never thought id wake up to a notification that says "CuckingMaster69 now following you" but here i am

No More Family Secrets

〖Chapter 3〗

⦕My Brothers Can't Be This Stupid?!⦖

Suffice to say, being a sobbing wreck wasn't how she had pictured her reunion with her little brother, but Haru was already shaken by her previous talk with a mother that didn't even recognize her. She hadn't prepared herself mentally to reintroduce herself to Issei again, and now his stupid twin had to bring him along. This sudden development was a little bit more than a little bit too much for her poor sentimental heart to handle.

"Haru, I'm fine with you bawling your eyes but people are gonna start thinking we're mugging you."

And of course stupid Souji was of no help.

Pouting, sniveling, managing to control her tears somewhat because she had to glare at him, even with her swollen and puffy eyes, even with her cheeks flushed as was the tip of her nose, Haru must shoot a crude glare at her twin, and that she did. At least now she could distract herself from those melancholic feelings by converting her emotions to being mad at him.

"Stupid Souji. Soujidiot. Baka. Bakajiro."

"I literally haven't done a single thing," Souji responded, confused, but decided to move things along since it was just his twin being emotional. "Well anyway. Issei, Haru. Haru, Issei. She's my twin and your older sister."

"O-oh…" Issei awkwardly said, not really sure what to do in this sort of situation. "Y-yo… Issei here… uh… H-hi, Neesan?"

Haru's hazel eyes locked onto Issei's, and in that moment, everything else seemed to fade away. She broke, her laughter mingling with tears as her heart raced with the promise of a reunion long overdue.

"Neesan!?" that broke Haru's dam. All the years spent away from her little brother came down crashing, and the waterworks was once again unleashed. This, of course, shocked Issei. "W—w… I haven't heard it from you for so long…!"

"Oh boy… Don't mind her, bud. She's always been the more emotional one—" Souji stopped himself midsentence. Actually, Issei stopped his sentence, because Souji had a double take when he noticed the kid brother himself was getting misty eyed.

"N-Neesan!"

Swept by the moment, and specifically because he was overjoyed to have such a beautiful sister that even cared so much about him, Issei couldn't help himself from getting emotional either.

"Ikkun~!"

"Haru-neesan!"

"Ikkun!"

As the two hugged it out, embracing each other as long lost siblings do, Souji felt a bit offended that Issei didn't have the same reaction when he revealed himself to be his brother, but he wasn't going to let it drag him down. Actually, he was starting to get uneasy, and he sensed the leering eyes of curious passersby.

Just a few feet away, Souji stood, a bemused smile playing on his lips. He watched his younger siblings with a mixture of fondness and slight embarrassment.

"...Great… You both are definitely mother's kids… Hey, you two," Souji finally chimed in, his voice carrying a blend of amusement and mock irritation. "I'm still here, you know. It's good that we're all together now, but maybe let's do this without turning the park into a public sob fest? Yes? People are staring."

Break

The quaint café nestled at the corner of the bustling street offered a serene escape from the outside world. The Hyoudou siblings had settled into a cozy booth at the smoking area outside, the dusk casting a gentle glow over their faces. The café buzzed with the soft hum of conversation, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air.

Issei shifted a bit in his seat, looking around with a mix of fascination and slight awkwardness. His older sister was sitting beside him, her eyes filled with affection as she observed his reactions. Across from them, Souji leaned back casually, smoke curling from the cigarette between his fingers, one leg resting above the other.

"Order whatever you like, Ikkun," she hummed, "Souji will eat the leftovers."

"I am bothered by this dynamic already," Souji said, shrugging anyway. Just because she was being rude, she wasn't wrong; he'd eat them. "But order whatever you want. It's our treat."

"I already did! My order hasn't even arrived yet."

"And you can ask more!" Haru pointed out. "No need to be shy. This won't be the first time either, I swear."

"It's fine, lil bro. We're loaded."

"Eh? Seriously? How loaded?"

"Loaded, loaded," Souji grinned smugly, gray smoke seeping past his perfect row of teeth. "So don't hold back."

"For real? If you say that, I really won't hold back on leeching off you guys, you know."

"Haha, do your worst," Haru giggled dreamily. Her brother wasn't known to hold anything back. Always honest, even if it cost him. …Soujiro on the other hand… He could deceive snakes.

"So what exactly do you guys do?"

Souji exchanged a knowing glance towards his twin, and with a nod, Haru formed a soundproofing barrier around them. Invisible to the naked eyes, and nearly untraceable.

"Maybe this is too soon, but we don't want to hide anything from you, Issei. And feel free to say anything— we're in her barrier."

"Whoa— you're a Wizard?"

"And a good one at that," Haru bragged, her nose growing. "But… we're getting sidetracked here…"

"We're Contractors." Souji started.

Haru didn't miss a beat. They'd talked and agreed upon this before. "And by that, he's not talking about someone that handles the construction work. We're what you might call 'Contractors'. I'm sure you've heard of the term before, but not under the same meaning."

Issei furrowed his brows, his confusion evident. "Contractors… like… you mean us Devils? Taking contracts and such…?"

