Chapter 3: Devil work and meeting the nun
The young brunette was in deep thought as he strapped on his helmet and started his motorcycle. Today was unexpected as he did not anticipate on either his father or Sirzechs showing up. While he could understand the latter's disappointment in, Rias was understandable. But the idea of taking away her peerage would have been too much of a punishment. It was well known that the servants of the Gremory household were treated like family rather than slaves or expendable tools. Plus, he could sense no ill will in Rias's intentions, as she seemed desperate and somewhat sad about something. Though she seemed to be genuinely happy after figuring out who he was. They say the eyes are windows to the soul. A big part of Issei suspected that Sirzechs was forming a plan and hoped he would join her peerage.
Having known the Devil King most of his life, Sirzechs always had a plan ready. Deciding to ponder that for a later time, he pushed those thoughts away and continued riding through town, delivering fliers to different people. Close to an hour later, my stomach growled; sometimes, being part dragon could be a real pain, meaning I had to eat a large amount of food. Oh well, at least I know how to cook and fend for myself.
Halfway home, the night sky changes to a mixture of purple and dark blue. Again, the sensation was similar to when Raynare showed her true form, and my senses alerted me that I was being followed. The scent of the fallen angel indicated that it was a man following me. Raynare said other fallen angels were present in this town. This must be one of her comrades. After learning about her death, they must have decided to take revenge for what Issei did to one of their own. However, this had potential. . .deciding to play along, he drove his bike to the fountain. This was an opportunity to get some information on Kokabiel.
'That's right, follow me,' feeling the man's presence from behind. Coming to a stop, he removed his helmet. "I assume the reason why you're following me is that I killed that maniacal bitch friend of yours."
"So it was you who killed her," a man in a gray trench coat and a black fedora landed a few feet away from him. He appeared to be middle-aged at best, given his outward appearance. "Before we get down to business, I want to know how a weak human like you was able to kill her."
A wry grin tugged at Issei's lips, "your friend made a costly mistake in underestimating me and paid for it with her life. My hope is that you will provide me with some information. . .like where your leader Kokabiel is." The man went stiff. How did he Kokabiel-sama?
"What makes you think I'll tell you anything?" the man narrowed his eyes.
"Because tonight is the night you die, Dohnaseek," Issei's tone became dark. Dohaseek's eyes grew wide. "Yes, I know who you are. Azazel-sama is quite unhappy with you and your friends. Depending on how you answer my questions will determine how painful your death will be."
Quickly ascending into the air, he summoned a blue-light spear in his hand. "Die, you fool," he shouted, throwing the spear. His eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets when the boy materialized a red gauntlet and deflected the spear. "No! It can't be!" exclaimed as he looked crossed between anger and fear.
"How are you the wielder of the boosted gear?!" Summoning two more spears, he was about to throw them, but Issei manifested his wings and tail and ascended into the air straight at him. Before he could act, the boy rammed his rammed his left arm into his stomach, making him cough up blood and drop the spears.
Issei brought both his hands together, raised them up, and then brought them down on Dohaseek's head, forcing him to fall on the concrete. Before he could try and get up, Issei descended on his back and gripped the man's wings. Similar to what he did to Raynare, he ripped his wings out from his back, drawing blood. Dohnaseek screamed in agony, yet only for a minute, as Issei wrapped his tail around the man's upper body. Then bringing him up so he could face him.
"B-But h-how. . . H-How ar-are. . .you t-the—"he tried to ask as he was being strangled.
"That is not important," cutting the man off. "What I want to know is where Kokabiel is?" The power coming from him almost made Dohaseek's heart stop. "Not talking, huh?"
W-Wait!" He said as Issei raised his left hand at his face. Then loosening his grip somewhat to allow the man some room to breathe. "Look, I swear I do not know where Kokabiel-sama is. I swear on my life as a fallen angel. I only know that he was dissatisfied with the end of the great war. Is that significant?"
"Yeah. It kind of is. Tell me more," implored Issei. "Did he send you and your friends here? What's his objective?"
"He did send us," he admitted, albeit still scared. "But it was only to report our findings in this town. To see if it would make a suitable spot to start another war. He didn't know about our other objective. . ."
