NMHA Ch. 50 - Surprises In All Sizes


A/N -

Aaand I've been on a Civilization V bend! If Vox Populi has taught me anything, it's how to pick my battles and maintain a decent standing military without tanking my economy. Also, fuck Citadels. All my homies hate Citadels.

Thank goodness I had plenty of time during work this week to actually write. Chapter probably wouldn't have happened this week if I hadn't.

When I binge a game like Civ, I binge hard.

Anyway, before we get started I have a few things to mention:

Firstly, yes I ripped that kings and followers quote from Code Geass. It fits Ruval to a tee here, and is in general just a damn good quote.

Secondly, I do understand that I've shifted the narrative from Luna to Issei, and while I do mean for this to continue a little while longer, the story is still primarily focused on the former. Having Issei as the primary character for at least this part of the story gives a bit more flavor to the world, as he acts as a good newcomer to the supernatural and shows the readers what it's like to have a post-timeskip Luna around. Once a certain event goes by, the frame of perspective will change back to the eldritch abomination we've all come to know (fondly, I hope), but until then I'm gonna reap the benefits of having that separate perspective. Luna's Peerage, there's a reason I haven't done much with them, and you'll see why soon.

As for her romantic prospects, we'll see. Poor girl deserves some action after the shit she's gone through, and she's definitely down to clown, but actual romance? That's where things get complicated. Don't worry though; I have plans in store to work that out too. Issei's just a more straightforward person, so his prospects are similarly more straightforward.

Finally, why are you all still reading this? I'm not that interesting a person, am I? We all know why you're here, so read the story already! Rargh, rabble rabble rabble!


'It's a beautiful morning', thought Issei, the idle musing flickering through his mind as he enjoyed the ambiance of the park, something he hadn't quite been able to do over the past days.

Even thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine. When the weather was good and the birds were chirping, just like they were from the nearby trees at that moment, Issei found that by the time his training was done the birdsongs were nowhere to be found.

The sun was just starting to crest the line of buildings in the distance, the orange disk shedding light on the world as it slowly lifted into the sky. Issei fought back the urge to yawn into the cool, wet morning air: there were more important things to go over than sleep, and at least he hadn't had another sleepless night like he had when he was recovering from that rogue exorcist's attack.

Thankfully, Luna had come early, like he'd asked her following his reading that Pact the night before, and it wasn't for early training. Issei was pretty sure Asia would just be waking up by this point, if she hadn't been already by Yuuma Amano for whatever reason.

He also briefly wondered how she and Yuuma-san were getting along, given that Asia had gotten it in her head that the disguised Fallen Angel was intentionally messing with her.

"Thanks for showing, Arunn-san. Masaomi-jii told me stories about how much you apparently hate early mornings."

"Even if I do, if my pupil needs to talk to me before he even goes to school, it's probably something that's bothering him quite a bit, or is time-sensitive." the brunette in question smiled easily. "I'd be a poor teacher to let my student down by being absent when he goes out of his way to talk to me."

Issei scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Ah. Uh, thanks, then. I guess. Then would it be alright if I ask a question that might be kind of... intimate?"

"As long as it's not to touch my breasts, sure."

"Th-that wasn't on my mind!"

"Kid, I can see where your eyes are going. It was absolutely on your mind. Can't say I blame you though."

Issei flushed as Luna broke out into chuckles, holding a fist to her mouth to unsuccessfully conceal her grin. "Okay, but seriously, shoot."

The brunet cleared his throat, both to buy himself a moment to compose himself as well as to figure out what exactly he wanted to say. There were many questions on his mind, but the one that won out had to do with the warning Koneko had given him.

"I heard that you and someone else have bad blood. Someone by the name of, uh, Sirzechs?"

It was at that moment that Issei knew; he fucked up.

A switch had been flipped in the world.

Issei couldn't hear the birds anymore, for starters, but that wasn't the problem. It was the look he got from the woman.

The liveliness in Luna's eyes vanished in an instant, her gaze locked on to his.

The way her suddenly-empty expression focused in on him caused Issei's breath to catch in his throat, attempting and failing to tear away his gaze from the beautiful, baleful abyss that gleamed with rage, hatred, and grief, the void behind the blue beckoning him to his demise-

"-se...i...! Iss..."

Ddraig was trying to say something, but he couldn't make sense of it, not when it felt like his body had went cold, and something in the back of his head was shouting, screaming for him to turn around, run away, survive, when all he could do was wait for that blue void to claim him in his entirety as the world around him started to blur-

The Devil closed her eyes, and Issei felt his surroundings slam back into place, the impact of his knees against the grass a welcome reprieve from that awful, awful stare.

The bile he felt rising against his throat was barely forced down as the need to breathe took precedence over emptying his guts on the ground.

Had his heart stopped? His ears were pounding with each slow, yet desperate pulse.

"Bad blood is an understatement," Luna, after what felt like an eternity drowning in the infinite blue, intoned, voice soft as silk and venomous as a cobra. "He betrayed me. Betrayed my trust. Betrayed my family. Everything I've gone through leads back to him. Bad blood? I want him to pay with it."

"Issei!" His... dragonic companion was there, but there was a note of alarm to his voice that Issei hadn't heard before. "Can you hear me?!"

'Yeah... I can... I can hear you.'

Were his pants wet? He really hoped that it was just a mixture of sweat and morning dew, and not that he'd pissed himself.

He lifted a hand to his brow and wiped away the droplets that had formed in the brief period between when he'd asked his question and now.

Issei's hand trembled.

Was... was that what Ddraig had been warning him about?

Just how dangerous was this woman?

Did Masaomi know about this?

"H-hey, are you alright?"

A hand, soft and warm, came to rest at his shoulders, and against his better judgment Issei looked back up.

The life - was it just a mask? - was back in Luna's eyes, her brow creased in worry as she tried giving him a smile. It came out more as a grimace.

"Back off, Outsider," Ddraig growled, the crimson gauntlet of the Boosted Gear manifesting itself around Issei's arm in a clearly defensive gesture.

"Ah, a-alright. Shit." She backed off, giving Issei a bit of space to breathe, which he was thankful for. "I-I'm sorry. I lost control of myself there. Fuck, I didn't realize you'd be so badly affected."

"It... it's okay," Issei gasped out, holding up a hand; his unarmored one, to try and settle nerves.

He wasn't sure whose nerves specifically.