Haru exchanged a quick glance with Souji before turning back to Issei, her expression a mixture of resignation and determination. "We… our contracts are… well… less whimsical and more violent."

Issei's eyes widened, a mixture of disbelief and concern flooding his expression. "You mean... you're hitmen? For this side of the world?"

"This and there, it makes no difference." Souji's lips curved into a wry smile. "You could say that we're hitmen."

Issei's mind raced, trying to reconcile the siblings he'd only discovered with the chilling revelation before him. But it made sense… of course, his siblings had been in this world much longer than him. Soujiro's muscles, Haru's control over magic— he was glad to know they were good people, but to learn they had killed before…?

Seeing her brother's expression worried Haru enough to voice her concern. "...I don't know if this is a good idea, Souji…"

"It's fine. He can handle it. He deserves to know. No more hiding, right?"

"...But…" Haru pressed her lips, the possibility that her brother might come to hate her because of her past terrified her. She didn't want to lose him, or be forced to lose him. She didn't want to alter his memory again.

"Erm… the people you… killed… were they… bad people?"

Souji took a sip of his cigarette, and replied as smokes were coming out of his lips. "Most of them, yes."

"Ah…ahaha… and the rest?"

"Unlucky," Haru added. Her gaze held a tinge of regret. "It's… a long story, Ikkun. …We were promised you'd be safe…"

Souji's voice carried the weight of their history. "Look, we were young, we were stupid, and most unfortunately; we had potential. We got involved with people who promised us safety in exchange for our services."

"Your safety…specifically," Haru's eyes remained focused on Issei, her voice tinged with regret. "...But you died, didn't you?"

"Y…yeah…" Issei's tone held a mix of confusion and concern. "A Devil brought me back, but I guess you already know that."

Haru nodded, her voice firm but heavy. "...I hope you don't feel patronized by this; but we're here to protect you ourselves. A-at least until you can master your Sacred Gear. Th-there are many dangers in this side of the world, Ikkun… If you got hurt again, I…"

Souji leaned forward, his gesture enough to ease his twin's nerves. "We won't let that happen. But you're free to do what you want, of course. Whatever you choose, we've got your back."

Issei's heart clenched as he looked at his siblings, grappling with the gravity of their actions and the consequences that followed. "I can't believe this… You guys... you did all of that for me?"

Haru's voice was heavy with regret. "We did, Issei. But we never imagined it would lead to this…"

Issei's emotions were a whirlwind, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and sorrow. "I can't even begin to think..."

Souji's gaze met Issei's, his voice sincere, calming. A reminiscent of their dad. "We're not telling you this to justify what we've done. We want you to know the truth. Why we're here after so long."

"...I hope you can still accept us back as your family, Issei. We're here to protect you now… Please don't push us away."

Issei's eyes shifted between his siblings, his heart heavy with the realization of the sacrifices they had made. "I never thought..."

"Things we do for love," Souji's sigh and tone was earnest, his steely eyes unwavering. "We know it's a bit much to take in, bud. But we're here for you, no matter what."

Issei's eyes shifted between his siblings, his understanding deepening. "You did all of this for me… Oh man, I'm getting teary again— I mean… I mean I'm so happy, you guys have no idea how happy I am right now— alright, I get it, you did what you think you have to do… Thank you guys so much. You made me feel like I'm worth something now…"

"Oh…Issei…" His tears were mirrored by Haru's own as she reached for a tissue, her emotions overflowing as she watched her younger brother process the truth of their past, and still welcomed her with open arms and even going so far as finding joy.

Souji leaned back, taking a drag from his cigarette, his expression a mix of amusement and understanding, letting his siblings have their moment.

Again.

Seemed like this might be a recurring theme. He better start pocketing handkerchiefs.

Wiping away his tears, Issei nodded firmly, his heart swelling with a mixture of gratitude, and determination, even with snot coming down his nose.

"I'll do my best to become stronger, to protect myself and those around me. I'll protect you guys, even."

"I believe in you," Haru sniffled, grasping her little brother's hand. "This time, we'll be with you… all the way. You'll never walk alone in this, Issei."

"Yeah… Thanks… Neesan…" As Issei's tears slowly subsided, a sense of unity and understanding settled over the café booth. The weight of their past had been revealed, but so had the depth of their love and their commitment to one another. "Aniki as well!"

"Hell yeah brother," Souji felt that it was his cue to be the cool big bro, and thus he proceeded to do just so, fistbumping with the boy. "With us around, you'll have nothing to fear. Hell, you'll be the one thing they'll learn to fear."

"...Huh? What?"

"What? You wanted to be stronger, right? Well, I'm here, and I'm pretty strong. I'll whip you up into shape in no time. Just because I'm your bro, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. You're committed, right? We Hyoudous ain't no cowards."

"Y-yeah! …What're you gonna do to me…?"

"Nothing that I won't do," Souji grinned lightly, but Issei didn't feel any better. He felt more unnerved, rather, because he tried to think of what his old brother wouldn't do, and that scared him a little bit. "For now though, we'll do what we've been doing and oh joy here comes our food~!"

"H…how can I relax after that! …Oooh, that looks good."

"Hey, hands off, that's mine."

