Several flags were raised, and things get a little steamy here and there, but there's no lemons in this chapter.

I swear I'm not trying to blue ball anyone.

Blonde hair, kinda wavy (if a bit short).

Bright blue, smiling eyes that watched you like a hawk.

Fair skinned, good looking foreigner, mid-to-early twenties in age.

Put all those things together, and this still, definitely….

Was not JB.

Especially when one considered that the blonde, who had just gently shaken Yuuji awake, was a man in green combat fatigues.

Nope, definitely not JB.

Come to think of it, where was he?

"Morning kid, you have a nice little nap?"

The man's tone was friendly, an easy grin on his face as he leaned forward in his seat.

"All things considered."

"Great!"

The man said, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"So, don't suppose you've seen a ridiculously large and comfortable bed with a pretty blonde woman sleeping in it?"

Or his clothes, Yuuji wanted to ask, since he was wearing a matching uniform.

"Nah, 'we' try not to peek, so I have no idea what your room looks like, Yuuji."

"Thanks, I think."

"JB is probably where you left her though, since you haven't really moved."

"So, what kind of dream am I having?"

"Adaptable, aintcha? Well, that makes things easier."

The man's grin widened, and he nodded his head repeatedly, as if to say 'as expected'.

"Well, calling it a dream might be the least confusing explanation, so let's go with that. More importantly, this 'dream' is actually a memory of mine, where you get to play the starring role."

"... So you are one of 'them', aren't you?"

"You mean one of the fifty odd people you woke up from the Arsenal Memoir, currently trying their best not to clutter up your braincase? Yep, that about covers it."

"There's fifty of you?"

"Something like that. You're waking us up pretty fast Yuuji, and it's getting cramped. Which is why you're here."

The man said, rapping one knuckle against the side of the boat.

As if to punctuate his point, something crashed into the water with a violent 'boom', rocking the boat and sending salt water flying over the high edges of the vessel.

"... Go on."

The man scratched his head, looking a little apologetic for a moment, before the cheerful demeanor fell away in its entirety, and sharp, icy blue eyes locked onto Yuuji.

"The little lady is afraid of you using your Balance Breaker, but trying to keep you away from it will only make it worse. So 'We' decided to intervene, before it screws with your head anymore than it already has."

Hmm, maybe the sculpting incident was the catalyst, then.

Sure, Asako was his memory, but the ability to make high-quality sculptures without conscious thought certainly wasn't.

Unless he had more in common with Kazuki than expected, and he was a late blooming artistic genius.

Probably not.

"Meaning?"

Yuuji eventually asked, the man before him seeming content to wait.

"Meaning, that if you keep waking up Soldiers from the Memoir at the rate you're going, you're going to forget which one of 'them' is you. You're just too damn compatible with our Sacred Gear."

"Meaning you were a past wielder?"

"Your direct predecessor, actually. Wasn't nearly as good with the Arsenal, though, I just always seemed to have one more bullet handy."

"Should I call you 'Senpai' then?... Come to think of it, what is your name?"

The man, the Soldier, just shook his head.

"Don't bother asking any of us that, kid. None of us remember."

As if in emphasis, the Soldier reached over and tapped Yuuji on the forehead with one finger.

"And the reason we're meddling is so to keep you from being in the same boat."

Yuuji turned his head once more, taking in the metal boat they were sitting in, crammed with nervous soldiers checking their weapons, praying, or doing any number of things to distract themselves.

"Kind of ironic, don't you think?"

The Soldier threw back his head and laughed, heedless of the shock it caused among their fellow passengers.

"Kid, I knew there was a reason I liked you."

They'd sat in a comfortable sort of silence for about fifteen minutes, inured to the nervous tension surrounding them.

Abruptly, the Soldier clapped his hands together sharply.

"Welp, time to go into some more details I think, we'll be landing soon. Go ahead and ask any questions you might have, Yuuji, and we'll start from there."

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that. So, first off, why you? Is it because you were the last wielder of the Memoir?"

"Hm, interesting that you'd start with that. But no, not quite. I'm running the show because I have hardly anything to teach you, your tour of duty in the Marines covers a lot of the training I have."

"So why is that important?"

"Simple, the more common ground we have, the less jarring taking a jaunt through a Soldier's memories will be. The point of having you here is to experience what it's like to be one of 'us', one of the souls within the Memoir."

"So I'm going to be tagging along for little trips through Memory Lane like this?"

"Several nights a week, depending on how well tonight goes. Tonight is a test flight of sorts."

"But then, why are we going for an experience similar to mine? Wouldn't it be easier to keep myself separate from something I've never experienced in life?"

"Yeah, we thought that too, didn't work out so well in the past."

The Soldier began to explain.

"You see, because the memories, or Memoirs as we tend to call them, have a sort of bleed over effect, in a way, they are your memories. An inheritance of sorts, I guess you could say. So the greater the difference between your inherited memories and your own, the harder it is to tell which ones belong in which category. Your mind has a weird way of filling in gaps to make your memories seem plausible."

The man gestured with his arms in the air, as if drawing and firing an imaginary bow.

"After all, you've never ridden a horse, let alone fired a bow from the back of one, but you remember learning and practicing that, don't you?"

"... Yeah, I do."

"Which means things are already starting to bleed together, and if we didn't intervene, the next time you used Balance Breaker, odds were good that a big old chunk of Kazami Yuuji would disappear when the armor came off."

Yuuji didn't even bother commenting on the assumption that he would use the Unknown Soldier again.

They both knew better.

"I get it, I think. So how's this going to work? Some sort of lucid dream, I take it, but you mentioned that I play the 'starring role'?"

The Soldier nodded.

"Knew you'd pick up on that. Essentially, you're taking 'my' role in the events that are about to occur, and I'm the tag-along. Of course, I'll help you out, but…"

The man scratched his head.

"Things won't necessarily turn out the same way, you have a starting point and an endpoint, but the middle is up to you. So, do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"Dealer's choice."

"Good news, even if something goes wrong, this is still probably a dream, so it won't actually hurt your physical body. Bad news, your mind won't be able to tell the difference, pain is pain, so try not to get hurt. There won't be any long term side-effects probably, but do your best anyways."

Yuuji decided to leave aside the sudden vagueness of the explanation, in favor of the reason the blonde man was looking guilty.

"And the worst news?"

The man's laughter had a sort of strained edge to it.

"This is my memory, one of the most important ones, you could say. So, since you're taking my place, no fancy Devil juju beyond that prosthetic of yours. You're playing a human, so breaking character isn't allowed. And, more importantly..."

His grinning face took on an edge of cheerful, macabre fatalism as he clapped Yuuji on the shoulder.

"Welcome to Juno Beach, Soldier."

Yuuji had quickly given up looking for opportunities to fire his rifle, when it became abundantly clear that he couldn't even see the enemies that were tearing his comrades to pieces.

… He couldn't hear anything beyond the screams, and the explosions, and the howl of gunfire.

As he hauled himself behind yet another sand dune, Yuuji flattened himself into the dirt as low as he could, flattening his cheek against the rough sand, trying to make as small a target as possible.

This had the unintended side effect of giving him a perfect view of the cheerful Soldier, strolling alongside him without a care in the world, rifle slung over his shoulder and hands in his pockets.

"...You can't get shot... can you?"

Yuuji grit out, not even bothering to raise his voice.

"Nope, like I said, not really here."

Yuuji's theory was confirmed when the man's casual rejoinder cut through the ear-splitting cacophony that was D-Day as it wasn't even there.

Which he supposed it wasn't, in a sense.

"Don't glare at me like that. I sure as hell don't remember some cheeky bastard strolling up the beach, so I bet you don't either. Dissonance is good for you here, I've been told."

"I see."

"You're still glaring though, oops, go left of that dune by the way, the right side is still mined."

"... Thanks."

"You're welcome!"

That irritating smile vanished from view as Yuuji went flat, covering his head as the space, and people, fifteen feet ahead erupted in smoke, flame, gore and sand.

Yuuji lifted his head to come face to face with the better part of a man's hand.

Gingerly, the Soldier at his side scooped up the still oozing appendage, and flung it to the side with a grimace.

"Shame, I really liked that kid too, oh don't try to pass that barbwire, one of the machine-gunners just got his gun un-jammed so he's playing catch-up."

Acknowledging the warning with a grunt, Yuuji went the long way, forcing him to push past several corpses who's faces he couldn't seem to make out, no matter how hard he tried.

And some that no one would have been able to recognize, no matter how hard they tried.

"Man, I really didn't expect you to be this cool with things. I mean, I get that you've been through some nasty scrapes, but there are bits of fellow soldiers like, everywhere, and you haven't even thrown up once."