"The nun that is due to arrive soon," Issei finished. "Raynare mentioned she had a special power. Why would that interest a group of fallen angels and stray exorcists?"
"It's her sacred gear. Twilight Healing. It can heal anyone's injuries, whether they are Angels, Fallen Angels, or Devils. That's all I know about the girl, I swear."
Slamming him on the ground, "thank you for your cooperation," grinning darkly at the man. "Boost three times."
(Boost) (Boost) (Boost) Ddraig said.
"B-But wait. . .I told you everything. I—"
"Dragon shot!" Firing a beam of demonic power that annihilated the man leaving only his wing and some blood. "You misunderstood me. I said depending on how you answer my questions will determine how painful your death will be. That was mercy." He turned around, returned to his motorcycle, and left the area.
A few minutes later, Rias and the other members of her peerage teleported to the fountain, where they saw another pair of fallen angel wings and some blood. "Issei-senpai was here," Koneko said after catching his scent near the blood and wings.
"Ara, ara seems like he had a good time," Akeno giggled. "I wonder if this was about what happened last night or something else."
Rias did not seem amused in the slightest. "Evidently, the fallen angels have taken issue with him and will likely try to attack him again. Next time there will be others more powerful," the concern in her voice made Akeno's smile grow.
"My is that concern I hear in your voice," she teased.
Thinning her lips, "we're old friends. I'm just worried that he might get into a situation that'll be too difficult for him to handle," a little blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Ufufufu, I'm sure that's all you're concerned about," trying to conceal her enjoyment. "That aside, it appears he can take care of himself."
Grudgingly agreeing, they all went home for the day. Though she had other ideas.
(0^0)
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
The next morning, Rias got up early, dressed in her school attire, and used a magic circle to appear in the living room of Issei's house. While she wasn't typically a morning person, she wanted to do something for him to make up for what she did with the fallen angel. It would also give her some time to spend with him away from everyone else. Sensing that he was probably out of the house, she walked into the kitchen to make him breakfast. Figuring he might be hungry when he gets back.
Not fifteen minutes later, she had just finished making bacon and eggs when he came through the door drenched in sweat. "Buchou? What are you doing in my house?" Shocked to see her in the kitchen.
"I wanted to make up for my actions with you and the fallen angels. I know you said I was forgiven. But, it felt like I got off too easy," replying to his question. "Better grab a shower as breakfast is ready."
He wanted to say something but was stopped when his stomach growled. "Wow, it appears I picked the right day to drop by, as you are hungry."
Seeing no point in arguing, he went upstairs to grab a change of clothes and a towel before getting cleaned up. Then, after a quick shower, he emerged in his school clothes and sat beside Rias, where they ate silently. "This is really good, thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it," giving him a smile. "Again, I'm sorry about not telling you about the fallen angel."
"It's fine. No harm done," eating a strip of bacon. "So what brings you here? I'm sure you didn't just come here to make me breakfast."
Her smile changed into a neutral look though her eyes held some concern. "I was worried about you," she truthfully responded, causing him to face her. "Akeno, Koneko-chan, and I found some blood and a pair of fallen angel wings. Koneko-chan caught a whiff of your scent.
"Really? Damn." The girl really is a Nekomata. However, she seems to be suppressing that side of her. "She's good," he casually remarked.
"You don't seem surprised or, at the very least, fazed," her curiosity started to grow at his nonchalant attitude. "Don't you care that you could have been killed?"
He could see the concern in her eyes and hear the twinge of fear in her voice. Gently placing his hand on hers, "there's nothing for you to worry about. This is part of the job your brother and Azazel-sama assigned to me."
"Onii-sama and the Governor-General of the fallen angels assigned you the task?" A shocked Rias was asking herself why her brother was working with the head of the fallen angels and why did none of them tell her.
"That's right. The Fallen Angels I killed are considered rogues, having their allegiance sworn to Kokabiel. As a result, they're now considered outlaws and are marked for death. I also have my own reasons for hunting them," he reluctantly admitted the last statement.
A wave of sadness washed over him. Rias asked, "does it have anything to do with why we haven't seen each other in years?"