"Don't be stingy, Souji. You can just order another one."

And thus the Hyoudou trio ate and joked to their hearts' content, happy to be reunited, feeling that nothing this world could throw at them would make them budge. In fact, they'd force it to budge instead. It would have been closer to perfect, if not for the fact that Haru had sensed the presence of an inhuman being. Her 'sensor' picked it up.

Extremely attuned to an otherworldly frequency, Haru had become akin to a living radar, her senses stretching beyond the mundane to catch the subtle echoes of supernatural energy. Her magical web of perception had blanketed the area around her long since, and she'd felt this presence for quite some while.

It was as if ripples of energy emanate from the wielder, reaching out to bounce back information from the very essence of their surroundings. Similar to how a sonar worked, but magical.

'Souji… blue car behind you. To your left. There's a… an odd presence. Whatever it is, they've been following us since we got out of the park, and they can't be Rias'."

Souji responded with a casual nod. He couldn't do telepathy like his twin. It was a one-way form of communication after all.

"Oh right, no one outside can hear us, right?"

"Yeah," Haru hummed just as casually. He was calming her down by saying that aloud.

And consequently impressed Issei, who wasn't able to use a shred of his Demonic Powers yet. "That's sick! Can I learn how to do that?"

"Well while I can't refuse my cute little brother's request, can I ask why you would like to learn it specifically? Aren't you boys more interested in something like shooting fireballs or stone bullets out of your hands?"

Issei paused his burger-eating. "Wait, you can do those things too?"

Haru's flat chest swelled with pride. "Of course. Who do you take me for? …Huh? Why do I feel like hitting someone all of a sudden…?"

Souji scooted back an inch. He wasn't going to let his early dinner be disturbed. Either by the Devils' little spy, or his own sister.

"By the by, shouldn't we pay your… Master a visit soon? Might as well officially introduce ourselves, eh?"

"Oh! You're right— if you can come to my school afterschool, like, maybe at 5, I'll take you guys to my… uh… uh… my clubroom, I guess?"

Peerage was the word he was looking for and had forgotten.

"Sure," Souji said, his tone even, his expression unreadable. "That'd be swell."

With that, Haru also reported her recent findings… or lack thereof.

'...It's…gone… Odd… It's neither a Devil or a Fallen Angel. Closer to a Yōkai.'

'Yōkai, eh…?' Souji raised a single eyebrow at that. '...Ah. It's probably her…'

He made a mental note to tell his twin about it later on. Though, even if he ended up forgetting about it as he often did, his sister would remind him by nagging about it anyway.

Break

Akeno watched curiously as their new Pawn stood awkwardly before their King's study desk, looking like he was about to formally re-introduce himself or ask for a favor.

"Yes, Hyoudou?" Rias began with a casual look, not noticing the anxiety of her particular Pawn that had been chewing him up from the inside. "Have you eaten lunch? Yuuto and Koneko are both in the cafeteria. You can text them if you want anything from the canteen. We don't have club activities until after school hours."

"Yea I know, it's just uh…" No, he realized. He couldn't say it. Too afraid. He didn't want to be made fun of. Not by Rias. He wouldn't care if other people made light of him, but if it was her, it'd ruin him. "Someone wanted to meet you," so he instead said. "A-actually I want to introduce someone to you guys."

"Hm?" Reading the hints that this might be a big deal for her adorable Pawn, Rias placed down her pen and took off her fake glasses, folding it neatly and placing it next to her fountain pen. "Someone? Who is it?"

"Another girlfriend?"

"N-no! Also ouch, Akeno-senpai… My heartbreak hasn't healed yet you know…"

"Oh no… how sad… would you like me to mend it, Issei-kun? A massage might not be able to completely heal a broken heart, but it may help ease a wounded soul~?"

"Yes please."

Rias cleared her throat. "Hyoudou."

That brought him to his senses. "R-right! W-well. It's…two people, actually. They're… Well, they're my brother and sisters."

That took Rias by surprise. Fixing her posture, Rias then clasped her hands as she leaned forward — Issei struggled to maintain his focus because her impressive, sizable chest was being pushed up by the table as she did, making them appear even bigger than they already were. "Your brother? You have a brother?"

"Yeah… Believe me, I didn't even know until last week."

"Last week…?" Rias narrowed her eyes. This sounded suspicious already.

"We met when I was going home… I met my sister yesterday, in fact. They're twins," Issei rubbed his elbow, not getting why the hell was he being this nervous like he was telling a lie when it was nothing but the truth. At least what he thought to be the truth. "They told me he wanted to see you guys. To explain some stuff."

Rias blinked, and passed a glance at her Queen for her opinion, only receiving a light shake of her head in return, along with a noncommittal shrug at the end before she went on to move next to her.

Up to her, Akeno was saying.

"Well… I… don't mind... You don't sound so certain about him, perhaps by meeting him we'll be able to help you determine if he's telling the truth."

"Yea that'd be cool," Issei nodded, actually getting excited as he thought about it. "Thanks."

"But do you have any idea who they work for? Or if they belong in any organization…? I'm assuming they knew about us already."