"Give it time."

"Oh yeah, you're weird like that. Don't worry though, I didn't get far enough to actually kill anyone, so no impromptu hypnotically-implanted illness for you. Oh, and for what it's worth, sorry."

"What was-"

BOOM

Yuuji found himself suddenly out from behind cover, sailing lazily through the air with an odd sense of weightlessness.

The breath crashed from his lungs as the shifting sand proved dense enough to rattle his brain, leaving Yuuji dazed and groaning as he gazed blearily up into the smoke-filled sky.

Beyond the ringing in his ears, Yuuji could hear the Soldier's voice, clear as ever, the jovial tone replaced by something sad and weary.

"Sorry kid, if you get to the end of the memory, well, you get to the end of the memory."

Too addled to consider the implications of his actions, Yuuji pushed his aching body up into a seated position, and promptly flopped on his side like a fish out of water.

Ah, he hadn't accounted for the difficulty he'd have sitting up without any legs to balance with.

It hurts.

Ah, he didn't have any-

It hurts.

It hurts it hurts ithurtsithurts where are they?

"H-h-hey… h-has anyone seen my legs?"

They had to be here- it hurts- somewhere.

Ah, this really hurts.

"For what it's worth kid, you're out of cover."

Yuuji didn't have time to ask what he meant, nor why he sounded so sad about it.

The world vanished amidst a storm of lead and sand.

Leaving Kazami Yuuji one more casualty of Juno Beach.

Yuuji's attempts to scream himself awake were cut off by a calloused, slender hand clamped over his mouth.

"Shh, be at ease, it's over."

Someone pulled him into their embrace, holding him close as he panicked and thrashed.

"Shh… you are safe for now, young one."

The gentle voice tickling his ear and the soft hand rubbing his back was… pretty soothing actually.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of fruit, underscored by a faint hint of wet grass.

Yuuji relaxed against the woman holding him and closed his eyes.

It took a few minutes, but eventually his heart stop trying to pound its way out of his chest, and Yuuji was relaxed enough to look around the room- er, tent he found himself in.

Only one of his limbs was missing, and he couldn't see any of his bones, so Yuuji decided to take that as a win.

"... Feeling better now, young one?"

Came the soft query, and the owner of the voice released him from her embrace at last, holding Yuuji at arm's length so that she could get a good look at him.

Dark, sharp eyes met a pair of wide, bright blue eyes… closely scrutinizing him with concern.

The woman, carefully examining him, had soft, off-white hair drawn into a low pony-tail that seemed to curl at the edges.

She was slender and graceful, clad in a short, soft green tunic and sandals that wrapped around the healthy olive skin of her legs, almost to her knees.

If it weren't for the short, curling brown horns above her pointed, white furred ears, Yuuji would have been hard-pressed to tell she wasn't human.

"Young one?"

"Ah, sorry. Didn't mean to stare."

The woman shook her head, smiling gently as one hand was placed against her modest chest.

"No… I do not mind. Your reaction was remarkably restrained, compared to others, young Devil. I've given some of the human wielder's quite a shock."

"So you are another one of the Soldiers, then?"

"Indeed. And if you are wondering, I am the daughter of a human and one of the Epimelides… a Nymph of meadows and pastures, guardians of the roaming flocks and fruit trees."

"Safe to bet I'm in Greece?"

"You will win that bet."

"... I have another question, if you don't mind."

"Just one? No need to restrain your curiosity, young one."

She seemed to find that rather humorous, letting out a soft giggle that relieved tension he didn't know he had.

"A daughter of a Nymph and human seems a bit… uncommon. How'd you end up in here?"

"We were not as uncommon as one might think, once upon a time. Most of us had no need for fortune or fame, even if we understood its use. Thus, unless drawn into the meddlings of the Olympians or their descendants, we, and our Nymph mothers rarely found ourselves involved with the wider world."

"Ah, I see. Sorry if that was insensitive."

"So polite… the others could learn much from you, young one."

As if to reward him, the woman patted him gently on the cheek, a gesture Yuuji was a bit surprised to find himself unbothered by.

Yuuji went silent, wondering what he was being dragged into next.

He was probably going to die again, wasn't he?

Yeah, while Yuuji didn't actually think of himself as all that polite (and many would agree), he just couldn't think of a way to ask that.

"I do wish to apologize, Yuuji."

The woman said regretfully, using his name for the first time.

"Assuming you are successful in following the trail of my memories, you will die, just as you did on that accursed beach. For whatever small comfort it will bring… I did not have time to suffer."

The woman said, hands twitching as if she wanted to draw him into another embrace.

They'd never get anywhere if she hugged him again… that bosom of hers was hand-crafted to create useless, shiftless people.

"In truth, I, We, would have preferred not to bring you into another Memoir tonight… but you handled the first one well and we regrettably, cannot afford to wait."

Yuuji cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

He'd been screaming not even fifteen minutes ago.

"Y-you did! Your response was natural, but it's getting to the end of the memory that's important!"

The woman insisted, her voice still quiet and gentle, if just a little flustered.

Her fluffy ears wagged up and down, briefly drawing Yuuji's gaze.

"I'm listening."

"Are you, though… no, never mind that, we are short on time. The reason you must get to the end of the Memoir is precisely because it is not yours. You are playing a role, and the more you deviate from it, the harder it is to differentiate it from your own reality."

"So you're saying that the less control I have, the better? Seems a little counter-intuitive."

"We thought so as well. But alas, it is necessary to look at this from a different angle. Think of it like this; you were never here. You and I have never met, well over a thousand years, and several continents separate you and I. Why would you be able to interfere in a series of events you have no feasible method of interacting with?"

"Oh… I get it. The more I muck things up, the more it feels like I was actually there to muck things up in the first place."

"Precisely. The reason we are using my Memoir, in particular, is due to the two of us being among the furthest removed, of those you have awakened."

"Isn't that the opposite of the last one?"

"It is, but a variety of approaches are necessary. As my comrade stated earlier, the memories you inherit have a bleed-over effect that makes it difficult to differentiate inherited memories from your own. Thus, what we are attempting here is for you to become familiar with the sensation of that 'bleed-over'."

"I get it, I think… still a little lost, but I'll trust you."

"That means more than you know, young one… no, perhaps if it is you, you understand quite well."

Just then, their conversation was interrupted by the flap of the tent being nudged open, letting in the early dawn light.

Yuuji wasn't sure if he was more surprised by the fact it was a horse brushing open the tent flap with its snout… or the fact that he knew this horse.

They had grown up together, side-by-side, after all-

As a sharp spike of pain flit through Yuuji's head, the woman whirled on him abruptly, seizing him by both shoulders and shaking him hard.

No, he hadn't grown up beside the horse… she had.

"Thanks… this is a little confusing."

"No… make no mention of it… but keep this sensation close to heart. We do not wish to lose you… so easily."

The woman said, looking a bit shaken.

The horse neighed in worry.

"Well… if it makes you feel any better, I only just put two and two together. You have a bow hiding around here somewhere?"

The woman, the horse archer he'd inherited both riding and archery from, brightened, and reached past Yuuji into the corner of the tent.

She had a recurve bow about as long as Yuuji's arm, and Yuuji didn't really find it all that surprising that her bow was made of a single piece of what he was pretty sure was elm.

… He took it as a good sign that it wasn't the elm he was familiar with, elm trees from Japan were just a little different.

He wasn't really surprised to see a lack of quiver.

Must be a common use for the Arsenal.

As the woman helped him don the armguard on his right arm, Yuuji decided it was briefing time.

"So tell me what we're working with. Where we're being deployed, what opposition we're expecting, that sort of thing."

The woman hummed softly before she began her explanation.

"A small group of bandits had taken up residence in a small system of caves, in the woods across the meadow, about three hours on foot from here. Until now, they'd been laying low, but recently, they'd decided to test their luck, and one of the shepherdesses had been kidnapped."

A bitter frown spread across her face.

"Fortunately for her, they had yet to lay a hand on her, and so we will succeed in rescuing her, along with the local hunters, and handily defeat the bandits."

Yuuji kept his silence as the woman let out a deep sigh.

"Unfortunately for you, the bandits aren't the only unsavory elements that had taken residence in the surrounding area, and they were unaware of their status as bait. We will be ambushed in turn… and you will be the first to die."

"... Arrow, right?"

Yuuji asked, as they rose and made their way from the tent.

The woman made her way over to the sleek, bay-colored horse that awaited them, running her hands through its dark mane.

"Indeed, an arrow will unseat you… and the fall will break your neck."

The horse tossed its head with an irritated snort, as if well aware of what she was alluding to.

"You did the best you could, you know."

Yuuji's quiet voice asserted, ignoring, for now, that he shouldn't have known that at all.

