[I'll kill you if you don't wake up… You'll be cut into pieces if you don't wake up…]

"Mmmm…," Issei groaned as his eyes flickered open. His ceiling. He turned to his alarm clock to shut it off. His arm extended and smashed the snooze button on the clock. It was Saturday so he didn't need to worry about any-

He sat up almost immediately. Saturday! My date-

He paused as the memories of what had happened came rushing back to him. Was it all a dream? Mitsuki and Shin had superpowers. Yuuma had wings and wore BDSM clothing. And he clearly remembered getting skewered by a spear and bleeding to death in his dream. He touched his abdomen gently. He had no shirt on. No clothes either. No scars. And he was completely naked.

Odd. Issei knew he didn't have the habit of sleeping naked.

"Was it all a dream?" he wondered. "No, now's not the time. I need to…"

Issei placed his hand down on the bed and grabbed something soft. "Mmm? What is this?" He squeezed it gently, eliciting a soft feminine moan to his left.

He mechanically turned his neck around to see a mop of red hair lying next to him. And she was very naked. He could see everything.

The peeping beams of the sun made her creamy-white skin blinding to the eye. However, Issei could make out all of her perfectly proportioned features.

Issei gulped.

I'm dreaming, aren't I?

He raised his hand to his face and pinched his cheek. Issei let out a silent "ow". No, the pain was real.

This was real. He began to hyperventilate.

Oi. Oi. Calm down. People say that counting prime numbers helps you calm down. 2. 5. 7. 11. 13. 17. 19. 23….

Why am I not waking up! Issei thought frantically.

Why was he naked and in bed with Rias Gremory of all people? Did he sleep with her? Did they have sex? No, if they did, then why couldn't he remember? Why was he robbed of such a precious core memory?

"A- Ahhhhh! Whyyyyy!?"

The door to his room burst open when he screamed.

"Ise, get down!?"

"Aniki! Get behind… me?"

Issei turned to see Shin and Mitsuki standing inside his room with weapons drawn. Shin had two pistols in his hand, aimed at the bed while Mitsuki had her katana brandished and ready to cut down whatever it was in his room.

The two stared dumbfounded at the naked Issei while he stared back at them with a similar expression.

Mitsuki lowered and sheathed her blade before walking over to his computer chair. She grabbed his pajamas, which he hung haphazardly, and tossed them to him.

"Here, put this on."

"R- Right," Issei caught the pajamas.

"I… did not need to see this early in the morning," Shin said, dispelling the two pistols.

"You… three are kinda loud."

"R- Rias!" Issei slipped his pajamas on and backed toward Shin and Mitsuki.

Rias rose from the bed, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Her crimson locks cascaded down her bare body, covering her bare breasts and her lower area from Issei's view. She sat there, hands on his bed like some seductive demon ready to drain his life force in exchange for pleasure.

"Can you put some clothes on?" Mitsuki asked.

"I think Ise's enjoying the view to be honest," Rias replied.

"Yeah, I know. Now, put some clothes on. We have to go to school. It's almost 8 and I still have to make breakfast," Mitsuki said, tying her hair back.

"We'll see you downstairs, Ise," Shin said.

"W- Wait! What do you mean school? Today's Saturday, right?" Issei asked.

"What are you talking about? Today's Monday. You've been asleep for a whole day," Mitsuki replied.

"Then, my date! Did I miss my date?"

Shin and Mitsuki exchanged glances before turning to their childhood friend.

"Yeah, about that. We need to talk once school is over. For now, let's have breakfast. I promise we'll explain everything after the day is over," Mitsuki said.

"But-"

"Issei, just know for now that we're sorry. Your life… will never be the same again," Shin said.

Breakfast was an awkward affair for all four of them. For Issei, eating breakfast with his incredibly beautiful senior was both a blessing and a curse. Still, Issei thanked his grandfather in the pure lands and all the Gods of Takamagahara for this moment. Having Rias drink miso soup right next to him was going to be the greatest highlight of his day, Issei felt.