"They do, yea…" Issei scratched his mess of hair. "They… Well this is kinda awkward, but he used to work for a guy called 'Azazel'...?"

The mood shifted in a heartbeat. If there was a jazz record playing, Issei was sure it would have stopped and scratched at this moment. He saw the shock register on Rias' face before it shifted into caution. He was so preoccupied paying attention to Rias' expression that he failed to see the dark scowl on Akeno's face the moment Azazel's name left his lips. She didn't let it last long, however, and had donned her mask as per usual.

"Wait, wait, they used to work for the guy," Issei immediately clarified, fearing she was going to label his potential brother as a potential hostile instead. "They quitted. They quitted because… because I was murdered by one of them."

"Hm," Rias hummed, keeping her professional look as she thought of ways to gain information regarding the Grigori and their Governor. If they were indeed Hyoudou's brother, then they would make valuable allies. She'd read some of Issei's files. His dossier. The fact that his parents had two failed childbirths struck her mind immediately when Issei said his twins wanted to come see her.

But to test if they were truly his siblings and not some shams proclaiming they were one was yet to be seen… Should they appear to be fake, then they should be eliminated.

"That's a relief," Rias calmly said instead. "When are they coming here?"

"Today," Issei said. "At five, I told them… if that's cool with you…?"

"Oh. That urgent? It's alright, I'm not particularly busy today— but next time, do make an appointment with me first, Hyoudou. You need to tell me things like this at least a day in advance."

"Y-yes! My bad!" he readily bowed formally.

"You're forgiven," Rias smiled gently, and Issei swooned right then and there.

"Me and Koneko-chan can't be present, however. Will that be alright, Buchou?"

"Your Contracts, no? It's fine. I have a feeling this won't be their only visit. Do be careful, however."

"Mhmm. I'll try to get mine done as soon as I can… Especially since I'm curious to know

"What're your they like?"

"Hmm…" Issei thought for a moment for a word, and the only word that blinked into existence in his brain on the spot was; "Delinquent. He looks like a delinquent. My sister looks like a supermodel."

Rias blinked, thought about it, and tried imagining an older Issei as she tilted her head. She was unaware that Akeno was doing the exact same except with her index finger pressing the skin next to her lips.

Both failed in doing so. Their cute, extremely perverted, yet nonetheless earnest Pawn? A rebellious delinquent? And a supermodel? No way. Issei was physically average with an average looks. And while neither Rias nor Akeno cared for physical appearances, they still couldn't picture a buff version of their Pawn or a supermodel version of their Pawn.

By Lilith did they fit the bill.

Rias was doing her hardest not to show much of her surprise when Kiba brought in a man who towered his height, but also appearing like he'd wrestle a bear for morning exercise. He was taller and much more sturdy looking compared to Riser, and perhaps a mite smaller if compared to her cousin, Sairaorg. Slightly leaner, as the Bael had a bulky chest that was noticeably wider than his waist, whereas this person would look to be of average build if he was wearing thicker clothing.

But nonetheless, 'delinquent' truly described his appearance to a T.

Dark brown hair that reached the base of his nape, eyes that were constantly glaring at something even if they weren't, a seemingly permanent scowl, not to mention the pink welt near the corner of his lips. The way he dressed himself suggested that he was older but not much older. A simple black t-shirt that hinted at some of his well-defined build, a brown leather bomber jacket bundled in his arm, and topped with dark blue jeans and a pair of sneakers. And the strength in those muscles — Heaven be damned. This man was built like a tiger. He could pop a person's head like a bear trap would an apple.

But that wasn't all, because Kiba wasn't escorting just him, but also another person — a girl. A young girl that didn't look much older than her either. Much shorter than the guy, same chestnut brown hair except much lighter — several shades lighter than her Pawn's. She was pretty. Knew how to dress to accentuate her natural beauty whilst keeping it light yet stylish. Black sunglasses hooked onto the collar of her cream-colored blouse. A beige sweater was tied around her slender waist, worn like a belt over her pair of shorts.

Rias noted that her eyes were much gentler, but those hazel browns retained a certain tinge of sharpness to it, as if she could detect a lie in a glimpse. It might just be her overthinking things, however. She also kept it to herself for now but she would have mistaken the two as a model and her bodyguard if not for Issei's earlier information.

But most importantly; she couldn't detect a shred of magic from the Bodyguard, yet the traces of magic around the Model had jittered erratically and floated towards her whenever she moved, coagulating, forming a sphere, only to bounce and break away when they were about to make make contact with him. As if they were magnets with polar opposites — one attracts, the other resists.

"Hello," she began, still stumped at the disparity of the two in more ways than one. "Good afternoon."

"Yes, it is." the Bodyguard — Sōjiro, she recalled, nodded.

Sōjiro Hyoudou…

He certainly had a unique reply to a greeting. She didn't miss the cheeky grin he gave along with head's up nod towards her Pawn, who responded just as much, likely thinking they were being cool… Men. How adorable they could be.

But first thing's first— "I'm Rias Gremory. Please just call me Rias."

"Right, will do."

"A pleasure to meet you. Hyoudou here hasn't stopped talking about you. He seems eager to introduce the both of you to me, or perhaps the other way around?" She slipped in a giggle. "Nevertheless, please, do take a seat. His guests are my guests as well."