"... Thank you, Yuuji. I just wish that I knew what had happened to my fellows, to the brothers and sisters I devoted my life to protecting."

The woman turned towards Yuuji once more, and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, pulling the taller boy's head down to her chest.

Tenderly, one hand ran its way through his dark hair as another weary sigh echoed through her chest.

"I wish that you did not have to suffer the same fate as I. I wish that you did not have to share in my pain, feel my regrets."

Her grip tightened a little, as if afraid to let him go.

"But, more than anything, Yuuji… I wish that pain and regret were something you were less accustomed to."

He didn't remember anything all that specific, after the second dream was over and done.

For the rest of the night, Yuuji dreamed of a familiar crimson, and nothing more.

His consciousness gradually returned, but on an impulse, Yuuji kept his eyes closed.

Well, this time he wasn't dreaming, he was certain.

He'd recognize that lap anywhere.

… Yuuji was not one to run from the inevitable, so he'd decided to accept that his ultimate fate was to end up a playboy.

Asako was laughing at him from the great beyond, he was sure.

… She could laugh all she wanted, though, because sex was the one thing she had never, ever beaten him at.

Hmm, maybe he should focus on more important things.

Like JB's lap.

As slender fingers ran themselves affectionately through his hair, Yuuji grudgingly opened his eyes, finding himself greeted once again by that tender, lovely smile she only let show when no one else was watching.

"Good morning, Yuuji-kun."

"Morning, JB… did I wake you?"

The thin strands of sunlight peeking through the curtains caught her golden locks as JB gently shook her head.

"Mm, no, you slept in, just a little."

"I see."

Her fingers continued their gentle ministrations as JB let that faint glimmer of worry shine through.

"Was it bad?"

"Could have been better."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather focus on more pleasant things… like your lap."

JB giggled.

"Shameless as always."

"One thing I don't plan on changing."

"Hehe, well, that's just part of your charm, isn't it?"

Upon saying that, JB leaned down and kissed Yuuji softly on the lips.

"Yeah… JB's wake-ups are the best."

"Ufufu, good to know I've still got it… but we should probably get moving, soon. I have a bit of a drive ahead of me."

"Guess so."

Yuuji said, with great reluctance.

Just as he was gathering the monumental willpower required to lift himself from his silky pillow, a knock at the door sounded.

"... Yuuji-senpai?"

Came the muffled voice.

"That you, Koneko? You can open the door."

The door swung slowly open to reveal not only Koneko, but Kuroka, the latter of which immediately giggled as she saw the two lying on the bed.

Yuuji had taken advantage of the distraction in order to delay getting up, meaning his head was still in JB's lap.

"Yo."

He greeted, lifting one hand in a lazy greeting.

"Nyaa, you never told me Yuuji-kun was a playboy, Shirone."

The younger girl offered her grinning older sister a look of infinite, unflappable patience.

"We all have our flaws, Nee-sama."

Kuroka's only response was a purring little laugh.

Without losing her polite, welcoming smile, JB shoved Yuuji off her lap, and the bed.

As if nothing had happened, Yuuji twisted and planted his feet before hitting the floor, rising to a standing position and stretching.

Koneko quietly clapped.

"So, what's up, Koneko? You two on wake-up duty?"

"Something like that… could we have a minute, Senpai?"

"... Sure."

JB rose gracefully from the bed.

"I'll take this chance to go get cleaned up then, Yuuji-kun."

"Thanks."

It only took a moment for JB to vacate the room, which led to the current discussion.

"I see… so that's what it was."

"As expected of Yuuji-senpai… I knew you'd understand."

…

…

…

"Excuse me, but would you two mind filling me in? I think I missed something."

Kuroka's polite, bemused request was met with a pair of weary, long-suffering stares, as if Yuuji and Koneko couldn't believe she wasn't following along with the conversation.

… Which had consisted of almost two minutes of expressionless eye contact between the two of them.

"Hmm… we should probably just move on, Senpai."

"Can't be helped then… let's just try a different topic."

"Wha!? W-why do you both look so disappointed!? Hearing you sigh like that really hurts for some reason!"

"I think that should do it."

"You think so too, huh?"

"Yeah… I think we've teased Kuroka enough for now."

"Mhm, let's not bully Nee-sama anymore."

"So it was bullying!? Nyaa… Shirone used to be such a nice girl!"

"These things happen, Nee-sama."

"So anyways, what did you two want to talk to me about, anyways?"

"Ah, that…"

Koneko trailed off and looked away… Kuroka smiled fondly before taking over.

"We just wanted to thank you, Yuuji-kun."

"You're welcome."

"…"

"…"

"Nyaa… you were right, Shirone."

Kuroka's voice was a mixture of disbelief and admiration.

"Told you, Nee-sama."

Koneko still wasn't looking at him for some reason.

"Mhm, you were totally right Shirone… Yuuji-kun…"

She shook her head and sighed.

"Has no idea why we're thanking him, does he?"

"No, no I don't."

"Nyaa… I can't tell if he's just selfless…"

"Or dense?"

Koneko chimed in.

Kuroka nodded, and the siblings locked eyes with each other and nodded once before speaking in perfect sync.

""Probably both.""

…

…

"That was cute and all, but what the hell are the two of you talking about?"

Kuroka rolled her eyes, but her golden eyes met Yuuji's black ones without wavering, before the older Nekoshou bowed her head low in his direction.

"Thank you for stopping me from leaving… thank you for giving us the chance to make things right between us. Really, Yuuji-san… I can't possibly thank you enough."

"... Thank you Yuuji-Senpai… thank you for giving me my sister back."

"... I don't think I did all that much, really… but you're welcome. I'm happy for the two of you."

"... Hehe, seeing him smile like that really makes it all seem worth it, doesn't it, Shirone?"

"Yeah Nee-sama… Yuuji-senpai's smiles are the best."

The two Nekoshou gently patted the dark-haired young man on the head, smiling all the while.

"... Somehow, I feel like the one being bullied is me."

"You're just imagining it, Yuuji-senpai."

"Just imagining it, nyaa."

"That so?"

Nekoshou have excellent instincts.

Which is why Yuuji's mild retort made both of them shiver and retract their hands.

"Nee-sama, Nee-sama, we need a distraction."

"Yeah! Umm… Oh right! Hey Soldier-kun… you're pretty strong, right?"

"I guess?"

Yuuji replied, a little puzzled by the change of direction.

"Well… there's not a lot of us, you know? Nekoshou, that is?"

"I seem to remember hearing that."

"Great, that saves time. So how about it? Wanna make kittens?"

"... It's strange that lately women have just wanted to make babies with me… and is that really something to ask in front of Koneko?"

Koneko was a little red in the cheeks, but she shook her head.

"No… w-well, I think Nee-sama shouldn't skip the other steps, but we talked about it, and if you're interested in having a relationship with her then I don't mind."

"I feel like the women in my life spend a lot of time auctioning me off behind closed doors."

"Not everything is about you, Yuuji-senpai."

"Harsh, but fair. So what is the motive, Koneko?"

"Ah, well I really respect you, Yuuji-senpai."

"I appreciate that, Koneko. So then the reason…?"

"-Is that I'm hoping you'll rub off on Nee-sama a bit… mainly your sense of responsibility."

"W-wha!? Shirone!?"

Kuroka spluttered, shooting her little sister a betrayed look.

"Ah, so it was that, huh? I'll do my best, Koneko. I'll have to talk to Akeno and Rias, of course, but I don't think it will be an issue."

"I understand, no need to rush. I appreciate it, Yuuji-senpai."

Kuroka cried a little when the two quietest members of the Gremory household shook hands to seal the deal.

Secretly though, she didn't really mind, all that much.

Shirone seemed happy, and that was all that really mattered.

"Well, we'll be heading out then. Thank you for having us. Grayfia will get in touch with you when the details on the conference have been finalized."

"Understood, Onii-sama. Goodbye for now."

"Until next time, then, Rias, everyone. Oh, and a pleasure to meet you, Yuria."

"Bye bye!"

Came JB's flippant farewell.

As the portal flared to life, Grayfia offered a small bow, and Kuroka a cheerful wave.

A brief shimmer, and then they were gone, leaving Rias and her peerage standing in the common room.

"So, Yuuji-kun.., how did things go with Kuroka?"

Akeno leaned into Yuuji to ask in a low whisper.

In response, Yuuji merely dipped his hand into the low-neckline of Akeno's shirt, ignoring her pleased coo (or the spluttering in the background) in favor of rooting around in her cleavage.

It took him an extra second or two longer than necessary, much to Akeno's delight.

Yuuji was considerate that way.

