Chapter 3: Trio Meets Devils
A few days later, after the trio of warriors took down those recruiters, it was almost their favorite day of the week: Friday!
After today and tomorrow, there was no school for two days to be free from boredom, train some more, and beat the daylights out of gangsters trying to approach their territory. Heck, they can even see Great Red.
The school was boring as usual since the trio were able to outperform many of the other students in their class, and the females were trying to help 'protect' their fellow females. Still, both Zoe and Daudouji flipped them off since they didn't need help from weaklings who only knew how to wield a stick and thought they were invincible.
After the day ended, the trio decided to go to a ramen shop, which was very popular among both business and casual members. The trio were well known in said shop since they protected the shop from loan sharks who tried to destroy the place when one of the employees owed them money but lost it when a guy stole it and spent five million yen in one day at a bar.
And that was why the owner was grateful for them and even changed the name to the Delinquent Bowls.
Funny name aside, many delinquents went there. They even enjoyed the food, thanking the owners for a wonderful meal until it became so popular that it became a neutral place for all delinquents to enjoy themselves or speak about meetings and such.
As the trio walked into the restaurant, the workers welcomed the trio, and the customers of the establishment immediately froze up as the trio walked in. The delinquents were used to this reaction as most people assumed he was a gangster there to cause trouble or extort someone.
That wasn't true. That's what Daudouji does when she's getting someone to pay for her meal.
The delinquent teenagers walked up to the counter and watched, surprised, as the entire line let him pass to the front.
'Jeez…do I scare people that badly?' Issei thought, somewhat amused as he walked up and ordered his food.
[Well, to be fair, your eyes are still intimidating, which was increased due to your training with that idiot Red.] Kaguya said while Son Goku replied to her.
[Hey, give the kid a break, and besides, if people are so scared to look at him in the eyes when talking business, then that just shows how much of a pussy they are.]
[You the one who's enabling him!] Kaguya shouted with her head massive with Isobu, Saiken, and Kokuō behind her, making Son Goku feel small before his brothers and sister comforted their brother while Issei stifled a laugh from this since he might've been more of a delinquent thanks to his training with Red, Son Goku, Shukaku, and Matatabi.
'Hey. Mock them all you want, but their training helped me become the warrior I am today. Plus, I was able to finish my training in my Sage of the Six Paths form, and man, does it feel amazing.' Issei said, which made Kaguya smirk, knowing that Issei loved to train in his Tailed Beast Transformations and his Sage form.
[Fair enough. Still, I can't wait to see you in the mindscape again since Kurama has wanted to help you train in his Nine-Tailed Beast armor.]
'Sweet! Can't wait to see what he's got in mind!' Issei mentally cheered before the trio got their meal and sat down to eat. Issei began to wonder how he was going to deal with his current situation. He certainly wasn't afraid of the situation, but he was dreading how to inevitably handle the storm of turmoil that would arise once all the devils at Kuoh Academy found out who and what he was.
The Devils would be problems along with those three idiots they knocked out so quickly since Daudouji had a feeling they're returning to recruit them again.
Zoe, on the other hand, couldn't help but wonder if she was going to have to kill everyone at the school at some point due to how annoying they were. If they could forge some papers to show they could graduate early, the trio wouldn't have to waste their time and mental energy in the classes with the teacher droning on stuff they already knew.
Deep in their thoughts, the trio ate their meal until Issei barely noticed someone approach him at their table.
"Umm…excuse me, are you Hyoudou-san?" a nervous voice spoke.
Issei snapped out of his inner reflections as he noticed a girl wearing his school's uniform. He cocked his head at her, confused. She had shoulder-length blue hair, blue eyes, and a slightly androgynous-looking face.
It only took him a few seconds to smell a devil's scent on her, which caused him to scowl, "What do you want immediately?"
"I apologize for bothering you outside of school like this, but I was just eating in here when I saw you walk in and was wondering if I could eat with you?" The girl said somewhat fearfully.
The girl was holding a plate of her food with a bowl on it that was shaking a bit, but the fact that she was brave enough to ask him something like that was rather remarkable, in his opinion. Issei and Daidouji were almost surprised she would even try, considering how aggressive Issei and Zoe were with Sona Sitri, one of the devil princesses in the school.
"Why? Did the president put you up to this? What does she want?" Issei asked with serious eyes.
"Yes, but I didn't expect to see you today. I was going to talk to you at school tomorrow, but since you're all here, I just thought maybe I could talk to you all now. We didn't want to upset you or make you, so can I please sit down with you guys?" The girl couldn't really find the words to express her thoughts as she looked around desperately.
"Just sit down already. People are staring," Zoe said, somewhat annoyed by the Devils feeling the need to put themselves in their lives even outside of school.
Issei and Daidouji immediately sent death glares to several gawking onlookers, causing them all to turn around or look away.
The girl sat down eagerly and placed her food on the table in front of her. There was pure silence for a moment as she ate a bit of her food. She snuck a glance up at Issei after a few moments and blushed heavily. She was surprised, however, when she noticed he wasn't even paying attention to her. She nervously fiddled with her food as she waited patiently for Issei to say something.
Issei was lost in his thoughts again as he passively ate the rest of his meal while Daidouji rolled her eyes and listened to some of the annoying people around their table.
"Is that poor girl dating that punk kid? How unfortunate," Daidouji heard an older woman say from across the room. This made Issei immediately snap from his daze again and look at the girl in front of him.
'Shit…this does look like a date. I thought she would have said her piece by now, so why isn't she talking? She's been sitting here for like a minute.' Issei wondered until Daidouji decided to save her partner.
"Are you just going to sit there and say nothing? If you have something to say, girl, spit it out already," Daidouji said, shaking her head at the girl who joined them.
Finally, after Daidouji broke the ice for her, the girl looked up and spoke, "Sona asked me to give you a message. Sona Sitri wants to meet with you all and talk to you three about something important."
"It took you that long to tell me that? Why did you need to sit here and eat with me then?" Issei immediately questioned her.
She looked away, embarrassed, "I just…"
"Listen, you can tell that stuck-up princess to come ask me herself. Why would she send you to deliver some useless message to me? Was she too afraid to ask me in person?" Issei said with some hostility since he had seen this before when rival gangs sent a messenger to them because they were too scared to see them and challenged them to a duel which resulted in the whole gang getting their asses handed to them.
"N-no, I asked her if I could go instead," The girl said shyly.
[I don't know if that's brave or stupid.] Matatabi pondered before Isobu replied.