Luna bared her teeth. "Fuck no it's not okay! I'm supposed to be better than that! I was... I was..." She took a deep breath, trying to rein her own distress in, slowly succeeding more and more. "I was... not expecting you to bring him up. That's a part of my past you shouldn't have known without outside knowledge. My control slipped from the surprise. That's on me. It won't happen again."

Issei wasn't sure what to make of that. Koneko hadn't warned him of just how bringing Sirzechs up would affect Luna, had Luna been able to keep up her facade to the point where the white-haired girl hadn't been exposed to that look?

Or... had Koneko already experienced it enough times to shrug it off like it was nothing?

"Take the day off of training, it's clear that pushing you to your limits today won't end well after that," the brunette suggested.

Issei was more than willing to accept escaping the woman's brutal training regime for a day. Especially since he was sure he had stared into the eyes of death itself and had been found wanting.

Luna continued, sitting down by a nearby tree, leaning against it. "I at least owe you some answers. So... er... why did you ask in the first place?"

Ah, right, that. If she was going to continue to... pretend? No, if she was going to continue to be amicable, then he'd play along, if for his own sake. At the very least, Issei had managed to recover his breath.

"I, uh... his sister gave me a Pact yesterday."

"You mean a contract?"

"No, no, like a Pact. The old-school style of contract."

The brunette's eyes widened faintly, and she whistled appreciatively. "Oh damn. How did Rias get her hands on one of those?"

"Ddraig was wondering the same thing," he confided, to which Luna nodded once. "But the point is, I wanted to ask. Asia warned me to be careful around Rias-sama, but I wanted to try and get a second opinion. Uh. I had thought you and he were exes, or something."

Luna cracked a smile. "I wouldn't fuck that son of a bitch if the fate of the world depended on it."

"Case in point." Issei coughed once. "A-anyway. I know you basically want him to rot, but what about Rias-sama?"

"I can't say I know her too well. Sirzechs's betrayals started shortly after Rias was born, so I never really got a chance to interact with her." Luna started running a finger along the bark of the tree. "But she's innocent of his plans, so I'm... doing my best, to not let my opinion of him stain my opinion of her."

"And your opinion?" He paused. "Judging on what you've heard from Koneko-san?"

A second passed, the Devil's finger pulling away from the tree.

"She's not a bad person," Luna decided. "Selfish? Undeniably. Greedy? It's her cardinal sin. But she's also a very bright and talented girl. And to those she's fond of, Rias is one of the most loyal people you can meet. She woke up Koneko after she fell into a coma for six years, and by now they're basically sisters."

"A coma-?" That explained why Koneko was... so small. And why she was his junior despite apparently being years older.

"Yeah." The brunette glanced away. "An accident during Senjutsu training. Koneko got a big dose of negative energy, went berserk, and then fell into the aforementioned coma following that."

There was a brief, awkward silence that fell over the clearing, before Luna cleared her throat and pushed onward. "If you're thinking about signing a Pact with Rias, I'd be careful. Devils, especially those who are led by Greed, are dangerous to work with, particularly under such a binding agreement. Power, by and large, is something all Devils seek out, if they aren't discarding it in favor of fulfilling their Sin. Rias speaking with you to try and draw you into her Peerage is proof of such a desire for power. Even if she isn't necessarily a bad person, she is still a Devil, and is privy to those urges."

She met his gaze again, this time merely sad, rather than empty. "Be careful not to give Rias any more power over you than you are comfortable with her having, Issei. She'll probably have you dancing to her strings like her brother did to me if you aren't. Even if she means well, that doesn't mean that such an arrangement will end well. I... don't want someone else to be hung out to dry like I was. Not if I can help it."

That, at least, sounded honest enough. It wasn't enough to drive away the image of those blue eyes that had scorched his mind with their very presence, but her words seemed genuine.

He hoped so, at least.

Another question rose to mind. "...Arunn-san? You said that Devils are particularly affected by their urges, their... Sin, right? So if Greed is Rias-sama's... what's yours?"

Luna sighed, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "I'm pretty sure I don't need to tell you what mine is. Especially after what just happened. You're a smart kid where it counts."

When put like that, Issei immediately knew the answer.


"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am." Issei smiled, leaning against one of the trees on Kuoh's campus, watching the students entering the gates of the academy from a distance. Even here, he could hear them talking, though it was little more than background noise due to the lack of proximity

The ORC really was off the beaten path for the students of Kuoh. He wondered if that was intentional. "This is something I gotta do on my own. You've mentioned your own concerns, especially after I let you in on the terms, but Rias-sama is right when she says ultimately this is between she and I. Anyone else getting involved would mess up the Pact."

"I still don't like leaving you alone with a Devil. Especially one like her..."

"I'm about as well-equipped as I can be at this point in time. Especially with the protection you're letting me borrow." Issei tapped his collarbone, right above where he could feel one such piece of 'paraphernalia'.

"Mmmmh..." Asia pouted, looking away in a sulk.

"Hey. Don't be like that. I'm not going into this just because Rias-sama has amazing oppai. I'm doing this because I need all the help I can get."

"Even that kind...?"

She may have muttered it, but Issei heard it loud and clear, letting out a soft sigh.

"Asia. That's listed as a form of payment, but that doesn't mean it's the only form. If Rias-sama thinks she can get away with just that, then she'll be mistaken, but I'm willing to let her underestimate me."

The blonde in question still didn't appear pleased.

"If you say anything about her not being invested in the Pact the Devil girl is offering you, I will eat you in your sleep."

'No, no,' Issei almost rubbed his forehead, but barely refrained. 'I might be an idiot, but my brain's not that smooth.'

Ddraig harrumphed before falling silent, Issei leaning in to give Asia a brief hug and planting a kiss on her head before pulling away.

"It's alright, Asia. I'm not gonna let her take me away from you." The brunet beamed. "Not a chance in hell."

"...Pinky promise." A faintly flushing former nun held up a hand, pinky extended.

"Pinky promise. Eat a thousand needles if I lie." Issei's own wrapped around Asia's, and they shook.

"Good." At least Asia was smiling now, satisfied with Issei's promise, even if she still clearly wasn't pleased.

The brunet turned around and started to walk off, but was stopped before he could. "Ise-kun, I... I'd like to talk about what happened a couple nights ago. A-at the dojo...?"

He froze. "...I'm sorry about that. I probably should have kept my mouth shut so you didn't have to hide Twilight Healing from Amano-san-"

"N-no, it's... it's my fault. I got, ah. I was, um, not really thinking things through. I shouldn't have hit as hard as I did."

"Seriously? I'm fine."

"Only because I healed you!" Asia pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "C-can you just take my apology, Ise-kun?"

