Chapter 5: Maybe Faust Instead

April 23rd-24th, 2017

It was a pretty nice cafe all things considered. Very, uh, well I didn't really know the proper fancy term for it, but cozy. Lots of cream, beige, and wooden furnishings.

There was also some quite relaxing music playing in the background.

Not to mention the fact that the food was positively wonderful!

I didn't even particularly like coffee or biscuits, yet they were of such high quality that I was actually considering coming back on my own time at some point.

Further evidence of Black Magic and Heresy subtly infesting every facet of the world?

Heh.

Probably not.

Especially given that Alice wasn't picking up much of interest in the area.

You can never be too sure though. Perhaps it was, in fact, a good idea to have concealed a few crosses at various points underneath my clothing.

Just in case.

Based on what I heard yesterday, they are at least somewhat effective at-

"So, what are you spacing out about this time?" A soft voice suddenly violently derails my meandering train of thought, killing all passengers and firmly grounding me to the terra-firma once more.

Ah right. I had almost forgotten.

Re-centering my gaze firmly upon the eyes of one Aika Kiryuu, I give a considered response, "Nothing in particular. Mostly just musing about the exceptionally high quality of the cafe, and considering whether I should suspect the proprietors of black magic and heresy most foul."

A moment of silence.

"This coffee really is quite good though. I don't even like coffee. Far too bitter and caffeinated for my tastes, usually."

Another moment of silence.

Broken suddenly by a fit of giggling as Aika struggles to maintain her composure in the face of my patently ridiculous statement.

"You really don't ever stop surprising me, do you?"

"I should hope not, that would be dreadfully uncouth." After a momentary flash of a smile, I continue, "On a slightly more serious note, thank you for dragging me out here. It's very much not the way I would usually spend a Sunday morning, but it's been quite pleasant."

At this she draws herself up and puts on an overdone regal tone while attempting to stare down her nose at me, in-so-much as she was capable of doing so given the height difference, "Well, I do believe that would be part of my job as your girlfriend now, no? Dragging you into the light of day occasionally so you don't become like those other three."

Now sent into my own fit of half-laughter, I have to take a moment to recompose myself and try another sip of the likely cursed/blessed coffee before I can properly respond.

"I suppose so... I suppose so. Actually, at the fear of re-treading old ground, there is something I have been wondering about."

"Oh?"

"Oh indeed. More precisely, why exactly did you actually take an interest in me in the first place? From what I remember I effectively spent the entire first two weeks of school actively doing everything in my power to prevent such attachments?" Well, not on purpose, but it was something I had done nonetheless.

"Actually, that is a big part of why. You had such a cold and mysterious front, that it made me curious what was hiding underneath it. You're also pretty fun to tease. You usually don't have quite the same energetic reactions as the trio, but it's pretty funny seeing your mask slip when something hits home." She ends this last part with a half grin, and just the barest hint of an evil glint in her eyes, as she leans over the table slightly and pats me on the hand.

Pulling that same hand up and idly stroking my chin, I look slightly off to the side and nod my head in understanding, "Ahh, I see now. So it was primarily your curiosity and sadism that initially drew you to me? I can only assume that when I opened up a bit it was my bedazzling charm and winning sense of humor that kept you around, eh?"

"Mostly. Although as for drawing me in… It did help that you have a nice face and a big dick. Making me orgasm into unconsciousness also helped with the whole keeping me around bit."

I can almost audibly hear the gentle background music come to a screeching halt for a moment as her words sink in, before I succumb to a bout of uproarious laughter, loud enough that I probably drew attention from a few other patrons at nearby tables.

I can barely retort in between wheezing breaths as I bend over and try to contain my mirth, "What? How the fuck would you even know that? Also, is that really something to mention in such a fancy place? We aren't going to get thrown out for indecency, are we?"

She simply leans back and crosses her arms with a smug grin plastered on her lips, "It's something of a superpower of mine. I can almost always get a good estimate from a look. Kinda like that other four-eyes and his "Three-Sizes Scouter", except infinitely cooler of course. Oh, and its probably fine. I come here pretty often, so they're used to me."

Shaking my head slightly with a wry grin, I respond, "Well, good to know. Continuing that thread, just to re-iterate, you're planning to keep this mostly casual, right? I haven't really revisited the topic since we first broached it, and I wanted to make sure I'm properly understanding the nature of, uh, whatever this is." I finish with a vague wave of my hand in the air.

"Yeah, pretty much. At least for now. If I change my mind, I'll let you know. For now though, just keep me entertained, and I'll return the favor."

Nodding seriously, I once more return to my food and drink while considering my reply.

"Fair enough. Well, now that I'm done interrogating you, anything you've been wanting to ask?"

"Actually, there is one thing that's been bugging me. You keep alluding to "something" going on that's been stressing you out, but you always dodge the question whenever I ask what you mean. You planning to let me in on it?" She says while tilting her head ever so slightly and bearing an innocent smile.

Ah.

Now that is a good question.

What do you think Alice?

There would appear to be several arguments in favor of either eventuality. Primarily, involving her in the Supernatural could lead to increased danger on her part, or an unexpected negative reaction to the reality of the situation. Counterpoint: based on accrued information, there would appear to be significant risk of danger regardless of one's knowledge, and this would likely be exacerbated by her continued association with yourself.

Recommendation: It would likely be best to inform her of these matters if you plan to continue association.

Yep.

About what I had been thinking.

Which I suppose makes sense.

Although, "Yeah, I think I will. It's not something that is of immediate danger to you or anything, but it's probably best you get clued in if we are gonna keep hanging out. That being said, I'm still not entirely clear on the situation myself; which is a big part of why I've been so stressed out. Gimme a few days, and I should hopefully be in a better position to elucidate the situation to you."

"Ooh, how ominous. Well, I eagerly wait to hear your wise words whenever you're ready to share."

Another pause lingers in the air as I consider whether I should expound on the matter, before ultimately deciding to just move on for now.

Better to hold off until I know more.

I'll probably be in a better headspace to do it then anyways.

I was self-aware enough to know that my current lack of reliable information might have been slightly coloring my thoughts and reactions.

"On to brighter topics, what do you want to do with the rest of the day? I've got no real plans, although I should probably get home relatively early. Got a score to settle with some particularly stubborn horse-archers."

Idly tapping her fingers on the table she thinks it over before putting forth a suggestion, "We could always go stalk Issei? You said that he somehow actually managed to convince some girl to go on a date with him, right? Of course, there are always other things we could do…"

Based on the way she licked her lips at that, I think I could gather her implied meaning.

Obviously she wanted to go the arcade, yes?

Definitely that and not something horribly lewd.

That would be so uncharacteristic of her.