[The Sitri girl may wish to see if we are a threat to 'her territory' even though she isn't in any position to make threats to us.] Isobu said, knowing that the Sitri girl was weak in terms of water magic since her powers were simple party tricks compared to what both Isobu and Kokuō were capable of.
Issei crossed his arms and stared at her, "Do you have a death wish or something? Why would you want to talk to us willingly?"
"I was really curious about you all, especially you, Issei Hyoudou," The girl finally found her spine as she began to speak normally.
"Is that right?" Issei said, looking at her intensely. Sharingan appeared in his eyes before the girl continued.
"You took Saji down with ease. I just wanted to ask you how?" Said the girl replied before the Sage shook his head in amusement before replying.
"I squeezed his wrist and threw him on the ground…so what?"
"You know what I'm talking about, Hyoudou-san. I'm sure you know this by now, but Saji's not human…how did you do that to him? What are you?" The girl asked before Zoe held her staff in front of the girl before glaring at her.
"Look, lady. We don't have time to sit here and play 20 questions with you, so unless you're here to confess your undying love to us or something, then there's really nothing else to be said here. Tell the president that we don't want to deal with this political roundabout bullshit. If your president wants to talk to us, then tell her to do it in person if she wants to say something to us. If that's all you can leave now," Zoe said strongly as she looked away.
A brief moment of silence passed before he turned back and saw the girl blushing heavily, "Who says things like that? You want me to confess undying love to you?"
"Is that why you're still here? This should be good…" Daudouji couldn't help but chuckle, causing the girl to blush with embarrassment.
"No, of course not! I just wanted to make sure you knew that Sona will probably try to talk to you sometime soon," The girl tried to cover her shame as she stood up and began to leave.
"No confession, huh? Too bad. You got a name, babe?" Issei asked, causing her to turn around with crimson cheeks.
"Tsubasa Yura and I'm a third year," Tsubasa said before immediately running out of the restaurant.
'I wasn't expecting her to fall apart like that. Girls take it so literally when I make those kinds of jokes,' Issei thought, amused until Kaguya laughed in response.
[This coming from the boy who fell for Kokuō in her human form and asked her to marry him?] Kaguya asked with Kokuō, in her human form, blushed as she covered her face while trying to forget the day her partner confessed his feelings to her and asked the question that made her hide from her sisters for days.
Issei was then quiet while he could hear the inhabitants of the restaurant gossiping about what had just happened, but he chose to ignore it as he left.
'So, she's one of the Sitri devils, and my senpai is too? Not a half-bad-looking girl, even for a devil. She was respectful, at least. What would I say if a girl actually did confess to me? She certainly was a bit flustered…' Issei thought as the trio then left the restaurant and went home after saying their farewells to each other.
After about fifteen minutes of walking through the scenic route, Issei made it back home. However, as he walked up into his driveway, Issei was surprised to see another girl sitting on his doorstep.
'Damn, another one? Why won't these people leave me alone?' Issei sighed as he walked up to the girl, who perked up upon noticing him,
"Are you Issei Hyoudou?"
"Yeah…and you better have a damn good reason for loitering around my house," Issei threatened with his hand cracking, ready to punch her next week.
"O-oh, I'm so sorry! It's just that I can never catch you anywhere else, and I found out from a friend that this is where you lived," the woman tried to explain.
"Are you some stalker then? What do you want with me?" Issei questioned her motives immediately.
"Well…it's an unusual situation. I was going to try to lie to you originally, but I changed my mind today. You seem like a strong person who respects the truth and an upfront offer, so I'll make my intentions clear. My allies and I know you're not a normal human. Judging by the way the devils react in your presence, it's fairly obvious that they're scared of you. We also know that you're not a member of any devil peerage, yet you can operate freely within their territory," she explained.
Issei looked at her for a moment, taking in her appearance. This girl had long black hair and purplish-colored eyes and was deceptively cute despite what his instincts told him. After noticing her school uniform, Issei quickly realized that she was a fallen angel as her particular school was in their territory.
"So, you want me to join you instead, fallen angel?" Issei asked bluntly.
The fallen angel seemed shocked that Issei was immediately able to figure out what she was but continued speaking carefully, "Actually, we would like you to work with us in secret. You're under no obligation to serve us should you accept, but we would greatly value your help if you were to keep an eye on the happenings around Kuoh Academy."
Issei thought for a moment since it sent such a bad offer due to them not asking to join their faction, but something about that last part confused Issei a bit. "Why can't you just do it yourself? You seriously don't have any good spies?"
"We do, but the devils have reinforced heavy security lately after you three started attending there. Our boss recently found out, and that is why he sent us to find out, but he wants us to avoid provoking the devils at all costs. Seeing as you are always in devil territory, we can't really risk espionage without drawing their attention and starting an altercation. This might be presumptuous to ask, but would you be willing to do it for us?" The girl requested slowly.
"Maybe, but what is it you expect to find out?" Issei played along with the idea.
"We honestly don't know. It could be anything. Please, if you do this for us, we will owe you big time," the girl said sincerely.
"I'll spare you the trouble, angel. The Devils are just trying to recruit me, Zoe, and Daidouji to their peerages since we're special and much stronger than even them." Issei gave her an honest answer.
She gawked at him, surprised, "Really?!"
"Yeah, but we don't give a shit about whatever political standoff you got going on right now. The Sitri Devil tried to recruit my friends and me into her little posse, but we said no, and now she's just hanging around trying to change my mind, I guess," Issei shrugged without a care in the world.
"I didn't expect you just to tell us right away. Well, I guess that takes care of that," The girl said slowly.
"It sure does, so you mind leaving now?" Issei asked.
[Issei! Don't be rude. Your parents aren't here right now, so why not invite her to stay the night?] Saiken said before Kaguya rolled her eyes at the slug Tailed Beast.
[You're just saying that since you want Issei to get a new girlfriend, Daudouji and Zoe aren't here to fulfill your stupid romance novel delusions.] Kaguya said while Issei recalled that Saiken was a sucker for the romance novels that his mother read while Saiken blushed being caught by her sisters and brothers.
The dark-haired girl flinched for a moment as her head turned to the side. It looked like something spooked her, judging by her surprised and fearful reaction. The fallen angel quickly turned back to him, "Wait, is it okay if I stay for a bit?"
"What? At my house?" Issei gawked at her.
"I mean, I know that sounds, but umm, it's just that I sense I am a high-class devil in this neighborhood. If I leave, they'll capture me or kill me," The black-haired beauty said, concerned.
