"Eh? You guys are leaving me on my own?"

Issei almost spat out his entire drink. It had only been a few days since Issei had become a Devil. Doing things at night had become somewhat routine for him, though it did leave him tired during the day. Yozora was worried but he told her that he was just going to see Mitsuki and Shin. His two childhood friends had been putting him through the wringer with extremely strenuous physical exercises. Well, it was strenuous for humans is what he was told.

Of course, during that time, Issei had also been to see Rias. She had taken it upon herself to be his mentor on how to be a Devil, teaching him the basics of Devilhood such as how to summon wings. Issei sighed at the last one. He still hadn't been able to summon his own wings, however, he could summon his Sacred Gear at will now.

Mitsuki took a sip of her juice and nodded. "Mm. Shin and I have to go get some stuff for you from the Underworld. You'll be with Rias for tonight. Just for tonight though."

"By the way, how are the contracts?" Shin asked.

"Contracts?" he asked.

"Mmm. Rias should have explained this to you on the first night. Devils are often summoned by humans to grant wishes. Personally, I've never done that because it's just… dumb labor but since you'll be learning how to be a Devil, it might be good for you to do so," Mitsuki said.

"Eh? We get summoned to do dumb jobs?" Issei asked.

"Basically," Shin replied.

"What? No. It's not all just dumb jobs. It's mostly dumb jobs. Rias has a few clients across town but they're mostly curse removal jobs. Akeno and Yuuto are basically therapists at this point. Koneko gets weirdos who want her to do cosplay but she gets normal requests from time to time. Tonight should be a good night for you to go out on your first contract," she said.

"Wait, but if you don't do contracts, why do I have to do contracts?" Issei asked.

"You don't have to do it all the time. Just do one for the experience. Besides, I have jobs outside of school. In the future, Shin and I will bring you along when we get one."

Issei looked to Shin for an explanation.

"Mii and I often get hired to do stuff. Stuff that normal people wouldn't get hired to do," he said.

"Like?" Issei asked.

"Like I said. We'll let you know later when we actually get one. It's been a while since Shin and I wanted to focus on school. Remember all of our sudden vacations?" she said.

"Yeah."

"There you go. Once we get one, I'll take care of you being gone from school and we can bring you along," Mitsuki said.

Issei nodded.

"But for now. Shin and I need to get some stuff for your training so he and I have to go see Grandma tonight." She took a sip of her juice.

"You… don't want to be in my spot right now. Mii's just using me, her beloved boyfriend, for slave labor," Shin lamented, allowing fake tears to fall down his face.

"Ehh…"

"Prez! What are contracts?"

Rias looked up from her mountain of papers and took her glasses off. Issei was standing before her, eyes full of blazing interest. Did Mitsuki tell him about the contracts, she wondered. Akeno smiled at Issei's sudden enthusiasm.

"Oh my, President. He's like a cute puppy," Akeno remarked.

Issei blushed at her words, rubbing the back of his head shyly.

"Knock it off, Akeno. Well, to first explain what Contracts are-"

"Mii already told me some of it! Do I get to go out and do my own?" Issei asked.

Rias paused for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Well, normally no. You're not a member of my peerage so you can't do contracts using my name. But knowing Mii, she's too lazy to actually form clientele here in Kuoh so she's going to dump you on me for that."

"She said I can do just one for experience and to see if I like it," Issei said, sitting down on the couch.

"Well, whatever Mii said isn't really explaining it all the way. Her and Shin do very different jobs than what we usually do. We're more… how should I say this, broad?" Rias said.

"I thought contracts are wish granting," Issei said.

"That's not always the case," Yuuto said, looking up from his book. He closed it and looked at Issei. "Whatever 'wish' you grant depends on what the person wants so our jobs vary from time to time. For me personally, I feel like I've become someone's therapist."

"Same for me," Akeno said. "Though, it's not bad most of the time. A majority of our requests don't even involve magic. That's mostly the President's territory."

"So… wait? It's not wish granting then?" Issei asked.

"Guys, let me explain. You're just going to confuse him. But no, Issei. Not all the time. Devil contracts are a standard part of devil society since ancient times. Though, back then it was very different," Rias said.

"Different how?"

"It involved trading a part of one's lifespan for favors."

Issei paled at her words.

"Nowadays, we don't have to do that anymore and it's been mostly outlawed. But, I digress. Devil society is split into four tiers, generally. There are special tiers but we don't have to worry about those for now. Before you say anything, I'm explaining this because I have to. Devil contracts and the hierarchy of devil society are interlinked. But anyway, the tiers are Low Class, Mid-Class, High-Class, and Ultimate Class. You are currently a Low-Class Devil. A common tier citizen with no achievements or titles under your belt."

Issei lost a bit of heart when he heard her words.