"I thought it was obvious." He tilted his head slightly downward and smiled. "You don't need to ask for forgiveness over something like that, Asia-chan." The smile turned into a beam. "Lord knows I've done way worse, I'd say you're entitled to some comeuppance every now and then."

"B-but it's not about that!" The blonde protested, turning red as she looked down.

Issei frowned, turning back around to face his longtime friend again. "Really? Then what's it about?"

Asia didn't answer, choosing to start poking her fingers together, face red.

He grimaced. "Is this about my... er, lack of control?"

"Eh?" The blonde glanced back up, before her face turned even more red and shook her head. "A-ah, no. No, it's more... it's more mine. I, ah, I was thinking impure thoughts."

Issei's mouth went dry. "A-are you saying that... you had, had that in mind?"

"M-maybe." Asia swallowed hard, staring down at the ground. "I-I wanted to keep it quiet, b-but after hearing about the Pact, I- ah..."

She glanced back up briefly, giving Issei a shaky smile. "It'd- it'd be selfish of me to ask you to turn her down because of my... own. Erm. Wants."

The brunet blinked several times, before shaking his head. "No, Asia. No, no, no, don't say that. If you wanted that, then, ah, you could have just said so."

"B-but..." she looked down. "That sort of thing is... that's supposed to be between a... a husband and wife, and..."

"And it's natural to feel those things, even if it isn't in that specific scenario," Issei interrupted her, swallowing the lump in his throat and pushing out the words he wanted to say. "We're both human, Asia."

"B-but..." Issei silenced her with a brief moment of boldness, practically feeling the heat radiating off of both his own face and Asia's as their lips met.

Then he pulled away, and he was sure his own face matched the blonde's. Even so, he continued to force the words out of his throat past the rapid, heavy beats of his heart. "But nothing, Asia-chan. You didn't even know I had a Sacred Gear but you promised to not leave me behind anyway. There's no way I'm letting someone who only showed up because I host a dragon come before the girl who's been with me for years."

Now Asia's eyes narrowed, and she puffed out her cheeks, clenching her fists and shoving them downward in front of her legs. "A-and I won't just accept some... some hussy moving in on you because of your Sacred Gear either, not after we-we've spent all this time together! We promised to walk at each other's side, Ise-kun, and by God I'm gonna hold you to that!"

"She says that there's a bit of dragon in you, but I can see some in her as well. Hmh, no wonder you two got along from the start."

It was adorable, endearing, fierce... and uniquely appealing, all at the same time. Especially with a face so red.

Then again, if you asked Issei how to describe his opinion of Asia, that more or less summed up his answer.

"Good." He smiled back. "Because I mean to."

With that, Issei strode into the lion's den, hand clasped around a cross necklace, personally sanctified by the girl who had just... confessed.

'Holy shit did Asia just confess to me?'

Ddraig just groaned.


"You're nervous."

Issei glanced over at Koneko, not even surprised at her sudden appearance anymore. She was way too good at that, especially since she always seemed to slip by him unexpectedly.

"Can you blame me?" he asked. "Rias-sama asked me for a Pact, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm just... me."

The white-haired girl nodded once. "You don't see yourself as Ddraig."

"Of course I don't! I'm not him."

"But you are still his wielder."

"That... that I am. But just because I'm his jailor doesn't mean I'm the Red Dragon Emperor, or whatever has Rias-sama stumbling over herself to have me sign a priceless artifact."

"But you do bear the Boosted Gear. It's a title that comes with the equipment."

"I'd much rather live up to my own name."

"Hyoudou Issei, the boy who just so happens to have the Boosted Gear." A faint smirk crossed Koneko's lips. "I dunno. He sounds like a pervert."

"Then why not Hyoudou Issei, the human with the... I dunno, with the spirit of a dragon?"

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself whelp - you have to prove yourself worthy of being called a dragon first."

He grimaced and rubbed the back of his head.

"I like it."

The brunet's eyes opened, and he stared at Koneko quizzically. "Wait, seriously?"

"Mh." The petite Devil gave a tiny nod. "You're not there yet. But you'll get there. I think that's why Buchou decided to use her unique talents to procure that Pact. You do have it, right?"

Issei nodded, jutting a thumb backward onto his backpack. "In here."

"Good."

They paused, however, when someone strode past them. Issei meant to take a glance back to see who else might have been in the ORC at this time, but decided against it. The girl next to him knew better than him, after all.

"Hey, do you know who that was?"

"I think it was..." she trailed off, lifting a hand to her chin briefly, before continuing. "One of the student supervisors? Normally Buchou doesn't meet them this early. Your guess is as good as mine."

The brunet looked back, but the person that had passed them was already gone.

'Doesn't Sona-kaichou know about the student supervisors? Maybe I could ask her about it.'

"Maybe it's best if you did." Something about Ddraig's tone set Issei ill at ease, but perhaps that was for the best.

Luna had said that Rias would be looking to sink her teeth into him, so to speak, and the Pact suggested as such too.

He shook his head. "Whatever. Let's just keep going - if they left then Rias is probably open to talk about the Pact again."

"Agreed."

They walked up to the doors that led to the meeting room inside the clubhouse, and Koneko opened the door.

"Hyoudou Issei's here," she announced in her typical flat tone, Rias - without glasses, this time - sitting in front of the coffee table, seemingly deep in thought.

"I'm here to talk about the Pact, Rias-sama," Issei continued, which appeared to snap her out of her musings, blinking a few times before gesturing to the seats on the other side of the table.

"Of course. My apologies, Ise-san. I received a letter this morning that has been keeping my thoughts occupied." The redhead explained, before smiling politely and resting her hands in her lap. "Rest assured, I will not let that distract me from our... discussions."

Issei glanced around and noticed something else.

"Where's... ah, Akeno-senpai?"

"She's taking the day off." Rias waved the question away. "Her mother's birthday is today, and Akeno's grades have been more than satisfactory enough to warrant an absence of family matters."

"If it also helps keep things less tense, then why not?" Ddraig added, almost sarcastically.

"Then I'm guessing you're sticking to your part of the one-on-one bit that's mentioned in the Pact too?"

"Something like that," Rias allowed. "Though admittedly, it is also a matter of common courtesy. I see you haven't brought Asia-san along."

Issei felt the cross against his chest more keenly in that moment, though he didn't so much as glance down.

"She's with me in spirit," he said instead. "She helped me figure out what I wanted to do with the Pact that you offered, and you said we needed to be alone for the final steps."