Sucking in a breath, he replied. "Kokabiel was the one who launched that attack in the Devil community all those years ago. During the attack, he killed my mother in front of me. It was also when my sacred gear emerged for the first time. . ." He told her the story of how, after he awoke, Boosted Gear lived inside of him and why his father chose to remove him from the underworld at large. Only returning to train at Dragons Mountain to develop his powers.
In the end, Rias threw her arms around him and hugged him. "You have suffered so much. . . For so long, I've asked myself why you left. The times I asked onii-sama, he refused to give me an answer. But now I know." Then removing her face from his shirt, she cupped his face. "I promise to protect you this time. You will no longer be alone."
Issei gave her a curt nod, and she brought his forehead to hers. "And I promise to look after you."
From that moment, the two spent some much-needed time together, catching up on the things they missed after separating. This continued until it was time to leave for school; with their lunches packed, they left the house. Issei handed her the spare helmet when she sat behind him. Rias strapped it on and wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing herself closer to him, though he momentarily hesitated when he felt her breast pressed up against his back. 'She really did change in more ways than one,' he thought for a minute before kicking himself. 'Don't think like that, idiot. She a pure blood Devil from an esteemed house.' Squashing down any and all impure thoughts, he rode them both to school.
As they rode to Kuoh, the crimson-haired girl suddenly felt hot; her heart was beating rapidly as she clung to Issei. His strong and well-toned body made her body hot. Silently she wondered what he looked like without his clothes. When they arrived at the parking lot, he shut off his bike, bringing her back to reality. 'No, I shouldn't be thinking that,' her rational side said. But her mischievous side had other ideas, 'what's the matter with you? He's tall, sexy, and ridiculously strong. Better claim him before someone else does.'
"We're here, Buchou," she removed her helmet as he did. "Are you okay? You seem flustered," noting how her face became the same shade as her hair.
"N-No. . . I—I mean, yes, I'm fine." She quickly composed herself trying to regain her rational mind. "Say, Issei, will you come by the club room during lunch? The others will want to get to know you better."
"Sure."
They walked to the main building though it brought attention from the other students. The females stared with envy. Some had tears brewing in their eyes when they saw issei walking so close to Rias. Meanwhile, the men sent murderous glares at him for gaining the attention of one of the two great beauties. Motohama and Matsuda had tears running down their faces as they angrily stared at the new guy.
For the first part of the day, Issei attended his classes, ignoring the hateful glances from the other males in the class. Then, at the sound of the bell, he left the classroom and headed toward the ORC before any of them could gang up on him. He found Buchou sitting at her mahogany desk, speaking with Akeno-san and Koneko-chan on one of the couches drinking some tea. Sitting next to the small girl, he pulled out his lunch; when she caught a whiff of the food, she gave him a small pout. Nevertheless, he found her expression adorable and slid her two bento boxes. She accepted it and muttered thank you before digging in. A minute later, Kiba-san arrived.
"Yuuto-san, I trust you are doing well today?" Rias raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, very well. I received a new contract yesterday," he informed.
"That's nice to hear. You do the House of Gremory proud."
Kiba gave her a respectful bow before taking a seat on the couch. He then looked at their newest club member, who happily ate his lunch along with Koneko-chan. Since he first came to the Academy, Issei-kun had gained quite a reputation, not just for his looks but in the Kendo club, as the girls often commented on his skills with a sword. "Issei-kun, would you mind if I ask you something?" The brunette put his tray down after eating some rice.
"What is it?"
"Would you do me the honor of having a sparring session with me? I like to see how skilled you are with a sword."
"The honor will be all mine," he replied. "Would after school be acceptable for you?"
Kiba nodded his head, "indeed it would, and thank you, Issei-kun," bowing his head in gratitude.
Rias stared fondly at the two. She was glad her Knight and childhood best friend were getting along. And was even more glad to hear the latter agree to the former's request; truthfully, she wanted to see how skilled he was and the type of combatant he was.
After the end of classes that day, Issei and Kiba met behind the school building, along with the others. Akeno erected a barrier around the area, so any non-devils nor anyone else could interrupt.