Despite this, Issei felt a tension with his two oldest friends. The two had avoided talking to him about whatever had happened an entire two days ago. Every time Issei tried to ask them a question, the two avoided it and said they would explain later. He looked to Rias for help, and like a caring older sister, merely smiled awkwardly and shook her head.

Breakfast was a moment Issei had been thinking about all day, even right now as they were dismissed for lunch. He sighed and stared out the window. The sun was glaring. It was another weird thing that had started.

Issei had begun to feel weak under the Sun. No, it was just daytime in general. The day made him feel tired and anemic as if he had become some sort of person that was addicted to online games.

"Oi, Issei. You alright?"

Issei turned to see one of his friends, Matsuda, holding his melon bread out toward him.

"Huh. Yeah… I'm fine. I'm just thinking about what happened on Saturday," he said.

"What happened on Saturday?" asked his bespectacled friend, Motohama.

"What do you mean? I told you guys I was going on a date," Issei said.

"A date?"

"You?"

"Y- Yeah, I even showed you guys a picture. Yuuma-chan! She was the one who asked me out in front of the school!"

Matsuda and Motohama exchanged glances before laughing. They laughed uproariously much to Issei's annoyance and dismay.

"You? A girlfriend? You? You're just like us, man!" Matsuda said, leaning back in his chair and cackling madly.

"Yeah! Pfft, I might have hopes and dreams but even I'm realistic. People like us, you know what they call us?" Motohama asked.

"W- What?" Issei asked hesitantly.

"Incels."

"Okay, be serious." He deadpanned at Motohama's response. "Look, let me pull my phone out," he said, pulling up the messaging app.

Huh? What?

Issei scrolled through all of his chats, searching for the one that was labeled Yuuma. He scrolled and scrolled but failed to find anything.

Did they…? he thought, remembering Shin and Mitsuki's suspicious behavior. Issei shook his head. No way. They don't even know the password to my phone.

"What are you looking for?" Matsuda asked.

"I had her number," Issei said.

"You having a girl's number-"

"I have Mii's number!" Issei protested. "Sacchan's too!"

"Dude, Mii's not a girl. She's a demon. A horrible, sword-wielding demon," Motohama corrected, "And Satsuki is… well…" he shivered after that one.

"What about Sora-ne-"

"Izayoi-sensei is like your older sister, right? Then, she doesn't count. Face it, Issei. As far as your non-platonic relationships with girls go, you're just about as empty and dry as we are," Matsuda said.

"What the heck? Do you guys really not remember Yuuma? She had long black hair, pink eyes, and these huge pair of tits," Issei said.

"I think I'd remember seeing a girl like that at our school."

"Yeah."

Issei stared dumbfounded at his two friends. Were they… pranking him? Did they purposely say they forgot just to fuck with him for getting a girlfriend? He felt a phantom pain throb in his gut.

"So, about your imaginary date-"

"It wasn't imaginary!" Issei's voice rose, surprising both of them. For someone who was happy most of the time, his rare tone of anger caught the entire class's attention.

Issei's face turned red from embarrassment and he took a deep breath to calm himself. Something was wrong. He remembered it all. Yuuma growing wings. Shin and Mitsuki having superpowers. And even that blue-haired woman who killed him by skewering him like a pig.

"Dude, I'm sorry but… I really don't remember," Motohama said.

"I… know," Issei said quietly.

It was true. There was no denying it. Her number had disappeared. All evidence of her was gone, even his recently deleted photos were emptied. Mitsuki and Shin had no access to his phone as it was password locked and even if they did, there was no way the two would do something like this. After lunch had ended, Issei had, very discreetly, tried to dial the number he had memorized in his head, only to find out that the number had never been in use.

And to top it all off, everyone Issei knew outside of those two had no recollection of Yuuma ever existing. It was as if all of his memories of her had been fabricated and placed into his head. Just simply remembering her made him seem like the crazy one.

"We'll explain all of it after school."

Was this going to be part of their explanation as well? Issei wondered that to himself multiple times as the day went on.

As the final bell rang, Issei dreaded what he would learn.