The crimson-haired Devil bowed her head. "So you say. Either way, I appreciate the show of trust. Koneko, would you have any issues moving my schedule a half hour or so forward?"

Blue eyes met Issei's. There was an intensity behind them, but compared to what he'd experienced earlier in the morning, it was laughable. "We have much to... discuss."

Koneko frowned. "Riser will object to being forced to wait. You are already pushing it with the time you mean to call him."

"Then I suppose I'll need to handle my administrative duties a little later in the evening, if I'm to meet him at the same time."

The white-haired girl nodded, then gave a meaningful look at Issei before she exited, closing the door behind her and leaving Issei with the sister of the king of hell.

He was pretty sure he'd seen a premise for an eroge based on that before-

'Focus.'

Right, he couldn't exactly go on any flights of fancy here, especially with Rias eyeing him speculatively, as though predicting what he might ask next.

"Riser?" the brunet tried.

Rias breathed out a sigh, brow furrowing as she stared down at the table. "Another noble from the Underworld. He's been particularly insistent on meeting me these past few days. The timing is strange, however. This meeting came with little warning. If he weren't arrogant I'd assume that something has him spooked. As he is, however, I think he's just looking for another opportunity to try and woo me."

"Ah." Issei frowned, pushing down the brief flash of jealousy at the idea that some guy - someone with money, titles, and probably looks as well - would be looking to steal away one of Kuoh's princesses.

Then again, Rias was all but a princess in the Underworld as well, so perhaps he should have expected it. "Is that... a bad thing, in your eyes?"

"Of course not. He is certainly welcome to try, though I get the impression that he and I don't exactly..." she trailed off, cupping her chin briefly in thought before continuing. "See eye to eye, in terms of the future."

"How so? Are you not interested in marrying a noble?"

Rias looked at him, tilting her head as a sly smile started to creep up on her face. "Why do you ask, Ise-san? Do you have some sort of personal interest in the matter?"

'Maybe.'

"Down, boy."

"I want to try and get to know you a bit better," he replied aloud. "I mean, all I really know is that you're a Devil, you're one of the hottest girls I've ever met, and your brother is the king of Hell. Oh yeah, and that you want to make a Pact of all things with me. Can you blame me for being curious?"

The smile became indulgent. "I suppose not. When you put it in those terms, I would be curious as well. Since you asked nicely, I'll oblige - it is not so much that I am against marrying a noble, it is more the idea that I marry someone because they are a noble." Rias closed her eyes and let out a wistful sigh. "A title is nice, but I'd prefer the person I end up with having a bit more... ah, character, beyond that."

Issei was reminded of his own desires to be more than his Sacred Gear, which in turn led him to another question.

"But... you approached me because I'm supposed to be the Red Dragon Emperor?"

The redhead let out a 'tsk', shaking her head slowly as she gave a closed-eye shrug. "Do you know the legacy of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ise-san? The sorts of things each one accomplishes in their short lives? Simply put, passing you up because I don't know you as a person would be the height of foolishness. Besides, the way you put it suggests you were in the running for my affections."

'Ouch.' That sort of dismissal stung, but it also stirred something deeper.

Ddraig huffed.

Both eyes reopened. "I will respect your decision, but I will admit to being in agreement with Akeno when she said that turning down Peerageship, especially with me, is a... foolish idea. Humans really do live such short lives - imagine how much more they could do, if those with potential were able to live centuries, at the very least, with all the resources they need to excel!"

"You're still not gonna change my mind."

"And I recognize that," she affirmed with a single nod. "Even if I cannot in good faith agree with your decision, I can at least abide by it, and attempt a workaround to create a best-case scenario for us both."

Hence the Pact. Issei shrugged off his backpack and dug into it, pulling out the paper with the Lishan contract and setting it on the table.

"By the way, how did you manage to come up with one of these, anyway? From what I've heard, this sort of contract is RARE, as in all capitals rare."

Rias smiled. "I happen to have a hobby in Devil archaeology and ancient translations. I took a contract that I'd found in the ruins of an old, abandoned stronghold, reverse-engineered a good portion of its terminology and writing conventions, and then copied it and the magic within onto a separate, empty piece of parchment.

"Eh?"

"Wow. That's... that's kind of amazing!"

"That's not what I'm taken aback by, whelp, she shouldn't have been able to recreate the language from before Babel in the first place."

'Wait, really?'

"I'll fill you in on the details later. Right now, just keep talking with the Devil."

The smile turned much more smug. "It's always exciting to find something useful within the world of the past. Especially when it can lead to moments like this." Then, the smile turned much more enigmatic. "Which brings us to the actual reason you're here in the first place, doesn't it Ise-kun?"

Issei caught onto the change in honorifics immediately, even as the almost sing-song nature of her tone sent butterflies through his stomach.

"Y-yeah, I suppose it does." His hand went to the parchment and started unraveling it on the table, extending it to its full length so they both could converse over it. "So this Pact you brought up, it's... a Pact of Uniform Services Exchange?"

"A Pact of Mutual Services," Rias corrected him. "But the gist is much the same."

"Right. So, the Pact goes on about terms and conditions, as well as the consequences of a breach of contract."

"I take it the breach of contract clause is what puts you off?" the Gremory guessed.

"It's... one of them, at least." Issei scratched the side of his head. "Complete and irrevocable severance of the Pact is one thing, but a century-long indentured servitude enforced by seal - I think that's what it is, anyway - is a really one-sided agreement."

"I fail to see why that would be an issue, Ise-kun," Rias tilted her head. "Wouldn't you be dead by the time that expires, anyway?"

"I'm more talking about the fact that if I break the pact, any freedom my life has is forfeit - just like if I joined your Peerage." He squinted at Rias. "I'd probably have even more freedom if I did that, as opposed to this."

"Then I certainly hope you don't breach the Pact," she beamed. "Because the first thing I would order you to do is accept Peerageship. At least then, you'd be able to live past the Pact."

And there's the rub.

Issei's nose flared, and he carefully reined his frustration in. "So in other words, if I sign you get everything you want anyway."

Rias would have appeared almost offended in the way she leaned back, were it not for the smile on her face. "Of course not. That's only if you breach the Pact. Of course, considering the nature of how I worded it, breaking the Pact is basically the same as going back on your word, just with more... impactful, consequences."

"Right. That's probably the only reason why I'm not turning it down right off the bat." Issei tapped further down the parchment. "It says here that exchanges of services are 'mutually agreed-upon prior to execution of the service in question', and that upon finishing the requested service the return service is 'rendered excepting cases where both must be performed simultaneously or one of the services in question is impossible to fulfill', in which case the exchange is canceled outright."