"You can't just teleport away?" Issei said, confused.
The girl shook her head, "Not without them knowing I was here. I didn't expect anyone to come snooping around this time of day. This has to stay a secret. Lord Azazel's orders."
Issei honed his senses for a moment and detected a familiar smell, 'It's that red-haired girl's scent. She's not nearby just yet, but she's definitely coming. I can stay discreet, but this girl is toast if that Gremory chick catches her. Screw it…I'll let her stay.'
Before the girl could even react, Issei quickly grabbed her and went inside. Issei then immediately channeled red energy over his hands and pinned the girl to the ground. She yelped as he spread a red cloak of chakra around her body.
Not even a moment later, he hid her on the ground behind his couch and covered her mouth. She looked up at him, shocked, as Issei was now on top of her. He raised a finger to his lip before standing up and quickly sitting down on the couch in front of the window.
It seemed to be just in time, too, as he could now sense the red-haired girl watching him from outside the window. He pretended not to notice her as he turned on the TV and started watching Drag So-Ball Z.
This must have clearly bored the devil girl because she left a few minutes later, much to his relief. Once he was sure she was gone, Issei spoke up, "You can get up now, angel girl,"
The dark-haired fallen angel stood up, relieved, and immediately let out a breath she had been holding in.
"Damn. You really saved my ass from that little red devil bitch. It would not have been good if she had caught me out here. If the devils found out that we were snooping in their territory, it would lead to conflict, and then Lord Azazel would probably punish us if we survived," the angel said as she collapsed on the couch next to him.
"That Gremory girl doesn't look that tough," was all Issei said as he kept watching his favorite show.
"They say call her the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess since she's supposedly related to one of the four Satans," The fallen angel explained.
"I guess it's good she didn't find you then," The Kama of Kaguya replied with a grin.
"How did you do that? Did you conceal my power from her?" The angel asked, confused, "because she should have been able to detect me at that range. She definitely would have had I tried to teleport away."
"You're lucky I appreciate your honesty, or I would have let her catch you out here. Good behavior deserves a reward, so that's the only reason I helped you," Issei said, looking at her intensely.
The fallen angel looked at him curiously, "Do you conceal your power from the devils? Is that how you're able to operate in their territory freely?"
"Pretty much…" Issei replied as he turned his head back to the TV.
"You're a dragon, then? Why is a dragon in this town, and why would the Devils want you to join her?" the girl asked inquisitively.
Issei glanced over at her again with a coy look in his eyes, "You ask a lot of questions, fallen angel. You're lucky I told you as much as I did. You already know more than enough about me."
'Pretending to be a dragon might work best since she's probably feeling the power I got from Red, which would explain why she thinks I'm a dragon.' Issei pondered in his mind before hearing the girl speak.
"I'm guessing the devils don't know you're a dragon then? They would have tried recruiting you into their foul dens if that was the case. Just out of curiosity, why haven't you aligned with them?" the dark-haired girl asked with anxious eyes.
"Because devils are always causing drama, and they're way too obsessed with status and titles. I see how they treat each other, and I don't have any interest in all that political nonsense. If I worked for them, they would talk like this: 'Oh, lesser pawn, I detest your abhorrent attitude and rebellious disposition! Don't you know that my family is rich and I'm a high-class devil? I'm so important, rich, and powerful…did I mention how important I was and powerful? Oh, you couldn't even begin to grasp the majesty of my position. Uh, I'm so special!'" Issei imitated a posh, effeminate voice with an exaggerated moan at the end, causing Raynare to laugh hysterically.
"Hahaha! You're pretty funny. I expected you to be way more serious. Kalawarner said you're really mean and serious all the time," the angel laughed.
Issei cocked his head at her, "Kalawarner? She one of your friends?"
"More or less. She's part of my team. She's the one who watched you the most out of all of us," the angel explained.
"So that's what that bird smell was," Issei said aloud as he recalled detecting a strange scent the past few days. He wasn't used to dealing with fallen angels, so he was still getting familiar with their smell.
"My name's Raynare, by the way," the young woman said with a soft smile.
"Jeez, and I thought Kalawarner was a weird name. Your name's Raynare?" Issei laughed at her.
Raynare looked at him, embarrassed, "What? It's not weird! It's an angel name!"
"Tell me you don't go around Japan telling people that your name is Raynare. That would be rather funny," Issei chuckled.
"Well, I do have an undercover name here, Yuuma," Raynare said slowly with a bit of shame.
"That's a cute name. It matches you," Issei laughed.
"It does? Wait, you think I'm cute?" Raynare asked, surprised while the male Tailed Beasts were cheering in his head, with Son Goku counting his winnings while Isobu shook his head in amusement. At the same time, Kurama and Gyūki laughed at their little brother's charm, attracting another woman to his future gang.
"If I didn't know you were a fallen angel, I'd say so," Issei replied.
She frowned at him, "So me being a fallen angel makes me less attractive in your eyes?"
"Yes," Issei answered bluntly.
Raynare seemed a bit sad from his comment as she looked away, "Hmph, yeah, that's nothing new, I suppose. Everyone hates my kind, even dragons, apparently."
"If I hated you, then you would be dead right now," Issei shook his head.
The fallen angel's self-esteem plummeted as she looked down, "Well, for what it's worth, I think you're cute, dragon half-breed or not."
'They must have seen my parents recently if she assumes I'm a half-breed,' Issei deduced mentally. At the same time, the female Tailed Beasts shouted at Issei for being so rude to her, while Kaguya didn't seem to mind since she respected the girl for her honesty but didn't think she was good enough for her Kama and partner.
Issei chose not to acknowledge her comment about finding him cute, much to the fallen angel's disappointment.
Raynare looked at him for a moment before smiling, "Well, I guess it's safe to leave now, but I feel like I still owe you."
"Don't sweat it, Raynare. Just tell your people not to bother me," Issei replied, distracted.
She looked away for a moment before speaking again, "You mind if I stay for a bit longer?"
"What are you scared of, the big bad devils out there?" Issei asked while he made fun of her before Raynare looked at him pridefully,
"Of course not! I don't feel like going back to base yet."
"Yeah, I wouldn't want to sleep in a church either," Issei joked, causing her eyes to shoot open.
"You know where our base is?!" Raynare said, shocked.
"I mean, where else could it be? That church is on your side of town, and it's the only place I know where angels would bother putting up barriers," Issei deduced while the Tailed Beasts agreed that it's the most logical place where a Fallen would go to avoid Devils.
