Rise of the Reborn: Descendant of a Folk Hero [DxD]
Chapter 2: Meetings with the Kings.
"So, you and another devil are in charge of this town, and you and this other devil are princesses?" After Rias explained her place in Kuoh and her duties as the heir to house Gremory, Pancho asked. "You also shove chess pieces into people, and they join your club?" Pancho spoke as if he was clueless about how devils worked. But he still remembered everything he saw in the show.
"Well, not exactly, but close enough," Rias answered. "So it's good you came to see me before starting any trouble. If you had caused problems, it would have been my duty to punish you." She finished with a wink.
Pancho couldn't help but laugh at Rias's words, causing her smile to twitch at his laugh. "S-Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. You're just too adorable to punish anyone."
The door to the club room opened before Rias could reply. "Oh, Koneko," Rias called out as Pancho turned to see a young white-haired girl walk in. Carrying a grocery bag in one hand, Koneko gave Pancho a curious look before turning and giving Rias a nod. "Pancho, this is Koneko. She will be starting as a first-year here at Kuoh Academy, but she's also a member of my peerage," Rias explained.
"Hey, nice to meet you, I'm Luis, but you can call me Pancho," Pancho said with a wave.
"Hello," Koneko replied, her face stoic. She then made her way to sit on the couch.
"D-Don't mind her," Rias quickly said, suddenly embarrassed by the rook's stoic attitude. She's just a shy girl. But, uh, Pancho. I want to ask you something. It's about your scared gear. If you don't mind, of course." She asked politely.
"Oh? Asking about my super secret weapon on our first meet? That's pretty bold." Pancho replied with a laugh. "You can ask about it, but I may or may not answer. So ask away."
Rias pouted at Pancho's words but quickly asked her question. "Can you show it to me?" She asked in a serious tone.
A smirk instantly appeared on Pancho's face. He couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. "Well, if you really want me to," Pancho said while standing up and unzipping his pants.
"Wha-aat are you doing!" Rias squeaked while jumping to her feet.
"How bold, fufufu~" Akeno giggled, causing Rias to blush.
"What? You said you want me to show it to you."
"Y-Your scared gear!" Rias shouted. "Show me your Scared gear!"
"Pervert," Koneko groaned while eating her snacks.
"Oh? If that's what you want to see, why didn't you just say so?" Pancho zipped up his pants and sat back down. "Well, I could just show it to you, maybe give you some long explanation, but where's the fun? How about you give me your number instead."
His words surprised Rias. "You... You want my phone number?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
"Of course, but I do have to get a phone first. I know I can buy one of those flip phones and phone cards at the convenience store, and I'll pick one up once I leave here." Pancho started to explain. "I'll message you later when I find a monster to hunt; that way, you can see my sacred gear in action. Or, maybe I can message you to watch anime."
"A-Anime?!" Rias's face lit up once more at the mention of anime. "You want to watch some anime with me?"
"Yeah, it sounds like fun. As a traveling hunter, I don't have enough time to stay in one place and watch anime, so I've missed many anime. We can hang out, and you can show me the best ones. Only if you want to, that is."
"I would love that!" Rias was excited. She had no friends to watch anime with. When she tried to watch anime with Akeno, the black-haired girl kept making teasing jokes and not really paying attention to the story. When she tried to watch anime with Koneko, the young girl would stay silent but give one-word answers during the after-show talks or just fall asleep. "Here's my number, and oh, here's Akeno and Koneko's number in case you can't reach me," Rias said while quickly writing down the phone numbers.
Hearing Rias's words, Akeno smiled at Pancho. "You can text me any time, handsome. We can talk about things more 'fun' than Rias's silly cartoons."
"Akeno," Rias growled out.
Koneko walked up to Pancho and pulled on his sleeve, which caused him to turn to her. "Don't message me." She stated bluntly, then walked back to her seat. Pancho couldn't help but laugh at Koneko's behavior.
"Here are the numbers." Rias slid a piece of paper across her desk for Pancho to take. "Besides monster hunting and anime, you can message me if you need anything."