Souji led his way as the Model followed next him, seemingly intent to look as unapproachable as she could. Rias could practically taste the distaste in her eyes when their eyes met.

But that distrust was gone in a flash when her eyes fell upon Hyoudou Issei. Gone was the coldness and what replaced it was a certain kind of warmth as she stared longingly at her Pawn, only for her to look down to her hands, and pressed her lips together.

Sōjiro took special note of Rias' observation, easily masking his discovery by looking around the room, and checking out the luxury of being the daughter of the owner of their school.

"Fancy place," he said. "It's like a hotel here. Well. Minus that occult looking pentagram over there… That isn't some sacrificial altar or anything of the like, is it?"

Rias chuckled gently. "We are the Occult Research Club… Though it's nothing like that grim. It's just a teleportation circle."

The Gremory proceeded as normally as she normally would, getting on with the pleasantries first and ushering Akeno to make some of her iced tea before going for the meatiest part — how on earth did they manage to stay under the radar for this long.

"My Servant told me he had a brother," she began, clasping her hands, keeping her eyes trained on theirs to see how they'd react. She intended to use that particular word in a demeaning connotation.

The man didn't look disturbed in the slightest, only nodding along, affirming her statement. Attempting to convince her, perhaps… but the girl, however…

Serafall Leviathan, being the Satan that handled foreign affairs which meant having to have a good understanding regarding how to read people, had taught her and Sona how to do just so.

But Rias didn't need any of that training because the woman before her looked like she was ready to cut her tongue with her glare.

'...Well… now I know she cares about him to this extent…' Rias supposed. She didn't enjoy being rude on purpose, but she wouldn't have done it if it wasn't to ensure her Pawn was not being tricked.

"It might be confusing if I call both of you as Hyoudous as we have three, now… I hope you don't mind if I call you with your name. Sōjiro, correct?" she immediately proceeded, smiling professionally this time.

"You can just call me Souji. And this here is—"

'Planning to tear your pretty head off—' "Haruyuki," Haru said curtly, her glare ever-present, intensified now. "...If you can not use that word when referring to my brother, that'd be great."

"My apology. It's simply a term the Devils have long since established… Though I assure you, I consider my Servants as my own family."

"Yes, we know about you Gremories and your attachments, but if you ever planning to use him in any way—"

Souji interrupted her words by nudging her sides. "Hey, remind me again, did we come here to pick fights?"

"...Ugh." 'I. Hate. Royals. Always think they're better than us. All this bullshit formalities make me want to vomit.''

"She's upset, you see…" Souji nevertheless went on, disregarding his sister's opinion. "We've had… experiences with Devils. None of which have been pleasant."

"Well. Hopefully our meeting will break that streak," Rias offered her smile. She could feel her Pawn's worry at his older sister's behavior, but Rias would tolerate it. After all, her intention was not to make enemies. Especially not those who could be directly related to her adorable Pawn.

"I'm guessing you're referring to the time when you were under the Grigori? Directly under Azazel, even."

"That's what we meant, yes," Souji replied. Despite his intimidating stature, Rias supposed he was the more… approachable twin. "It's a rather touchy subject though, so…"

"I understand." Rias duly nodded. "Well then, with introductions out of the way… may I ask the purpose of your visit here? If it's to ensure Hyoudou… Issei's wellbeing, then I assure you, as his Master and—"

"Master?"

"...Leader of my Peerage in which he is a part of…" Rias corrected. That woman could deathstare someone to death… "I'll do everything in my power to ensure his safety. He's made a choice to be part of this world."

"Did he now," it was Souji this time as his eyes fell over to Issei's. "Well, bud?"

Issei nodded, nervously at first, but firmed it eventually. "Yes. I want to stay a Devil so one day I'll have my own Peerage and harem—"

"Alright, you can stop there," Souji said.

Rias studied the twins' reactions. So far, the brother seemed supportive and he might have asked Issei to shove reality to his twin's face. After all, Haruyuki Hyoudou looked devastated by Issei's words.

"See? Haru? He's got his own ambition. His own reasons. He's a big boy that knows what he wants and how to get it… let him work hard for it."

"...Yeah. I get it already."

"Mhmm," Souji nodded, once, twice. Thrice. Though Haru was sulking, this should at least keep her quiet for a bit. "So! As you can see, we're here to give you our blessings… That only stays as long as you treat him well, though. No need to dote on him, as long as you don't see him as a tool; we're peachy."

"Understood. Thank you." Not like Rias required their agreement in this since Hyoudou Issei was and would be her Servant regardless, but the gesture was appreciated. "

"And just so we're clear; we're aware that he's in your Peerage and that he's your responsibility and all that jazz, but that doesn't mean we'll stop looking after him either."

"Ooohh— you're so cool, Aniki…!"

Souji ran his hair back. "Course I am. Who do you take me for?"

Rias giggled at their antics. She was starting to see their resemblance now. Boys at heart indeed.

"Understandable. You're his family. Even if I have the right to intrude, I can't see myself wanting to separate those that meant well for him or any of my Serv…erm… helpers."