Moments later he withdrew his hand, a small piece of paper clasped between his fingers.

As he unfolded it and spread it across the nearby wall, Yuuji flicked his free hand, and a dull, grey ball-point pen materializing in a wisp of smoke.

Yuuji's answer to Akeno's question came in the form of a name added to a list, with a (?) beside it.

Akeno's response was a giggle.

Kiba had a different response, however.

"... Are we just going to ignore that he considers pens to be weapons?"

'Well, I think I'll head out too. Thanks for having me, Ria-tan!"

"Grrk… I wish you hadn't picked up Onii-sama's bad habits… but you're welcome. Be sure to visit again soon, JB, you're always welcome."

"Thanks! Maybe next time I'll just come over and have some fun with all of you… not that class visits aren't the best!"

"... JB."

"Yes, Yuuji-kun?"

"If you were feeling pent up, you could have just asked me."

"Ara, me as well, Yuria-chan."

Akeno chimed in, without missing a beat.

"Y-y-you bully, Yuuji-kun!"

"Eh… sorry…what I meant was, it was good to see you, Julia. I missed you."

"Egh… you make it really hard to stay mad when you change gears like that, you womanizer."

"I think you and Asako are partially to blame for that last bit, though?"

"Nope, we can't be blamed for bringing out your playboy nature, pretty sure you were born that way."

"That so?"

"That so."

…

…

"No."

"You mean you won't?"

"Ara, Yuuji-kun looks like a kicked puppy."

"That's not fair at all… fine, fine, I get it!"

JB leaned over and threw her arms around Yuuji's neck, kissing him on the cheek before spinning away with a huff.

"See you later, Yuuji-kun!"

She chirped, as if her earlier reluctance was just a lie.

Which to be fair, it probably was.

"Yeah, until next time, Julia."

It's the nature of humans that they sometimes act irrationally, that sometimes they act in a way that defies any and all predictions.

Which was why there was currently a middle-aged Yakuza enforcer with a loaded handgun creeping up a set of stairs almost two blocks away from where he was supposed to be.

Two blocks away, his outfit was taking part in a weapons deal with an offshore supplier, and poised nearby was an Ichigaya strike team preparing to take its first steps towards cutting out the problem at the root.

He was nothing more than a face in the crowd, muscle on demand if the deal went sour, or interference reared its head.

Had he been in the right place at the right time, in less than ten minutes, he would be dead.

Ichigaya had made the better preparations, after all.

There was no comparison to be made.

Yet, here he was.

Of all things, he had gotten lost along the way, and was in the entirely wrong building, doing his best to hurry along and slip in through the back so that he only lost a finger or two when his incompetence was discovered.

It was laughable, really, but for one Kazami Yuuji, it was dangerous, even if he was a military trained Devil and the unfortunate man just a human, and not a particularly impressive one at that.

Kazami Yuuji was on overwatch, and thus, he was focused.

Focused, and just a little tired, because he was bored, and had accumulated some mental stress from his dream-world adventures with the Arsenal Memoir.

So a simple case of wrong place at the wrong time had more potential for danger than it should…

For the intruder.

As he hastened his way up what would have been the second to last staircase between him and Yuuji, the shadows, in the corner of the landing he stepped off of, rippled like water.

The man stopped dead in his tracks as a low, ominous growl made the still air rumble.

He slowly, jerkily turned his head, to see a set of gleaming fangs and a pair of blood red orbs that flickered and glowed like candles.

Then, he saw nothing at all.

In the end, nothing had really changed.

One way or another, he was going to die that night.

Such things happen all the time.

["Good work tonight, 9029. Pick-up in 10."]

"Roger that."

As Yuuji lifted himself off the coffee table he'd been lying across, Ruth came out of the attached bathroom of the hotel room they'd been stationed in, drying his mouth with a towel, in his human form.

"All done?"

"Yeah, all done. Did something happen? Could have sworn I smelled blood for a second there."

"Ah, no, don't worry about it, Yuuji. Hotel had a rat problem. Next time you should probably ask them to station you in a better room."

"I'll think about it. The higher-ups don't really like unnecessary expenses."

{"That so? Oh well."}

Ruth said, slipping into Yuuji's shadow in his canine form.

After all, no one was aware that the legendary 9029 was bringing his dog on the job.

"Three nights of no Yuuji is a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"Isn't it? I never imagined I'd feel so deprived."

This night was just a little different, though.

This was the first Yuuji-less night with just the two of them in quite some time.

Rias and Akeno sat on Yuuji's huge, empty feeling bed side-by-side, in nightgowns they were only planning to wear until they actually laid down to sleep.

A comfortable silence followed… for one of them.

Akeno stared off into the darkness of the room, teeth worrying at her lip as she looked away.

"... Akeno? Are you alright? I'm worried about Yuuji too, but…"

"... Akeno?"

"Y-yes!?"

Akeno gave a little jump as Rias put a hand on her shoulder.

"... What's wrong, Akeno?"

"... Nothing… don't mind me, just woke up feeling a little strange today. I'm sure it will pass."

"Ok then… take it easy, alright?"

Akeno gave a small smile to reassure her, which did exactly the opposite.

It was Rias' turn to look away uncomfortably, struggling in vain to wrap her head around what she had just seen and heard.

… She couldn't remember the last time Akeno had lied to her like that.

Was it something she said?

Had she done something to make Akeno angry and just not realized it?

Or maybe… Akeno had Yuuji now.

She didn't need to go to Rias with all her problems now… if she didn't want to.

She was happy that Akeno had another person she could rely on so fully…

Even if it made her feel kind of lonely.

Ah, she hadn't realized how much the idea scared her.

She knew Yuuji was fully on board, if she wanted to do this.

That he was fine with whatever her decision was reassured her, it was true.

It was her own fault, really… she hadn't asked the right question.

She asked Yuuji if she could, rather than if she should.

He would have given her the answer she wanted… if she'd only asked.

Now, here they were, things were getting more and more awkward, the air getting heavier and heavier as Rias tried to puzzle out why Akeno wouldn't just come out and confess what was bothering her.

Ah, no… she hadn't meant to…

Rias probably thought she was trying to push her away…

When what Akeno really wanted…

Was exactly the opposite.

"You should get some rest if you can, Akeno. I know it's hard with Yuuji being away, but he did say he might be out all night… and you know I can't sleep when one of you is out, anyways."

Rias murmured quietly, doing her best to keep her tone level.

That, and she couldn't sleep even if she wanted to… her heart kind of hurt.

She didn't want Akeno to see… she didn't want to worry her best friend when in the end, she was just upset about having to share her best friend.

Strange, wasn't it?

The relationship between Yuuji and Akeno had never bothered her before, and it even included her, now.

Hah… she really was pathetic, wasn't she?

Rias had never told a soul, not Akeno, not her parents or her Onii-sama or even Grayfia… but sometimes, when her heart was its heaviest, she thought that maybe her precious household needed, deserved better.

… Better than someone like her.

She flinched a little when Akeno took a deep breath, and from the corner of her eye, she watched her Queen's sagging shoulders set themselves firmly.

Ah, she'd made a decision… good for her.

The idea scared her a little, for some reason.

"... Rias."

Akeno began, quietly, voice so thick with tension she almost couldn't make out her own name.

Rias turned to face her friend with the best, most reassuring smile she could muster.

"Yes, Akeno? What is it?"

Akeno's face suddenly closed the distance between them.

Huh?

Huh?

W-w-w-w-what!?

Had she… did she just…

No way no way no way!

Did Akeno just kiss her!?

As Akeno withdrew, she could feel her heart sink, as Rias just stared at her in open-mouthed shock.

'Of course she's shocked, you idiot,'

'Just because she loves you doesn't mean she loves you that way.'

"A-Akeno…!?"

"Ahaha… I-I don't know what came over me… just a joke… hehe… d-don't mind me."

She'd really screwed things up this time, hadn't she?

Rias just stared.

"Ufufu… well, I'm going to go get some sleep, just like you said! Think I might try my own bed for once, so… you know, good night, Rias!"

She rose from the bed and spun on her heel, trying to escape as quickly as she could without making it too obvious… scratch that, she just didn't care.

Akeno made it one step.

A soft hand wrapped itself around her wrist.

"R-Rias… what are you… hehe..."

Rias' free hand was pressed to her lips, and her cheeks were so red they may have actually been burning.

"I'm s-sorry… my head went all fuzzy so I just kind of froze up…"

Akeno went silent.

"S-so I'm not really sure what j-just happened."

Oh, was that… were they just going to pretend it didn't…?

It might make things less awkward… right?

Ah, the thought kind of made her heart hurt.

"S-so I w-would a-p-p-preciate if y-y-you maybe… did it… again?"