"Fair point…" Raynare said, trailing off since she had no idea how to continue the conversation due to Issei was now fully interested in Drag So-Ball Z.
Raynare stood up awkwardly and stared at him, waiting for his answer about whether or not she could stay.
Finally, after a moment, Issei glanced over at her again, "Fine, you can stay. Jeez. I can't believe you're so worried."
"I'm not worried! I... feel like I still need to leave. You know, in case she comes back around," Raynare trailed off.
"Uhuh. Whatever you say. You mind sitting down then if you're staying?" Issei said, trying to look past her.
"What is this show you're watching?" Raynare asked, confused as she sat back down and got more comfortable on the couch.
"Drag So-Ball Z…it's a badass anime about these martial artists with superpowers that get stronger and fight aliens," Issei explained.
"It looks kind of interesting, I suppose…" Raynare said half-heartedly.
"You don't have to watch it, but I got nothing better to do right now," Issei shrugged as he focused back on the TV. In truth, he wanted to see Red, but he couldn't tonight with all the recent supernatural traffic around his home.
Several minutes passed before Raynare stealthily scooted closer to Issei on the couch. She spoke up, confused, after a few minutes of watching it, "So what's happening right now in this show? What are those golden balls?"
"They're trying to get the Drag So-Balls so they can summon the dragon and make a wish," Issei explained.
"Huh, a dragon that grants a wish?" she said curiously.
Issei nodded, "Well if anything could give someone a wish, it would definitely be a dragon." 'Or a Tailed Beast.'
[Aw. I knew Issei liked us, though; if anyone could better use them, then it would definitely be me.] Kaguya said before an argument began with them all thinking they'd have a better wish than the others.
Raynare said nothing else as she slowly began to gain interest in the anime.
Several hours later
Issei and Raynare continued watching the show for hours despite Raynare's initial reservations. Issei found it almost amusing how into the plot she was starting to get.
Raynare shook her head in annoyance, "I can't believe these dumbass people keep wasting wishes on bringing their friends back to life. Why waste a wish on saving some half-ass friends that don't do anything relevant?"
"Yeah, I've always wondered that too, but the moral behind their actions is more along the lines of earning one's power and being selfless, I guess. It's hard to really know what you would actually do in that situation. Wishing for a friend to come back is noble, at least," Issei noted.
"Too bad those Drag So-Balls aren't real…I'd love to have a wish," Raynare said slowly.
"What would you wish for?" Issei asked curiously as he glanced over at Raynare.
"Probably more power or invulnerability since I'm kind of weak for a fallen angel, to be honest," Raynare answered shamefully, which did earn some points in Kaguya's book since she thought that perhaps she and the others could train her if she's a worthy ally in the future.
Issei sighed before responding, "Yeah, but power is useless unless it has a purpose. Why would you want more power?"
"Powerful people have more status and relevance in this world. They don't have to worry about being afraid or answering to someone else. It seems almost liberating," she said distantly.
"It can be, but power without purpose won't really fill any voids in your life. The people at the very top are probably just bored," Issei replied.
Raynare frowned, "What would you wish for, Issei?"
'What is it with people just casually addressing me by name these days?' Issei sighed before he shook his head, "I don't know, honestly…it's never really crossed my mind."
"You wouldn't wish for more power? There's nothing you would want?" Raynare asked curiously.
"Nah. I wouldn't want to be more powerful unless I earned it myself. As for what I want? Well, I can pretty much get anything I want if I work at it, so why bother wishing for it?" Issei replied with a grin.
Raynare looked at him seriously for a moment, "I have a question, Issei. How strong are you? From what I can tell, you don't really seem concerned about anything. You're not afraid of some Satan or Archangel coming after you or getting sealed in Sacred Gear or something? You're not afraid of that Devil princess?"
"Not really, no," Issei answered bluntly.
"You must be really strong then. I envy you," Raynare said distantly.
Issei shook his head, "You don't have to be super strong not to be afraid of something. Everything is a mindset, Raynare. You're limiting your potential by placing these restrictions and labels on everything. Real power is willpower. You should remember that."
"GOKU HAS BECOME THE LEGENDARY SUPER SAIYAN! WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO STOP FRIEZA?! FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAG SO-BALL Z!" The television announced super loud before the end credits song started playing.
"I can't believe I've been watching this weird show for hours, but I really want to know how it ends now," Raynare said, shaking her head as she looked at the clock on the wall.
"Yeah, it's pretty addicting after a while," Issei said, nodding as the next episode came on.
"I'll watch one more, but I should probably leave soon," Raynare said as she leaned back again before putting her head on his shoulder. Strangely, Issei didn't mind it, which made the guys snicker at their partner. At the same time, Kaguya was a bit jealous but smirking at their interactions before seeing their hearts begin to flutter a bit, making the resident slug gush over it like a fangirl before the other shushed her before watching the show in front of them.
The Next Day.
Issei awoke the next day with a soft, almost feathery feeling around him. 'Man…when did these pillows get so feathery? So soft…did Mom and Dad buy me new pillows?'
He brushed his hand through the feathery pillows before his hand ended up feeling something else…flesh.
'What the? Is this…skin?' he thought concerned.
His eyes shot open as he alertly surveyed his surroundings. To his sheer disbelief, Raynare was curled against him with her wings wrapped over them both. They were both on the couch and had apparently fallen asleep after marathoning Drag So-Ball Z all night.
The sleeping Raynare held onto him tighter as he shuffled upright. Her wings were fully out, and she looked slightly more curvaceous than he remembered. Her wings were incredibly soft and rather pleasant to the touch, much to his surprise. He had always wondered what angel wings actually felt like.
Issei ran his hand over them, feeling the feathery wings again. This caused the sleeping Raynare to moan in her sleep as she nuzzled her face against his chest.
After his initial grogginess wore off, Issei shook the angel's shoulder, "Hey, Raynare, wake up!"
"Hmmm, ughhh…what?" Raynare said groggily as she opened her eyes before seeing their position. "Oh…morning, Issei? Did I fall asleep over here?"
"What are you still doing here? What are you doing sleeping on me?" Issei asked seriously.
"Sorry, I guess I must have passed out last night," Raynare apologized immediately as she sat up and uncurled herself from him.
He looked at the time, 'I guess I did, too, or this would never have happened. 6:00 A.M…I wonder when we fell asleep?'
"Well, thanks for letting me spend the night. Sorry for passing out on you," Raynare said as she retracted her black wings and got off the couch. There was no doubt about it now. She definitely looked a bit older than the other day.