"It's fine. Just call him your Servant. It's what he is. She'll learn to get used to it."

Haru shot him an icy stare. "...Souji."

"Haru."

"..." Grumpily, Haru elbowed his muscular side. It wasn't very effective.

Well… at least she got the approval of one of them. Rias was prepared to debate her right to have Issei as her Servant, but it seemed she wouldn't have to go to that length.

"Ah, forgive me… Where are my manners? Normally I have my Queen and assistant here to serve you beverages but she happens to be away at the moment. Would you like some? Ice tea, perhaps? Yuuto, if you would."

"Right away, Prez," the blondie nodded, stepping away from his spot behind Rias' sofa. The twins even had forgotten he was there all along.

"I'll have an iced tea, thank you very much~ and Haru?" Souji offered, but Haru outright refused. Her loss, he shrugged. "We won't bug you for long, though."

"Please, make yourself comfortable… But if you are about to leave soon—Hyoudou… ah, pardon me, I mean Issei has shared with me the reasons why you… disappeared from his life for a long time… May I… pry a little about that certain period?"

"Maybe another time, Rias, but just know that we did it to protect him," Souji gently rejected, but being an expert at this thing; he let her know that the door was not completely shut by saying, "Maybe once we're better acquainted, I'll tell you the full story. You'll get nothing but grunts from her."

"Zip it, dumbass."

Rias resisted her urge to let out a chuckle. She waited for a moment as Kiba had returned from the tea brewing station, bringing the ordered beverages with him; a steaming cup of chamomile tea, and a glass of iced tea.

"Pardon me," he politely said.

"Thanks," Souji said, wasting no time to treat himself to the drink.

Rias took a sip of her tea as well, before moving on.

"Then in that case, I look forward to that day. I can understand your distrust towards me, specifically, but I swear on my name and honor as the heir of the Gremory House, there won't be a time where I see your little brother as a mere tool. He's my adorable helper. Heaven must fall before I throw him into danger."

"And if you're the one in a pinch, who's going to look out for you?" Haru immediately dared. "Him?"

"Ah… fortunately, I have been blessed with reliable allies."

"Sona Sitri, if I'm not wrong…"

"Yes." Rias wasn't the least bit surprised that they knew of Sona's presence and her true name. If they were directly under the Governor, then their access to information might be way above her own. Especially since they didn't appear to have an overprotective older sibling like she did.

"Two little sisters of the Satans, conveniently controlling one territory together… Look I'm not trying to make you worry or anything, but this has always been in my head— doesn't that concern you? Shouldn't that concern them?"

Rias sighed softly, but her shoulders tensed. "We try to balance our roles with our own safety. We're well aware of the risk…that as it may, we are heiresses of our respective House, and I am, as you can see, quite understaffed at the moment."

"Why's that?"

"Hmm… I suppose you can say that I'm waiting for the right person," Rias chuckled. "I tend to be… frugal, when it comes to my Evil Pieces."

"Saving up so you'll always have enough when someone powerful 'happens' to be in need of your help, huh?"

"..." Rias knew she had to be patient, both for her Pawn's sake and her own —she wanted to have the siblings' strength— but the girl's started to push her over the edge. That said, she understood her. Completely, in fact. Rias had been the victim of her own older sibling's controlling behavior. Although she knew Sirzechs meant well, he could be quite restraining at times.

"It's her stuff. Her currency. It's up to her how she spends it whether we like it or not."

Once again, Souji came to her help. Once again proving he was more logically driven compared to his siblings. Even Rias knew Issei could be rather impulsive.

Hopefully, his brother would be a role model for thim. As far as things go, her Pawn certainly had shown signs of his admiration towards the muscular Hyoudou. That said, Rias couldn't tell if this was a 'good cop, bad cop' routine, but if it was, then it was working on her.

"And besides," he went on. "He told me you took a gamble on him. I guess you've no idea what he has up till now?"

"Twice Critical is what he possesses… although… if that is what he has, then I'm not sure why it took eight Pawns to resurrect him."

'It's Boosted Gear, only dormant. It's as Azazel expected.'

Souji could only mentally nod at Haru's mind message.

"Perhaps you know, Mr. Souji?"

"No," he said, much to Rias and Issei's disappointment. "And eugh, just call me Souji. I'm no mister."

"Pardon me then," Rias giggled. "That as it may, I've no intention of casting him aside for whatever reason."

Both Souji and Haru could tell Issei was overjoyed to hear that, much to Haru's resentment.

Good to hear, Souji supposed. Neither he and definitely not Haru trusted Rias completely, but they'd agreed to see where her 'leadership' could bring their little brother.

And one more thing.

"By the by, Gremory; we happen to be two extremely talented individuals that are extremely out of work. We're unemployed, you see, and our past… say, salaries have made us quite the greedy people."

Rias blinked, but quickly registered his intention of bringing such matter to her. "A…Are you offering me your services?"

"Yep. We've talked. We're pretty affordable for all the things we can do."

It took everything in her to not shoot up from joy. "Wh… why… this is rather sudden. While I'm certain you've worked directly under Lord Governor Azazel himself, I do need proof to back it up."