"I think I'm a tad more interested in those "other things" for now. I'm sure he'll let us know all the details tomorrow, whether we want him to or not. Besides, it would feel wrong to butt in anyways. I'm sure things will go fine, long as he can keep it in his pants."

I was having a positively splendid morning of actively ignoring my, admittedly somewhat reduced, sense of impending doom. Things had actually been going pretty well so far.

I got some answers on Saturday, although not nearly as many as I would have liked, had a splendid day out with Aika yesterday, and I managed to wipe out a few armies of Firebird's steppe archers with over-sized Cannon stacks and Streltsi right afterwards!

I had even decided to try and gain something of a more direct understanding of how my magic works, whilst walking to and throughout school, rather than relying purely upon Alice to offload all the work.

To that end, I had been examining the "spellform" that directed my scanning sub-system on a window Alice had kindly provided within my HUD.

At the same time, I was periodically flicking the scanner on and off again. This being to try and figure out what each part of the maddening jumble of equations, geometric shapes, and database references actually did while watching it activate.

In my highly unprofessional opinion, it looked at first glance a bit like if some maddened 19th century occultist replaced all the Latin in their diagrams with bits of math, and what looked kind of but not really like Assembly.

I had experienced limited success thus-far, but I was at least starting to gain an understanding of what I might need to look into if I was to get more serious.

At the very least, I would probably need to spend more time focusing on my understanding of higher mathematics and geometry, and maybe have Alice put together some sort of tutorial explaining the rules behind the "programming".

Assuming that bothering with such things was even worth the trouble. Although even if not, I would probably put in at least a token effort.

Knowledge was interesting after all, and it kind of bugged me to rely entirely upon systems which I lacked even a conceptual understanding of.

I was just about to boot it up again when I was rudely interrupted from my thoughts by a brown haired missile slamming into me from the other side of the hallway, roughly gripping my shoulders as he brought his face uncomfortably close to my own.

His eyes were mildly deranged as they attempted to gouge out my soul through our locked gaze, and his harsh breaths scoured the skin from my face.

Figuratively speaking of course.

"Do you remember?"

Somewhat exasperated, I respond in a slightly flippant manner, as I continue to focus more upon the numbers floating in my vision.

"Remember what? You're going to have to be more specific."

"Yuma!"

"Who?"

"Yuma! My Girlfriend!"

"Oh. Her. Yes. Well, you never actually told me her name before, but I do remember you saying that you were going on a date yesterday."

At this I seem to remove much of the wind from his sails and he slumps down a bit, loosening his grip on my shoulders and exhaling deeply.

"O-Oh. Good. I, uh. Thought I might be going crazy for a minute there. Sorry about that, man."

Finally deciding to put a bit more attention on whatever this was, I flick my scanner back on and fully focus upon Issei's still somewhat frantic eyes.

"What in God's name are you going on about-" just as I am about to continue my slightly sarcastic reply to his melodrama, I notice him flinch back and rub his head. "Hey, you ok?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so. I just got a headache for a second there. Weird."

Demonic mana signature detected. Anomalous signature similar to that of Genshirou Saji detected. Issei Hyoudou determined to be the point of origin. Re-tagging to account for new information.

What.

Ah fuck.

Really?

Feeling my face stiffen, I quickly return the favor from earlier, and lock my own hand around his shoulder, "Issei. I think we may need to have a little chat. Come with me."

"Huh? What about class?"

"Doesn't matter. This is more important. Now come along, and tell me about your date yesterday. Also, why were you so frantic earlier? You said something about thinking you were going crazy?"

"Oh! Right. Well, it was going pretty damn good, I thought. We went around to a bunch of different shops, then we hit the arcade and some little diner. She seemed to be having a really good time! Then, well... I'm not really sure."

Pausing for a moment to reorient and usher him up the correct set of stairs, I then prompt him to continue. "What do you mean 'you're not really sure'?".

"I mean. I remember that we were walking through the park around sunset when she made us stop near this big-ass fountain. I totally thought she was gonna kiss me!" After a brief moment of distraction, he then continues, "Uh, right, but that didn't happen. She asked me to "die for her" or something, and…"

Issei once more trailing off into silence as he recalls whatever happened leads to me nudging him again when it seems like he won't continue, "and?".

"W-Well, she suddenly had this transformation sequence or something, and afterward she looked like some kind of BDSM Demon with a whip and black wings. Huge tits too." At this a dark cast covers his face, and he finishes in an uncharacteristically soft tone, "Then she stabbed me in the chest. I could have sworn I was dying man. It hurt so bad, like someone ripped my damn heart out. All I could do was lie there and see red. My own blood, I guess."

"Hmm."

That was all I could think to add at the moment.

That was pretty fucked up, like one of my worse dreams.

Or what might have happened in that alley if not for Arcane, for that matter.

After my lack of clear response, Issei continued a few seconds later in a somewhat strained voice. "But I mean, there's no way that actually happened, right? I woke up in bed this morning and I didn't even have a scratch on me! Then when I got here no one remembered me telling them about Yuma at all! Or, well, almost no one I guess." At this last part he trails off into slightly nervous laughter while scratching at the back of his neck with the arm that wasn't firmly locked in my grip.

"That's quite the story Issei. The good news is, I think I may have an idea of what's going on, and we are about to find out if I'm right. Bad news is, you might not like it."

At this point we had finally covered the distance to the now vaguely familiar Kuoh Academy Student Council Meeting Room.

I could just barely make out what might have been a slight disturbance in the otherwise smooth wood of the door from my fist the other night. It was about to get some company.

Arm once more filling with moderately enhanced strength, I bang on the door. Though this time I use a considerably more subdued tone when I call out, contrasting sharply with the booming thuds of my fist, "I have returned. I believe that I have a matter to discuss with you of the utmost importance and urgency. Please, open the door before I do so myself."

Much like last time a few moments pass before I hear whispering from within the room, although no one dropped anything at least. I suppose I was lucky that anyone was even in there given the time.

That could have been quite anticlimactic.

After about a minute, someone from inside came up to the door and finally responded in a soft, melodious voice, "Are you sure it can't wait? Classes begin in a few minutes, and Sona just left for a meeting. Also, could you please stop doing that? It's bad for the wood."

"Yes. I insist. And only when it ceases to be amusing. I assure you that I shall repair any damage if it becomes an issue."

I can almost hear the exasperation in her mind at my brazen answer.

This really was fun.

"Very well. Come on in then. Do you mind at least letting us know what has you so irritated though?" As she says this last bit, I can hear the clicking of a handle before the door slowly begins to swing out towards me.

Taking a step back, I gently guide Issei to take a position to my side, where his presence should be mostly blocked by the opening door. In response to his increasingly befuddled facial expression, I simply put one finger to my lips and shake my head.

I may be on the verge of annoyed fury at the moment, but that's no reason to not inject a bit of dramatic flair and humor into the situation. If anything, it's more an argument in favor of doing so.