"Above you are Mid Class Devils. In the human world, they'd be your wealthy middle-sized business owners who are influential in usually have low-rank nobility titles like Dame or Knight. And above them are High-Class Devils. They're usually your run-of-the-mill nobles like your counts, viscounts, marquis, and such. And above that are Ultimate Class Devils. For the purpose of our explanation, they're the cream of the crop. The cock of the walk. The head honchos. Your dukes, archdukes, great kings, the like," Rias explained.

"So Contracts are like… side quests that give experience points?" Issei asked.

"Exactly. And…" A sly smile appeared on her face. She twirled her pen a bit at Issei. "If you make it to High Class, you can get your own Evil Pieces and form your own Peerage. Imagine it, a peerage full of extremely beautiful devil women."

Issei gulped.

Rias's eyes twinkled as she got up from her desk and sauntered over to him. She leaned in, allowing Issei to inhale the sweet scent of her crimson hair.

"Ne, what do you think? If you do these jobs, they could very well be the start of your springtime. A life where you're popular with girls," she whispered.

Issei shivered, feeling the sensation of her breath against his ear. If he died now, he could die happy.

"S- So you're saying that… if I make it to this High Class, I can have a group of girls and even… have sex with them?" the words came out of his mouth slowly.

Rias smiled and patted his head. "Of course. If it's with your servants, then I think it's okay."

"T- Then I'll do it…! I'll work hard! I'll do whatever you say and become Harem King!" Issei yelled. His nostrils flared and metaphorical steam escaped from his nose.

"Ah, but if you do, you're not going to forget about me, are you?" Rias asked.

"E- Eh?"

"After all…" she softly grabbed Issei's chin and tipped it towards her. "I found you first~."

Issei's face turned red. More steam escaped from his ears and face at the sudden contact. Was she… coming on to him?

"P- Pres…"

"Pfft… aw, what a cute reaction."

Issei blinked. Eh? She was just…

"I'll hold you to that promise then, Ise."

No way. Does she…?

"Anyway, for your first job, I'm not going to send you out alone. Koneko will be the one going with you. We're all just here waiting for a request to come in. Our operating hours are til 3 in the morning so you all can get some rest before school starts." Rias let go of Issei and walked back to her desk.

"I have to go with the pervert? Looks like it's not my night tonight," Koneko said, placing her phone down.

"Aw, Koneko. He's not that bad. He's kind of cute, you know," Rias said, smiling at her Rook.

"I don't care about your tastes, President. You."

Issei pointed at himself when he saw Koneko staring at him.

"I'm not a forgiving teacher so on this job, you do what I say when I say," Koneko said in an authoritative yet emotionless tone.

"Y- Yeah…" Why couldn't my first mentor be Himejima-senpai or President? Hell, even the casanova would have been leagues better than what I'm about to go through-

"As such, you will call me Master or Boss for the night," Koneko added.

"O- Oi! You might be my senpai but there's a limit to how much you can damage my pride, washboard!" Issei said, pointing his finger at her.

There was no way he was going to call someone younger than he was, Master.

Koneko's eye twitched. In a movement that was too fast for any of them, except for Rias, to follow, Koneko threw a folded piece of paper, purposely missing Issei.

Issei felt a trail of warm liquid running down his face and looked behind him. The piece of paper was embedded deep into the wall.

"Ah… um…"

"Call me washboard again and I won't miss," she said.

"Now, now, Koneko. We can't go around harming someone else's peerage member. Remember what will happen if Mii finds out Issei got hurt," Rias said, smiling at her servant with a look of tranquil fury in her eyes.

"Hmph." Koneko put a cookie in her mouth.

Rias sighed. "Sorry, Issei, but she's the only one who has jobs I think you can be eased into. Akeno and Yuuto take requests that can become… rather personal and I only take high-level jobs."

"Er… yeah, thanks President," Issei said, deflating slightly.

"Don't worry though. Mii and Shin told me that they'll be back by midnight so you can leave when you get back."

"Y- Yeah!" Issei said, feeling elated.

"President."

Koneko looked down at her leaflet. It was pulsating.

"Well, looks like it's time for you two to go. Have fun and remember, Koneko. Don't kill him. Also, be careful. There have been reports about our clients ending up in unfortunate accidents. If anything happens, don't forget to call me."

"Eh? What's that supposed to-"

Issei never got to finish his sentence as Koneko grabbed him with her freakishly immense strength, pulling him to her. Issei yelled for help, reaching for Rias as he and his hellion of a mentor vanished in a flash of red light.

"Are… they going to be okay?" Akeno asked.

"I don't know. I didn't recognize the client that summoned," Rias said

"Eh? It's not one of Koneko's regulars?" Yuuto asked.

Rias pulled up a magical projection of a map of Kuoh. There were several dots on it, labeled with the names of the people in the room with her. One of them had reappeared slightly across town. "No. They're at… Oh…" Rias paled when she saw Koneko's energy signature was in a house that she knew somewhat well.