Taking their positions, a magic circle appeared in Kiba's hand, and out came a wooden sword. "Issei-kun, just because we're in the same club doesn't mean I will hold back. I hope you understand."
"I would be insulted if you did anything but go all out," brandishing his own sword.
Akeno went to referee the match, "the duel between Yuuto Kiba and Hyoudou Issei is about to commence. This will be a battle of swordsmanship. There is to be no power usage, and the duel will end when either opponent is disarmed or can no longer continue. Is this understood?"
Both boys nodded in understanding.
"Then battle begin," firing a small ball of lightning into the air.
Dashing toward each other, Kiba and Issei swung their swords as fast as they could. Attacking and defending against one another, trading blows. Kiba had to admit that his opponent was skilled, bringing his sword down on Issei-kun, but the strike was blocked. "Those are some impressive moves."
"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself," Issei gave him a genuine smile. Then pushing him off. Kiba had some impressive skills and was definitely an expert swordsman; despite his attacks being fast and sharp, they lacked power and were easy to predict. He relied heavily upon his speed to deliver fast attacks to gain an advantage, and then it hit Issei. Kiba-san was definitely a Knight and a technique-fighter. That explained a lot about why he dodged more than defended his attacks. Interesting. The two continued for another ten minutes, trading blows, until Issei decided to end things by taking a technique-like stance, he waited for Kiba to attack again. When Kiba launched himself forward, determined to finish the duel, he was surprised when Issei parried his strike and switched to a combination of power and technique attacks. A thoroughly confused Kiba was shocked at the turn of events as he could not differentiate between Issei's attacks or find a weakness to exploit. The whole thing took its toll on the young blonde male until he found a weakness. Unbeknownst to him, his opponent was a few steps ahead of him, like he thought the boy had tried to thrust his sword at Issei's left. Intercepting the strike with his sword, he parried before knocking the wooden sword out of his hands, bringing his sword to Kiba's neck.
"I yield," Kiba announced, admitting he'd been bested.
"Kiba-san has conceded the match. The winner is Issei-kun," Akeno said.
Falling to the ground, sweating and panting, Kiba looked up, "that was amazing! I knew you were good but didn't know you were that good!" He accepted the Issei's outstretched hand and was pulled back to his feet.
"The same with you," returning the compliment. "You are a formidable opponent, that much is certain. . .but there is more to combat than just being fast and powerful with a sword."
"Sound advice," Rias, Akeno, and Koneko walked toward them. "From what I saw, it appeared like you were training him."
"That's because I was," not feeling at all guilty for admitting the truth. "I wanted to study and evaluate his skill level."
"So what do you think?"
"As skilled as he is, there is room for improvement. He can start with understanding the weaknesses of his style of combat."
"And what weaknesses are those?" Kiba enquired.
"Patience, my friend. The style is yours; therefore, you must find your weaknesses and turn them into your strengths. Understand the form before you attempt to change it," was all Issei said before whirling around and walking off.
". . .He's good," Akeno replied. "It makes me wish he'd evaluate and study me." Her eyes shined at the prospect of him learning every aspect about her.
"Do not even think about it, Akeno," came a little jealous Rias.
"Ufufufu, I never do. But, it would help if you shared more," she continued ignoring her frowning friend.
"And have you get your claws into him? Out of the question," her voice indicated possessiveness.
The next day followed the same as yesterday, the newest member of the Occult Research Club. After his training session with Kiba-san, he handed out fliers to different people yesterday. True to his word Sirzechs-sama had the box he took full of food the previous day washed and returned. Along with it came a note that Issei found amusing, as he could tell that the Devil King loved his food. The way he enquired about the ingredients used had him bouncing and wanting more showing his inner child. Also, Millicas was looking forward to coming over for dinner. That morning after his run, he found Buchou again in his house, making breakfast for the two. Any attempts to argue about her doing this for him were squashed as she stubbornly refused at every turn. In actuality, he welcomed her to come back whenever she wanted, having renewed his appreciation for her being around like this. When it came time for school, instead of taking the motorcycle, they decided to walk and chat about current events. Some of it revolved around the festivals and where they'd like to go in the future.