Once Rias said those words, Akeno leaned over to whisper into her ear, "You should be careful offering him 'anything.' There's only one thing a boy would want from a girl." Akeno teased, making Rias twitch.
Pancho picked up the paper with a smile. "Thanks, Ms. Devil. You'll be the first person I message once I get my new phone. Speaking of which, I should head out and pick one up now," Pancho said while slipping the paper into his pocket.
"Oh? Leaving already?" Rias asked. "You sure you can't stay longer? I'll have Akeno make you some tea." Rias wanted to know more about the traveling hunter in her city.
"Sadly, I should go. Picking up a new phone isn't the only thing I need to do today. I really need to buy some new clothes. Wearing a long-sleeved shirt, a heavy poncho, and that hooded cloak is a real pain." Pancho explained. "Plus, didn't Akeno say that your paperwork is due today? I wouldn't want to be the reason you get in trouble."
Rias groaned at being reminded of the paperwork on her desk. "Well, message me when you have a phone, and if you really want to hunt a monster, I'm sure I can find a stray devil; those things are always around."
"Sounds fun, see you later. Akeno, shorty, nice meeting you." Pancho called out while making his way to his cloak.
"Don't forget to message me later, handsome; I'll eagerly wait for your text." Akeno teased out, only to get a glare from Rias while Koneko kept eating.
~R~R~D~F~H~
The club room stayed silent as the three devils sensed Pancho walking further from the building. Akeno was the first one to speak up. "Well, he was certainly interesting."
Rias took a deep breath and sat back in her chair. "A human hunter of the supernatural, I've never met any before." Rias started to explain. "My brother once told me about a pair of brothers in America when I was a kid… What do you think about him, Koneko?"
"…Dragon." The young white-haired girl muttered simply.
"What?" Rias asked. "What do you mean?"
"…His smell, his sacred gear. It smells like a dragon." Koneko stated.
Rias's eyes widened as she realized what Koneko said. "Dragon… I can tell he has a sacred gear, but a dragon-based one could be powerful." Rias drummed her fingers on her desk as she spoke.
"Does this mean you're going to try to recruit him?" Akeno asked. "You haven't tried to recruit anyone since what happened that time."
Rias frowned as she thought about the 'time' Akeno was talking about. That day, she got a tip from her brother about a possible recruit to her peerage, a survivor of a failed experiment. All Rias had to do was go pick him up and make him an offer, and he would have been her new knight. Her brother's peerage tips were how she found Akeno and Koneko, so Rias was excited to gain a new member of her family.
But a sudden visit from the man she would be forced to marry, Riser Phenex, turned into a shouting match, and by the time Rias found the Holy Sword Project survivor, he had been dead. The poor boy had died from his wounds. Rias hated herself for months after that. She blamed herself for his death, and she blamed Riser as well. But since then, she swore she would take down all those responsible for the Holy Sword Project to make up for the life she could have saved.
"Yes," Rias finally spoke up. "I think it's time we expand our family. I'll make him an offer next time we meet. Pancho having a sacred gear is enough for me to make him an offer, but if he's experienced in fighting against the supernatural, that makes him quite valuable."
"Oh? And him being handsome has nothing to do with it?" Akeno teased.
"Hush you and send a message to Sona for a meeting. I should let her know about him."
"As you order, my King." Akeno quickly did as she was told while Rias picked up the papers on the desk. Koneko, on the other hand, yawned and laid down on the couch to nap.
~R~R~D~F~H~
'Damn this thing, I should have learned Japanese on my way here.' Pancho grumbled in his mind as he tried to figure out his new phone. 'Dammit, where's the Spanish or English option for this thing.'
It had been over an hour since Pancho had left his meeting with Rias. Since then, he has bought some simple clothes and shoes to blend in; he is currently wearing an 'I *heart* Japan' t-shirt, some comfy sweats, and sports shoes. He wanted to look like a tourist, so he left his normal 'hunting' outfit in the hotel he rented. After getting new clothes and changing, he found a place to buy a phone and headed back to see Rias to get help once he realized he had no idea what he was doing with it. He was so distracted by the phone he didn't notice the pair of devils walking up to him.