The Devil nodded once, and Issei lifted a hand to his chin.

"What I don't get is why... favors are included in that list." He couldn't meet Rias's eyes, as the thought made him feel quite awkward. "Did you forget to remove that when you copied the Pact over?"

"Not at all." Rias's smile widened, and Issei swallowed. Hard. And tried very hard to move past the fact that she had admitted to leaving that particular clause in.

Not that he could, of course.

Nor could he just play it off.

"You just said that I wasn't in the running for your... romantic inclinations."

"Of course. You are, after all, already spoken for." Rias leaned forward across the table, and once again Issei's nose was graced with the faint fragrance of strawberries. "But that doesn't mean that we can't... ah... make some learning experiences."

Issei grit his teeth, squeezing a hand into a fist to try and control the flow of his blood which was very quickly moving south.

"There's... nothing for us to learn," he protested, to which Rias giggled faintly.

"Are you sure, Ise-kun? I left that specific section in because I believe quite the opposite."

The brunette continued, letting that deeper stirring from before leak out. "You wouldn't even offer, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm the Red Dragon Emperor. What... what am I supposed to make of that?"

"Make of it what you will, Ise-kun. I'm not here to convince you of anything other than what you stand to gain from the Pact," She tilted her head and gently lifted a hand up past her bust to undo a button. "I may not be willing to go the full distance - I will be saving that for that special someone, of course - but that doesn't mean we can't learn together how to... make sure, our lovers aren't disappointed when that time comes."

His head was starting to spin, and it was getting difficult to focus. "What- what do you mean?"

"Even Devils need to practice to get good at something," Rias explained, voice a soft whisper as another button came undone - at this point, Issei could see cleavage as she leaned forward, and that did nothing to help settle him. "Even something like what I'm offering you now."

"This... is... pretty far, with someone you don't know," the brunet tried.

"You're right, of course," the redhead agreed. Issei wasn't sure how, but now Rias was practically across the table, two soft fingers tipping his chin ever so slightly upwards, to lock eyes. "But Koneko is a very good judge of character. She may have approached you on her own, but even that says so very much about who you are."

Issei had to bite back a groan as he felt the brushing of a thigh in the spot between his legs on the couch, just shy of touching his quickly growing tent, but he could hardly push back, between the pounding in his ears, the sweet strawberry fragrance that he was starting to think were pheromones, and the gaze that was so similar but so different to Luna's. One had gone so very cold, but this one was so, very heated.

He was unable to keep that groan held back any longer as two very soft, very heavy, and very warm pillows came to rest against his chest, at the same time as that thigh started pressing forward. Even less so when Issei felt her lips against his neck, and then a brief and slightly painful nip of her teeth before Rias pulled back just enough to continue staring into what he felt like was his soul.

'Ow. Isn't this... isn't this a bit fast...?' some part of him asked, but it was a question that was swept beneath the surface as the zing of the Devil's short bite on his neck faded in moments.

Still, apparently his brief jerk back was enough to get Rias to blink, before beaming momentarily with a briefly apologetic grimace. Still, she continued onward, something that Issei wasn't sure whether he appreciated or not.

"So I don't see why we can't at least get to know each other," she murmured, the soft giggle that followed sending a bolt of electricity down Issei's spine, yet even so his gaze remained riveted on the blues that seemed to make everything else fall away. "I don't see why we can't have some... fun, in the process. I don't see why we can't... come out of this arrangement all the better equipped. To give the ones we have, and will, come to love nights they'll never, ever forget. Do you?"

He could hardly tell if the 'no' that escaped his lips was in agreement or to try and stop Rias before she went any further.

Rias leaned forward, to whisper into his ear, while the hand at Issei's chin dragged his gaze down, to her sizable breasts against his chest, and then to the side, where the Pact sat innocuously.

"Then why don't you sign the pact, and we can get started?" the Devil whispered, voice laden with heady promises and dark delights as that hand moved from his chin down his neck, his focus trailing with that finger down into the abyss made between her tits. "I'd be willing to make this time free, to ease you into- Gah!"

Issei's chest suddenly felt very warm, but whatever he felt was clearly nothing compared to what Rias had.

The Devil yelped and stumbled backward, stuffing her index finger into her mouth as though she'd accidentally grazed an active stovetop and messily fell into the crevice between the coffee table and her original seat on the other side. Issei's mind cleared somewhat, both now that Rias had backed off and from the adrenaline rush that pierced the veil of arousal that had come over him.

"H-hey, are you alright?!" he exclaimed, rushing to his feet.

"Mmgh...!" The redhead in question held up her free hand, gesturing for him to wait, all the while wincing as she rose back to the seat, before she pulled her finger out and looked at it. The index finger, the same one that had been trailing down Issei's neck to his chest, was reddened - as though she really had brushed along a far-too-hot surface.

"Ah... ah ha... so that's what you meant when she was with you in spirit. Ha ha ha," Rias giggled, even if her expression was a grimace. "I should have expected that. Ah, d-don't worry about me, Ise-kun, I just... o-ow... had a bad reaction to the necklace Asia-san is letting you use."

"You're burned, though. Let me help treat it." Issei took a step away from the coffee table and seats, looking around the meeting room, ignoring the way his breaths were slow and heavy, or the way his pants were painfully tight. "Is there a restroom close by? Or a first aid kid of some sort?"

"Mgh... Below the sink over there," Rias gestured to the side, to which the brunet hurried over and pulled out a white box. He immediately pulled out an ice pack and cracked it, letting the chemicals inside do their work before wrapping it in a small roll of paper towel. He came back with that and a small container of petroleum jelly, the first of which he offered to the Devil.

"Here. That'll help offset some of the pain."

She gave a single nod, and the creasing of her brows lightened as the redhead took the covered ice pack and wrapped it around her finger. Rias sighed in relief, her shoulders loosening as she stared at the assistance Issei rendered without hesitation.

"Once you've let that sit for a few minutes, use some of this jelly here and apply it to your finger. The ice pack will reduce inflammation, but the petroleum jelly will help reduce the risk of infection."

"Thank you, Ise-kun." She glanced at the petroleum jelly. "You know a good bit about burns."

"A takeaway from the time I went with Asia and Masaomi-jii to Australia to help out after some wildfires," he explained. "I was still only a kid at the time, but even I could help get stuff to settle the lighter burns."

"You travel?"

"Once in a while." He shrugged, trying to play off his own whirling emotions as nonchalance, sitting back down now that Rias was treating her burn. "There's a reason Asia and I are so close. We share a lot of the same stories."

