her to subconsciously adjust her joints and muscles.

Whether she knew it or not, her form was perfect; not a single motion was wasted. It was yet another reminder that her Rank A status wasn't for nothing. Ayato simply couldn't find any fault in the work of art that was her style, so he couldn't play along with her whim.

"Wow, Stella. There's really nothing I can do to help you."

"Why nooooot?!"

"Whoa! Why are you getting mad at a compliment?!"

"Because! You dummyyyyy!" Even Ayato's all-seeing eyes were useless against a woman's heart. No surprise there, though; the brain behind those eyes was made purely for battle.

"Why does she get all the attention?!" Tired from chasing

"Oh, s-sure." Stella sat on a bench in the clearing and pouted. Shizuku, having just finished her magic control training on a nearby bench, looked at her with a tired expression.

"Maybe he doesn't want to touch your faaaaaaaaaat thighs."

"Th-They're not fat enough that you need to say it like that! They're just pleasantly thick! I can't help that I'm muscular!" Stella raised her voice in indignation at the insult, but Shizuku was unfazed. She simply continued to make a statue of her brother out of clay.

It really does look like him, Stella thought. It's kinda cute. I want it.

"Don't be so touchy, hon. Unlike Ayatsuji, you're a master honestly doesn't have anything to teach you."

"Mm." Alice was right, and somewhere deep inside, Stella knew that. If she were honest, she didn't need Ayato's help, but that wasn't the problem at hand. It wasn't exactly pleasant for her to watch her significant other touch someone else up and down like that. Maybe I'm just narrow-minded.

Maybe Ayato wouldn't care that much if I touched another guy's abs or arms, she thought. No, wh-what am I thinking?! I can't actually touch someone else! I'd never do that to anyone but Ayato!

These hands are for him alone! It was a dreadful thought. Forcing them out of her mind in an attempt to get the goosebumps to stop, Stella turned toward Shizuku.

"Hey, Shizuku? Are you okay with that?" "Okay with what?"

"Ayato , y'know… touching another girl."

"Seriously?" Shizuku replied, uninterested.

"Big Brother is just teaching Ayatsuji swordplay. Unlike a certain pig, she's not making goo-goo eyes at him. If you're going to snap at him for it, you must be no more than a wild animal." Taking some acrylic paints out of her bag, Shizuku began painting the figure she'd made. Her technique was masterful, though it had nothing to do with her training.

"You've snapped at me plenty of times," Stella retorted. "You think you have a right to talk to me like that?"

"I do." Shizuku stuck her tongue out at Stella, annoying her to no end.

"Stella, I think you've misunderstood something."

"What?"

"You seem to think I want him all to myself, but that couldn't be further from the truth. My love isn't so cheap and selfish; the most important thing to me is my brother's happiness. If his partner makes him happy, I don't really care who it is. As long as she doesn't betray him or disappoint him, I'll gladly give her my blessing." Stella was surprised by this declaration, because she thought Shizuku only loved Ayato romantically.

"I doubt anyone could love him as purely as I do, though." Shizuku shot Stella a challenging smirk before looking back toward the clearing where Ayato and Ayase's mutual training was still going on.

"Big Brother has been happier since he met Ayatsuji. The rest of us aren't strong enough for specialized lessons, and you're too strong for them. I'm sure he's been waiting for an opportunity like this; it's adorable how much he loves to teach. In fact, I'm glad Ayatsuji came."

"You're really mature for your size."

"And you're too immature for your ridiculous sizes. Your legs are fat, too."

"They're not fat! You're just too skinny!" As long as Ayato's happy.

Stella prioritized Ayato's happiness too, of course.

But I want to be the one who makes him the happiest.

Unfortunately, though, things could never be that simple.

Ever since they'd gotten together, they couldn't so much as be near each other without getting nervous, much less do anything lovers do.

It was even worse at night, when they were alone together.

Whenever their eyes met, Stella seized up in fear and looked away.

Out of respect for her, Ayato never tried to invade her personal space.

She didn't think their slow-moving relationship was so bad, though.

Even when she was unbearably nervous, just being near Ayato made her heart flutter.

Still, she was ready to take their relationship to the next level, especially considering that she often heard that men hate women who make them wait.

"We haven't done anything that couples do for the whole month we've been dating. Why don't we just go back to the way we used to be?" Just imagining it brought tears to her eyes. If it actually happened, she wouldn't be able to handle the pain. Please, no… Was that a subject the woman in the relationship should bring up, though? Would he think she was being too forward and be disgusted by her? She couldn't bring it up herself, and even worse, if Ayato brought it up, she wasn't confident that she could give him an honest response. Every option scared her.

Stella knew better than anyone that she was difficult to deal with. She would just come up with some excuse like

"A princess doesn't do that" or "A princess should do this". Just the thought of it made her sigh. How could she dive into battle without a second thought, yet be so afraid to even dip her toes into romance?

It amazed her that any other couple—her parents, for example—could do it so easily. Everyone else was just too brave.

I just want to kiss him.

Helpless thoughts swirled around Stella's mind as she stared at the rosy evening sky and sighed for the umpteenth time in the past month.

…

Harem list: Stella,Rias,Asia,Akeno,Nene,Ayase,Shizuku,Tohka,Kanata,Serafall,Kurono