Hours later, during the second half of the day, Issei found it hard to pay attention in class and instead stared out the window. For a couple minutes, his mind drifted off to parts unknown. A variety of different thoughts entered his mind. One, in particular, was an old memory of when he and Rias were kids and played in the garden of the Gremory mansion. The two were playing hide and seek when she was counting. He went to hide in the garden maze. But unfortunately, he didn't get far enough into the memory as the teacher interrupted.
"Hyoudou-san!" The class turned its attention to Issei as he met the teacher's gaze with his own. "Since you have the time to stare off into space, please answer the equation," pointing to the chalkboard.
Holding back a snort that was threatening to escape, "sure, whatever," casually responding. "The answer you are looking for is 51.67. It is not entirely hard to figure out."
His teacher, along with the other students, was astonished at his causal response. Then regaining himself, the teacher wrote down some additional equations and had him solve them one by one. The superior smile that once appeared on the teacher's face turned into one of frightened shock as his student answered every one of them correctly. As if like he was unchallenged by the situation. To be spared from any further surprises, the bell rang, and like any other middle-aged man who'd just been shown up by someone younger—a student no less, he bolted out of the room.
Seeing that he was done for the day, he went to meet with the other Devils in the ORC. Upon arriving, he saw Buchou emerge from the shower with two towels, one covering her body, the other her head, and Koneko-chan sitting on a couch eating a popsicle. Not desiring to have any impure thoughts, the boy blushingly turned around.
"Is there a problem, Issei?" Rias asked, confused why he immediately turned around.
"U-Um Buchou, you might want to look at what's covering you." Controlling his more teenage hormones and dragon side was proving to be a challenge.
A mischievous smile crossed her face, "does the sight of me in nothing but a towel intrigue you?"
"I'm a 17-year-old boy who is standing not a few feet away from a beautiful woman wrapped in nothing except a towel. Of course, that would excite me. But that doesn't give me the right to look at you like that without permission." He answered.
"Ara, ara, well, aren't you the gentlemen," Akeno entered the room from a magic circle. "You know, Issei-kun, I wonder how you would react if I was in nothing but a towel. I might even let you feel me," she wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered something into his ear, making his face red hot.
"That's enough, Akeno," Rias did not like what she was implying and went to pull her off him. But, unknown to her, the towel covering her body fell to the ground as she dragged Akeno to the bathroom.
When he turned around, he caught a glimpse of her naked body as she closed the door to scold her Queen. Then taking a seat next to Koneko-chan. "Oh sweet Maou, I don't know if those two are genuine or if they're plotting something."
Koneko-chan non-expressively replied, "for someone who is at the top of his class, you sure are clueless. Get a clue, Mr. lizard."
"Always got an encouraging quip, don't you?" he jokingly asked.
"See what's right in front of you, and everything will be clear," she replied, finishing her popsicle. What she did next surprised him entirely. The girl, who mostly acted like a robot either when she had food or didn't, turned and sat on her knees to face him. However, the former was not completely true, as he would sometimes catch a tiny smile whenever eating something sweet. Then leaning closer, she closed her eyes and quickly sniffed him.
"I didn't notice it before, but your usual scent has changed since we first met. Why is that?"
"Must be the new shampoo and soap I'm using whenever I shower," silently, he was impressed she could smell a new fragrance on him. "Anyway, I—"
"Sorry to keep the two of you waiting." Buchou and Akeno re-entered the room. Rias was now dressed in her Kuoh clothes. Folding her arms under her breast, she leaned back until her rear hit the top of her desk. "Issei, as it so happens, I have a job for you today."
"Oh. What kind of job?" standing to his feet.
"Prior to you coming in and seeing me in a towel," his mouth went dry when she winked at him. "Koneko-chan received a summons from two people. One is a regular client of hers, while the other has never summoned a devil before."
"Alright, so how does that involve me?" Though he had an idea but wanted to hear it from her first.
"It will mean a lot if you take the regular so she could gain a contract with the new client. Will you please help her?"
". . .If you would be so kind," she bowed to him from her position on the couch.