"What?" Akeno asked.

"Their client is… her."

The first thing Issei did after they landed was dry heave into the nearest trash can. Koneko dusted herself off and walked toward the gate of the house they had arrived at. She furrowed her brow. So it wasn't one of her usual clientele. However, it was still strange for her. Usually, the teleportation took them to the inside.

"Where are… we…" Issei's words slowly died in his mouth when he saw the house they were summoned to. His mouth hung slightly open and his eyes were wide in surprise.

"What? What is it?" Koneko asked, noticing his expression.

"Ah. Shin-chan was right. Tonight is your first."

Koneko slowly turned around and saw Akane standing at the gate. She smiled at the two.

"A-Aka-nee? You're our client?" Issei asked.

Akane nodded. She gestured for them to follow her inside.

The two looked at each other cautiously before following after her. Koneko stood slightly in front of Issei. Akane Furude. She was a well-known figure to her master and the Student Council President. Not only was she Shin's older sister, she was also the wife of her master's ex-fiance.

"Is… Shin here?" Issei asked.

"Nope. Shin-chan and Mii went somewhere to get some stuff to help you with," Akane said, opening the door. "By the way, how is it?"

"How's what?" Issei asked, walking into the house.

It was the same as always. The same house he had been to since he was a child and he met the two siblings. His godparents, Rowan and Akari, weren't here. According to Shin, ever since his sister graduated, the two had been going on more trips more often and leaving the Live House and House in general in Akane's care. And now that Akane was married, the two had all but moved out.

"Being a Devil."

"Eh? Well, it's not that bad. There's still some things I need to get used to," Issei said.

Akane smiled and petted his head softly. "If you need help, remember that Riser, Sora, and I will be there to support you. Mii and Shin too."

So… Sora-nee knew too… Issei thought as he leaned into her touch. He blinked, hearing Koneko's stifled laughter.

"A- Aka-nee, cut it out. I'm not a kid anymore," Issei said, puffing his cheeks slightly.

"Mmm. Anyway, you're wondering how I got you first."

Koneko and Issei glanced at each other before nodding.

"Well, Shin-chan told me this afternoon when he got home that you were going to do your first contract using Rias's name so I ambushed Rias's familiar and stole one of the leaflets," Akane said, holding up a familiar piece of paper.

"Y- You could have just taken one," Koneko said.

"Yeah, but that's no fun. Let me explain what you're going to do." Akane stood in front of a mirror and adjusted her earrings.

It was then Issei noticed that she was dressed up. She had on a black halter-style dress that exposed her shoulders and cleavage. The dress stopped just above her knees and she wore a different choker from what she usually wore.

"Eh? Aka-nee, are you going out somewhere?" Issei asked.

Akane nodded, looking in the mirror for anything that was amiss with her hair. "Riser and I have date night tonight. Usually, we'd ask Shin to stay here when we're out but he and Mii are out so it's going to be you tonight."

"E- EH!? Me! Wait, but my rotation was just last week!" Issei said.

"Mmm. I'll consider this overtime and add it to your paycheck," Akane said, throwing him a professional smile. "Besides, it won't be as bad. Now that you're a Devil, we don't have to wipe your memories anymore."

"Wipe my what?"

"Akane. Our reservation's at 7:30 and the show is booked for 10:45." Riser walked down the stairs. He was dressed in a three-piece maroon business suit with a red tie and a white undershirt. He wore brown dress shoes.

The source of Issei's woes lay in the man's arms.

Momiji Furude, also known as a walking storm of hellfire.

The three-year-old girl reached her arms out toward Issei. Her red eyes sparkled with joy at upon seeing him.

"Yowai-onii!"

Koneko placed her hand above her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Pfft… Y- Yowai-onii… Pffft…"

Issei looked at her in surprise. This was the first time he had ever seen her express an emotion other than indifference in the past few days he had known her. She looked cute when she laughed.

Koneko felt Issei's eyes on her and gave him a sharp look.

Issei's body stiffened and he looked away from her.

"Kouyou. Come here," Akane said, holding her arms out.

Riser handed Momiji over to his wife, who held her in her arms. Momiji snuggled into her mother's embrace and laid her head on the crook of her neck.

"Okay, Ise. You know the drill by now but now that you're a Devil, there are more things we should add," Riser said, straightening his tie.

"Mmm. Kouyou doesn't have complete control of her powers. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for Shin or Mii because Shin can use his Contract to contain it and Mii knows enough magic to catch her. So for you, here are some rules that should work in keeping her from burning the neighborhood down-"

"Excuse me, burn?" Issei's face lost several shades of color.

"Mm. Little bird here inherited both her mother's talent for setting things on fire and my family's inborn ability to use Hellfire," Riser replied, petting his daughter's blonde hair.