Was the world a simulation? Was Yuuma just another glitch and he was finally waking up? Or was this all some sort of deep-school conspiracy to drive him insane?

"Ise."

He looked up and saw Shin standing in front of him.

"Let's go," Shin said.

Issei nodded. It was time, he guessed—time for him to learn everything about what happened that day.

Part of him was finally excited to learn what happened while another part dreaded what he would learn.

He followed Shin down the hall.

"So… what was it that you were going to tell me?" Issei asked.

"Let's wait til we get there. You and I both know that I'm not good at explaining stuff," Shin said.

"Where's Mii?" he asked.

"She's with Sora-nee. She's getting chewed out I think."

"Eh? Sora-nee is chewing her out?"

"Yeah. Look, about what happened on Saturday. No matter what anyone tells you. You're not crazy. Everything that happened that day actually happened."

Issei blinked. Shin… knew? He felt validated but at the same time, was suspicious as to why he remembered while others didn't.

"So… did I… die?" Issei asked.

"Yes."

Issei stopped in his tracks, eyes wide in horror. He died? "I- Am I dead?" Issei asked.

Shin looked over his shoulder and gave him a deadpan expression.

"I'm serious! Have some tact, man!" he hissed.

"You're not dead. You're clearly still very alive. Mii did something that brought you back and it has a lot to do with what we're about to talk about. Rias offered to send Yuuto but I figured it would be better if we went together since…," Shin trailed off.

"So if I died, then how did Mii bring me back to life?" Issei asked.

"Like I said. Save your questions for the people who actually know more than I do. If I try to explain it, I'll bite my own tongue doing so," he replied.

Issei sighed and nodded. Shin was never the best at explaining things. He often went into tirades about different topics he was interested in. At those times, he was often worse than Mitsuki was, using extremely technical terms that neither he or Mitsuki understood. In short, listening to Shin explain was the same as listening to an in-depth lecture of quantum mechanics. It was simply, almost impossible to grasp or understand.

"Ah, we're here. Rias is waiting for us in there," Shin said.

"The Old School Building?" he wondered out loud.

The Old School Building was where Kuoh Academy used to be. The old wooden, two-story school building was surrounded by trees on all sides. It gave off a creepy and mysterious vibe and was aptly labeled as one of the "Seven Wonders of the School". Despite its aging appearance, it was very neat and showed signs of being cleaned often.

However, why would Rias be waiting in such an old building such as this? Did she belong to some sort of gang?

"Ah! Shin! Aniki!"

The door to the old school building opened and Mitsuki greeted them.

"I thought you were with Sora-nee," Shin said.

"I was but she let me go early after I told her about our crow infestation," Mitsuki said.

"Crow… infestation?" Issei asked. "I don't see any crows."

"We'll talk about that too," Shin said.

The three went inside and walked until they reached a door on the second floor.

Mitsuki knocked three times on the door. "Rias. We're here."

"Ah, come in," a voice from the other side said.

The door opened, revealing a relatively normal room, albeit a little large room. There was Victorian-Era furniture decorating the place. A large desk sat at the end of the room, where Issei supposed Rias or someone else sat in. The entire room was covered in odd symbols and signs, however, the most prominent one was the large arcane circle drawn at the very center of the room.

"Did you guys bring me to a cult or something?" Issei hissed.

"Yes. We needed to raise a sacrifice for the Gods," Shin replied.

He felt the color drain from his face a little until Mitsuki spoke.

"Come on, Shin. Stop teasing him," Mitsuki chastised.

"Ah, Adashino. Furude. Hyoudou."

Issei turned at the sound of the voice to see a blonde boy walking toward them. He knew who he was instantly. The Prince of Kuoh and the bane of all men in the school, Yuuto Kiba. A pretty boy with charming looks and a matching personality that effortlessly captured the attention of girls in the school.

"Yuuto. Ah, yes, this is Ise. He'll be with us from now on so I hope you two can get along," Mitsuki said.

He gave her a polite smile before turning to Issei and holding his hand out.

"Nice to meet you, Ise Hyoudou," Yuuto said.

"Um, yeah. Nice to meet you too, Cassanova," Issei said, shaking his hand.