"Hm. Could be fun. Do you have the flier he used to contact you?" Koneko-chan's eyes told him she was grateful for his help.
"Great. Well, you two should be heading out," she handed him the flier for the new client. "When you're done, the magic circle will transport you back. Good luck."
When he moved to stand next to a window, the magic circle appeared below his feet and teleported him to the client's location. Appearing in a small clean, but cluttered room. There were shelves full of manga books from several different series, pictures of small girls in different positions girls on the wall, a small table in the center, and a computer desk. Given the room's atmosphere, a small part of Issei felt like he was a fast-food delivery man to a lolicon individual. Standing before him was a man who appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. He had glasses and shoulder-length brown hair. The man seemed displeased when someone else other than the person he wanted came out of the magic circle.
"Who are you? I asked for Koneko-chan."
"Sorry about that. She got held up. Did you summon a devil?" he politely asked.
"Yes, but I wanted Koneko-chan. . ." the man's name was Morisawa-san. He apparently was fascinated with her as he had a contract with her. So the only question was: What did he have her do for him? "Oh, well, you're a devil, right?"
"That I am," Issei nodded in confirmation. "Why don't we sit down and talk? Maybe you can describe what it is you have Koneko-chan do when you summon her."
Morwisawa-san agreed and went to go make some green tea for the both of them. Returning a few minutes later, he returned a tray with a pot of tea and two cups for them. Accepting the green tea, Issei took a sip, and the two sat silently for a couple of minutes, not breaking eye contact.
Deciding to break the silence, Issei cleared his throat. "So, what were you going to have Koneko-chan do when she arrived?" Hopefully, it wouldn't be anything too awkward for him to fulfill so he could get a contract with the man.
Grudgingly Morwisawa pulled out a familiar uniform from the popular anime show that came out last year. Issei's eyes bulged, "unreal is that the outfit from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya?"
A delightful came across the man's face, "yes, your eyes do not deceive you. This is the original uniform worn by Nagato Yuki. I just got it last week."
"That's impressive! I heard that getting one would cost a fortune. But why would you want her to put that on?" Issei shook his head, remembering why he was here tonight.
At his question, Morwisawa's face became lecherous, "she the same height as Nagato Yuki, and I wanted her to dress in it. I wanted her to dress in it so badly!"
'Yep, this guy is definitely a pervert with an obsession for small girls. I wonder how Koneko-chan got through this.' "You just wanted her to wear the costume?"
"No, I wanted her to wear it and carry me like a princess. Don't tell me you don't know her special skill," he seemed scandalized now. "That girl can carry me like a leaf and not break a sweat."
'A rook, no doubt. Rooks have absolute offensive and defensive capabilities,' Issei thought to himself.
"Well, never mind. So, devil, what are your special skills? You do have some, right?" Morwisawa-san looked at him expectantly.
Bringing his fist together, Issei smirked when they were engulfed in flames, and he performed a series of punches that caught the older man's eyes.
"You're a fan of Fairy Tail," he happily exclaimed.
". . .and of Dragon Ball. I followed the entire series from the parody all the way until the end of the Z series."
Morwisawa had him perform some of Dragneel Natsu's signature moves and was thoroughly impressed. He then showed off his entire manga collection of Dragon ball, which earned Issei's respect.
"This is the most fun I've had in months. You might not have been the devil I summoned, but you've definitely exceeded my expectations. Let's sign a contract the next time you are here. What's your name?" the man eagerly asked.
"I am Hyoudou Issei, and this was actually kind of fun." He didn't know whether to thank Koneko-chan or be glad she hadn't come today. Either way, it wasn't a total loss, as he gained a potential contract with the man.
"Before you leave, I need to write a review of your service and my experience tonight. Tell whoever sent you that the next time I summon you, we'll have a contract made." Grabbing a pen and piece of paper, he wrote down what he thought of the devil that came tonight and what he did tonight. He signed the form and handed it over.
"Thank you for your services tonight," he bowed.
"The pleasure was all mine," returning the bow, he pulled out the flier that brought him, and when the magic circle appeared, he was taken back to the ORC.
"Oh, Issei, you're back," Rias said from her seat. "Did you get a contract?"