"Enough so that you wouldn't jump for a Peerageship with the two great Onee-sans of Kuoh, it seems. Or even... mutual training, since you turned us down? That's quite some loyalty you have toward her." Now Rias looked thoughtful.

Issei snorted. "Sure, let's call the fact that you were offering everything but your virginity for other, undisclosed favors as 'training'."

Ah, he hadn't meant to be so acerbic. The brunet quashed his anger after realizing that, yeah, he was kind of angry.

About what, however, he wasn't quite so sure.

"The offer is still on the table, you know." Rias glanced down at the ice pack, lifted it, then lifted the small container of petroleum jelly and dipped her burned finger in. She drew her finger back and put the ice pack on it once more before she continued, gesturing with her head to the Pact on the table. "Quite literally, in fact."

"And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have to say no to that offer." He coughed once, before amending his denial. "Er. At least for now."

"Asia-san?" the redhead guessed.

"Partly. I'm not gonna leave her out of anything important, and there's no way in hell I'm gonna go behind her back on something like this." Issei shrugged again, resting a hand on the table between them. "But also... I want there to be more to the act than just a... a trade in favors, y'know? I'm flattered that you'd be willing to treat me to something I quite honestly believed would only occur in my dreams," he grinned. "but I'd like to get to know the girl behind the drool-worthy oppai first, and the other way around too."

"That's cute," Rias lifted her unharmed hand to her mouth to hide the smirk that had formed. "You really don't have much of a filter, do you, Ise-kun?"

"Why should I?" Issei leaned back, hand rising from the table to cross his arms. "I don't want to have to pick over every little thing I say, y'know? That just seems so tiring."

The redhead's brow furrowed, and she stared at the brunet, tilting her head almost curiously.

The Sacred Gear wielder scratched his head and groaned. "But damn me, if your offer isn't tempting. I'm gonna need a shower after this. A really, really freakin' cold one."

"You're not going to use a shower to get rid of that tension," Ddraig muttered.

'You're goddamn right I'm not,' he agreed, rubbing the side of his neck where Rias had bitten - nipped? - him. It wasn't painful anymore, per-se, but it was still a faintly buzzing reminder of what he'd just gone through.

That got Rias giggling. "You saw that there is one in the bathroom, right?"

"I appreciate the offer, but pass on the shower." Issei paused. "I may, however, take you up on using the bathroom itself though."

'Better here than in the public restrooms, right...?'

The Devil gestured for him to go ahead, an offer that Issei took with zeal.

After he closed the door behind him, the brunet wasted no time in undoing his pants and getting to work, paying no heed to the ornate nature of the restroom around him in favor of handling his flag.

"So are we going to talk about the fact that the redheaded girl nearly charmed you into signing that Pact, despite your concerns and promise?"

'Yeah, just... give me a second.'

A second turned out to be closer to a minute before a grunt escaped Issei's mouth, the source of his current predicament sated - for the moment - and with it the rush of clarity he knew he needed to work this out.

'Fuck, I wasn't expecting a head-on assault like that.' After briefly cleaning his hands, Issei dropped his head into them and exhaled harshly. 'If Asia hadn't given me that necklace I wouldn't have stood a chance. I underestimated Rias, big time. How am I gonna explain what happened?'

"The Gremory girl's reaction to such a relatively innocuous item does suggest it underwent rigorous consecration," Ddraig pointed out. "I can't believe that the sister of Lucifer would be so weak as to be burned from a slightly holy piece of adornment. Discomfited, perhaps, but not burnt."

'Did Asia worry that I wouldn't have the... er...?'

"The best way to get an answer for that would be to ask her. But either way, she certainly did something to it."

Issei shook his head. Whatever she did, Asia meant well, and it worked out here. He definitely needed to thank her, for the opportunity to both regather his wits as well as his urges.

"No. I think you've made your point clear."

As he stepped out of the restroom, Issei noticed that Rias was talking, a disconcertingly blank expression on her face as she stared into an elaborate circle in midair. There was something there, but from where he was standing Issei wasn't able to make sense of it. The image was blurry, and the voice that came from it was completely incomprehensible. He couldn't even tell if it was male or female, but he was sure that this was Devil magic of some sort. A communication circle? But then why wasn't he able to make sense of anything?

"I understand." She gave a single nod. "I will speak with you later. I have a guest to host. Yes, that one. Bye."

The redhead swiped her hand to the side, causing the circle in the air to disperse, the magic powering it severed, and sighed, lifting the hand to her face to rub it. The Devil's eyes slid shut as she drew in a breath as though to exhale heavily, before she recognized that the bathroom was no longer in use, and turned her attention to the brunet.

"I'm sorry you saw that, Ise-san. That call came at an inopportune time."

"Was the caller that Riser guy who keeps bothering you?"

"No." For a moment, Issei was sure that Ria's eyes had been replaced with chips of ice, but that moment passed and what remained was a frustrated mien. "Compared to them, I'd much prefer Riser."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I appreciate the offer, Ise-san, but I'll have to pass." She smiled at him, bowing her head briefly. "I think the less said about my relationship to... that particular individual, the better."

Even though her hair covered her eyes as she bowed her head at him, Issei could see that the smile was merely polite; her eyes, in the brief moment before she concealed them with the bowing of her head, had become frigid once more.

Issei tilted his head. She'd freely admitted to being the sister of the first demon - er, the strongest Devil, and she spoke openly about her thoughts on that Riser dude.

Whoever it was that called Rias while he was busy... gathering his thoughts was not good news.

"Was it a vindictive ex?"

Rias's eyes widened briefly, before a snort escaped her nose and she held up a fist to her mouth to keep a laugh from rolling out.

"An ex?" she parroted, voice tight.

"Well, you're basically a princess in the Underworld, right? Unless you went through them all and found them wanting already, you've probably got loads of suitors." Issei tilted his head. "Maybe even despite that. Uh."

"No! No, no, no, no, I would be very concerned if that person was a suitor or an ex." Rias shook her head, smiling again, even if her eyes still were too cold for Issei's liking. "But that's unimportant at this point. I'm not sure how I should interpret you digging into my romantic history, Ise-san."

The brunet flushed faintly but otherwise did not rise to the bait. "Can you blame me for being curious about what's got you so bothered?"

The redhead tilted her head, before exhaling softly, the chill diminishing further.

"I suppose not. But I'm afraid you'll need to curb your curiosity all the same."

Issei eyed the Pact on the table.

"Issei."