"Hold it right there," A female voice called out to him. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Looking up from his phone, Pancho locked eyes with the student council president, Sona Sitri. Standing next to the Sitri heiress was her loyal queen, Tsubaki Shinra. "You must be the other devil leader Rias told me about," Pancho said. "She didn't tell me you were so cute."
There was an unimpressed look on Sona's face as she stared at him. "So you're a friend of Rias? Are you here to visit her?" Sona asked.
"Well, we aren't friends yet. I just met her about an hour ago. I'm Luis, by the way, but everyone just calls me Pancho," he said with his best smile.
Sona studied him carefully. "You must be the traveling hunter she told me about. I just finished speaking to her myself. But you don't look like what she described," she said while eying his clothes.
"I just bought these to blend in," Pancho replied. "I was tired of wearing that dumb cloak."
Sona hummed but nodded at his explanation. "Since you already know I'm one of the devils in charge of this area, you may know my true name. I am Sona Sitri, heiress to the Sitri family. On school grounds and in front of humans, you will refer to me as Souna Shitori, student council president of this Kuoh Academy. This is my queen and vice president, Tsubaki Shinra." Tsubaki gave a polite and slight bow once she was introduced.
"Oh? I didn't know we were announcing fancy titles. But it's nice to meet you. I have to ask: Are all devils beautiful? Both of you, and Rias and her peerage, are devils born beautiful, or—" Pancho started to say but was cut off when Sona started talking.
"If you have already met and spoken to Rias, why have you returned to school grounds?" Sona asked.
"Oh, I just needed some help. Maybe you can help me instead." Pancho held up his new phone and an expensive phone card. "I don't know how to use this phone; I can't read Japanese. Can you put it in Spanish or English for me and show me how this phone card works?"
Sona eyed the phone and then looked back to Pancho. "Come with me to my office. There are some things I want to discuss with you while Tsubaki sets up the phone for you." Sona said. She then turned to walk away, not even waiting for Pancho to reply. Tsubaki quickly followed her King, leaving Pancho to follow.
~R~R~D~F~H~
"Nah, I'm good. I don't want to join the academy," Pancho said after Sona tried to convince him to join Kuoh Academy. Much like his meeting with Rias, he sat in front of Sona's desk as she tried to convince him joining would be the best for him since joining and graduating from a prestigious academy would be good for his future. That might have been true, but Pancho could only assume he knew the real reason Sona wanted him to join the academy.
Rias must have told Sona she intends to recruit Pancho to her peerage, and Sona wants him to join the school so she can keep an eye on him. It was a way for Sona to help Rias keep him in line, using school rules. Pancho didn't mind it; he thought going to the academy could be fun, but he had a plan, and refusing Sona now was a part of it. "You say it's good for my future, but I'm a monster hunter. I don't think monsters care if I graduate or not." Pancho said with a shrug.
Sona laced her fingers together as she spoke. "Joining Kuoh is also for your protection. If the police see you walking around the city during school hours, they'll be forced to arrest you and bring you to school. But if you are not enrolled in a school, you'll be roped into a long legal process or even deported. They can't allow unattended minors to roam the city. Hunter or not, you are only seventeen." she explained. "If you plan on staying in this city for any amount of time, joining Kuoh Academy would be best for you."
Pancho hummed as he pretended to think over Sona's words. "Well, I don't want to be deported, but I doubt any normal cops could ever arrest me. But even if they could, no jail or building they have could ever hold me. So I would escape before ever being deported." He said with a smile. His attention was pulled away from Sona as Tsubaki placed his phone on the desk.
"Your phone is ready to use," Tsubaki stated bluntly.