Others may disagree.

Once the door is mostly open, I make eye contact with the one I had been speaking to, one Momo Hanakai as it turns out.

Schooling my face into a neutral expression and nodding sharply, I reply, "Yes. I don't mind at all. Namely, explain." At this I once more put my hand around Issei's shoulder, and suddenly pull him into the forefront.

This seems to leave her nonplussed at first, before her expression turns grave and she seems to understand my meaning, "What do you mean by… oh. I see. I may need to get Sona for this. Perhaps Miss Gremory as well. Why don't you two take a seat inside?"

"I think I will. Come on Issei. Oh, and sorry for jerking you around the past few minutes. I thought it would be best for the sake of proper timing."

An annoyed expression briefly flits across his face, before he simply sighs and responds as he picks out a chair to my right, "Yeah, it's fine. Do you think you could maybe explain what the hell is going on though? What does this have to do with, uh, what we were talking about earlier?"

Ah.

I see he chose to err on the side of caution upon seeing all the other people in the room.

Don't worry Issei, you're not crazy.

Probably.

Speaking of, it seemed like pretty much the entire Council was here, much like last time. Excepting Tsubaki and Sona.

Do they just spend all their free time here working on administrative duties? There can't be that much paperwork, surely?

Ah, no. I can see a few game boards out. Mostly Chess.

I guess they must just like to hang out in here.

Regardless, more important things.

Turning to Issei as I shake my head clear, I answer his question, "You'll see when the others get here. I'm pretty sure I know roughly what's happened, but I'm not exactly clear on the details, and I might be jumping to conclusions. So, it'll probably be easier to tell you everything with their help."

With that said, I lean back in my seat, carefully angled to have a good view of both the door and the main desk, then settle in for a few minutes of waiting while Issei nervously fidgets next to me.

Interestingly, while things are still a little bit tense, most of it seems to stem from confusion regarding exactly what is going on, or a very slight but noticeable disdain towards Issei's presence.

I suppose they must find me much more tolerable when not covered head-to-toe in holy symbols.

Who could have guessed?

About fifteen minutes later found me wondering whether I should at least partially clue Issei in, when I caught the door opening out of the corner of my eye, and a series of people streamed into the room.

First was Momo, then Sona flanked by Tsubaki. Finally, a few seconds later, a girl I vaguely recognized as Rias something or other. Presumably Gremory, given what Momo had said.

More interestingly, after a few seconds of them glancing over the room and moving to take positions around the central table, Rias pinged on my scanner as a new pure-strain Demonic Lifeform, Devil I guess, much like Sona.

Terrifyingly, her raw MU output clocked in even higher than Sona's at just under 13,000 per second.

I guess she might be the implied other "co-regent".

One must wonder who gave them the right to annex territory in the middle of a Human nation?

Regardless, off-topic.

I should focus.

Momo quickly moved to rejoin the other members of the Student Council scattered around the central table, while Sona and Rias took their own seats at the opposite head from myself and Issei. Tsubaki elected to stand, about a foot back and to the right of Sona.

Very professional.

Sona and her apparent right-hand woman both had their standard even-keeled expressions, seemingly all business. Rias on the other hand gave off a much "warmer" feeling.

Her face was covered by a gentle smile, and her blue-green eyes practically twinkled in the light, offset by the deep, unnatural-looking crimson of her long hair.

Or maybe not so unnatural, given my new information about her.

Her body language meanwhile gave off a much more open feeling. I wasn't enough of an expert to point to any one thing that influenced that in particular, but overall she was a much more welcoming sight.

The caring mother to the stern administrator.

Or perhaps the Good Cop to the Bad Cop.

Well, maybe I was being unfair, allowing my paranoia and the current situation to get to me.

For all I knew that was entirely natural, and she genuinely was the kind and caring woman her first impression implied.

On the other hand, Devil.

Me thinks it best to be at least a little skeptical for now, even if they hadn't exactly done the greatest job of living up to my worst fears so far.

Sona begins to lean over the table edge, before seeming to think better of it and adopting a more neutral stance as she breaks the silence, "Momo informs me that you have a 'matter of utmost importance and urgency' to discuss?"

"Ah, yes, President Shitori. I do. I do indeed. In short, explain." I finish this exclamation by placing one elbow from my wildly gesturing right arm on the table, and pivoting a thumb to point at Issei over to my right as I carefully maintain eye contact with her.

Taking this in stride, she replies in a calm voice, "I believe it may be beneficial if you were to expand upon exactly what you believe requires an explanation, no?"

Taking this opportunity so graciously granted to me, I begin speaking in a mock friendly cheer, "Ah yes, your right. Absolutely right. Well, you see, my recently acquired friend here has had quite the interesting weekend, and is more than a little confused about what exactly happened near the end of it. Then, this morning, while he was telling me all about it, I noticed something a little strange. Something that happened to remind me of one thing you mentioned during our little chat on Saturday. So, I would be quite happy if you were to confirm some of my suspicions, and inform us both as to precisely what the fuck happened if at all possible?"

"Yeah, uh, what he said!" Issei eloquently adds as I nudge him with my elbow.

Several moments of silence are swiftly punctuated by a light, almost musical, laughter emanating from one particular redhead, "I can see why you like him Sona! He has quite the way with words, doesn't he?"

Giving her a deadpan look that has very little effect, Sona then turns her attention back to me. "Quite. Well, before we get into the matter too deeply, would you mind sharing exactly what happened that was so unusual? It would be helpful to ensure we are all on the same page before continuing."

"Sure." My glib response is punctuated by my turning once more to Issei and verbally prodding him, "You mind telling them what you said while we were walking over here?"

"Yeah, I guess I can."

While Issei proceeded to re-hash our earlier conversation, albeit adding some extra context for their benefit, and going into a bit more detail regarding the specifics of what occurred throughout the date, I decided to pay more attention to the others around us.

I was no expert people-reader, but I could at least pick up the basics.

From their reactions it seemed like the majority of the "Devils" in the room were shocked by the account.

Probably awed and horrified at the very concept of Issei somehow finding a person who willingly propositioned him.

Oh, and the whole murder bit as well, but I wasn't entirely sure which actually got the more extreme reactions.

Sona and Rias on the other hand seemed almost entirely blasé, as if they were already perfectly aware of the situation, only occasionally reacting to minor details. More evidence for my current working theory.

Just as Issei is trailing off after finishing his account, I jump back in, "Which of course brings us to this morning. I heard that story, then noticed a certain change which I'msure you're all aware of, and, perhaps a smidgen impulsively, decided that answers should be acquired post-haste." Pausing for a beat, I then continue. "So. Who wants to do the honors?"