"Right so, I have milk prepared for her. You just need to warm it up and give it to her before bed. She's allowed 1 hour of TV only. We have food prepared for her so just warm that up too and we left you two some money in case you want to order out," Akane said, stroking her daughter's hair.

"So… what I usually do?" Issei asked.

"One more thing." Akane handed Momiji over to Issei. The girl gladly latched onto him, touching his hair.

"What is it?"

"Kouyou has to be in bed by 9. Not one minute later. She's a growing child so she has to go to bed early," Akane said, fixing one of her earrings. Akane leaned in and patted her daughter's head.

"Kouyou, you be a good girl for your Yowai-onii and Toujou, okay?" Akane asked.

"Mmm! Momo will be a good girl!" Momiji smiled at her mother and patted her head in return.

Akane smiled before turning to Riser, who nodded.

"Momo, don't stay up too late, okay? Papa and Mama will be back before midnight," Riser said, ruffling her hair.

"Mmm, Papa!" Momiji nodded fervently.

"Well, Riser, let's go before we miss our reservation," Akane said.

Riser nodded and the two walked toward the door. The two stopped and Akane looked over her shoulder. The red highlights at the tips of her otherwise midnight-black hair began to glow. Her eyes glowed subtly and Issei and Koneko's knees almost gave out at the immense pressure she radiated.

"I don't need to say this to you, Ise, since I trust you. However, Toujou, if anything happens to my daughter, I will scorch you alongside Rias Gremory, this entire island, and the mainland. Understood?" she asked.

The red light in her eyes glowed more intensely.

Koneko lost her ability to speak and nodded obediently.

"Come on, Akane. Don't scare her too much," Riser chided.

"Good luck, you two~! We'll be back by 11:45!" Akane bade them farewell.

The door shut and Issei and Koneko were left alone in the house with Momiji, who was playing with Issei's hair.

"Noo! I don't wanna go to bed! Noooo!"

Momiji shied away from Koneko, who was looming over her like a predatory cat. The older girl's face lacked any form of emotion or sympathy. Her shadow enveloped Momiji like a blanket, trapping the girl against the corner of the room.

"It's 7:50. It's time for bed," Koneko said, reaching her arms out.

"No! I don't wanna!" Red flames burst from Momiji's body, keeping Koneko at bay.

She was amazed. Even as a child, the temperature of the flames were probably enough to completely char the wood beneath them. The entire house must have been enchanted to be fireproof.

"Come on you brat. It's bedtime!" Koneko lunged towards her.

Flaming wings burst from Momiji's back and she took to the air as Koneko's face hit the wall.

"Damn brat," Koneko cursed.

"Momo! I got some food! Want some?"

The two turned to see Issei walking toward them with some food. Momo immediately flew toward him and landed on the ground. She reached up towards Issei, eyes begging for the food.

"Momo, come on." Issei reached down and picked her up with one arm. He walked over to the couch and sat down with the little girl on his lap.

Momo happily took the food from Issei and ate it with much gusto.

"You're surprisingly good with kids," Koneko said, getting up and walking toward the two.

"Eh? Me? I don't think so. I've just known her since she was a baby so I know what she's like. Though, now that I'm a Devil, I just know more about her now. Momo is still Momo, right?" Issei poked her nose, causing her face to scrunch up.

"Yowai-onii, can Momo stay up longer?" she asked.

"Of course but you gotta be in bed by 9 or your mom will be mad," Issei said, bouncing her on his knee.

Momiji cheerfully laughed, hugging Issei tightly. "Momo loves Yowai-onii!"

"So…"

Issei turned to Koneko, who sat on the recliner. "How long have you known Furude?"

Issei leaned back against the sofa while Momiji crawled off his lap to go play with one of her stuffed animals. "Aka-nee? Since I was a kid. She and Shin are 10 years apart in age so I've pretty much known her all my life. It was her, Sora-nee, Mitsuki's aunt, Sae-nee, and Cleria-nee. I think she still works at the University."

Koneko's heart almost stopped.

"Anyway, if you ask Shin, Mii, or I what Aka-nee is usually like, we'd just tell you she's the personification of violence. She's very scary and crazy protective. But yeah, whenever Mom and Dad went on dates like how Aka-nee and Riser-aniki are doing now, either she or Sora-nee looked after me. It was me, Shin, Mitsuki, Sacchan, Shin's younger sister Kureha, and one other girl. Well, you know Sacchan is a Devil and Mii says she's taking care of business. Kureha went to another academy because Kuoh didn't offer what she wanted."

"I see. So you've known all three Furudes for a long time," Koneko said. "And Dantalion too…"

"Yeah. Aka-nee used to go to Kuoh. She was the old kendo club captain and she won the National and World Kendo Tournaments," he said. "Sora-nee, I've known for about just as long."

Izayoi Yozora… that's her alias. The Princess…, Koneko thought.