Rias asked in a weak, hesitant little voice that didn't suit her at all, stuttering like mad.

"Ara? Y-you mean you w-w-want me to…?"

Not being able to trust her voice, it seemed, Rias, without looking at her, leaned over and hooked one arm around Akeno's waist, pulling her towards her and around front.

This should have left Akeno standing above the seated Rias, but someone's -everyone's- legs were shaking, and this led to Rias' knee knocking against the inside of one of Akeno's.

Akeno let out a little shriek as her weakened legs failed her and she fell, before she froze like a deer in the headlights when she realized how she had fallen.

The Gremory Queen had her King pinned beneath her, straddling her on the bed with their noses inches apart.

For what felt like an eternity, neither of the girls dared move, staring deeply into each other's wide eyes as their cheeks burned with an almost unbearable heat.

Akeno was starting to get a little dizzy, and being able to taste Rias' breath with every one of her own wasn't helping.

Nor that a trembling Rias had thrown her arms back as she fell, and now they were limply resting beside her head.

Oh dear… she'd never quite seen Rias looking quite so… defenseless.

This time, though… it seemed she was slow on the draw.

Before she could make sense of what had just happened, a pair of slender hands clamped against her neck from below, a pair of mile-long legs coiled themselves around her slender waist, and a pair of lips pressed hard against her own.

It took several seconds of Rias' tongue having its way with her mouth for Akeno to regain some semblance of awareness.

Then Akeno pushed her arms between Rias and the bed, wrapping one around her King's slender, toned back, and tangling the other in that lovely crimson hair.

Then she started kissing back.

Her tongue snaked past Rias' and coiled around it, beginning an exploration of its own as her soft hum made both their mouths vibrate.

As she kissed and sucked, Akeno slowly pushed Rias back down onto the bed.

Their tongues slid against each other on their way back to their proper places as the need for air became too pressing to ignore.

Panting hard and vision swimming, Akeno pulled herself up from the slackening grip around her neck, but as Rias' arms failed, so did hers, and instead she found herself slumped against Rias' heaving chest as she struggled to catch her breath.

Belatedly, the long legs wrapped around her slid apart and fell limply, leaving Rias collapsed just as bonelessly as she was.

"...Wow…"

"Yeah…"

She doubted Rias knew who had said what, anymore than she did.

The breathless giggle was definitely hers, though.

"Ara ara, I was always sure Rias was a good kisser… but experiencing it was another thing entirely."

"Indeed… well, of course I knew my Akeno was a great kisser… but trying it for myself made me…"

Akeno froze as Rias trailed off, trying to push down that lingering bit of fear as she pushed herself up to stare at the red-faced girl beneath her.

Rias had her head laying on its side, staring towards the pillows with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Made you what, Rias?"

"... Happy… so, so happy… that you feel that way about..."

A split second of silence, before Rias snapped her eyes wide open and twisted her panicked gaze upwards.

"A-Akeno!? W-what's wrong?"

"Eh? What do you mean, Rias?"

One of her King's hands lifted itself towards her face, and a finger brushed itself gently against Akeno's cheek, just below her eye.

That finger came away wet.

"Ara? I'm… what am I…?"

As if to punctuate Rias' point, Akeno felt her body shiver.

"Oh, Akeno…"

Rias moved once again, sitting upright with Akeno in her lap, and pulled her in close.

This time, nothing more than a gentle embrace as a quiet sniffle escaped her Queen.

Her beautiful, lovely, fragile and scared Queen.

"Shh… it's okay now, Akeno. You're okay."

"Ah… I w-was really s-scared… I didn't want to… ruin things between us… I was so, so scared…"

"I know, I know… but we'll figure things out, okay? If you feel this way about me… I'm more than happy to accept… and I bet Yuuji's fine with it too, isn't he?"

Akeno nodded against her, head still buried in the taller girl's chest as she continued to quietly sob.

Rias gently rubbed the girl's back as she let her chin rest against Akeno's shoulder.

"Then we're okay, Akeno. Everything is just fine… there, there… it's okay… I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"Mm."

Oh, she could do that, couldn't she?

… The things she did for family.

"The thing is…"

Rias pushed on before Akeno could make herself worry anymore.

"I-I've only b-been with Yuuji… so I don't really know how things work with two girls… so…"

She knew she'd succeeded when Akeno's grip stiffened for an entirely different reason.

"I'd like to take things a little slow, but… do w-when I'm ready do you think you could… you know… take the lead?"

Akeno shuddered, and nestled her face deeper into Rias' chest.

Rias tried not to squirm too much, as the muffled giggles made her whole body vibrate.

When Akeno finally lifted her head, and pushed herself to arms length, her beautiful violet eyes positively glowed with excitement, and her wide smile made Rias' body heat up.

"Mmm… that sounds like a delightful idea."

Probably about an hour until sunrise… and it was a school night.

He might have been just a bit envious of Ruth, who didn't have school tomorrow.

Or ever, seeing how he was a dog.

Eyes heavy, Yuuji made his way up the stairs towards his room, the one he always ended up sharing with Akeno and Rias…

… Maybe calling it his room was misleading.

Quietly, he opened the door and slipped in.

Often at least one of them was still awake, waiting for him to come home.

It was nice, but he couldn't really say he minded seeing them both passed out like that.

They must not have fallen asleep intentionally, seeing how they were still clothed, and their legs weren't quite on the bed.

They were snuggled up together, lying side by side with their legs all tangled up, Akeno's head resting on Rias' chest.

Didn't look all that comfortable, but Rias' smile was tender, and Akeno's smile was more of a grin, so he decided they were okay.

Still moving without making a single sound, Yuuji folded the blankets over top of them as best he could, and quietly left the room.

He'd borrow Akeno's room tonight, he decided.

The bell had just sounded for lunch break when she heard it.

It wasn't like Rias was trying to eavesdrop, it was just that most of her classmates didn't know she was a Devil, with all the supernatural senses that came with it.

"Hey… did you notice? Himejima-san seems really, really happy today, it's like she's glowing!"

Came the whisper.

"Yeah, I wonder if something good happened?"

Rias closed her eyes and tried not to blush.

Staring out the window, Akeno, who of course had heard the gossipping as well, covered her mouth with one hand to muffle her pleased giggle.

"Raynare, Asia, protect Kala. Koneko, you and Xenovia keep an eye on Kiba, and Buchou, you and I will watch over Akeno."

Yuuji abruptly declared.

"... Care to explain your choices there, Yuuji?"

Rias requested, as Akeno gleefully snuggled up against Yuuji.

"Kalawarner is an adult in a position of authority, and she's also pretty."

Kalawarner blushed and looked away, even as a pleased smile graced her lips.

"Kiba is probably the one with the most common sense. Ruth and Koneko are both good contestants for that title but Ruth's a dog, and not here, and Koneko is the small and cute girl, so they're in comparatively less danger."

Koneko nodded empathetically.

"Akeno's a dirty girl, so she's the most likely to lose her top and flash the camera."

Akeno let out a pleased hum.

"... Dare I ask where this camera comes into play?"

"Well, Buchou, this looks like the beginning of a horror movie, so I made a threat assessment based on the relevant parameters."

"This is not a horror movie, Yuuji, it's just a seal."

A seal comprised of several layers of slowly rotating magic circles, both on the wood and in the air before it, along with a liberal application of yellow warning tape.

Privately, Rias conceded that her argument wasn't all that convincing.

"Does it lead to an ancient evil?"

"It does not."

"That makes sense, seeing as how I'm pretty sure we count as being from a race of ancient evil, even if we're teenagers."

"Or because I know what's on the other side of this seal, and he's neither ancient nor evil."

"I feel like this is the part where you're going to start sharing exposition?"

"I would have already done that, if someone wasn't acting strange."

"Sorry, Raynare has been acting pretty weird today."

"Why me!?"

Raynare protested.

"Anyways. This seal contains my fourth servant… and my first Bishop, Gasper Vladi."

"Another Bishop? How exciting!"

Asia chirped happily.

"So why's he sealed then, Buchou? Anything we should be ready for?"

Rias let out a sad sigh, placing one hand gently against the door.

"No, Gasper is a gentle boy… his Sacred Gear is just too strong, and he can't control it… I was too weak as a King to manage, and so he was sealed here, within this room… something he's rather accepting of, as a severe agoraphobic. "

"What is his Sacred Gear, Buchou?"

Xenovia asked.

"Forbidden Balor View is its name. He can briefly freeze time for anything caught within his gaze."

"Ho…"

"So then… he's been stopping time unintentionally? That's why he's sealed within this room?"

Kalawarner guessed.

Rias gave a small nod and bitter, tired little laugh.