It wasn't drastic or anything, but her bust and height were larger than he remembered.
"What?! A Magical Girl?! You won't stop me, you little witch!" Issei heard a voice from the TV. It was still on, but it was playing some weird magical girl anime, much to Issei's disinterest.
"Milky-hime! Save us!" a character in the anime shouted.
"Sparkle Shine, your command is mine!" a preteen magical girl shouted as she blasted some colorful magic at the ridiculously stereotypical villain.
"Is this a good show, too, Issei?" Raynare asked as she turned to glance at the TV.
He shook his head, "Hell no. It's a magical girl show. It's like those stupid 'friendship is magic' bullshit," Issei said, standing up and grabbing his remote.
'I'm glad that out of all mythologies, that magical girls aren't actually a thing. I mean, there are witches and whatnot, but nothing this girly. Let me catch a magical girl trying to come into my town,' Issei thought to himself, with most of the male Tailed Beasts agreeing that magical girls are weird, especially since the girl on the show acted like the ones in their world like that blond-haired mind Jutsu user or that pink haired brat.
Raynare chuckled as she rubbed her head, "I had a dream about that stupid show we were watching last night."
"If it was so stupid, then why did you stay all night and watch it with me?" Issei countered, which made the fallen angel look away, embarrassed,
"It was entertaining. I haven't done anything like this before.
"Which part? Watching anime all night or cocooning a guy on his couch with your wings?" Issei asked.
Raynare blushed at his question, "Both. Anyway, thanks for the hospitality, Issei. I should probably go. You have school today, right?"
"Yeah, unfortunately…" Issei said drearily, but before either one of them could say another word, Issei heard a loud knock on his front door.
"Who the hell is knocking on my door this early in the morning?" Issei said, annoyed, as he walked over and opened it.
Outside, he saw a voluptuous woman with long blue hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a ridiculously short maroon skirt and a matching coat with a deep V-cut.
[Huh. Good. She's almost as big as that Tsundade woman.] Kurama said, recalling the Senju woman while Issei agreed with the Nine-Tailed Beast.
'True, but what is it with me seeing blue-haired girls lately?' Issei thought as his gaze lingered on the buxom woman for a moment.
Issei looked over her briefly before speaking, "Nice outfit. Did you get lost on your way to Soapland, or is it my birthday?"
The woman gawked at him disbelievingly, "What?!"
[Wait, is it his birthday?! But I still need to finish my present!] Shouko said before Kaguya reassured her that it wasn't his birthday yet.
"I mean, hey, if you got a nice body, you might as well show it off, I guess. How can I help, fallen angel?" Issei asked her as soon as the bird-like smell filled his nostrils.
The woman glared daggers at him, "Our companion came by here last night with an offer for you. She hasn't returned yet. Did you kill her? What was your answer?"
Before Issei could respond, Raynare immediately ran to the front door, "Kalawarner?! What are you doing here?!"
"Raynare?! Are you still here? Why didn't you report back? Dohnaseek and I thought you were dead," the blue-haired woman said seriously.
Raynare shook her head, "That Gremory bitch was snooping around here last night, so I ended up hiding here with him."
"Really? That's unusual. What was his answer?" Kalawarner asked as she looked at Issei intensely.
Several of Issei's neighbors noticed the sexy woman standing at his door. With his enhanced hearing, he could hear one speak, "Is that the Hyoudou family's son with a prostitute? Those poor people. How do they deal with that shameful son of theirs?"
"Come inside. You stick out like a sore thumb around here," Issei said, motioning for Kalawarner to come into his house.
The buxom blue-haired woman strutted in as Issei closed the door behind her before she crossed her arms and eyed him seriously, "So…you let Raynare hide out here? I take it that means you're willing to help us?"
"I already told Raynare why she is here. You two can tell Azazel all about that. Tell him not to bother me while you're at it," Issei replied.
"Huh? You're a dragon, then? I thought you were a human with a Sacred Gear," Kalawarner said curiously as she took a step closer.
"He's half-dragon," Raynare clarified.
"May I?" Kalawarner asked as she held up her hand.
Issei had no idea what she was asking permission for, but he quickly found out as the woman traced a finger around his arm.
A glow of holy magic briefly enveloped it before Issei's much stronger red draconic magic overpowered it and fizzled out.
"Hmm, a powerful one, too," she remarked with fascination, "It's amazing that the devils haven't tried recruiting you yet. How are you able to freely move about in Gremory's territory without consequence?" Kalawarner asked.
"He can conceal his power. He did it last night to me when that Gremory bitch came looking for me," Raynare explained.
Kalawarner looked over at Raynare again, "Lord Azazel will find this fascinating."
"I don't doubt that," Raynare agreed, "He is way stronger than I thought he was, too."
"So, what did you two do all night then?" Kalawarner asked as she noticed one of Raynare's feathers was sticking out of Issei's shirt.
"Slept," Issei replied with a smartass answer.
"With each other apparently…" Kalawarner chuckled as she reached for the feather sticking out of Issei's shirt.
Raynare immediately blushed shamefully, "It's not what you think, Kalawarner! We just fell asleep watching this stupid show of his."
"Alright, well, I have to get ready for school, so why don't you two see yourselves out? You got everything you needed from me," Issei said as he put his arms up and started lightly pushing them both toward the door.
"W-wait! I never properly repaid you for the help," Raynare protested as Issei easily pushed them toward the exit.
"Don't worry about it," Issei said as he opened the door for them to leave.
Raynare stood at the doorway for a moment before looking up at Issei, "Is it alright if I come back again sometime?"
"For what?" Issei asked.
"I just had a good time last night…" Raynare replied, which made the males cheer for a second date while Issei sighed in excitement.
"I'll think about it."
"Thanks!" Raynare said enthusiastically before briefly nuzzling her head on his shoulder and leaving.
Kalawarner gave him a curious look, "The Fallen Angels owe you for the intel. I'll make sure Azazel knows that you're trying to avoid trouble around here. I'm sure he'll respect your request. He's a good leader."
"That's good to know," Issei said curtly.
"Is it alright if we contact you again? You would most likely only have to deal with Raynare or myself. Maybe Dohnaseek or Mittelt too. The fallen angels will, of course, respect your autonomy, but you've proven yourself to be a valuable ally to us," Kalawarner said hopefully.
The brunette shrugged, "So long as you keep me out of the politics, then I guess that's fine."