"Koneko, come and greet our guests," Yuuto said, letting go of Issei's hand.

Issei looked over Yuuto's shoulder and saw a petite girl with white hair quietly eating snacks on one of the couches. Koneko Toujou. A 1st year student who was popular amongst a certain group of boys in the Academy. She looked a few years younger than her actual age and was generally regarded as the school mascot.

"Ah, yes. Hi…" Koneko perked up when she spotted Shin. She immediately got off the couch and walked over to him, holding her hand out.

"Eh? What? What's going on?" Issei asked, watching the entire interaction.

Shin sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out some snacks and handing it to her.

Koneko nodded appreciatively and walked back to her seat.

"Eh? Shin, what was…?" Issei asked.

"Ah, Koneko is a regular at our Live House. She likes the sweets Onee and Hanako make sometimes as part of the menu. Don't tell me you never noticed," Shin said.

"Ah."

It was true. Issei had seen a suspiciously familiar-looking white-haired girl stop by the Live House from time to time to listen to bands perform or just get food but he never in his life suspected that it was her.

"Where's Rias?" Mitsuki asked.

"Ah, she should be out by now," Yuuto said.

"Out?" Issei asked.

And that's when he heard it. There was a shower running. This room had a shower. And then, it stopped.

"President, take this."

"Ah, thank you, Akeno."

Rias was taking a shower while she was here. In front of him. Issei began to drool, remembering the glorious sight he was awarded with in the morning.

"Ew. Senpai's face is disgusting."

Issei snapped out of it and turned to Koneko. Ah, so he had a disgusting face.

Rias stepped out of the curtains, drying her hair. She flashed Issei a warm smile and Issei felt his heart skip ten beats in a single instant. He looked behind her and saw a familiar shade of black hair styled in a ponytail.

That woman was Akeno Himejima.

THE SCHOOL IDOL!? THE YAMATO NADESHIKO AND THE GREAT ONEE-SAMA!? Issei thought frantically.

"Oh? This is the cute boy you were talking about, President? Well, well, my name is Akeno Himejima. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Akeno greeted.

Wow, even her voice sounds pleasant. "Ah, yes, I'm Issei Hyoudou. Nice to meet you," he said.

Rias nodded in greeting to Mitsuki and Shin before turning to Issei.

"Issei. We, of the Occult Research Club, welcome you," Rias said.

"Ah, yes!" Issei rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"As a Devil of the Dantalion Peerage."

"-!?"

Issei shook his head and smiled politely. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard you wrong. I'm a what?"

"Look, Aniki. We'll get straight to the point. We're all Devils here. Well, most of us," Mitsuki threw a side glance to her boyfriend before turning back to Issei, "And to answer your question, you are one. Under me. It was the only way because if I hadn't, you'd have died."

As if for added emphasis, a pair of bat-like wings emerged from Mitsuki's back.

And so, in shock, Issei's only logical response was to pass out.

"If I knew you were going to pass out, I'd have eased you into it." Mitsuki handed Issei an ice pack.

"Well, it's better to rip the band-aid off now rather than peel it off slowly," Shin said.

Issei sat on the couch, nursing a bruise that was forming on his head. "So… you're a Devil?"

"Half. Mom is a Devil. Dad is human," Mitsuki said.

Ah, so his Aunt Elaina was a Devil. Uncle Katsuki was a human. Then, that also meant that Mitsuki's younger sister, Satsuki, was also a half-devil. Issei turned to Shin.

"Hey, still human," Shin said, as if knowing what he was going to ask.

"And everyone else is also a Devil?" Issei turned to look at the other occupants of the room. As if in response to his question, they too unfurled their wings.

He felt his head spinning. Then, that dream wasn't a dream. He had died… or almost died from how Mitsuki phrased it. "And Yuuma- no, Raynare?"

Rias sipped her tea as she sat next to him. She placed it down on the saucer before beginning her explanation.

"Yuuma… or rather, Raynare is what is known as a Fallen Angel. They are Angels that formerly served the Biblical God until they sinned and were cast into Hell. They are, in short, our natural rivals," Rias explained.