Sona and Rias give each-other a brief look, then seem to decide on a course of action before Sona speaks up, "Why don't you start things off Blackfel? We will, of course, fill in the details, but I believe Issei may take the initial revelation better coming from you."

I merely give her a flat, dead-eyed gaze for a few moments, but finally nod and respond, "Fine. I guess I can do that. You get the first go at explaining about what exactly happened yesterday though. I imagine you two know the details much better anyways. Also, I'd ask that you give some kind of sign to back me up if he doesn't believe me."

Turning to a now quite thoroughly confused Issei, I take a deep breath before once more putting a hand on his shoulder and fixing the brightest smile I can manage, "Well, buddy, I got some stuff to tell you. Not exactly sure I'll hit everything important since I'm kinda new to this too, but in short order… Magic is real, your "girlfriend" was likely some kind of vicious monster hunting you, you might now be someone's property, and everyone in this room other than me is probably a part-time resident of Hell, here to corrupt us puny mortals and steal our souls or some such. Any questions?"

A slow blink.

"What?"

At this response I simply lean back and shoot a thumb in the direction of Sona and Rias while shrugging.

Barely a second later, there is a pulse of mana throughout the room, followed by a violent displacement of air as nine pairs of sinuous, bat-like wings suddenly sprout out the backs of the people scattered around the table, followed by another pair sprouting out of Issei's own.

I nearly fall out of my chair in surprise at the sudden explosion of activity, "Jesus! Ah, fuck, sorry. Still getting used to that. Do those serve any purpose besides looking menacing as hell?"

Rias smirks slightly at this before responding in a slightly teasing tone, "No, that's just a side benefit. Mostly they help us fly."

"Huh. Never mind, off topic," At this I turn back to Issei who is now staring at the others with a mixture of awe and trepidation, while occasionally twisting his head around to try and get a look at his own pair of wings, "So, as I said before, any questions?"

"You're not fucking with me?"

"Nope."

"Damn!"

At this point I decided it may be best to just give him a condensed version of the rundown I got from Sona. Three factions, ancient war, ceasefire, civil war, cold war, techno-magical reincarnation and possible pseudo-slavery. God-forged soul-bound equipment, how the two teenagers at the other end of the table were actually devils, and how one of them probably owns him now in exchange for resurrection and superpowers, etc.

Weirdly, after he got over the initial shock, he actually adapted pretty well.

Meanwhile, some of the others seemed to find portions of my condensed summary quite amusing based on their occasional subdued giggles.

Hopefully that was because of my wording, and not because it was all a bunch of bullshit fed to me by Sona.

I also got a few interesting looks when I brought up the whole "property" thing again.

"So, yeah. That's about the limit of what I know that's relevant. Thoughts?"

"It's just like a game." He breathes out.

This took me off guard for a minute, but yeah.

I can see where he's coming from there, in some ways.

"Hah! Yeah, I guess it kind of is. All those JRPG lore-dumps are paying off now, aren't they?"

We just share a share an amused smile at that.

Who would have guessed that all those hours of slaying Demon Kings or preventing the biblical end of the world might actually pay off like this?

Although I guess he might be the Demon King in this scenario.

I hope not though.

"Fuck dude. I… I don't really know what to say," Suddenly, he looks up and locks eyes with Rias, "It was you, wasn't it? I remember you, your hair, when I was dying. I thought I could see you."

She simply nods with a gentle smile before answering softly, "That's because you did. Do you remember that flyer you had? When you were dying, I could hear you calling out for someone to save you, that you wanted to live. So I answered. I brought you back from the brink of death as one of my Devil servants. Welcome to the family."

Something about that rubbed me the wrong way.

Well ok, multiple things, but one more than the others.

"Flyer? What flyer?"

Issei suddenly perks up and shoves a hand down his pocket while interrupting any potential response, seemingly finding nothing after a moment of searching, "Oh yeah! I was walking around waiting for Yuma yesterday when this girl came up and gave me a flyer with this weird looking shape on it, and a bunch of letters. It said that 'my wish would be granted'. I just stuck it in my pocket and forgot about it..."

Sona puts in her two cents at this point, "That was most likely a summoning circle, they are typically used by humans who want to make some form of contract, to summon the Devil linked to it. Presumably Rias had someone handing them out to people on the streets; it is a fairly common method of disseminating them."

I furrow my eyebrows at this, before looking at Rias somewhat suspiciously, "That seems quite convenient, that he would just happen to get a flyer on the same day he was killed. A little too convenient, even if they were just being handed out to random people. You got anything you'd like to share?"

She actually seems a bit offended at this, her face gaining a slightly more serious cast than I had previously seen, before morphing into a slight pout, "I didn't intentionally arrange for what happened, if that's what you're implying. Ihave been keeping an eye on him for the past few days, since I thought he seemed interesting, but I wouldn't intentionally let someone get killed just to recruit them."

"Fair enough. Still, was it really just a happy coincidence?" I press further, possibly against my better judgment.

At first she seems conflicted, but ultimately grudgingly continues, "I had suspicions. But only suspicions, and nothing I could act on without causing trouble. So I sent someone to keep an eye on him, and gave him the flyer as insurance. When Yuma revealed herself as a Fallen Angel, she acted too quickly for us to do anything. I didn't expect her to be so aggressive, or to kill him so suddenly. It's out of character for them, usually they're more subtle."

"So, what, you just watched him get disemboweled? Then swooped in to press-gang him into your "family"? Peerage, I think, from what Sona had said. I mean, your explanation isn't terrible, to be fair, and I can't really contradict your version of events given I wasn't there, but that still seems, um, suspicious as fuck to put it one way."

"What would you prefer me to have done? Left him there to die?"

"No, but it just strikes me as kind of slimy to basically force him into your service without an explicit agreement of some sort. Like, I can sort of get the whole idea behind your system from what I've been told so far, and maybe I'm being unfair because I don't have all the details. Hell, even if it does work the way I am thinking it does, I could even justify it as being more like Indentured Servitude rather than out and out slavery; however, that would require willing entry into the contract. So, yeah." Running out of steam, I change tack and turn, "What do you think Issei? You good with this situation?"

Based on his furrowed brow, I suppose he must have been thinking it over even before I asked.

Eventually, he hesitantly begins speaking, "I… I don't know man. I mean, I'm grateful I'm alive, but... I guess I need to learn more to really know. Although, I don't think I'd mind serving someone like Rias depending on how it works…" As he trails off, he spaces out slightly and his mouth twists into a dopey smile.

Initially, I am almost worried that this might be some sort of manipulation magic, swaying his thoughts, before I realize that he was just staring at Rias' admittedly quite large chest, and had probably gone off into fantasy-land.

Sigh.

Honestly though, I was mildly impressed it took this long for that to happen. I guess he can at least temporarily get his head out of the gutter when the situation is serious enough.