"We'll be in touch," the blue-haired angel said with a seductive grin before walking out of the house.
After they were gone, Issei went to take a shower. He mentally cursed himself as he thought over what he just agreed to, 'I can already tell this is going to escalate into something way more than they're saying it is.'
[Given our luck, I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case.] Kaguya said before continuing to reassure her Kama. [And I wouldn't stress over it too much, partner. Sooner or later, you're going to have to reveal yourself anyway.]
'Yeah, but I wish it was after I was done with high school first.
Kuoh Academy
Issei pulled into school and was surprised by the absence of both Zoe and Daidouji.
"That's weird. Why are they not here yet? I'm already late," Issei thought, confused; before he entered the school and made his way to his class, he could detect quite a few devils spying on him from various angles and vantage points.
'Devils watching me? Five…six? I wonder whose servants they are?' Issei thought as he pressed on toward his classroom.
Upon walking inside, his teacher immediately turned towards him, annoyed, "Hyoudou-san, you're late! Please try to make it to class on time!"
"Sure thing," Issei said half-heartedly as he sat down and immediately zoned out before receiving texts from them both that Zoe was going to be helping her mom out at the hospital today. Daidouji was going to do some more training since she wanted to train in her technique to master the Eight Of Death.
After homeroom, the speaker turned on.
"Issei Hyoudou, please report to the Student Council Room immediately." An announcement sounded over the school broadcast.
He snapped out of his daze when he heard the announcement, 'Must be the president wanting to talk to me.'
Without a word, he left his classroom and quickly made his way to the Student Council Room, where he met with none other than Sona Sitri.
The dark-haired devil princess adjusted her glasses briefly as Issei walked into the room, "Ah, Hyoudou-san, thank you for coming. I apologize for calling you out of class, but I wanted to talk to you in private, and I can never seem to catch up with you after school."
"Why are the lights off in here? Is this a sex thing for you?" Issei asked as he looked around the dark room. His senses told him that they were completely alone and that this room was soundproof.
Sona held up her hand while trying to control herself and not stutter. "Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable."
Issei did as requested and sat down across from her. He crossed his arms and immediately put his feet up on her desk a moment later.
"I mean, I get it if you wanted to get laid, but I think there's a number of facilities that you could ask or call to give up your-"
"This isn't a sex thing!" Sona shouted, unable to ignore his rude behavior, and started speaking in a calm voice, "I'm sure you're probably wondering why I called you here."
"Yeah, your little blue-haired friend said you would contact me and my friends soon," Issei replied.
"Blue-haired friend?" Sona tilted her head uncertainly.
"Yeah, the tall girl…kinda tomboyish. Blue hair, blue eyes…apparently one of yours," Issei clarified.
"You mean Tsubasa? Did she approach you? When was this?" Sona asked, confused.
Issei cocked his head at her, "Yesterday after school. I thought you knew that. She said you sent her to tell me that you had something important to discuss."
"I never authorized her to approach you. In fact, I told all the members of my peerage to stay out of your way after you hurt Saji," Sona said, surprised, which made the Tailed Beasts scoff at her incompetence.
"Well, I guess you'll have to ask her about that. Regardless, what do you want?" Issei got to the point.
"I'm sure you're well aware of this by now, but I am not human," Sona began until Issei interrupted her.
"Good guess. No wonder you're in your third year." Issei said sarcastically, making Sona pinch her hand. She ignored his sarcasm and continued, "I am a high-class devil of the Sitri family and its heir. I and every member of my peerage are devils. We mostly consist of the school council and a few odd individuals around the school. The Occult Research Club is part of the Gremory peerage headed by Rias Gremory. You've no doubt seen her around school. She is the popular girl with the long red hair."
"Get to the point," Issei sighed in annoyance with the Tailed Beasts snoring at this point before Kaguya woke them up.
"Very well. I want to ask you before anything else…what is your relationship with those new girls in this school?" Sona asked.
"Zoe and Daidouji? They're my friends. What do they have to do with me?" he wondered.
"Listen, Hyoudou-san." Sona said before glaring at him. "I don't know what you are, and I've been very lenient in letting you do what you want around this school, but if I am to continue allowing you to stay here, then I feel I at least deserve a bit of trust on your part," Sona explained calmly and respectfully.
Issei sighed as he agreed to this, "Fair enough. I suppose that's reasonable."
Are you intending to finish high school at Kuoh Academy?
"Of course, preferably without any trouble," Issei replied.
"That's good to know," Sona asked before asking about his social standing with allies.
"Do you have any allies?" Sona asked him curiously.
Issei shook his head, "Not really. I never needed any."
"Then I would like to make you an offer. Would you be willing to?" Sona wasn't able to finish her sentence before Issei interrupted her.
"No thanks! I mean, don't get me wrong. For a spoiled little devil princess, you aren't half bad, but I'm not interested in being anyone's servant," Issei stated strongly.
Sona sighed, "Well…that makes things more complicated. If I can't protect you, then you're fair game."
"Fair game? For who?" he asked.
"Lord Sirzechs is worried about the situation here and decided to send someone to keep an eye on the school due to you and your friends. I have no idea who it is or when they'll be here. So, it would benefit you to stay out of trouble for a while," Sona explained.
"Thanks for the warning," Issei replied as he stood up.
"Before you go, can I ask you a question?" Sona requested.
"What about?" Issei said as he looked down at her.
Sona looked at him, somewhat confused, "Is there a reason you're so opposed to joining my peerage other than not wanting to take orders? Do you have some inherent bias against devils?"
"What's the point? I'm half dragon and human. What do I gain by joining your side or any side?" Issei countered while sticking to his plan to pretend to be a halfbreed.
"Power…influence…allies, to name a few reasons. Eventually, someone will target you if you're not careful. Without political backing, you won't have any support," Sona responded sharply.
"I'll take my chances," Issei said before making his way to the exit. He glanced back at her before opening the door, "By the way, tell that Gremory girl to stay away from my house. Otherwise..."
Sona's eyes widened in shock as she felt a massive aura leave Issei's body before he glared at her with the fury of a thousand demons.
"She'll sadly disappear without a trace," Issei said before he closed the door and left.
After his little talk with Sona, he decided to return to class despite not wanting to. The rest of the day progressed rather boringly, but at least nobody was bothering him, which was how Issei liked it, while he did miss his friends.
End of the Day
Issei let out a sigh of relief upon walking out of the school. He was getting so sick and tired of sitting around all day in classrooms.