Issei nodded, trying to keep up with the terminology of this oddly familiar conversation.

"So, we, as Devils, are at war with them?" Issei asked.

Rias blinked in surprise. "Y- Yes, you're quite keen on the upkeep. We're in a Cold War of sorts with them right now. It's mostly territorial. Gehenna has been split into two. One for the Devils and one for Fallen Angels. The others are territories belonging to other… Gods but we'll get to that later down the line. At some point in the past, Angels got involved and tried to destroy the other two forces, resulting in the Three Factions of the Bible you know today."

"I… see," Issei said.

He looked around, looking at the other occupants one by one. To him, even if they were devils, they looked like normal people. Though, he knew that if they were like Mitsuki and Rias, then they should have some sort of ridiculous ability.

"And this club?" Issei asked.

"This club is Rias's hobby. It's just a front for her activities here in the human world. And… it will be where you will be spending your time learning how to be a Devil," Mitsuki said.

"Eh? Me?" Issei pointed to himself.

"That's right. Mii and I can't teach you how to be a Devil since… well, even if Mii is a Devil, she's not really involved in the Underworld. That's more Sacchan's territory," Shin said.

"So Rias here will be the one teaching you the ins and outs of being a Devil. Shin and I will handle everything else," Mitsuki said.

"I… see."

Issei nodded, still finding it hard to take it all in. It was all surreal. Like he had experienced it all before. And he still had one burning question.

"Yuuma. You said Yuuma was a Fallen Angel but that doesn't explain why people don't think she exists. I told all my friends at school about her and now they're acting like she never existed!"

"Ah. So, her friends did it for her then?" Mitsuki said.

"But why me? What did I ever do to them? Is this just their way of having fun?" he asked.

Shin shook his head in response. "They were after something. You were their goal. Her goal was to essentially…," Shin slid his thumb across his throat, "After that, there was no longer any use in keeping a presence in town so they got rid of everything."

"Wha…? I died?" Issei asked in shock. "No, that was just a dream, right? Someone explain to me what actually happened!"

"You could do a better job at explaining, Shin. Aniki, what I'm about to tell you is something our parents told us to never reveal for your own safety," Mitsuki said.

"My own… safety?" Issei asked. "I fucking died! I'm not safe anymore!"

The two turned away from his furious gaze in shame.

"We know. That's why we're telling you. To be honest, we should have sent you to Rias the first chance we got but we never knew it would turn out like this," Shin said.

Mitsuki said nothing, merely nodding alongside her boyfriend's words.

Issei stood there with a slightly dumbfounded expression on his face. He wanted to blow up at them for not telling him sooner. He wanted to scream and yell but he was just too tired to do anything right now.

As he was about to open his mouth to speak, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

Rias offered him an apologetic smile as she spoke. "Mmm. They were only looking out for you, Ise. And to be fair, I didn't know anything either until you ran into me at the front of the school."

"What did they want?" Issei asked.

"Let me explain for them. Mitsuki's gonna be super technical anyway. I'm sure you want the dumbed-down explanation," Rias said.

"H- Hey!" Mitsuki said, offended by her statement.

"To be blunt, you have a Sacred Gear. A Sacred Gear is an irregular power that is bestowed to some humans by the Biblical God. Odds of being born with one are pretty high. A lot of people you've seen or read about in history books or videos were those who used their Sacred Gears to record their names in history.

"In addition, certain Sacred Gears pose a threat to devils, angels, and even Gods. Their abilities can get up to a world-altering scale but those Sacred Gears, I'll explain at a later time. Right now, I want you to hold up your left arm," Rias said.

"My what?" he asked.

"Just do it," Rias said.

He hesitantly raised his left arm into the air.

"Now, close your eyes and imagine the strongest thing that comes to mind."

"Strongest being? Like… uh… Aka-nee?"

Shin almost choked on his own spit at Issei's words.

Rias cracked a smile and nodded.

"Remember, you have to imagine this person with the pose where they're at their strongest," Rias said.