Seeing the deteriorating state of affairs, Rias puts forth a suggestion, "Maybe it would be best for Issei to come and see for himself? I could bring him to the club-room where he can meet everyone else and ask them what it's like? Get a better understanding of his new situation?"

I narrow my eyes at this.

I don't really like the idea of letting Issei out of my sight right now, especially if it means letting him be all alone with a bunch of people who may or may not have less than stellar intentions for him.

On the other hand, its not like I could actually do much to stop them if they forced the issue, or if they tried to do something unpleasant even while I was right there.

I suppose I will have to rely on their better nature.

Or at least their unwillingness to harm a new investment, depending on how pessimistic I wanted to be.

"I won't try and stop him if he thinks it's a good idea. That's his choice to make. Although, I will be severely annoyed if he comes back obviously brainwashed or something, just to lay my cards on the table. Not that my being annoyed necessarily means much just yet, but oh well." Pausing to smirk in a self-deprecating fashion, I then turn and snap my ringers in Issei's face to make sure he is paying attention again, "What do you think? You wanna go off to Miss Gremory's land of wonders and meet your new buddies?"

After a moment of dazed blinking as he returns to Earth, he slowly nods and gives a mostly firm response. "Yeah. I think I will."

"Alrighty then. Guess you two can go do that in a minute. I got two more things I wanna clear up first though. Namely, Fallen Angels? The hell are they doing here, why did they kill Issei, and should I be worrying about them? Also, why does no one else remember her? Secondly, I'm pretty sure Issei has a Sacred Gear, but I only noticed it this morning. What changed?"

Rias instantly perks up at this, looking at me with an intense gaze. "Really? How are you are able to tell?"

"Magic."

Sona gives me a deadpan look at this totally serious answer, before sighing and answering my previous questions in order.

"Unknown, likely because they suspected he had a Sacred Gear and thought it unlikely they would be able to recruit him before one of the other other factions did, quite possibly, because it is standard procedure for them to wipe the memories of all mortals after an operation, and likely because whatever your 'magic' is, it was not able to detect his Sacred Gear before his resurrection woke it from dormancy."

"Ah. Wonderful. Thank you for the succinct summary. I suppose I shall be on my guard then."

Also, Alice, do you think you could work on something that would let the scanner find Sacred Gears that are dormant or otherwise concealed?

It shall be added to the to-do list.

Thanks.

I straighten in my seat and clap my hands together before continuing the conversation, "Well, in that case, anyone have any other questions before Issei and Gremory head off?"

Perhaps predictably so, Issei speaks up at this. "Actually, I have one. Or two, actually. So, they are all Devils, and so am I now, apparently, but how the hell are you involved in all this? Also, I have a Sacred Gear? Isn't that one of those uber-cool soul thingies you were talking about earlier?"

"In reverse order, yes. I don't know the details and I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you do. Maybe talk to Gremory about it. They are probably more experienced in that sort of thing. As for the first, well, you see Issei. I am a Go-ah goshdamned Wizard! Or something like that."

"Really!? Since when!?"

"Eh, about a week ago. Maybe closer to two by now. Remember when you found me knocked out and beaten up by the Yakuza? I actually nearly got eaten by some kind of "Stray Devil", and found out I have a Sacred Gear myself. It lets me do magic real good. In theory. Still working on it."

He just looks at me in astonishment, before letting out a chuckle. "Cool."

"Well, guess I better get going then, huh? You coming with?"

"Nah. I think I'll stick around here for now. I wouldn't wanna cramp your style, and I got some more business with President Shitori anyways."

He just shrugs in response. "Alright. See you later dude."

Once Issei leaves to go be properly introduced to his new "family", and hopefully not be brainwashed or horribly tortured, the air in the room changes slightly.

Seemingly thinking that the meat of things was probably over, most of the others followed them out.

Going to class or something, I guess.

It was getting on in the day by this point.

I suppose they could also have just decided to give me and Sona some privacy for whatever "business" I was alluding to. Well, it doesn't really matter either way.

It will be nice to not have so many eyes on me for this.

Eventually the only ones left are myself, Sona, and what I could gather was probably her top henchwoman, Tsubaki.

I spend a bit of time intently staring at her as she waits for me to get on with it, deciding exactly where I should go from here.

Then, my course chosen, I slump down in my seat and let out a sigh as I rub my eyes, "Fuck that's exhausting. At first I was all amped up and ready to go, but now I think I'd rather just take a nap. Oh well. No rest for the wicked, eh? Got more to talk about if you have some time."

She seemed slightly bemused by this action.

"That's quite the sudden change in demeanor."

"Mmm. Yeah. Bad habit of mine. Once you get me excited and talking I can hardly shut up, but I always crash and burn in the end. Get a bit too honest as well. I don't actually like lying too much, 'cept by omission. Not too good at it either, at least I don't think so," At this I pause and tilt my head before giving a half-hearted smile, "I will say that all this chewing of the scenery has been pretty fun though. The comedy helps quiet down my sense of impending doom, as well as the paranoia caused by lack of information." My voice was only slightly strained by the end of that sentence, I assure you.

Tsubaki interrupts me before I can get ranting with a gentle nudge back on topic, "Speaking of, I believe you said you had more to discuss?"

"Ah, yes, quite right. I got a few things to cover, going in no particular order. First things first, you have now implied several times that you and your friend own this school, and the whole city besides. How does that work exactly? Did you actually purchase the land from the Japanese government, or is it just supernatural politics? For that matter, what sort of territorial lines are there more generally?"

Sona assumes a now increasingly familiar lecturing pose before kindly supplying me with the information requested. "Interesting question. Broadly speaking, there are rarely any such formal arrangements. Most mundane governments do not even have a dedicated group for dealing with the supernatural. That being said, when operating in an area for prolonged periods, deals will usually be made with local officials to smooth things over."

Pausing to adjust her glasses once more, which I was beginning to think was a deliberate action rather than out of any real need on a side note, she continued, "There are no hard boundaries denoting held land on Earth, but there are some general rules. Every region tends to host their own collection of local creatures and deities that hold some amount of sway, but their power tends to be much lesser than in past times; at least in absolute terms. Heaven has a firm grip in most of Europe, South America, the Middle East and Africa, through the influence of The Church. The Fallen are scattered all over, but my understanding is their core territories lay in North America. My people are similarly scattered, but have the largest concentration right here in Japan."

"As for Kuoh in particular, this used to be the location of a sort of neutral zone, inhabited by all three factions some decades ago. Now, it is more of a backwater, currently being used as a place for young Devils to find recruits and make contracts in relative safety and freedom. Rias and I, well, as I have said before. We are here to learn. That mostly means dealing with troublemakers and doing paperwork incidentally."

"Interesting." And it really was for that matter, at least to me.