'Today would be an awesome day to see Red. The big guy is probably wondering where I've been lately,' Issei thought to himself as he smiled at the motorcycle on the rack before seeing a note on it.
Dear Issei,
I fixed your bike and made it even better for your style.
Stay calm since I still want to race you in the Dimensional Gap.
Signed, the most badass being in the world,
R.
Issei smirked at this while Kaguya groaned.
[Oh great. It's that death trap again.]
'Oh, you're just scared because you didn't like it when I popped a wheelie.'
[I saw my life flash before my eyes...] Kaguya said while hugging herself since the day she almost died. Again.
Issei snickered at her response before he got on and began to drive off.
With eager exhilaration, Issei drove as fast as he could back home. Unfortunately, he caught some bad traffic about two-thirds of the way there.
A bunch of cars and other vehicles were backed up, much to his anger. He growled as he aggressively revved up his motorcycle, "Move it!"
Looking over towards the sidewalk, Issei could see a lot of people wearing cosplays walking in the direction where traffic was jammed. His eye twitched for a moment, 'Is there a convention going on or something? Seriously what the fuck is this?!'
Several seconds they were passed as Issei began to boil in anger, which was a side effect of being around many reckless and easily angered individuals.
'I…HATE…TRAFFIC!'
Without even a shred of concern for the consequences, Issei immediately fired up his bike and drove onto the sidewalk, bypassing the countless immobile cars in traffic.
[WooHoo!] Son Goku, Shukaku, Kurama, Gyūki, and Matatabi cheered in excitement as they loved the feel. In contrast, the others were huddled with Isobu, trying to stay alive, even though they were much tougher.
The people on the sidewalk all gasped and screamed as Issei shot them with deadly speed and aggression. His riding skills were masterful as he threaded the needle through the crowds of people on the sidewalk, thanks to his training in the Dimensional Gap while avoiding multiple traps set by Shukaku and Red.
When Issei finally reached the main intersection where the convention was taking place, he popped a wheelie and revved his bike as loud as possible, causing flames to erupt from his exhaust. His arrival scared nearly everyone around him as he pulled right up to the front of the convention building and stopped to find out what it was.
'Kuoh Anime Convention…huh? When did this town start having these? And why the hell is the traffic this bad?' Issei thought curiously as he began to calm down.
"Hey, are you going to the convention?!" A cute voice asked, causing Issei to turn his head to its source.
A girl with black pigtails and dark violet eyes ran across the street and was now standing next to him. She was beaming with enthusiasm as if she was having an amazing day.
"I would have asked you for a ride if I knew you were coming here!" The girl said cheerfully, "I saw you ride by on the sidewalk! That was so cool!"
Issei immediately glared at her when he noticed she was wearing a magical girl cosplay. He revved his bike up at her, hoping to scare the girl away, but much to his surprise, she seemed unfazed.
"I'm not here for the convention; I'm trying to get home, but thanks to this stupid traffic, I can't," Issei said, annoyed.
'Not if I just want to fly out of here and leave my bike. Or risk being seen carrying it,' Issei mentally added.
"Well, that's a bummer, but if you're stuck here, why don't you just go to the convention?!" The girl suggested eagerly.
Issei glared at her, "I don't have a ticket, and I sure as hell won't be waiting in any lines."
"Well, I'm here alone. My sister didn't want to come with me so I have an extra ticket. Do you want to go with me? You look like you're a lot of fun," she said as she generously held up a VIP ticket for him at the convention.
Issei stared at her for a moment. This girl was gorgeous despite being a magical girl wannabe, but something about her looked familiar to him. She also reeked of some weird-smelling perfume, much to his displeasure.
"I kind of have somewhere to be…" Issei said as he looked for an opening in traffic.
A huge crowd of people were watching him and this girl interact, much to his discomfort. Issei detested people staring at him like this.
"Please!" The girl pleaded before Isobu spoke to Issei.
[Look. As much as I understand your desire to train in high school and that you should be enjoying yourself, what's the rush? It doesn't look like traffic is going to clear up until all these damn cosplayers get to the convention anyway. Plus, that is a VIP ticket, it looks like, and the girl is very generous.] Isobu said, making Issei cave in after his talk.
'Aw, screw it…I guess the Dimensional Gap can wait a few more hours,'
[There we go, now have fun on your date!]
'It's not a date!'
With heavy reluctance, Issei got off his motorcycle and sighed, "I'll hang out for a little bit, but only until the traffic clears, though."
"Yay!" The girl cheered with excitement as she waved her cosplay wand around, "Sparkle Shine, your command is mine!"
Issei immediately felt embarrassed as dozens of people in the crowd cheered and were taking pictures of her and him by default. Thankfully, most of them seemed too afraid to get closer due to her proximity to the delinquent biker.
Issei rolled his eyes at her as she handed him her spare VIP ticket. The moment he had it, he immediately started walking away from her and made his way to the front of the line.
Hordes of jealous onlookers watched with disbelief as the asshole who just showed up on a motorcycle was now skipping the line to go straight into the convention.
"Hey, wait for me!" The pigtail magic girl called out to Issei as she chased behind him.
The males in the crowd seemed to be burning with even more envy at the sight of Issei not only skipping the line but also having the sexiest cosplayer there following him around.
"Who the fuck is that pretty boy douche? Who does he think he is? Why is that beautiful, magical girl following a punk like that?" Issei heard one angry guy mutter.
"Milky-hime, can we have a picture!" An otaku man cried out anxiously.
"You look so amazing!"
The girl kindly waved to the onlookers and briefly posed before following behind Issei. As the two of them passed inside, they quickly noticed that the convention was packed.
The pigtail girl's eyes lit up with excitement as she pointed at something, "Look, look! They have Milky Spiral Seven figurines. Come on, let's go look at them!"
Before Issei could protest, the overly excited girl grabbed his hand and dragged him over toward a section on the convention floor that seemed to be selling things that matched the anime she was cosplaying.
Everyone within a two-hundred-meter radius was staring at them as if they were celebrities. Issei was starting to feel awkward as random people kept walking up and asking for pictures of the girl.
'I should ditch this chick and see the Drag So-Ball Z and Naruto section…' Issei thought as he slipped into the background of the ravenous crowd that was now swarming the girl for pictures.
After about fifteen minutes, I was passed before Issei found stuff that was more up his alley. He looked over the new area for a moment, 'I should have plenty of money, but I don't feel like hauling a ton of stuff back home. Huh…that banner would look really good in the garage next to my toolbox.'