"Actually, he can roam the halls as long as he doesn't leave the old school building, but to the best of my knowledge, he never does. But you're correct. Moreover, his Sacred Gear keeps getting stronger from the repeated use, exacerbating the problem further."

Rias twisted her hand, and one of the dimly glowing circles in the air faded from existence.

"After recent events, my evaluation has risen, and thus, it's been decided that I should have the necessary ability to keep his power in check. A King, such as myself, can stabilize the magic of the Evil Pieces she's connected to, once a certain level of ability is reached."

Rias couldn't stop herself from shooting a look Yuuji's way as she spoke.

"Still, even if he stays in his room, Gasper-kun is the biggest earner out of all of us servants, ufufu."

Akeno interrupted, lightening the sudden tension just a bit, as she moved forward to remove the tape, along with Kiba.

"Yes, he does special contracts over the computer, for those who don't want to risk meeting Devils in person. His earnings are almost on par with that of a High-Class Devil."

Smiling gratefully towards Akeno she latched onto the distraction, Rias finished undoing the seal, and opened the door.

"NOOOOOOO!"

A girlish scream resounded from within.

Pink.

Everything was pink, from the carpet, to the walls, to the TV and game console, to the large coffin…

"Oh, he's a Vampire."

Xenovia stated bluntly.

"Yes he's a- wait, how did you guess that!?"

"Uh, the only place he could be hiding is in the coffin, and this room doesn't have a bed?"

Yuuji chimed in, Xenovia nodding along as if it were obvious.

"Well, you're mostly right. Gasper is only a half-Vampire, so he's what's known as a Dhampir- Gasper, come out of there please, it's time you met the new members."

A crimson, translucent bat fluttered up through the coffin, hovering in the air and staring in their direction.

"I-I can s-see them, Buchou! It counts!"

"No, Gasper, I'd like you to actually come out and meet them face to face, please."

Rias requested, patiently.

Treading softly on the pink carpet, Akeno made her way over to the coffin and knelt down beside it.

"We haven't been able to see you for quite some time, Gasper. Just for a little bit, please? You can still sit in your coffin, if you'd like."

"N-no thanks! B-B-Buchou recruited them, so they're probably super awesome and they're totally going to be disappointed when they m-meet me!"

"No Gasper, that's not true. They're all very kind, and I'm sure you're going to get along just fine."

Rias refuted gently, her tone at odds with her smug smile.

Someone had just complimented her servants, after all.

"Sorry Gasper-kun."

Akeno said, flinging open the coffin.

…

…

That was weird.

Yuuji's internal clock was usually spot on, to the point where his ever-present watch was worn mostly out of habit, but it felt… wrong?

Oh, and there was a small body being held under his right arm.

That was new.

"WHY DOESN'T IT WORK ON ROBOTS!? I MEAN CYBORGS! AH WAIT NO, I'M SORRY IDIDNTMEANTOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The figure under his arm wailed.

Rias whipped towards Yuuji, mouth open wide in shock.

She wasn't the only one, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko seemed just as shocked.

"H-How did you catch him!?"

"With my arm, it seems. Not bad, Buchou, this little guy is hella fast. Didn't even see him move."

"Uh, Yuuji-kun, Gasper isn't especially fast. His Sacred Gear lets him stop time."

Kiba explained, tentatively.

"That's cool too."

Yuuji replied with a shrug, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Belatedly, he held up the young boy under his arm, hooking both hands beneath the far smaller arms of Gasper.

"Kind of thin, aren't you?"

Gasper didn't respond.

"Those are a little too tight, by the way. Wearing them all the time will damage your circulation."

Yuuji was referring to the thigh-high socks Gasper was wearing.

The small boy was dressed in the traditional Kuoh Academy uniform… for girls, that is.

"Y-you don't think it's weird?"

"Your clothing? Nah, I don't really care as long as it was your idea."

Gasper seemed to get the implied question, and nodded.

"Alright then, back in your coffin you go. Keep the lid open for now though, got it?"

"Mm."

As those gathered watched in strange fascination at the bizarre scene, Yuuji, still holding Gasper at arm's length in the air, calmly walked into the room and set the young boy down into his coffin.

Gasper tucked his knees up, and wrapped his arms around them, holding them almost like a shield, but made no move to close the coffin.

Yuuji squatted down in front of him, watching the smaller boy with his blank gaze.

"Better?"

"Y-yeah."

"Good."

No one was quite sure what to make of it when Gasper reached out one shaky, stick-thin arm and patted Yuuji consolingly on the shoulder, pink eyes keen.

"You have it rough too, don't you?"

Yuuji chuckled.

"I manage. Oh, and nice to meet you, Gasper. I'm Kazami Yuuji, you can just call me Yuuji if you'd like. I'm Rias' new Pawn."

"Mm… h-heard lots about you, Y-Yuuji-senpai…"

Gasper fidgetted a little.

"Go ahead and ask, Gasper. I don't mind."

"A-are you and Buchou and A-Akeno-onee-sama close?"

"Yeah, I'd like to think so. What makes you ask that?"

"W-well… when they talk about you sometimes they get really red in the face and fidget a whole bunch… I don't really get it… b-but they look really happy."

"I see… kind of like the expressions they're making right now?"

Rias and Akeno weren't looking his way, apparently embarrassed about being outed.

"Y-yeah."

"Ah, don't worry about it too much. I just know lots of embarrassing stories about them."

"You do? L-like what?"

"... Maybe that should wait until you're a little older."

"Oh, I g-get it."

Gasper, rather than looking disappointed, nodded with a light of understanding in his eyes.

"Buchou and Akeno-senpai say that a lot too."

"Hehe, I bet they-"

Gasper was nowhere to be seen, and the lid of the coffin was firmly shut.

"You in there, Gasper?"

"Y-y-yes? I-I-I didn't m-mean too, I'm s-s-sorry!"

"Ah, no, don't worry about. Mind if I open the lid again?"

"Y-y-you're not mad?"

Came the weak, tremulous little whisper.

"No."

…

…

"O-okay…"

The coffin lid slowly edged itself open, gleaming pink eyes surveying the room before the lid opened the rest of the way, revealing a nervously watching half-Vampire.

"Thanks, Gasper."

Looking a little unsure, Gasper gave a small nod.

"Are you going to be okay, given what time it is? I don't really know much about real Vampires, but all the stories say that sunlight is dangerous for them."

"It doesn't hurt me… b-but I don't like the open air or the s-sun."

"Gasper inherited a special lineage, he's what's known as a Daywalker."

Rias supplied.

"Good to know."

From the side, Akeno produced her phone and looked down at it, clicking her tongue in irritation.

"Buchou, they've moved things ahead. We've been requested as soon as possible."

Rias let out a long sigh, shaking her head tiredly.

"I really hate to ask, but could I leave this to the rest of you, for a little bit? I wish I could stay for this, but things are moving quickly now that the location for the conference has been confirmed. Akeno and I will return as quickly as we can."

"Yeah, leave it to us."

Yuuji replied.

"Yuuto, Onii-sama wishes to make a proper examination of your Balance Breaker, so I'll have you come with us as well."

"Yes, Buchou."

With one last lingering look into the pink room, Rias stepped onto the circle alongside Akeno and Kiba, and promptly vanished from sight.

Yuuji turned back to Gasper.

"Think you're ready to meet the rest of us? Maybe one at a time?"

Gasper beckoned for Yuuji to lean in, and responded in a whisper.

"F-first, c-could you explain a little?"

"Explain a little of what?"

"W-well, my sense of smell is really s-sensitive, but I can't quite make sense of the scents I'm picking up."

"Maybe if you can pick out some specific ones, I can try explaining."

Gasper nodded and closed his eyes, flaring his nostrils gently.

"W-well, one of the scents is kind of human, b-but i-it also reminds me of… sunlight? It's hard to explain b-but it feels warm and bright and n-not really scary e-even though I feel like it s-should be."

"That's Asia, I bet. She's the other Bishop. She's so sweet and gentle that sometimes I feel guilty being in the same room as her, but she's harmless. Thing is, before Rias took her in, she was a freshly excommunicated Holy Maiden."

"H-holy Maiden!? T-that sounds scary b-b-but her scent is r-r-really soothing!?"

"Yeah, don't think about the Church part too much, and I'm sure you'll get along just fine. That answer your question, for now?"

"Mhm."

"Next?"

"W-well, the other Devil I don't r-recognize s-smells kind of like iron and rosemary… n-not really s-sure why but s-she kind of r-reminds me of Kiba-senpai and A-Asia-san."

"Xenovia, I think. She's our most recent addition, a Knight like Kiba. She's the wielder of the Holy Sword-"

The coffin was closed, and Gasper nowhere to be seen.