'Look, it's clear she wants me to sign it. She wouldn't have pulled out all the stops if she didn't. Since I'm not so on the back foot like I was before, why don't I try to get a few... what is the word?'

"Concessions?" Ddraig hummed, his reproachful tone becoming more thoughtful. "I see, I see. Just don't let your curiosity get the better of you when Asia made sure your perversion didn't."

He wouldn't.

"Rias-sama." Issei leaned forward, and set a hand on the table, meeting her eyes. "You said you can make minor adjustments to the Pact, right?"


As Issei stepped outside the clubhouse, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders only for another to take its place, he noticed something unusual.

Not so much that Asia was talking to someone, no, that wasn't strange at all.

It was more the way she was talking, animated and gesticulant. She wasn't just being polite, she was invested.

The young man's teal-haired head tilted backward in laughter, and it was at that moment that Issei recognized that his gaze, and the man's own squinted one, locked.

It was a friendly enough smile, but there was something about it to Issei that just rang... hollow. Maybe it was just because he couldn't really see the other young man's eyes.

Issei got closer, lifting a brow. "Uh, hey Asia. I see you met someone new?"

"Ah, Ise-kun!" Asia lowered her arms and smiled in his direction. "Dio-san stopped by while I was waiting for you. Apparently he was seeing two of his wards off to Kuoh Academy, sort of like how tou-san did when he sent me!"

She stared the other man's way briefly, cheeks puffed out in a pout. "It's weird to name you 'god' in another language, though, don't you think?"

"An unfortunate circumstance to be sure," the teal-haired man, Dio apparently, sighed, lifting his arms in a helpless shrug. "But admittedly, I've become attached to the name over the years." he cracked a faint grin. "I could make a vulgar joke at this time, but in the presence of fair company, I will decline to do so."

Issei was immediately reminded of the handsome bastard.

He decided he didn't like Dio.

He attributed it to lingering frustrations over his own poor performance with Rias.

Nothing about that dislike had to do with how quickly the teal-haired individual and Asia seemed to have hit it off, nope.

"Denial is also a river in Egypt."

Issei didn't deign to give that comment a response.

"So you started talking to Asia-san on a whim?" the brunet bluntly asked.

"I approached him, actually," the blonde corrected Issei. "When I saw him sending the two of them off to the main building, I figured it would be interesting to compare what it's like for him to be a legal guardian when I'm Tou-san's ward."

"Ah." Issei stared at Dio intently, and the teal-haired male returned that gaze... somehow.

"Is there something on my face, whelp?"

Apparently Issei's opinion of the other male was mutual.

"No. I'm just thinking about how much better I'd feel if I rearranged it, squinty smartass."

The smile widened.

"You're welcome to try."

He really wanted to.

But Issei didn't. He knew better, especially since Asia was around.

He felt a brief pang of disappointment at the thought.

'Yet I still nearly fell for Rias's charms when she wasn't.'

He could practically feel the Welsh Dragon's groan in his bones. "Uuuuugh, enough of the pity party! Do better next time, whelp, that's all there is to it!"

Yeah. Yeah, Issei could do that, at least.

"H-hey! Dio, Issei, knock it off you two!" Asia puffed her cheeks out and stepped between them both. "We're all friends here. Just take a few deep breaths, and step away."

After a long stare over Asia, the teal-haired man and Issei gave each other a single, tiny nod, before they both took a step back.

Asia might want them to play nice, and they would. At least around her.

If she wasn't, though? All bets were off.

How Issei understood this, he had no clue, but he found he was more than fine with their wordless arrangement.


Koneko peered back into the room after Issei left, noting the way that Rias stared down at the Pact on the table, brow scrunched together in deep thought as she gazed at the parchment that listed the binding agreement between the Red Dragon Emperor and the Crimson-haired Ruin Princess.

"Did he sign it?"

Ria blinked, looked up at Koneko, smiled, then looked back down with the same ruminating expression.

"He did."

"Did you seduce him?"

"Almost. Then the necklace his nun friend gave him burned me." She sighed, holding up the reddened, if not as angrily-so, finger in question. "Pity. Mother wants me to find someone to practice with, and Issei-san has incredible potential. It is certainly possible, but with him and Asia-san all but together already, that makes things... difficult. Far more difficult than I anticipated going in."

"Are you alright?"

"I will be. The instant I got hurt he asked if I was okay, and the moment he found out how I was hurt, he went and got some things to help minimize it. It should be gone by tomorrow." Rias hummed. "Honestly, how did someone like him end up with the likes of Matsuda and Motohama? You really were right when you said Ise-san's not a bad person."

Koneko stepped inside, sat down, and nodded her head at the paper.

"And he signed the Pact anyway?"

"He managed to convince me to make a couple small edits," she admitted. "I didn't want to push him after being burned; he didn't seem upset, but I could tell that following the burn he wouldn't be as receptive to my advances either."

"Told you."

Rias's eyes narrowed and she puffed out her cheeks. "Yes, yes, I know. You always are right when it comes to people, no need to rub it in."

"Someone needs to knock you down a peg or two every so often."

The redhead frowned, though Koneko could immediately tell it wasn't because of what she said.

"What happened?" the nekoshou asked.

"Among other things, Mother found out that the Red Dragon Emperor is attending Kuoh."

Koneko grimaced. "Fun."

"Quite." She gestured to the Pact. "With Issei-san signing this, that should mollify Mother's concerns for a while, but him not being in my Peerage is a... problem."

The Rook furrowed her brow. "Is that why you've let the Fallen and that crazy exorcist act freely, then? And why having him sign the Pact is so important."

Rias pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled. "I thought I already told you, I didn't ask for the crows to come, but I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass me by to do everyone a favor."

"I still don't like the steps you've had to take."

"I know you don't, and I don't either, but you understand my predicament, right?" The red-haired Devil asked, voice tightening slightly. "I have to manage the safety of my territory, continue the legacy of the Gremory family, and fill out my Peerage, all the while not slipping up once. Perfection is mandatory." Her lips pursed together. "Even so there's only so much I can juggle, and if I have to stoop to underhanded methods to do everything I need to - and minimize the number of people I have to throw under the bus - then that's that."

The Rook shrugged, and stood so she could walk over to the other side of the table and sit on the table's edge, ears and tails manifesting in the privacy of the clubhouse. "There's always another option. First though, you need pets."

"You say I need pets, when I'm the one who's supposed to be doing the petting," Rias smiled, and reached out to start stroking Koneko's head, letting out a soft sigh as she felt the Nekoshou's Senjutsu flowing through her. "And you say that, when I'm trying to keep you safe, too. The Naberius family is still trying to get their hands on you, you know."