"With so many women looking after you, I'm surprised you became a perv."

"Eh? Well, I'm a guy. And I met this old guy at a park who showed me the wonders of boobs! So there-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there. There's a child here in the room with us."

The two glanced at Momiji, who was sitting on the floor happily talking to her bird doll.

"It's okay! Momo will protect you from the mean cat lady," Momiji said, hugging the doll tightly.

Koneko's eyebrow twitched at her words.

"Ne, ne, Momo. Koneko isn't so bad. She's really nice if you give her sweet things," Issei said.

"Eh? Momo also likes sweet things!"

As she watched the two interact, Koneko felt an unpleasant squeeze in her scene brought back so many memories. Memories she wanted to forget. Issei's figure briefly overlapped with the image of a girl with black hair. A small but sad smile appeared on her face as she got up from her seat and walked to the kitchen.

"Eh? You hungry?" Issei asked, seeing her walk toward the refrigerator.

"No, I'm just getting food for her. Hey, Momiji."

Momiji turned toward Koneko, who was pouring a bowl of sweet cereal for her.

"Wanna watch a movie?" she asked.

"Okay, you have to go to sleep now."

Issei pulled the blanket over her. The goal was to get her to bed by 9 pm, however, the movie they watched took them 10 minutes past 9. However, it was a negligibly late bedtime. He was sure she'd be asleep by the time Akane and Riser got back.

"Yowai-onii, when are Mama and Papa coming home?" Momiji asked.

"They'll be back in a little bit. Your mom and dad just went to go do some grown-up things together," Koneko answered, brushing aside a lock of her blonde hair.

Momiji nodded and settled in under her covers.

"Koneko-nee and I will just be downstairs, okay?" Issei said.

"Mmm!" she nodded.

Issei grabbed her bird doll from the shelf and handed it to her. The young girl hugged it tightly before closing her eyes. Issei smiled and nodded to Koneko. The two quietly left the room and shut the door behind them.

As soon as they got downstairs, the two melted into the couch, sighing in relief.

"God- ow! She's finally asleep," Issei said.

"Yeah… I never knew taking care of a child would be this bad," Koneko said, leaning back against the couch. "And you do this every week?"

"More or less. Do you usually get babysitting jobs as a Devil?" he asked.

"No. This is the first time I ever looked after a child."

"At least we don't have to worry about her anymore. She's going to sleep until Aka-nee and Riser-aniki get home," he said.

"Yeah, I-"

A red magic circle appeared in front of Koneko, catching her and Issei's attention. The two exchanged glances before Koneko pressed the slowly spinning circle. The circle expanded and several runes appeared at the center.

"Koneko? Ise?"

"Eh? Prez?" Issei said.

"Oh good, you two are okay," Rias said.

"Y- Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" he asked.

"Sona came to me with a report so I called to check on you two. There's a rogue exorcist in your area. Apparently, he has some affiliation with the abandoned church in the town and he's been going around killing our clients across town. Sona said that her familiar spotted him in your area," Rias said.

"Our… area? Wait, he's in my neighborhood?" Issei asked.

"Yes. Be careful. Even if that is Akane's house, you can't take any chances. I know she baby-proofed it the moment her daughter was born but… there might be a chance someone could be able to bypass the wards," Rias said.

A thud came from the second floor.

Koneko sent Issei a side-eyed look. She pointed to the ceiling and Issei nodded.

"President, what does he look like?" Koneko asked, taking over.

Issei got up from his chair and made his way upstairs. If what Rias was saying was true, he needed to check on Momiji immediately.

He walked down the hall and arrived at her room. A sense of foreboding induced a pressure that made Issei feel like he was breathing water instead of air. He slowly opened the door, not wanting to wake her only for horror to set in.

"M- Momo? Momiji!"

Issei ran into the room. The bed was empty. There were scorch marks across the room and the window was open. Did… he get in? Issei walked toward the window.

"What? What is it?" Koneko ran in with the circle following her. Her eyes widened when she saw the window open and scorch marks littering the room. "What? Where is…?"

"Do you think that…?" Issei asked, his face pale and eyes filled with worry.

Koneko remained calm and looked around the room. She knelt and wiped her finger across the blackened marks on the floor. She sniffed the air before closing her eyes and bathing the room with her demonic power.

"There." She pointed to a small casing on the floor. "Someone was here."

"But how… how did he get in? I thought this house was enchanted," Issei asked.

"Enchanted to be babyproof. Not priest-proof. Someone was here and it looks like whoever took her… got burned," Koneko said.

"But… who would be dumb enough to break into Aka-nee's house?" Issei said, gripping the windowsill tightly.

"They probably waited for her and Riser to leave." Koneko hopped onto the windowsill and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you-"

"I got a trail. Come on. No time," Koneko said as she jumped out the window.