"Oh, thanks." Pancho grinned as she nodded in reply. But as he turned back to Sona, he spotted the chess board on the edge of the desk. Chess was the key to his plans with Sona. "So, Ms Council President, I don't see the need for me to join your school, but I can tell you won't give up this augment so easily. So how about this? We'll play a game of chess to settle things." He stated while pointing towards the board.
Sona raised an eyebrow at his suggestion. "You know how to play chess?" She asked.
"Well, I won't lie. I haven't played in nearly five years," Pancho lied as he smiled. But I'm pretty good; I never lost when I played with other kids my age at the park back when I was a kid. I even beat kids a year or two older than me." He spoke as if he were boasting, but he was completely lying.
When Pancho awakened his memories of being from another world, he realized the blood running in his veins gave him a few perks and abilities, one of which is a strategic mind. He was the descendant of someone famous for their guerrilla warfare tactics. Pancho also studied chess whenever he could, preparing for his match against Sona. A match he knew would happen because he would do everything it took to make it happen. Playing chess against and beating Sona was the most important thing he needed to do if he wanted her to one day be a part of his future harem, something Issei could have never done.
"You want to play me in a chess match, and if I win, you'll join Kuoh Academy?" Sona asked, almost surprised by the suggestion. Hearing Pancho talk about his chess experience made Sona believe Pancho was a foolish boy she could easily beat, precisely what Pancho wanted.
"Yes, we play a single chess match. If you win, I'll do as you say and join this school." Pancho said with a nod. Then he looked Sona in the eyes and smiled. "But if I win, you'll take your shirt and bra off, and I get to do whatever I want with your naked breast for an hour." The moment those words came out of Pancho's mouth, silence filled the room.
"Absolutely not!" Sona suddenly stood up and glared at Pancho, her face turning red. Pancho could also feel the queen glaring a hole into the back of his head.
"Hey, no reason to get angry. I think it's a pretty fair trade." Pancho raised his hands in surrender while keeping his smile. "But if you don't think so then how about this. As I said, if I win, I get to do anything I want with your naked breast for an hour, and if you win, not only will I join the school, but I'll be your loyal dog until you graduate. Anything you need, I'll do it. If you want me to drop to my knees and bark for you, I won't hesitate. See, that deal is way in your favor. I mean one hour against one full school year of servitude. Sounds fair, but if you don't think you can beat me, I understand; I am pretty good. I did win a junior chess tournament my school held when I was thirteen." The smile on his face turned cocky as he said that.
Sona's glare narrowed at Pancho's words. Pancho knew this was Sona's weak point, her pride in playing chess. It was well known in the show, so much so that Sona put her marriage on the line regarding chess. The whole devil world knows that if you want to marry Sona, you must beat her in a chess match. Sona is so confident in her ability to play chess that she announced she would accept any man who could beat her without complaint. So when someone like Pancho, or at least who Pancho was pretending to be, challenged her this way, it directly insulted her pride.
"Very well," Sona stated while standing up straight.
"My King!?" Tsubaki squeaked out in surprise. She quickly shut her mouth when Sona raised a hand towards her.
"I will play you in a chess match," Sona adjusted her glasses as she locked eyes with Pancho. And I agree to your terms. Since you are my guest, I'll allow you to choose your color." Sona walked over and picked up the chessboard to set up.
Pancho walked over and hummed as he looked at the chessboard. "I forget, which color goes first? I want that one." Pancho's words caused Sona's eye to twitch. "I'm so going to beat you. Everyone knows the person who goes first in chess always wins." Sona could only stare in disbelief, but she was confident this would be a quick match, and she would get what she wanted.
~R~R~D~F~H~
"Checkmate," Pancho announced with a cheeky smile as he looked at Sona Sitri's shocked face.
"I… Uh… Wha-" Sona stuttered in shock as she stared at the board. It only took nine moves for Sona to lose the match. "You… You…"
In the first opening moves of the match, Pancho purposely made what Sona believed to be school kid-level plays, but Pancho was actually luring her into a trap. One that worked perfectly. Pancho knew he had to win quickly, because the longer the match went, the more likely he would lose. So once Sona took his bait, he sprung the trap and delivered the final strike.