"What about the leveled church a bit outside of town?" Souji pointed out. "That's been the crows' hideout for a while. It's leveled flat now, though, and if you're looking for the culprit, it's this girl here."

Excellent. If it was appropriate for her to grin, Rias would've grinned. But she maintained her cool. "A…ah… I see…"

"I can take over their 'formal' hideout down the red light district if you'd like. All three of them."

'They're dangerous people with gray moralities…' A thought immediately rang in her head. 'Precisely the people I desperately need at this very moment… Ah, Hyoudou… You've been a godsend so far.'

"There's no need to go that far," Rias reassured. "...Perhaps… a trial task, if you're willing… I'll pay you half up front, and the rest upon completion, not including the bonus. After that, we can discuss the terms of your contract."

Souji found no reason to hide his grin. 'And here's our bombshell of a goldmine! Nobles are great. She didn't even ask for our fare. Why look after him for free when you can get paid?'

Haru, however, wasn't as ecstatic as her pragmatic twin. But if it meant she could be closer to Issei and observe his growth and make sure he wasn't tricked by this princess, then…

She'd lost him once. She wasn't going to lose him ever again.

"What's on your mind?" Souji continued, his grin starting to curve the pink scar on his lips.

"Tell me if you need anything further elaborated, Souji. Lately, we have been losing precious Contractors left and right. We suspect it is the Fallen Angels' doing, and we have hard evidence backing it up, pointing towards the Stray Exorcists they definitely have hired and smuggled to this town. Me and Sona have requested the permit to take matters into our own hands and investigate it ourselves, but, as you may have known already; we're too doted upon. The Devils will send their own investigation team, but the process will take time."

"Uh huh. And? What do you want us to do about it? Hunt down the killers?"

"I want you to find whoever it is that did it, and make it clean. You can't be traced back to us."

"That's doable, but it'll cost you extra."

Rias nodded agreeably. "Quality comes at a price."

"Good!" Souji clapped his big hands once. "As for the payment, you'll have to talk to her. She's the account manager."

'There's one thing I'll have to add before I'll give my agreement to all this,' Haru suddenly stated, directly invading Rias' mind without her permission or knowledge until it had happened. Her shock was visible, as if never expecting her pretty head was beyond cracking, and Haru relished upon it. 'If you ever… EVER. Think of leading my two idiots with your 'beguiling, devilish charm', such as but not limited to; entering my brother's bathroom while he's showering, or sleeping next to him buck naked— then you and I will have a severe problem. I'm warning you not as a threat, but as their sister, Gremory. I'm sure you can understand.'

Rias bristled, and swallowed. While it was true she did all of those to motivate her Pawn as well as making sure his wounds were healed, and in a way, leading him on — she was indeed aware it had overstepped her boundary — a boundary set by human morals, that is. That Issei… he must've bragged about it to his siblings… Though there were no concrete proofs as of yet, there were no concreted proofs that denied their blood-relation either. For now, Rias gave them the benefit of doubt.

Because these two were not regular people.

Sōjiro's complete lack of magical energy was unlike her Pawn's. Even Issei had an inkling of it. Ordinary people possessed at least a smidgeon as well. This man had none. Zilch. Haruyuki, on the other hand, had an abundance of it. She even 'talked' to her without needing to keep her eyes open — which she had just now reopened just to give Rias a stern stare that told her that yes, indeed, her mind had been invaded successfully.

That spoke enough of Haruyuki's mastery over arcane arts.

Nevertheless… Now that the cat's been wrenched out of the bag, Rias supposed she should figure out other measures to raise her Pawn well. Preferably in manners that wouldn't upset this rather… terrifying sister of his.

'Jeez, Issei… how come you're so adorable yet your siblings give me shivers…?'

Clearing her throat and reclaiming her composure, Rias sent a nod over towards Haru. "I understand. Do you prefer cash, check, or something else of the same monetary value?"

"Cash only," Haru immediately said, just as bright yet warm crimson lights shone the room, stemming from the pentagram mentioned at the very start of their visit.

Out came a tall girl with an impressively long ponytail that flowed nearly all the way down to her ankles, kept afloat by a giant orange ribbon resting atop of her head.

"I'm home~" Akeno said along with a playful giggle. "Ara~? We have guests?"

"Ah, Akeno. Welcome back," Rias greeted as her Queen approached the sofas, blissfully unaware of the look of surprise from one of the twins as they saw the newly arrived Devil. "Might I introduce you to my Queen?"

"Himejima Akeno," Akeno hummed with a friendly smile, bowing her head politely. "You must be Issei-kun's siblings he was talking about for the past hours. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all ours," Souji said, used to his role as the approachable guy while Haru seemed keen on retaining her silence, replying only with a nod. Many nods were had this day. "Say, Issei, so which one of these two are your types?"

"They all are!"

"Hah! Spoken like a true man! You rock, bro." Souji laughed heartily. He would give his lil bro a quick fistbump for being so upfront, but Issei was standing a bit too far so he settled on giving him the 'ok' hand sign, followed by a chef's kiss.