Made some sense as well.

It was slightly surprising to me that Heaven didn't have much power in North America, but I suppose the influence of The Church had been waning there for the past few decades.

Devils being big in Japan also made a twisted sort of sense, given their history.

Actually, I wonder if this means Zuckerberg is a Fallen Angel rather than a Lizard?

Heh.

Although, the lack of any mention about non Church-affiliated human organizations was slightly worrying.

"Next thing, is Shitori your real name? I vaguely recognize Gremory from when I had a bit of an occult phase when I was younger, but Shitori doesn't ring any bells, and I have a feeling you two are about equal in terms of importance from what you have said so far."

"You would be correct. My proper name is Sona Sitri, but I would ask that you not call me by it in public. Unlike some people I prefer to maintain at least a veneer of secrecy."

"Good to know, President Sitri. Although.. Sitri. Isn't that the-"

"Moving on, you had other questions?" She suddenly interrupts with a slight blush.

Sensing danger, I take the hint and drop it for now. "Ah, yeah. So, basically, you got any intentions toward me? As in, Rias said she had only been seriously watching Issei for a few days before deciding to snatch him up, which I still think is kind of sketchy as hell by the way, and I know that you have been keeping an eye on me for at least since I met that, er, Stray, in the alley. Pretty sure you were keeping an eye on me even before then, given how helpful you've been in getting me set up here. So, was that just you being a Good Samaritan/ruler-in-training, or were you getting ideas of seducing me to the dark side with promises of cookies and unholy powers?"

She actually lets a short laugh at that, before answering with a small smile, "To be frank, yes and no. Initially, I was simply curious about you, as a person of potential interest. It is somewhat unusual for foreigners to transfer in from overseas. Your evident connection to the supernatural, and your possession of a Sacred Gear, does make you an interesting prospect as well; however, I have no plans to immediately try and recruit you."

She turns more serious at this, before continuing, "I am somewhat selective about who I choose to join my peerage. I only offer the chance to people who I believe would integrate well with the other members, as I believe that teamwork and cohesion are far more important than raw strength, or flights of fancy. That being said, it is also not unusual for Devils to make pacts with local human mages, even if they are not seen as a desirable peerage candidate."

Ah, how convenient.

I had been wondering about that.

"Speaking of, that's a good segue into my next topic: Contracts. That's a thing you do, right? I have heard you mention 'em a few times, and it's kind of a stereotype."

"That would be correct. There are many services we may offer to humans for the proper price. Why do you ask?" She finishes this statement with what was obviously a rhetorical question.

She knew damn well why I would ask.

"Well, I think I would be interested in making such a contract with you. I have a few things which I quite want, and there are a few things I can probably offer in return. Assuming, of course, that is something you are interested in?"

Her eyes glint with a dark light, and she smiles in a quite unnerving fashion before answering in the most openly cheerful tone of voice I have yet heard from her, "I most certainly would be, depending upon what terms you are offering. Would you care to bargain?"

Was I really doing this?

Yes.

Yes I was.

Too much to gain, too much I needed to obtain.

Especially with how the situation was developing.

I may just be jumping to conclusions, but between me getting nearly eaten, Issei getting skewered, and then him being summarily press-ganged... well.

It was painting a picture.

Without some sort of backer, I was probably fucked.

Who knows how long until the next monster comes crawling out of the shadows thinking I look tasty, or some Devil thinks I look like an interesting prospect and "makes arrangements".

This might be a reckless move, but that was kind of my thing. And at least this way I might be able to cover a few of my flanks, until I could find some more definitely reliable allies.

And who knows, maybe Sona is the honorable type.

It would certainly match with what I've seen of her the past few weeks.

If she's not... well, I doubt any amount of precautions could prevent her from screwing me if she wanted to.

Firebird may have been the deep-planning schemer type, but I had always done better by throwing as much shit around as I could manage, and adapting faster than my enemy could handle.

I could, and would if given the opportunity, plan an ambush. Or cripple an enemy with a first strike if I had enough time and information. Unfortunately, it currently seemed like I lacked both.

So I would have to get risky, and hope it turned out.

Usually it did.

When it didn't backfire because I overestimated how much I could handle myself, or got caught in a deeper plan I couldn't afford to take the time to analyze.

Anyways, Sona hadn't shown any particular inclination towards shafting me yet.

Hopefully that would continue.

"Sure. First things first, nothing binding 'til we get it all in writing, and agree to the terms in full. Second, let's keep things fairly simple. I don't care for using legalese if I don't have to. Finally, as this is a bit of a test on my part, let's say it covers a two week period; at which point it is annulled pending renewal or renegotiation."

This time, I didn't make any comment about it when she crossed her hands in front of her face, or when she leaned forward as her glasses shone unnaturally bright in the early morning light. "That sounds reasonable. What do you desire, and what do you have to offer?"

Steeling myself, I quickly bark out my hastily planned lines, "Three things for the first. Protection, Backup, and Information. As for the latter, I can offer my services, dibs on my corpse if I get ganked and am unable to revive myself, and perhaps Mana if that's something which can be meaningfully traded in."

"Oh, it most certainly is. In fact, it is one of the most common materials traded in contracts, now that dealing in souls is out of fashion."

"How so?"

"Well, to put it briefly, Devil's are inherently magical creatures. Our bodies are flooded with the substance, and any Mana we do not otherwise put to use goes towards enhancing our physical abilities, and augmenting our appearance to our liking. This is part of why making contracts is so important to us outside of tradition and status. It is a way of attaining greater strength than we are naturally capable of. Incidentally, it is also why strays tend to mutate so greatly. Without a King to regulate them, they are incapable of fully controlling the process, as they were not born with it, and it takes quite a long time to fully adjust."

"Hmm. Good to know. Anything you would like to add before we start specifying details?"

"Only one thing. I would like for you to join the Student Council on a probationary basis. That way we can learn whether a, more permanent arrangement, may be beneficial based on how you interact with the others."

To be expected.

I figured she would ask for that.

"Fair enough. Well, let's get this down on paper, yeah?"

After about 30 minutes we had decided on some basic terms. Things seemed like they might be a bit slanted in Sona's favor, but I was getting what I wanted in the short term. That and I figured fostering good relations was more important given I wasn't exactly negotiating from a position of strength.

Plus, it's not like the details really matter that much given the power imbalance.

If she really wanted to, she could probably force me to do whatever she wanted, regardless of whatever I tried to negotiate.

1. This Contract shall last for a period of precisely 336 hours from the moment signed, then annulled pending renegotiation.

2. Alexander Blackfel shall receive a Sigil, marking him as under the protection of the Sitri family for the duration of the contract.

3. Alexander Blackfel shall receive aid from Sona Sitri in the event of him coming into conflict with hostile powers during the duration of this contract.