"Huh!? Wait!" Issei yelled, following after her.

Raynare sat at the top of a building overlooking Suburbia Kuoh. There was a serene smile on her face as she looked out over all the houses. How many people must be sleeping blissfully unaware of what was happening beneath their very noses? The thought of it almost made her feel bad for them. Them and everyone else in this world.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to send him of all people?"

Raynare looked over her shoulder, seeing Kalawarna landing behind her.

"Of course. He's the only one who can do this," she said, rapping her fingers against the concrete.

"Kill that boy? There is a devil accompanying him," Kalawarna replied.

"And what does that matter?"

"What do you mean, what does it matter? We can't just throw bodies at this thing, Raynare. You and I both know that. Especially now that the Devils in this town are aware of us and that boy is part of the people that killed Dohnaseek. You're going to just throw a rogue exorcist at him?"

"Of course. He's the only one who can do what I asked him to do." A sinister smile spread across her face. "I even gave him a small gift."

"You really think he can kill that boy?" she asked.

Her question was met with nothing but an uneasy silence. The smile on her face still remained. It was like nothing was going to go wrong. Like what she wanted was going to- Kalawarna's eyes widened considerably.

"You… aren't expecting him to succeed, are you?"

In response to her question, Raynare's smile grew even wider. She crossed her legs and honed in on her operative's location, waiting for the fireworks to start.

Freed ran down the street. He had been stalking this house for weeks but had been unable to crack the barrier. All of his intuition. His instincts. His experience. All of it pointed to one fact. There was a heretic living in that house. Not that he cared. Freed cared not for God nor for faith. All he wanted was to kill heretics and monsters.

And now, the owners of the house were gone and Raynare had given him the means to bypass that pesky barrier.

A burst of red flames exploded from his arms, causing him to let go of what he was carrying. His face contorted in fury, feeling the heat permeating deep into his flesh.

A cry of pain echoed through the alleyway as the thing he dropped landed on the ground. Tears welled in Momiji's eyes as she felt the pain in her legs.

"M- Mama… Papa…"

"Shitty brat! I kidnapped you to lure those two monsters out but…"

Freed grinned and reached into his pocket. "You're too much to handle. I can't even carry you back to the Church where we can string you up. Oh well, I guess I can do this the old-fashioned way. Crucifying you to your parents' front door. Ahahahaa!" Freed laughed psychotically.

"HEY!"

"Huh? Who the fu-"

The sound of Issei's fist slamming into his skull echoed through the street. Bones crunched under Issei's knuckles and flesh was torn upon the impact. A squirt of blood sprayed through the air as Freed flew into a brick wall and crumpled like a sack of potatoes.

"Momo!"

"Y- Y- Yowai-onii! Uwaaaaaaahhhhh!" she began crying hysterically, reaching for Issei.

Issei ran toward her and scooped her up in his arms, holding her close to his chest as the little girl clung to his shirt and cried.

"Pervert-senpai, did you…" Koneko's eyes widened when she saw a bloodied Freed laying against the wall. His fingers twitched. He was still alive. She needed to finish this before he became a problem.

"Keep her safe. I'll finish this, she said, walking over to Freed's unmoving body. Her fist tightened as she prepared to end his life when Freed lunged from his spot, swinging a dagger made of light at her.

She barely evaded the attack. The pain of the searing light slicing into her flesh made her wince as she jumped back.

"K- Koneko!" Issei yelled in worry.

Koneko bit her lip. She brought her hand up to her chest and noticed blood. The knife had cut through her clothes and undergarments, penetrating her flesh and barely grazing her sternum. Any deeper and he would have sliced into her aorta.

"Hehehe… Mister Devil hits really hard. I didn't expect that." The sound of his jaw cracking and popping back into place made Issei' stomach squirm.

Freed stood up and spat some blood from his mouth. "Now…" He pulled a pistol from his belt and pulled out the hilt of a sword. An ignition sound similar to the lightsabers he had seen in movies came from the hilt. A blade of pure light extended from it.

Woah! A lightsaber- wait, now's not the time, Ise! Issei held Momiji tightly as Koneko stood before them.

Issei felt a flash of pain course through his head. Wha…? Now! I… uggrhk!

The battle unfolded before him as he gripped the side of his head in pain. The feeling of Momiji tightening her grip around his arms became more intense as the pain increased.

"You are the most difficult type to deal with. Someone who feels alive by killing innocent devils. You're the greatest threat right now."

An image of the white-haired priest in front of Issei overlapped with the frenzied, yet calculated swings he took at Koneko.

It was then and there that Issei realized that he was outmatched. He doubted even Koneko could pull off a win. This guy lived for the thrill of the fight and even Koneko's concrete-shattering punches were only invigorating him even more.

He needed to think. Some way to catch him off guard.

"!?"

Issei pulled Momiji away from himself and ran to a nearby pole. He placed her by the pole and knelt before her.