"Durandal, and she's a former member of the Church, just like Asia."

A whimper sounded from the coffin.

"Yeah, hard to blame you for being nervous, but you don't have much to worry about. She's clumsy and kinda dense, but she has a good heart. Definitely someone you can rely on to keep you safe."

"... O-okay…"

"Need a few minutes, or should I keep explaining? You can keep the door closed, if you'd like, but just for a little while, okay?"

Yuuji was a bit impressed when the coffin lid creaked open a few inches, enough for eye contact.

"W-w-what I don't get… the other two aren't Devils, are t-they?"

"No, they're Fallen Angels."

Surprisingly, Gasper didn't react in any particular way to that.

"I-I kind of t-thought so… they kind of smell like.."

Gasper let out a little 'eep' and the lid dipped lower.

"Like Akeno, right? Don't worry, I already know."

The lid opened wider, as Gasper stared in astonishment.

"Y-y-you do!? Onee-sama is a-a-always r-really nervous about people f-finding out."

"Yeah, she was."

"D-don't tell her p-please… but it kinda makes me happy that she and… that there are others in the peerage born of two d-d-different r-races… m-m-makes it easier t-to… relate? S-she r-really puts me at ease."

"That so?"

"Mm."

"I won't say anything if you don't want me to, but I think it would make her happy to hear that."

"M-maybe… b-b-but it's…"

"Yeah. So anyways, Raynare and Kalawarner are the two Fallen. They have their own circumstances, but they've been living with us for a few months now. Raynare is about the same age as Kiba and I, so she's in our class just like Asia and Xenovia. The older of the two, Kalawarner, is our homeroom teacher."

Gasper remained silent.

"They're both really gentle, so I think you'll get along well with them. They both spend most of their free time watching over Asia, the three of them joined at around the same time."

"D-did they not want to j-join the peerage?"

"Rias offered at the time, but they declined. They work with us though, so not a lot of difference."

"I s-see…"

It was Yuuji's turn to remain silent.

"I-I t-think I'm r-ready… m-maybe one at a time?"

"Sure."

Yuuji turned his head.

"Asia? Could you come here?"

He called, softly.

"O-okay."

Asia entered the room slowly, a gentle smile on her face as she gently sat down beside Yuuji, tucking her legs beneath her.

"Pleased to meet you, Gasper-kun."

She began softly.

"I-I'm Asia Argento, Buchou's other Bishop. I-I don't know much, b-but if you ever need help, you can ask me… I'll do my best."

Slowly, the coffin lid opened enough for Gasper to sit upright, eyeing his fellow Bishop with a hint of wariness.

"N-nice to m-meet you, Asia-senpai."

Asia's smile brightened.

"Yes, I'll be in you care, Gasper-kun."

"L-likewise."

After another second of watching Gasper closely, Asia softly got to her feet, her smile brightening further.

"I'll move out of the way so things don't get crowded. It was really nice to meet you at last, Gasper-kun."

"Y-yeah."

Xenovia stepped into the room next, and abruptly, the coffin was shut tight and several feet farther away from the door.

Xenovia stopped in her tracks, a small frown on her face.

It wasn't often she looked sad like that.

" I should go. Hard to blame him for being afraid of a former Exorcist."

Xenovia said, turning slowly on her heel.

"NO! EEP!"

"I M-M-MEAN-"

"… EEK I'M SORRY!"

Gasper's speech cut in and out, and Yuuji realized his Sacred Gear was going haywire.

Xenovia was still frowning, but this time, her eyes had a bit of a twinkle to them.

"What is it Akeno always says… hora hora? … No, that doesn't sound right. Well, this is a bit concerning."

She turned back to face the coffin, hands on her hips.

"Maybe exposure therapy would work? You'd be less scared of me and Durandal if I chase you around the yard a few times."

"... How would that make him less scared?"

"He'd get numb to it eventually. Training is good like that."

"I think you mean 'trauma'... no, never mind, I'm the last person who should be offering criticism here."

From the doorway, Koneko and Raynare nodded vigorously.

Gasper was less enthusiastic.

"NOOOOO I'LL DEFINITELY DIIIIIIEEEEE!"

Came the muffled wail.

Xenovia cocked her head to one side as if confused, but that twinkle in her eye had yet to disappear.

"Hm… maybe we should start with something a little less dire… like a normal sword…"

Gasper shrieked again.

"Or… how about just a simple introduction?"

As she suggested that, Xenovia got down on one knee, with her head bowed, eyes closed, and one hand over her heart.

"My name is Xenovia Quarta, Knight of Rias Gremory. It's an honor to meet you, Gasper Vladi. I might not be good for much other than fighting, but I swear, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. Now, if you'll excuse me for now, I'll take my leave-"

"Pssst Yuuji-senpai."

Gasper whispered, cracking the lid open a tiny bit.

"Yeah, Gasper?"

"S-she's really cool, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is… see what I was talking about?"

The coffin lid bobbed up and down in what Yuuji assumed was a nod.

Xenovia had a touch of red to her cheeks as she rose from her kneeling position.

She had almost made it to the door when a trembling voice stopped her.

"H-hang on... s-s-sorry… I can still kind of smell Durandal so it m-made me a little nervous… I'm already a half-Vampire so Holy Swords are s-s-scary…"

Xenovia slowly turned back to find the coffin open, the young boy fidgeting where he sat, watching her with one eye.

"B-but that's n-n-not your fault s-s-so I'm s-s-sorry… n-nice to meet you, Xenovia-senpai."

He offered a weak little smile at towards the girl.

" I don't mind. Once again, nice to meet you, Gasper."

Xenovia smile was tender.

She met Yuuji's eyes and gave a small nod before exiting the room.

"Good job, Gasper. Do you want a little break? Ray and Kala will understand."

"N-n-no… if I take a break I'll convince myself not to try again…"

"Okay then."

At his beckoning, Raynare stepped into the room next, a serene smile on her face.

Yuuji immediately took notice of the fact that the second she stepped into the room, Gasper relaxed, almost in spite of himself.

She stopped a little distance away and kneeled down on the carpet, just like Asia had.

"Hi there, Gasper. Nice to meet you. I'm Raynare, you can shorten that to 'Ray', if you want, though in school I go by the name 'Amano Yuuma'. Feel free to use whichever you'd like."

"N-nice to meet you, Raynare-senpai…"

"... I don't mind, Gasper. Ask away."

"H-how did you end up w-with Buchou and the rest? Aren't Fallen Angels and Devils s-supposed to be…?"

"Enemies?"

Gasper nodded weakly.

"Well, we actually were, to start with. But we all wanted to save the same person, and so Yuuji-kun ended up saving Kala and I like it was just the thing to do… he's weird like that, but he's also very kind."

"... Was it Asia-senpai?"

"It was, how'd you guess?"

"W-w-well… your smile is a little different when you look at her… I'm really sensitive to people's gazes s-s-so I could kind of tell…"

"You picked up on that already? That's amazing, Gasper-kun."

Raynare praised.

Gasper ducked his head shyly, but a tiny smile was on his lips.

"Well, I don't want to take up too much of your time, so I'll let Kala-chan come visit. Nice to meet you, Gasper-kun."

Gasper's smile widened, just a touch as his timid wave was returned.

Kalawarner stepped into the room last, carrying with her the same air of serenity as Raynare.

Sometimes, Yuuji thought of how he didn't really understand what it meant to be a 'Fallen' Angel.

For supposedly corrupt beings, they had a rather calming presence.

His musings slowed to a halt as rather than stop a little distance away, Kalawarner went right up to the edge of the coffin before kneeling.

Gasper stared at her, transfixed, and once again, Yuuji felt that minute lurch he'd come to associate with Forbidden Balor View.

This time, though, the coffin remained open, and Gasper hadn't moved a single inch.

Undeterred, Kalawarner slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around Gasper, gently pulling the small boy against her.

"You were so very brave, weren't you? Well done, Gasper-kun."

-Gasper was in mid-sob when Balor released it's clutches, tiny fists clenched against the back of Kalawarner's blazer.

"We'll have to take things slowly, Yuuji-sama."

Some time later, an exhausted Gasper had fallen asleep in Kalawarner's arms, and the tall Fallen had carefully laid him down in his coffin, tucking the blankets she'd found over the sleeping boy.

"Yeah, good work, there. As expected of Kala."

She smiled and shook her head.

"No, if anything, I was just reminded of how gentle you can be, Yuuji-sama."

"Well, I can kind of relate to Gasper. Nothing special."

A flash of light brought their conversation to a pause, a concerned Rias, Akeno and Kiba coming into view.

Rias wilted a bit when she saw the closed door.

"No good? I'm sorry for pushing something like that on you."