4. Alexander Blackfel shall receive 3 books of his choosing for his own usage throughout the duration of the contract.

5. Alexander Blackfel shall provide Sona Sitri with 50% of his total Mana output for the duration of the contract.

6. Alexander Blackfel shall join the Kuoh Academy Student Council, as a probationary member, for the duration of the contract.

7. Alexander Blackfel shall provide his services in his capacity as a combatant and mage, if called upon, for the duration of the contract.

8. If Alexander Blackfel is to die within the duration of this contract, then Sona Sitri shall gain ownership of his corpse to do with as pleased; this clause is to be annulled in the event of Sona Sitri not putting in a reasonable effort to prevent such death.

Despite some slight misgivings, I give my final go ahead, "I think that looks okay. I'm sure there are probably loopholes a mile wide, but that's why it's only for two weeks after all." Not to mention that a few of those loopholes were potentially quite exploitable by myself.

"Have you decided what books you would like?"

"Hmm. I think one of them should be a basic overview of history from a supernatural perspective, that way I can buff up my knowledge in that regard without having to play 800 questions with you. Maybe another going into detail about the Peerage System and how it actually works as well. As for the last… some kind of book on spells or magical theory."

"Any preferences for what kind of spells?"

At this I pause while thinking it over.

I had been considering all sorts of ways that I could go, with how flexible Arcane was, but most of them were locked off behind annoyingly long research times. I definitely wanted something that would open up a field of immediate use then.

Flexible too, preferably.

"I think Transmutation, assuming something like that exists."

"Interesting choice. I believe that can be arranged. Unlike many, I make a point of studying the various Human systems of magic. If you sign now, then I can have them to you by the end of the day."

"Sounds good to me." With this, I lean over the single sheet of paper and, with a not insignificant amount of trepidation, sign my name with a proffered pen.

The fact she had been writing it all in blood red ink was somewhat unsettling.

Hopefully it was ink.

After emplacing the last stroke of my last name, I can immediately feel an electric charge pass through my body with a shudder, just as I get a ping from Alice.

Alert. 50% of MU production now being siphoned by external forces.

Additionally, preliminary analysis suggests that the link between User Thalex and Sona Sitri may be utilized as a conduit for the Environment Scanner. This could prove to be a significant boon to ongoing research into Devil biology, and may open new paths to explore.

How wonderful.

I had been hoping something like that may be the case.

I might even be able to see how the process of incorporating my leeched mana worked on a practical level. That alone could be immensely useful. I almost felt like bursting out into maniacal laughter at the possibilities this presented, despite the slightly uncomfortable drain on my MU output.

Actually... hmm.

Perhaps I should have been more careful about the exact wording of things.

The way that it instantly began to siphon off my mana the moment I finished signing might imply that there was some sort of magical enforcement effect.

Dammit.

Oh well. Just have to be more careful in the future.

Besides, no way to know for certain whether any potential outside enforcement goes both ways or not. Will just have to stick with the original plan for now.

Leaning back, I look Sona in the eyes with a forced nonchalant grin, noting an expression of satisfaction.

I wonder if that's from the successful negotiations, the influx of fresh mana, or something else?

"So, one last question before I go, if you don't mind. I really should try and at least attend the latter half of my classes, even if I probably won't learn nearly as much of use as I have here."

"Very well. What is it?"

"Do the Devils, Fallen, and Angels happen to follow the Hague conventions, or any similar treaties?"

I believe I caught her off guard with that.

"Why?"

"Oh, no reason in particular. Just trying to get a better idea of what I may be up against in the future, that's all." I lie through my teeth.

"Well, to answer, no. Not really. There are some unofficial rules that tend to be followed if only for the sake of limiting reprisals, but no official agreements regarding what is and is not allowed on the battlefield."

Good to know.

I didn't end up seeing Issei again for the rest of the day. I suppose he got caught up in the meet and greet, or whatever was going on.

Hopefully I would get a chance to touch base tomorrow.

As it was, I decided to simply go home early, as today, while productive, had also been something of a minor clusterfuck; thus I was more than ready for bed.

Unfortunately this was seemingly not to be.

I had finally gotten back home just in time for a long-awaited announcement from Alice to chime in my head, moments after my bedroom door closed.

Encryption successfully broken on first layer. Now beginning preliminary analysis of Devil and Half-Devil soul structure.

Fucking hell. One thing just leads to another.

I suppose I should take care of it though, in case its important.

"What's in the box?"

There are two discrete data packets with attached descriptions and instructions. They both contain a form of memory data from an unspecified source.

The first contains raw memory data which may be directly integrated into a recipient's mind; thus allowing said recipient to recall the associated information as if they had experienced the events themselves, from the perspective of the unspecified source.

The second contains an extrapolated recreation of the events, viewed from an artificially inserted external viewpoint. It is possible to experience the information via an induced dream-like state. Something like a 360 degree video experienced in Virtual Reality. This would, of course, cause the information received to be more limited and impersonal.

Both packets have now been saved to archive for future use. Do you wish to use one now, and if so, which?

I really probably should. The question is which one?

Well, actually, not much of a question to be honest.

"Yes, and I think I will stick with the latter method for now. I am not too keen on plugging unknown memories directly into my brain. I would hope that the extra layer of separation would help with any potential infohazards. Or weirdness from having someone else's memories. I already have enough trouble in that regard from my normal dreams."

"Acknowledged. I shall begin playback of the contents of the second packet as soon as you enter REM sleep. Goodnight User Thalex."

Heh. "Goodnight to you too, Alice."

It was a bit strange. I had had lucid dreams before of course, usually of a dark and unpleasant nature, but moving on.

Usually it took a while for me to realize I was dreaming. Minor inconsistencies in demeanor and action adding up until I realized that the other inhabitants were fake, then called them out on it.

Even odds whether I then had a pleasant chat with the creations of my subconscious, or they morphed into bloodthirsty monsters interested in painfully disemboweling me.

Here though, one moment I was awake, and the next I was in a blank room of not-quite discernible dimensions and coloration.

Slowly, over the course of a few minutes, details began to filter in. First, the four off-white plaster walls, then a beige ceiling. A soft, carpeted floor that seemed slightly fuzzy at the edges, and which I couldn't quite tell the exact color of. A window that let in a soft light, but showed no actual scenery when looked through.

It was slightly disconcerting.

I guess it took a moment for whatever Alice was doing to properly construct the scene, and the small details were obviously not quite right.

I wonder if that's due to a software or hardware limitation, so to speak? Was the information not present in the data packet, or was the Dreamscape simply bad at rendering everything?

Probably the first actually, now that I think about it. I have had plenty of regular dreams which didn't have such problems.

Anyways, I should probably stop worrying about that for now.

After all, I believe the scene had just finished filling in.