"Why Aka-neesan? Why not someone like Goku?" Mitsuki asked.

"I don't know. I just feel like using Aka-nee was right for some reason. Anyway," Issei lowered his stance, holding his left hand at his hip.

Shin's eyes widened slightly. That stance. It might have been completely off foot but the effort was there. That was his older sister's…

A flash of red light momentarily blinded Issei. The light took form, coalescing into the form of a gauntlet over his left arm. A wave of nostalgia and longing washed over him. He stared, wide-eyed and dumbfounded, at the gauntlet.

"Haha…" Issei let out a small laugh.

"Pretty cool, right?" Mitsuki asked.

"Yeah…" were the only words that left Issei's mouth. He had been staring at his arm intensely for a long time until Rias grabbed his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Y- Yeah, I'm fine," Issei said, lowering his left arm.

"You don't look fine. Did summoning the Sacred Gear take all the gas out of you?" Shin asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.

"No, it's just…"

"Mesmerizing to look at? I know. I feel it too whenever I see someone summon a Sacred Gear for the first time," Rias said, gently holding his left hand.

Issei's cheeks slowly turned red at the sudden contact. A jolt of electricity traveled up his left hand, energizing his entire being.

"Yeah, um…"

Rias smiled and let go of his hand. "That Fallen Angel that attacked you. You said her name was Raynare. She must have sensed the Sacred Gear inside you and attacked you with the intent to kill. It's a good thing Mii and Shin were there to save you. Otherwise, you would be…" she trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air.

Issei gulped at the thought. Had it not been for his friends, he would be seriously dead.

"So what now?" Issei asked.

"Well, now. Shin and I are going to handle everything else with you," Mitsuki said.

"Everything… else?" Issei asked.

"We're gonna teach you how to fight. How to survive. As a member of my peerage, you'll be going with me on jobs. We got you into this world. We'll take responsibility and make sure you live a long life," she said.

"And Rias here will be teaching you how to be a Devil," Shin added.

"So that means that…"

Rias handed him a piece of paper and a pen.

Issei hesitantly took it and immediately recognized what it was. A club registration form.

"That's right!" She chirped. "Welcome to the club!"

"A devil…"

Issei shuffled as he walked to Hatch Potch next to Shin and Mitsuki. This was just too much to take in. His entire life had been turned upside down. Was he cursed or something? He glanced over at his friends. Shin was staring ahead without much care as per usual but Mitsuki was busy typing something on her phone's notepad.

"You're probably wondering why we never told you, huh?" Shin said, not even glancing at Issei.

Issei stiffened before nodding. To be honest, the events of today had left him tired and if he had the strength, he probably would have said something he would have regretted.

Shin hummed before looking up at the night sky. "People… regular people live in this world not knowing there's more out there. And I'm not talking about aliens. Ghosts, Demons, Gods, Angels. All of it being real? It's a lot to take in. There was a time when people believed in them but…"

"Things happened and humanity broke off from everyone else," Mitsuki said, placing her phone in her pocket. "You can say humans are like prey animals unaware that there's things hunting them in the shadows."

Issei gulped.

"When our parents found out you were born with a Sacred Gear Signature, they decided to make sure you were protected from everyone in the world. Of course, it worked for years. When we got old enough, our parents told us to not tell you for your own safety… until…" Shin trailed off.

Issei subconsciously gripped his stomach. A flash of phantom pain gripped his entire body before fading entirely. He gulped at the thought of what would have happened if Mitsuki had never gotten there in time.

He really owed them his life, even if he was peeved that his two closest friends never told him this massive secret. However, Issei was smart enough to realize that they were just kids listening to their parents.

"What do I tell my parents?" Issei asked.

"Nothing." Mitsuki's words were simple and matter-of-fact.

"Oh."

"Look, not right now though. But, you still need to get used to what's going on. Mii and I know you better than anyone else. I saw how you reacted when Akeno looked at you while we were explaining everything," Shin said.

"How I… reacted?" Issei asked, confused by his words.

"Your body stiffened up for a few seconds like she was going to kill you," Shin said.

Issei's eyes widened in surprise.