"No, it went alright, Gasper managed to meet everyone face to face, he just dozed off. Kala's hugs are too comfortable."

Raynare and Asia immediately nodded in agreement, much to the older Fallen's embarrassment.

"I see… I'm glad. Thank you, everyone… so, what are your thoughts?"

To her surprise, it was Asia that answered.

"Gasper-kun is very kind, Buchou, but he's very shy. I… think that if we take things slow and gentle, as long as he feels safe he'll be just fine… and I'm happy to make a new friend."

"I see… yes, I agree with you Asia. Gasper is a sweet boy, even if he prefers to stay inside, now that he has the option I truly hope he can learn to do so without fear. I'll be counting on all of you, alright?"

[Yes, Buchou.]

"... Are you okay, Asia?"

The girl in question shrieked and jumped in her seat.

Raynare gave her a skeptical look as the pretty blonde floundered.

"Y-yes! I'm f-fine!"

Asia exclaimed, waving her hands about in front of her, and blushing in a decidedly not fine manner.

Stare….

"Really!"

"I believe you. So, Yuuji-kun."

Asia's blush intensified.

Raynare didn't say anything more, one eyebrow raised.

"Mou… fine… I… well I…"

Raynare sat down on the bed beside her, watching patiently as Asia struggled with her thoughts.

"W-well I w-want to… you know…"

"Go on a date."

It wasn't a question.

Asia covered her face with her hands, but nodded.

"So what's stopping you?"

"Well… he already has… Akeno-san and Rias-san are super pretty."

"Yep. And?"

Asia squirmed in her seat, dropping her gaze as her hands fell into her lap.

"Well… I'm… you know…"

Asia made a vague gesture in front of her comparatively more modest chest.

"Ah, I see. Hold that thought."

Raynare said, getting off the bed and opening the door to Kalawarner's room and sticking her head out.

"Yeah, just come here for a sec, would you?"

She took a step back as Kiba stuck his head into the room, looking in curiously.

Asia watched him and Raynare with one eye, a little puzzled.

"Hey Kiba-kun, answer a quick question for me."

"Sure Ray-san, what do you need?"

Gesturing to the timid blonde girl with one hand, Raynare asked a question that left the poor girl blushing even more than before.

"Asia-chan is super pretty, right?"

Kiba gave her a confused frown.

"Isn't that common knowledge?"

Kiba asked, genuine surprise coloring his tone.

"I'd expect conclusive evidence if you said there was someone who would answer 'no'."

Kiba stated, in a tone that suggested he was being asked to state the obvious and didn't understand why.

From Asia's angle, of course, she couldn't see Kiba's wink towards the Fallen Angel standing at the door.

Even if her hands weren't busy concealing her burning red face.

"So Yuuji-kun probably thinks the same, huh?"

Raynare asked, grinning as the blushing Asia stiffened in her seat, and slowly angled her ear towards the door.

"He's said as much."

"HE HAS!?"

"..."

"..."

Asia ducked her head sheepishly at the pair of knowing smiles directed her way.

"I'll leave you to it, I think. Have a good night, you two."

Kiba said, accepting Raynare's grateful smile and Asia's timid wave with a nod and a pleasant smile.

Raynare shut the door gently and grinned towards her friend.

A shy, radiant smile had blossomed across Asia's heart-shaped face, and Raynare fought down the sudden urge to squeal.

"You should ask him, I think."

"I should?... Ask him what?"

"To go on a date with you, obviously."

"D-do you think he'd say yes!?"

Raynare rolled her eyes.

"Of course he will. He probably already would have asked you by now, if, you know…"

Asia tilted her head in innocent curiosity.

"He's probably scared, you know?"

"Of what?"

Asia asked, her confusion written across her face.

Raynare let out a quiet sigh.

"You know how he thinks of himself, don't you?"

She began, quietly.

How quickly Asia's expression fell was answer enough.

"I think he's afraid to get any closer…you're such a kind, gentle soul, and Yuuji-kun wouldn't trust himself to be close to someone like that at all."

"B-but what about Akeno-san and Rias-san? T-they're good people!"

Asia protested, weakly.

"Good people who were too blatant about their intentions for even Yuuji-kun to ignore."

Asia went to respond, but her mouth opened and closed without a sound.

Eventually, she just nodded in agreement.

"So, you're going to have to do the same, otherwise Yuuji-kun will probably never take that step out of fear of hurting you or something stupid like that."

"B-but that's-!"

"That's Yuuji-kun."

Asia went silent, pondering with a small frown on her face.

"..."

"What was that, Asia?"

"... Now I'm mad! Yuuji-san, you dummy!"

Asia huffed, brow furrowed and fists clenched against the sheets.

Raynare, once more fought the urge to squeal.

"Yahoo, Devil-kun!"

"Creepy old man."

Azazel just laughed.

Yuuji took a seat in front of the table as his client poured him a drink.

"I'm surprised you have time to hang out, Azazel. Aren't you busy with the peace conference on its way?"

"Nah, most of the things requiring my attention are taken care of. I say that, but this is basically my first break in the last week."

"So you're spending it drinking with a Devil? Classy."

"I thought so too."

They knocked their cups together and took a sip, sighing in appreciation.

Strange he may be, but no one could fault Azazel's taste in sake.

"So, I heard your little Ojou-sama was allowed to unseal Forbidden Balor View."

Azazel said, with no preamble at all.

Yuuji nodded, not seeing any point in denying it.

"Any luck with it?"

"We haven't gotten that far. Gasper is a little shy."

"Is he now? Well, it's hard to blame him, seeing how he's been sealed for, what was it, three years?"

"Oh, that how long it was?"

"Something like that. We try to keep track of any high profile peerages as a matter of course, and the Gremory heiress certainly fits the bill as an up and comer."

"Oh right, Buchou is important like that."

"Hehe, you say that like it's someone else's problem."

"I'm just a Pawn."

"Who's dating the Gremory heiress."

"Details."

"Well, that's enough small talk for now."

Azazel said, clapping his hands together.

He stood up, went over to the small TV… and did exactly what Yuuji was dreading.

Picked up a pair of game controllers.

"Ready for a few rounds, Devil-kun."

Yuuji glared.

"You're a cruel man, aren't you? I thought we were entering an alliance."

Azazel just laughed.

When he returned home, the first thing to greet Yuuji was Asia, with hands on her hips and a determined frown on her face.

'What the hell, that's cute.'

Yuuji thought, blinking as Asia's eyes narrowed.

"Yuuji-san!"

Asia pointed one finger at him like a sword, the raised landing allowing her to point almost at eye level.

"... Yes?"

"Go on a date with me!... P-please."

Asia's voice dropped at the end, her nerves giving out.

"Sunday good?"

…

…

"Asia?"

"Y-YES! I-I-I mean yes, Sunday is good, no, S-Sunday is perfect! It can't be any day other than Sunday!"

"Great… I'm looking forward to it."

Yuuji smiled.

Asia nodded slowly, and after a moment, Yuuji looked at her silently and kicked his shoes off, slipping on the slippers they wore indoors and stepping past her.

Raynare, who had been watching surreptitiously from the door to Kalawarner's room, slipped past him with a wink, grinning at his questioning stare.

Raynare liked to think she was good at reading the room, and Asia.

Thus, when Yuuji stepped onto the staircase, and out of sight, and the full gravity of her success finally dawned on the little Bishop, her violet-eyed friend caught her before the little Bishop could finish her swoon and hit the floor.

"There, there, Asia-chan… you did good."

Despite the molten blush and the spinning eyes, Asia was still smiling, from ear to ear.

"Yeah, just perfect."

Raynare decided, a tender smile on her face.

"I feel like we missed our timing there."

"... Indeed, Yuuto, I think we should just quietly take our leave."

Akeno muffled a giggle, and went after Yuuji.

… Who had passed them by without a word, when he rounded the corner, onto the staircase, and found the entire household sheepishly staring at him, from where they'd been watching the exchange with Asia.

"... Good for you, Asia."

No one was quite sure who had actually said it, but not a soul would deny having thought it.

There's been a lot more 'in-between' stuff after the Kokabiel arc than I expected, but oh well. Next chapter will be the start of the peace conference, which should take the better part of two, maybe three chapters.

Gasper was comparatively more stable here, simply because a greater portion of the cast has experience dealing with trauma. That, and Kalawarner hugs are magic and you'll never convince me I'm wrong.

Just like the sheep girl hugs, because why wouldn't I research different kinds of Nymphs solely for the reason of having a sheep girl in the story?

And yeah, while Rias and Akeno might have gotten that yuri ball rolling, I think it would have been a bit much for them to just go straight to the good stuff, neither of them are Yuuji.