"Not exactly, but I do have a future client. He wanted me to tell you I'll get a contract with him the next time he summons me. And to give you this," though her face fell, she accepted the form and read it.
She was pleasantly surprised to read the person's feedback. "You really made an impression on him. He gave you a ten out of ten! It may not be a contract, but it's a start." She looked up. "Please get a contract with someone next time."
"I definitely will. However, I do hope the next person is not a lolicon," scratching behind his head.
Rias sighed. "Do I dare ask what he wanted Koneko-chan to do?"
"Let's just say it involves her and a cosplay uniform and leave it at that."
"Why doesn't that surprise me," she muttered to herself. The person he saw today was a client whom Koneko-chan has voiced her annoyance about on more than one occasion. Rising to her feet, she rounded the table to stand beside him, "guess that's it for the day. Issei, would you mind if I came over tomorrow for dinner?"
". . ."
(0^0)
The following day after club activities, I went about my business and took my bike to the park. Figuring the calm, warm air would do me some good. After parking my bike, I walked to a nearby bench. The peace and serenity around the area were soothing and allowed me time to reflect on what happened today. Earlier today, Issei got his first contract with a rookie Detective who needed assistance gathering information on a drug lord. Upon discovering that a few of the other officers were on the man's payroll, they were questioned, and during the interrogation, they revealed everything about his operations.
Then there was the matter of later tonight. Sirzechs-sama and Millicas were due to come by for dinner. Sirzechs-sama called yesterday to let him know that he, Millicas, and probably Grafia-chan, if she can get off, would come at 8 p.m. Though, initially shocked when Rias asked to come as well, he agreed as she hadn't seen her nephew in a while. And because the last time they saw each other, he scolded and nearly took away her peerage. With any luck, the two could patch things up. But having known the Devil King for most of his life, he will likely have forgotten by now and start doting on his sister again. As the calm atmosphere soothed him, he immediately sensed the presence of someone coming.
When he turned to the right, he saw someone dressed in a nun uniform trip and fall to the ground. Her face was in the ground, her arms spread wide, and her rear was in the air. But unfortunately, when she fell, the lower part of her outfit lifted up, giving a view of her white panties. Also, her suitcase was open, with some of her clothes resting on the ground. "O-Oh no. Why do I keep tripping? I'm such a clutz."
"Are you okay?" Issei walked over as she turned around. He held out a hand to help her up.
"Um, yes, I'm fine. Thank you very much," she accepted his hand so he could pull her back to her feet. Judging by her height and tone of voice, she was either the same age as him or younger.
Then giving her a quick once over when a gust of wind blew, knocking the white veil from her head. Standing before him was an attractive young woman with long blonde hair that seemed to flow down her back, split bangs over her forehead, and a single strand sticking out from the top and sloping backward. Her eyes were green, and she stood at 5'1. The attire she was wearing showed she was a member of the church.
'Could this be the nun the fallen angels have been waiting for?' Issei wondered. "Hello, I'm Hyoudou Issei. It's nice to meet you. Are you lost?"
"It's nice to meet you, Ise-san. My name is Argento Asia, and no, I'm not lost. I just got in town today looking for the church," she smiled when he retrieved her veil and gave it back.
"Thank you."
He nodded and helped her pick up the clothes that had fallen out of her suitcase. "So, you are a member of the church, huh? But why would you come here?"
"The church I was originally from assigned me to the one in this town. Though since coming here, I've run into a couple of problems, like I have trouble speaking Japanese, so people cannot understand me, and I've been mostly alone," she explained.
"I can understand how that would suck, but be that as it may, whoever sent you should have provided an escort who can translate for you." This was turning out to be a setup as she seemed genuinely innocent yet naive at the same time. "Well, if you need directions around this town, I would be happy to help."
"You would! This must be God's will as he blessed me with the opportunity to meet someone as kind as you." Asia smiles at me with tears forming in her eyes. She might seem naive, but she was, without a doubt, cute.