But in reality, he was purposely checking upon the girls' reaction to his joke. He was glad to find that they were giggling along, simply entertained by Issei's extreme honesty and lack of shame instead of showing any sign of being repulsed. If the latter was the case, then he'd have to tell his brother the hard truths, or rather, wait for either of the two to break his brother's heart, so he could shatter their bones in return without feeling so bad.

No Satans could intimidate him. As powerful as Satan Lucifer was, there had been no records of Sirzechs Lucifer being able to stand toe to toe or beat a god-tier entity, simply rumors and that bullshit 'Top Ten Strongest Beings' tier list Azazel made up long ago. Souji was a firm believer of 'you're only as strong as the strongest opponent you've beaten'.

And so far, there's no one they couldn't incapacitate, or decapitate.

.

.

.

Their informal meeting was put to a close not long after, but the sun had set by the time they were done with the Devils. Haru specifically had telepathically requested to leave, and him being the considerate OLDER twin (as well as knowing something's either off or Haru just wanted to get out of that place because she couldn't tolerate the Gremory no more), bade his goodbyes and bumped the fists of his lil bro. Haru gave him a big hug, and told him to be careful doing his Devil stuff.

'Both of you guys are crazy badass, not gonna lie. I was fanboying a bit when you did all that talk. And uh... Please get along with Buchou! They're my friends, and I hope you can be theirs too!'

Neither of them could make such promises this soon, so the best they could was give Issei a noncomittal 'of course'.

Personally, Souji didn't have anything against the Gremory or the Devils. His 'past bad experience' was just him weaseling out Rias' interrogation. But the Rias girl knew what she wanted and how to get it, and he could respect that. The same couldn't be said to Haru, however, as she despised that sort of cunningness; it was the reason why she was so adept at detecting other's bullshit and why she was more feared than him.

He might be the muscle and sometimes the brain thanks to his streetwise, but Haru had always been the mastermind. Always a step ahead of whoever they were hired to kill or shut down. Temporarily or permanently. Being able to read her opponent's mind certainly helped too.

Magic was such bullshit. Good thing he was immune to all that crap. Sure Haru could blow up an entire mountain, but could she catch a fly with a pair of toothpicks? Didn't think so. She might think it was stupid and useless, but Souji thought it was neat and that was all that mattered to him in his petty sibling rivalry.

Stepping outside the grand entrance of the school, onward to his motorcycle — which was nowhere near the school, by the by, since he had to park his bike at a nearby cafe instead, which was at least a hundred meters walk from the school gate — Souji finally gave out his summary as he lit up a smoke.

"That went well. They seem to like our lil' bro just fine, but maybe that's me. Her hair's gorgeous though, holy hell."

Haru thought otherwise, unfortunately. On first and last points. The second she could agree with. And Har was unlike her brother that tended to crack jokes and make light of ALL things.

'...Christ, Souji… we forgot about her.'

"You gotta stop thinking I can shove my thoughts inside your head like you do, sister."

"Ugh…" 'Just text me, you idiot,' Haru rolled her eyes because he had ruined the tension. As they both drew out their phones, Haru continued her message telepathically regardless. 'That girl. Doesn't she remind you of someone?'

Her phone vibrated and lit up. Haru glanced down.

Bakajiro: wot? who?

'Akeno Himejima. That name doesn't ring any bells? Did you seriously forget about her?'

Bakajiro: u know im shit at remembering names & faces

'You're so hopeless... Souji, she's Baraqiel's.'

That stopped him dead on his tracks. He gave her a glance, a pensive look as ghastly smoke obscured his eyes, before moving along down the empty street.

Bakajiro: oh.

A sigh leaked out from her lips. 'This might get icky… I'm worried. Not for us, but for Issei. ...I think he's too careless around them. If she wanted to hurt us, she could-'

Her phone vibrated before she could complete her sentence.

Bakajiro: i'll handle it before it gets blown out of proportion

Bakajiro: trust me.

That two words eased her worry enough that Haru could place it at the back of her mind for now. Still, it nibbled at her thoughts all the way back to their house, but her worry was not without reason.

They had taken Shuri Himejima from Akeno, after all.

To be continued…

I don't think it's been done before. I think, at least. Where the OC(s) is(are) the assassin(s) of mommy Himejima. I hope you find the idea as entertaining as i do, because there shall be conflicts and dramas and it will be delicious

Right, i'm never using that adjective to describe anything other than food

All in all— Sōjiro more like Brojiro amirite
I know Haru's being a pain in the ass, but that's how she rolls. It brings balance to Souji and Issei's male dumbasseries, and character development do exist in this fic, believe it or not

And heavens, no.

I will neither confirm or deny who's going to be with who, but I'll tell you one thing; I hate harem.

The poorly developed ones, at least. The ones where girls just throw themselves on any guy that calls them cute or pretty or catch them as they fall.

I heckin love slow burnssss babyyyy. I like taking my time meticulously developing the romance rather than forcing two characters to kiss at an impulse

And i won't force anyone to be with anyone. I let the story write itself, including the romance. Though i won't lie to you and say i don't have the pairings in mind. You're free to take guesses.

that's all for now. follow and favorites and review and stuff. you know the drill