"If they do, I'll kill them," the white-haired girl's lips tugged downward. "Simple as that."

"And be rated an SSS-class criminal like the Dark Moon?" Koneko's King frowned. "To say nothing of what that would do to Akeno and I? I know you loathe the Naberius family, and that's why I have every resource at my disposal to fight them off each time they try. So just continue to let me be selfish for you, alright?"

Koneko's eyes trailed back down to the Pact, before back to Rias. "Did something come up with them too?"

"Another Assembly missive, requesting me to appear in court - once again, I might add - to argue why you shouldn't be traded off to them." Rias shrugged, a grimace rising to her face. "The usual fare. This time, I imagine that they will argue about the continued loss to the scientific community. They already exhausted right of ownership, as well as reparations for damages caused by the Dark Moon's murder of their heir, so it's only natural they try a more 'communal' angle this time."

Koneko scrunched her nose. "And Sirzechs still hasn't nipped this in the bud, yet?"

The redhead leveled a look on Koneko. "He is not supposed to be partial to a specific family."

"He dotes on his little sister anyway."

"That... he does." Rias sighed. "But even he has his limits. As long as there is reason to still pursue you, the Naberius family will. They have certainly been persistent. Unfortunately, I don't have the political leverage to not show up, either."

"Would you like me to inform Sona about your absence?"

"Please do. I don't want her to start worrying without reason."

"I would say being invited to the court is reason enough," Koneko pointed out. "When they put their differences aside, they're terrifying."

"Well, it's a good thing you're a controversial topic then," Rias smirked, rising to her feet. "Let's get to classes, shall we? I would not want to be late right before I take a hiatus."

"...Buchou. Thanks."

The Devil stopped at the threshold, turning back to smile at her Rook.

"You are welcome, Koneko."


Issei gawked at the two newcomers to his homeroom.

How could he not? He certainly wasn't alone.

Here he'd thought that he'd seen the pinnacle of beauty already.

Sure, maybe Rias and Akeno still held that distinction in terms of sex appeal, but the two newcomers were practically otherwordly. Try as he might, Issei couldn't find a single flaw in either. What these two had was an appeal that surpassed mere sexuality.

There was no way in hell these two weren't part of the supernatural.

Was such appearances part and parcel for the world he was finding himself deeper and deeper inside of?

"Yep."

'God damn it.'

On one hand, he wasn't complaining, but on the other... that just wasn't fair!

"Greetings, everyone." The more shapely of the two girls bowed her head briefly, red eyes skimming over the crowd. "My name is Yuuto Valerie. I, ah, apologize for the interruption, but from this day on I will be joining you all in classes. Pleased to meet your acquaintance from now on."

Asia mentioned that Dio had been seeing off two of his wards, right? Did that mean that he was responsible for raising these two beauties among beauties?

Maybe he wasn't so bad, after all...?

'Hold the fuck up.'

Yuuto was a familiar surname. Isn't that the handsome bastard's-?

"A-and I'm Yuuto Gasper!" The other one bowed as well, clearly much less composed than the first girl. "Valerie-san and Isaiah-san are my siblings. It's, uh, it's nice to meet you!"

"Gasper-kun, er... why are you wearing the girls' uniform?"

Gasper pouted, puffing out her - 'Wait, what did the teacher just say!?' - his cheeks and crossing his arms. "I like it! Is... is there a problem, sir?"

"Normally I would say so, but... I don't think we have a rule on who wears what attire, so long as it doesn't break school rules or act as a distraction." Their homeroom teacher Mr. Yamada coughed, brow furrowing. "If you insist, then I won't bring it up again. Just be sure to follow the rest of the rules alongside your fellow students, understood?"

One was a godsend, pun completely unintended. The other was a trap. And both were apparently related to the blonde bastard who'd started teaching him how to fight before Luna stepped in.

'...Nevermind.'

Dio was an evil, evil piece of shit who needed to die.


A/N -

The Pact is revealed, and oh boy do things happen in this chapter! Plot! Exposition! More plot! Near-smut! More exposition! And finally, not just one, but several plot hooks for the next chapter and a cliffhanger to boot!

But yeah, holy shit. Fifty chapters. Four hundred thousand and sixty-thousand words and then some. Over 900 follows despite being a story that throws the original DxD formula of light-hearted ecchi right out the window.

I'd hoped for feedback like this. But I'll be frank and admit that after my few... disastrous other stories (which none of you will ever know of) I wasn't sure I'd even be able to make it this far. Yet here I am now, with a long-ass story that's still got a ways to go.

If you told me back when the pandemic was arguably at its peak that I'd end up making a story as long as this one, where even at chapter 50 there's a large amount of ground to cover before the endgame, I'd have been incredulous to say the least. I was expecting to maybe get 100k words in before my interest waned and I took my attention elsewhere.

But... here I am now. I think it's been a real learning experience for me, this story. How to write, how to take seemingly inconsequential gestures and weave them into stories.

On that note I recently watched a video on Berserk, and how Miura (may he rest in peace) managed to write previous, earlier chapters of a story, into a complex and compelling narrative on the life and growth of his characters.

I'm not going to claim that level of mastery over both story form and art. Absolutely not the latter. Again, if I could draw, this would be a long-running doujinshi, not a fanfiction. I won't say I compare in the other front either, though I certainly try to.

if you are a good artist and want to see this story become a doujin tho, seriously, hit me up, lol

But looking at those strong, retroactive tie-ins that Miura made, I can't help but wonder. How much of that had I already been doing? I do run things mostly by the cuff, with an overarching outline of where I want the story to go. And much like him, I didn't realize where I wanted to go with the story at first! Crackfic? What's that? How about I come up with a semi-realistic DxD fanfic with an in-depth look at the nature of the world Ishibumi made instead?

And like Miura, I think I'll try and keep weaving some of those inspirations into my own style. Emulation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I think coming into your own style as a writer is key to not just being an effective one - but enjoying it too.

I'm rambling. The point is, it's hard to believe I've gotten so far, and I know that my earlier chapters - even after some touch-ups - are in some dire need of restructuring. But I must continue onward, lest I get caught up in 'could haves'.

So to each and every one of you who has been reading my story, to my beta, to those of you who have reviewed, and to those of you who haven't but still choose to follow Luna and co, I have one thing to say:

Thank you.

Let's continue to follow the story of Not My Harem Anime, together.

Tempura Wizard, out.