We continued to talk until I noticed the cross around her neck and immediately went stiff. Crosses and holy weapons are dangerous to devils, and since I'm half devil, there's no telling what it might do to me. Then, just when she was about to ask what was wrong, we heard someone crying. Turning our attention to the source, we saw a small boy sitting on the ground crying with a scrape on his knee. Asia wasted no time in hurrying to his side.
"Are you okay? Little boy's shouldn't cry over minor injuries," patting his head while the boy's mom tried to soothe her son. Then out of nowhere, a green light orb appears in her hands and surrounds the wound.
It then hit me as I watched the scrape on the child's knee disappear like nothing ever happened. This was definitely the one the fallen angels had been looking for. Both the mom and son thanked her, and we continued to walk and talk.
"That was very nice of you to do that for him. You probably made his day."
She smiled at me, "I've always loved helping people, and thanks to my sacred gear, I can heal anyone."
"Twilight healing." She stopped in her tracks and seemed perplexed. "There's no need to worry. Like you, I'm also unique."
"You are?" She asked. I then revealed my dragon and devil wings which greatly shocked her. "Wait. You're a devil and a dragon!?"
"Yes, but you have no need to worry. Contrary to what you might have heard from the other church members, not all devils are evil or vicious."
"Oh, I wasn't thinking that at all," giving a gentle smile. "You just caught me off guard as I thought you were a human."
They went to sit on a bench, where they started talking about themselves. Asia was originally from Northern Europe, where she was raised by the nuns of a church after they found her on the doorstep when she was a baby. Since then, she was taught how to be a nun, but after discovering she had the power to heal people and witnessing her heal a devil, they excommunicated her. As penance, she was driven away and sent to the church in Kuoh, where she would seek redemption by working under another church member Freed Sellzen. That did not sit well with Issei, as Freed was a killer and would abuse her.
"Asia, if you go anywhere near that church or near Freed, then you will not live long enough to regret it," warned Issei.
"What do you mean?" Her facial expression and voice showed concern. "I was told that Father Freed was still an active member of the church and that I would be safe."
"That was a lie to get you here," he replied. "Freed Sellzen may have been an exorcist at one point, but he was excommunicated for not believing in God or adhering to the church's rules and was only concerned with killing anything in his path. It was for those reasons, among others, that he was banished."
Asia gasped in her hands. "I-I never knew. What about the church?"
"The church is currently acting as a base of operations for fallen angels and a group of stray exorcists. Two of the fallen angels have already been eliminated, but the others have not. They wanted to acquire your sacred gear and later kill you."
"No. How could they," tears started coming down her face. Issei attempted to comfort her by rubbing her back.
"It's all right, Asia. You do not have to go there if you don't want to," trying to ease her sadness.
"But, I have nowhere else to go," she raised her head at him.
"That's where you are wrong," Issei said without a moment of hesitation. "If you want, you can come stay with me."
"A-Are you sure?" He gave her a nod. Smiling at him, she ceased crying, "yes, thank you, Ise-san," throwing her arms around his neck and hugged him as if he were a big teddy bear.
She must have forgotten that she was wearing a cross, and he screamed in pain. "Oh, no, I'm sorry, I forgot you're half devil. Let me heal you," again, the green orb appeared in her hands, and she placed it where the cross touched him. Within minutes he was fine.
"Thanks. Though you might want to put that cross somewhere else. Remember, they can seriously hurt devils."
"Right. Yes, of course," she removed it from around her neck and put it in her suitcase.
After that, he led her to his parked motorcycle, where he handed her the spare helmet and told her to hold on.
A/N: Issei has gone on his first job as a devil though he might not have gotten a contract that night the client wrote him a good review and promised to make one with him the next time. As we can see Rias is starting to show feelings for Issei and vice versa though whether this is just because they're teenagers, him being a dragon, or something else remains to be seen.
In my experience Kiba is a skilled swordsman; however, he still has a ways to go. As a technique-fighter his attacks lack sufficient power, so he compensates for being versatile with the swords he's able to create. Then finally Issei has met Asia Argento and has decided to spare her from the wrath of Freed Sellzen and the remaining fallen angels. The only questions are. How will Rias take it when another woman is around Issei? Will this be a new beginning for Asia or will she die?
Next chapter: Stray Devil and Exorcist