"That was a fun game, but I won," Pancho laughed.
His words snapped Sona out of her daze. "Y-You tricked me!" She shouted, more in shock and surprise than in anger. "There's no way you are someone who only played chess as a kid years ago!"
"It's called strategy. Don't hate me because you fell for it." Pancho stated with a shrug. "The moment I saw your chessboard, I decided to make you believe I was a novice at chess so you would underestimate me. You did so, and I used that against you. Of course, I had to end the match quickly because you would have caught on to my plans and beaten me if the game had gone to thirty or forty moves. So I drew you into my trap with a few novice-level moves, and once you took the bait, I closed the trap and won. You say I tricked you, but I say I outsmarted you." Pancho explained. He knew Sona valued intelligence, so he let her see his. Of course, this plan wasn't an on-the-spot idea; it was something he'd been thinking of here and there for years.
Sona looked at the chessboard once, then back to Pancho, and with a sigh, she fell back to her seat. "You're right, I lost. Not because of a trick, but because you out smarted me. I lose." Once those words left her mouth, it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. It was her first lose since she announced she would only marry someone who could beat her in chess years ago.
While Sona accepted her defeat, her queen, Tsubaki, was still in shock. She'd seen her King play hundreds of chess matches against people of all levels, even grandmasters, and never lose. But some unknown fool beats her in only nine moves. Tsubaki didn't know what to think or even what to say.
"Since you agree that I win, I would like to claim my prize now." Pancho's words were like a jolt of electricity to the room.
Tsubaki was the first to react. "You!" She started to shout.
"Tsubaki," Sona's firm voice instantly shut down the queen's rant. "I agreed to his terms… I gave my word, and you know I will never break my word." Even though Sona spoke in her best confident voice, her face was completely blushing red.
Pancho couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Wow, Sona, you're so damn adorable. I'm going to have so much fun playing with you."
Pancho's words caused Tsubaki to twitch and glare at him, but Sona spoke before Tsubaki could say anything. "Tsubaki, please step outside until we are done," Sona ordered.
Tsubaki could only glare at Pancho and let out a defeated sigh. "As you order, my King." Giving Sona a quick bow, she made her way to the door, and just as she was about to open it, Pancho spoke up.
"Guard the door because if anyone interrupts us before the hour ends, we will restart the hour at another date," Pancho teased. But Tsubaki didn't argue; she just glared at him as she walked out the door and closed it behind her. Once Sona and Pancho were alone, Pancho stood up and walked around Sona's desk to stand in front of her. "Well, should we get started? The hour only starts counting down when you're completely topless."
Sona looked up at Pancho, her face completely red; she was too embarrassed to speak. Instead her fingers nervously started to undo her shirt's buttons. Years of planning were paying off, and Pancho was so happy he was reborn into this world.
~E~N~D~
A/N: So far, the favorite fallen angel choice is Mittelt, with Kalawarner being a very close second and Raynare being disliked. (All 'votes' are taken from across every website I post this story.) So this puts me into two mindsets, do people want Mittelt to gain a spot for the story's future, or would people rather see Raynare 'put into her place' so to speak. So let me know: do you guys like Mittelt enough for her to gain a spot in the story's future, or do you guys hate Raynare enough to see her broken, rebuilt, and given a spot in the story? (This brings me to my next point since it's related, but to put it simply, Pancho isn't a morally good guy. If killing Issei or conning Sona didn't tip it off to you. So don't be surprised when Pancho does some non-con stuff with a fallen angel.)
Also, in the next chapter, I'll show off Pancho's sacred gear, which isn't canon. It's my own creation. Plus, I'll show off more of what it means for Pancho to be a 'Descendant of a Folk Hero.' (I'm surprised no one has brought up who this character is based on.) Also, I should say this, the line [My brother did once tell me about a pair of brothers in America when I was a kid] was just a little easter egg/joke, so don't get your hopes up thinking they'll show up in this story.
~Picaro