The tremors of Koneko's hits almost made him fall over.

"Momo, do you think you can listen to Yowai-onii?" Issei asked.

The younger girl sniffed and nodded fearfully.

"You see this trashcan?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I want you to stay behind it like we're playing hide and seek. Close your eyes and cover your ears and whatever you do, don't peek. Onii just has to help the mean cat lady, okay?" he said.

She shook her head and held his sleeve tightly.

Issei gave her a reassuring smile and ruffled her hair. He pulled away from her, trying his best to ignore her cries. Gathering all of his courage, he ran headlong into the fight. He needed to protect her. He had to. She was one of his first friends in the school outside of Shin, Mitsuki, Motohama, and Matsuda. And he'd be damned if he allowed her to die here, even if she was an annoying brat.

"Senpai is my senpai…"

Issei's sprint became faster as a red light formed around his left arm. He could see it, her struggling face. The cuts that formed on her body. He wouldn't allow this man to slice her up even if it meant…

"HEY!"

Freed, who had raised his blade to slice Koneko's torso open, turned and saw a red gauntlet slam into his face.

For the second time that night, Freed flew across the alleyway, his nose having been shattered by Issei's punch. Rage welled up within him as he caught himself and landed on the ground.

"Bitch! That's the second time! I guess… I'll kill you first. I'll deal you back double what you just did to me, you demonic freak!" Freed roared.

His foot shifted and he vanished in a burst of speed.

"Senpai!" Koneko pushed him out of the way, narrowly avoiding the arc of Freed's light sword as it dug into the asphalt.

"Tch! Thanks, Koneko!"

Koneko nodded in response.

"Y- You!"

Freed ducked as he avoided Issei's hits. He fell back, moving backward as Issei's hits kept coming. They were slow yet the weight behind them was real. This… This kid! Raynare said he had no combat experience yet Freed could easily tell that this boy had the basic skill of defending himself.

Tch! She set me up!

"Shitty devil!" Freed screamed, swinging his sword.

"Tch, crap!" Issei yelled as the sword came arcing toward his throat. However, it never came.

Instead, it stopped midway, having been halted by Koneko's death grip. Her eyes were dulled with fury.

"Fly."

She threw him into a wall, leveling it and causing him to crash into a car down the street. The alarms blared as Freed and the car slid into a nearby store, bringing down the entire front.

"K- Koneko! Are you-"

"Not now. He's not dead," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"R- Righ-" An instantaneous feeling of flight filled his body. He sprang into action, diving toward Koneko.

"S- Senpai!"

Blood sprayed into the air as a jagged cut appeared on Issei's back. Issei fought down the urge to scream as Freed's blade passed through his flesh, ripping his back open.

"Khh! Ahahaha! A Devil protecting its kin? Now that's rich!" Freed yelled, jumping back.

Issei fell to one knee, barely keeping himself conscious through sheer willpower.

"S- Senpai! Why did you-"

"Because I didn't want to see you get hurt," Issei said, smiling at her despite the pain.

"N- No! You idiot!

Her pained face caused Issei's heart to clench.

"...I would also hate it if Ise-senpai dies…"

Ah, had she said those words before?

"Koneko, I won't die from something as small as this. So…" Issei fell to one knee. The searing sensation of light poisoning the cut was what kept him conscious. "Don't cry…"

Bangs shadowed Koneko's eyes as Issei fell to the ground, unable to support himself any longer.

"Oho? Did that devil go down? Aww, I wanted to play with him a little longer. Oh well. First, I'll kill you, then I'll see about putting that child inside a microwave. I've always wanted to do that-"

"Die."

"Eh?"

Freed's body automatically jumped out of the way. The entire street they were on exploded violently. Dust and debris flew everywhere, obscuring his vision.

"Wha- You really are a monster-"

Koneko burst from the smoke, eyes glowing and feral like a wild cat. Blue flames swirled around her fingers, forming claws. She slashed the air, slicing the building apart.

Freed had managed to dodge it from sheer instinct. However, Koneko gave him no room to recover. And Freed saw his life flash before his eyes a mere instant before Koneko's fist slammed into his torso.

The full might of her blow traveled through his entire body. His organs ruptured upon impact, muscles tore, veins popped, and bones were ground to pieces. The concrete behind him tore apart from the sheer force of the blow as he flew at subsonic speeds into a nearby wall, leveling it and the wall behind it.

"W- Woah…" Issei managed to choke out. Koneko's punches were as powerful as a bomb.

Freed gargled as blood filled his lungs. That little devil bitch had dealt the final nail in the coffin. With one decisive punch. He was going to die.

S- Shit...

Koneko's form loomed over him. Her aura was beginning to leak out, taking the form of a red shroud around her body.

"Die." She threw her punch at him. Time slowed as her fist approached his skull.