"You need to get used to being a Devil… but more than that, you need to get used to being you again. You got duped. You're probably in a phase where you can't trust other women outside of immediate family," Mitsuki replied.

Issei nodded.

"So, I'm going to be working with Prez and the others? Sounds like you guys just wanted to dump me with them," Issei joked, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

Mitsuki playfully slapped his arm. "Dumbass, we're not gonna dump you."

"Yeah, you're stuck with us forever until you die. And don't worry about Raynare," Shin said.

"Eh? Why… bring her up now?" Issei asked, his body stiffening at the mention of her name.

"I killed her."

Issei's eyes grew wide at his words. Shin… killed someone? He didn't know whether to be happy or shocked. Or maybe what he was feeling inside was a combination of both. In any case, hearing his oldest friend casually admit to ending someone else's life stupefied him.

"You don't have to worry about her being a problem, Issei. And in the future, if something like this happens again, you'll have us backing you. Like always," she said.

"Guys… I don't know what to say. Even if you did hide this all our lives, I… really owe you two. If it weren't for you…"

"Well, if you really want to thank us, I got something that might work," Shin said.

"Wha..? What is it?" Issei asked, feeling a sliver of dread enter his heart.

What sort of heinous favor was Shin going to ask Issei?

"There's this new banner dropping in this game I'm playing. And I was wondering if you could lend me some money for my rolls," Shin said.

A vein throbbed in Issei's forehead. "You… You! You bastard!" Issei threw a wayward punch that Shin dodged easily.

"You still haven't paid me back for the last banner!" Issei yelled.

"Please! I promise I'll pay you back next pay period!" Shin said, running away from a furious Issei.

"Get back here with my money!" Issei shouted, running after Shin.

Mitsuki smiled and laughed into her hand as she followed them all the way to the live house.

"How is she?"

Kalawarna turned around. A petite, blonde girl whose hair was styled in twin tails stood behind her. Her blue eyes stared in slight worry and she wore a gothic lolita fashion outfit. The girl gripped her arm tightly, looking over her shoulder at the mass of hooded priests standing in the church praying fanatically.

"She's fine. Dohnaseek, however,...," Kalawarna trailed off.

"Tch… those damn Devils. Why did Raynare even go through with this order from Lord Azazel?" she asked.

"Mittelt-"

"No! Dohnaseek is dead all because of her obsession with getting his approval! I didn't sign up for this! Let me in!" Mittelt demanded.

"I can't-"

"Move."

Kalawarna stepped back in slight fear at the sight of a pink aura that appeared around the smaller girl's body.

"Ah. Mittelt."

Kalawarna and Mittelt looked to the source of the voice. Raynare walked out of the room, wounds having completely healed without a trace. She had a cheerful smile on her face and she was dressed in the outfit she wore to the date.

"R- Raynare," Kalawarna said.

"Hmm?" Raynare glanced over to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Never been better," Raynare replied.

What? She's…. Where are her wounds? None of us even know basic healing magic so how did she heal herself…? Mittelt thought as she looked at the two. She narrowed her eyes and then took a step back in subconscious fear.

There was an endless mass of darkness wafting around the older girl. She rubbed her eyes and blinked. It was gone.

"Mmm? Mittelt, is something wrong?" Raynare asked in a cheery voice.

Raynare… isn't this cheery? What the hell happened? Mittelt wondered.

"N- Nothing! Just glad you're okay," Mittelt said, hiding the fear in her voice.

"Ah! That's good. Shame about Dohnaseek though. But, let's move on. We have something we need to finish," Raynare said, walking past the two.

"Finish? We finished our jobs. Let's just leave before the Devils in this town hunt us down," Kalawarna said.

"That bitch… Er… we never finished our jobs. We still need to kill him," Raynare said, looking out at the congregation of priests.

"Kill who?" Mittelt asked

A wide, psychotic smile nearly split her face in half. Raynare's eyes gleamed with an unfamiliar, vast darkness. A malicious smile that would make even the most evil deities in the world cringe in fear.

"Kill Issei Hyoudou."