There was now a baby, in a crib. A few other pieces of furniture as well, but the baby was certainly the centerpiece. If I had to guess, it was maybe a year old. Give or take a bit. I wasn't exactly an expert appraiser of such things.

How strange. Is that supposed to be the source of the memories?

Why?

Was it someone I knew?

I stand there thinking about the question for a while, while the baby simply lies there, occasionally looking around the room, and eventually falling asleep.

After that, the room begins to melt away, slowly replaced by another scene.

Then another.

All of them centered around that same baby, never anything of particular interest. At least at first.

I started to notice a pattern several scenes in. A vague familiarity.

Then, I realized.

I'm pretty sure that's me.

I begin to pay attention to every detail I can manage, examining the surroundings of each scene, and looking for any context I can find.

Eventually, I positively identify several scenes as being from stories my parents have told me about when I was young.

The old apartment they used to live in.

The house we moved to a little after I was born.

Old toys and furniture that I had not seen in over a decade.

My parents and their old friends, playing some GURPS homebrew or raiding in Everquest while I sat in my mother's lap.

Hell, I even got to see my first words, and it was just as hilarious as I thought it would be from my mother's descriptions. Calling from another room at the age of 2, "I am hungry, can I please have food mother?"

Slightly unnerving too, seeing someone that young use a full sentence, even with the words a bit slurred, but mostly funny.

Then, after what seemed like literal hours of different disjointed scenes, organized in a loose chronological order leading up to just a bit after my second birthday, it was over. I was back in the vague non-space where things started.

What the fuck?

Why were my own memories stored in the box? And why those ones?

While it was kind of fun to see them, given I had forgotten them almost entirely barring a few vague impressions, they didn't seem to be of any real importance.

Also, "Hey Alice, what now? Do I just stay here until I wake up? Might get kind of boring."

Negative. Playback is not yet complete. Readying next portion. After completion you shall return to regular dreaming until the morning.

Ah.

Well, while I'm waiting, "Do you think it would be possible to recreate the process required to create those 'memory packets', or to share them with others? It could be pretty useful, I think. Hell, just the ability to fine-tune what happens in my dreams could be handy for that matter. Might need to look into that."

Acknowledged. It is now added to the queue. Beginning construction of next scene.

Oh yeah, I see it now.

Outside this time.

Weird.

None of the other scenes had been outside. Things seemed a little less fuzzy too.

Maybe because I'm not so young in this scene?

A timeskip?

Wait... that doesn't look right. I recognize that.

Those buildings, that park. The trees, and red brick path.

I've walked through there, but it sure as hell wasn't in Colorado.

Kuoh.

This is a big park, in-between the suburban area Issei and I live in, and Kuoh Academy. I've walked to school through there once or twice, although I never actually got its name.

Speaking of, Issei.

Why was it showing me Issei walking to school? Is this his memory? He looks about the same age as now, so it can't be all that old. Hell, he's even wearing the same exact haircut I saw him with earlier today, although I guess he could just not change things up much. The Kuoh Academy uniform on the other hand… strange.

Wait, is that a nun? The hell is a nun doing in Kuoh?

I mean, I know there's a church in town, but given the Devils and Fallen all around I figured it must not be in active use.

Ah, and of course of he stares up her skirt before helping her up. Oh well, least he caught himself before too long.

Based on the scattered luggage they start picking up after a brief exchange of greetings, I guess she must be new in town?

Is the Church moving back in?

That could be a bit of a clusterfuck, although I suppose it would be nice to have some more firmly pro-human people around.

Assuming they don't want to kill me for making a contract with Sona.

Speaking of, Irina would probably be horribly disappointed in me, huh?

Sigh.

Needs must. I can always apologize if I see her again.

Wait, bad Alex. No getting sidetracked.

Although not much more of interest happens before the scene fades away, it ending just after Issei helps her find her way to the local church, before heading off to school himself.

With the one exception of course, that she seems to be versed in healing magic of some kind. Maybe a Sacred Gear based on those rings.

Actually, wait a fucking minute.

Since when did Issei speak Italian? Since when did I speak fucking Italian? And why did he barely react to the literal fucking miracle of healing right in front of him?

What the fuck?

Before I can continue that train of thought, it is thoroughly derailed by the next scene to appear, although it only lasts for a few seconds before melting away and leaving me in the white room again.

A large underground vaulted chamber, with a raised platform at one end dimly lit by lanterns ensconced in the walls. At the top of the massive staircase leading up the platform, the same nun I saw earlier, only now crucified on a massive silver cross. With what I assumed to be a Fallen Angel menacingly floating in front of her, and an army of twenty or thirty black-robed men wielding glowing swords and guns spread around the room.

That doesn't look good.

Not at all.

"What the hell was that?"

Unknown. It would appear to be memory data much like the previous information, however it does not seem to come from the same source, and numerous oddities are present throughout.

Hmm.

Ok. Let's think.

The first scene, at least, seemed like it was probably from Issei's perspective, or maybe the Nun herself. Or both.

Based on his appearance, it must have been recent. His hair and general age looked about the same as now, and he was wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform, so it must have been sometime this year.

I am almost certain that if he had encountered someone like her he would have mentioned it at some point while talking to myself or his other two buddies, doubly so if the second scene was also from his viewpoint.

Yet, I have no recollection of him doing so.

Thus, he must have no memory of the meeting.

Mind wipe?

Maybe.

Sona did say something about that being standard procedure for Fallen, and that probably was one in the underground chamber. Maybe even the same one as killed Issei, given she certainly looked a bit like a "BDSM Demon", although that could be common for them.

Although… the healing. Why did he not react to that more?

Also, the Italian.

If I think about it, I am almost certain she was speaking Italian, yet Issei could understand her and respond. So could I for that matter, despite only knowing a tiny smidgen of the language. If I didn't carefully watch the movements of their mouths and truly think about the noises they projected, it sounded just like they were speaking English.

Now that I think about it, he also seemed uncomfortable when he looked at her rosary, and when he caught sight of the church.

Could it be?

But that doesn't make sense. He's been a Devil for a day at most, and he certainly didn't mention anything like that this morning.

Couldn't have been after we separated either, he was definitely heading to school, not away from it. Sun was in the wrong place too.

Unless...

A prophecy?

Maybe.

Needs testing.

"Ok. Tomorrow I am asking Issei if he has met any other interesting people lately, and from now on I am leaving 15 minutes early to head to his house, then walking to school with him through that park. Make sure I don't forget."

Acknowledged. Is there anything else before I return you to standard sleep?

"No. That should be all. We can go over this shit more later, maybe watch the 'memories' a few more times over the next several nights. Make sure I didn't miss anything while distracted."

Acknowledged. Goodnight again.

Yeah.

Why does everything have to be such a fucking mess?