"And that's a wrap."

Issei's blood ran cold when the voice made itself known. It came from somewhere. No, everywhere and nowhere at once. But he recognized this voice. This was clearly…

"KONEKO! WATCH OUT!" Issei yelled.

"Huh?" Her eyes widened when a mass of darkness burst from seemingly everywhere. She jumped back, avoiding them in time.

Shadows that warped the world around them, causing the portions of her surroundings to be rendered as static. Sound resembling white noise filled her ears as she realized one thing.

Her mind and the world itself failed to comprehend what she was looking at. It was a very assault on her senses; a complete and utter violation of the natural world.

Translucent white hands sprung from the shadowy masses, scooping Freed up.

"No!" she lunged forward to retrieve Freed only to miss by a hair as he and the hands were swallowed into the shadowy masses.

"Fufufu…"

A sinister laugh came from everywhere before fading alongside the shadows.

Koneko clenched her fists to the point where she drew blood.

"Did… we…?" Issei said, getting her attention. He gave her a bloody smile. His vision swam as his eyelids drooped. The adrenaline had worn off; his fatigue was catching up to him.

She began to run toward him. As she did, Issei felt a massive presence envelop him. It was a familiar one. And it was dripping with fury. "Ah…"

He heard the words "Mama" from Momiji and a flash of golden flames appeared before him. And the last thing he remembered before passing out was the ever-familiar pair of red eyes of Shin's older sister.

"Ughh…"

"Ah, you're awake."

Issei shot up and noticed he was back in the Furude House. He was laying down on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. Memories of the fight came rushing back to him. He had been cut and shot. Issei immediately inspected himself only to find nothing on him. "What…? I'm pretty sure I got slashed and…"

"You were. You had a lot of blood on you and Momo was really scared," Akane said, sitting on a chair. She had a book in her hand but Issei could tell that she wasn't really reading it. The book snapped shut and the older woman turned to him.

"Aka-nee, I-"

"I'm glad. If we had been a minute later, you would have died," she said.

"Aka-nee…"

"My wounds?"

"Ah, we used Phenex Tears to heal them. Think of them like Max Potions from your games," Akane said, standing up.

"Wait! Momo and Koneko! Where are-"

Akane's eyes drifted to Issei's legs. There, he was Koneko resting her head on the couch, white hair sprawled out over his blanket.

"She wouldn't leave your side even for a minute. Even after Riser and I administered the Tears. And Momo, well, after some coaxing, we managed to get our little hellfire to bed," Akane said.

"I'm glad."

She reached over and flicked his forehead.

"O- Ow!" Issei's hands rubbed his forehead painfully.

"You're an idiot. But thank you for saving my daughter. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to see her again. I called Shin and Mii and the two said they'll be here in a few minutes so get ready. They'll send you and Koneko home," Akane said.

Issei nodded.

Akane smiled and left the room, heading up the stairs presumably to her daughter's room.

"Ow… Ow…! Mii, it hurts! It hurts!"

Issei whined as Mitsuki pulled on his ear. The shorter girl had a vice grip equivalent to that of a hydraulic press. Her eyes were blazing red in both anger and worry.

"You dumbass! Why did you do that? Do you really want to die!?" Mitsuki scolded.

Koneko and Shin stood off to the side, watching the whole thing unfold.

"I'm sorry! He was gonna kill Koneko-"

Mitsuki's grip tightened and Issei's yelps of pain grew even louder. After a few seconds, Mitsuki let go of his ear and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's such a you answer. At least I know that becoming a Devil hasn't changed who you are as a person."

Issei rubbed his ear, pouting at his friend's words.

"Ise, congrats on surviving your first actual fight," Shin said, giving him a thumbs up. "Next time, I'll bring you with me whenever we head to Serikawa to go train in Mount Benizakura's forest-"

"Idiot, don't encourage him to do dumb things!" Mitsuki rounded on her boyfriend.

"Still, Mii. Isn't this good? Ise's doing fine on his own. All we need to do is polish him a little and he'll be ready to go with us on jobs," Shin said.

Mitsuki sighed.

"In fact, our first job is tomorrow night. We can bring Ise then," Shin said.

"First… job?" Koneko raised an eyebrow, looking at the two with some confusion.

Mitsuki nodded. "I figured this was a good way to get Issei acclimated to real-time combat in a controlled environment so I went to the Underworld to notify the Archduke. We're going to be taking the Stray Devil Hunt off Rias's hands."

"Stray Devil Hunt?" Issei asked.

Shin turned to Issei with a small smile on his face.

"Like Mii said, tomorrow night, we're going on a pest control assignment."

Momiji Phenex

The young daughter of Riser and Akane Phenex.

Despite her young age, her demonic power is potent and rapidly growing.

Due to her lack of control, she is often privy to temper tantrum outbursts that result in massive fire damage.