"There you are!" A loud and excited voice announced as Issei felt someone jump on his back.
"What the!?" Issei said, confused, before realizing it was the black pigtail girl again.
"Why'd you leave me?! I was so sad when I couldn't find you," The girl said in a cutesy, dramatic way.
[Huh. I knew girls would jump on him, but I didn't mean it literally.] Shukaku said, making the guys laugh at their brother's situation while Kaguya seemed to be staring at the girl's bust and compared it to her own.
[At least mine are real.] Kaguya said with a pout, mad that some big Tits cosplayer beat her.
The crowd of desperate fanboys and fangirls that were following her immediately froze up when Issei turned around.
"Is that her boyfriend?! I'm so jealous!" Some overly animated man cried out.
"Milky-hime, can we take a picture?!"
"Milky-hime!" people kept calling out to the girl.
Issei was now pissed off that these people wouldn't go away and growled, "Back off right now!"
The surrounding area went deathly silent as the crowd of people chasing after the girl on Issei's back were now scared.
Issei cracked his fists and took a deep breath, "Get lost! She's taken enough goddamn pictures for you! The only way she's posing for another picture is if you go through me!"
Nobody dared to tempt Issei's fury as the crowd scattered like roaches in all directions. Despite her kind disposition towards the fans in general, the pigtail girl seemed somewhat relieved that Issei had sent them away.
"Are you going to get off me or what?" Issei asked as he turned his head back and looked at the girl still on his back.
She beamed and shook her head, "No! I don't want to lose you again in here! Especially if you're going to protect me!"
"Why are you still hanging out with me anyway?" Issei asked her, confused.
"Because I think you're cool!" The girl said as she held onto him even tighter.
"The feeling is not mutual," Issei said, shaking his head.
"AWWW, you're so mean!" The girl said with over-exaggeration.
'Man, that perfume she's wearing is overpowering this close,' Issei thought, distracted before the girl gasped and pointed to another booth.
"OOOOh, is that Drag So-Ball Z? We should go check that out!"
Issei looked back at her, surprised, "You like Drag So-Ball Z?"
"Who doesn't?" The girl countered, beaming with excitement, which made Issei take a mental note.
'Huh. Maybe she's not as bad as I originally thought,' Issei noted as the two of them went over to check out more merchandise.
The Tailed Beasts were laughing at this, and before Issei knew it, the two of them were having a blast going around and buying random things they didn't need. After about an hour of that, the girl insisted that they go to a few panels, and before Issei realized where the time went, he ended up spending the rest of the day there.
It was only when the convention was closing for the day that he actually realized the time. Upon walking outside and seeing the nighttime sky, Issei shook his head disbelievingly, "I can't believe I spent the whole afternoon here."
"That WAS SO FUUUUUN!" The girl emphasized each word louder and louder as she latched onto his arm while they were walking out.
"Yeah. I actually had a good time. Surprisingly," Issei said, almost not believing his own words.
'Did I seriously just hang out with some weirdo otaku magical girl all afternoon? This has been the weirdest week ever...' Issei thought to himself.
"I never get to do that many things at conventions because everyone always just wants to take pictures of me. Going with you was a great idea! You scared everyone away with your mean, scary face!" she giggled.
"Well…thanks for the ticket, Milky-hime. This was a somewhat pleasant surprise," Issei said more sincerely than he expected to.
"Oh! I never told you my name, did I?" Milky asked, shocked as she placed a hand on her chin.
"Come to think of it. I was so excited all day I never bothered asking your name either," Milky said as she looked at him anxiously.
"Issei Hyoudou, but don't bother remembering it. We'll probably never see each other again," Issei replied skeptically.
"But what if I want to see you again?!" Milky asked childishly.
Issei laughed at her antics. By this point, he was almost used to her energetic innocence.
"My real name is Serafall!" Serafall said, smiling at his reaction.
Issei looked at her curiously, "No surname?"
"You and I are on a first-name basis! Call me Serafall, and I'll call you Issei-chan, K?!" she chirped.
"Okay. Nice to be meeting you then, Serafall," Issei waved as he headed to his motorcycle.
Issei was amazed it didn't get towed and shook his head, 'Damn, I'm lucky.'
As he mounted his souvenir bags and got on his motorcycle, he looked up and saw Serafall standing right next to him. She shuffled around for a moment and was staring at him.
"Issei-chan, if it's not too much trouble. Can I go for a ride on your bike? Please!" she said hopefully.
"Don't you have to go home or something?" he asked, confused.
"Yeah, but maybe you could give me a ride!?" she asked with a suggestive smile.
Issei sighed, "I'm going to lose all my street cred if people see some otaku magic girl riding with me."
The girl gave him the most moe look she could muster as she locked her fingers, "Issei-chan…don't make me beg you!"
Issei looked at it and tried not to give in, but recalling the girls doing this made Issei cave in.
"Fine. Get on," Issei said, and half a second later, the energetic Serafall was in his backseat. She tied her bags on the back of the bike and immediately wrapped her arms around Issei's waist.
"C'mon, let's go fast!" Serafall said happily.
"Are you sure you can handle it? This thing is the fastest motorcycle in the world…custom built," Issei replied.
"GO, GO, GO!" Serafall cheered, causing Issei to take that as a yes.
Deciding to test the limits of this girl's resolve, he started to drive recklessly and dangerously at high speed through the city.
'I'll take her over the bridge…' Issei chuckled to himself as he came up to a large bridge with arches over it.
He drove off the road and onto the arch before climbing high on the beam above the bridge. Once he got higher, he popped a wheelie. Issei half expected this girl to freak out or scream, but surprisingly, she seemed overjoyed at his daredevil stunt.
"Still think I can't handle it?" Serafall asked as she spread her arms out and enjoyed the view from the bridge arch.
"We're about to find out…" Issei grinned as he pressed a switch in front of him, causing a jettison of flames to spew out of the exhaust. Serafall immediately grabbed his waist again as the bike shot forward even faster.
Issei drove as fast as possible until reaching the top of the bridge arch before launching off the side.
His motorcycle flew a considerable distance through the air before landing on top of a parking garage nearby. Serafall let out a shriek of joy the entire way,
"WOOOOOOOHHHOOOOO!"
[Hell Yeah! I like this girl!] Son Goku yelled while the others agreed with him except for the 'sane' Tailed Beasts.
Upon landing and slowing down, he glanced back to check on her. Serafall looked like she was super happy and wasn't afraid at all. Issei was genuinely impressed by her resolve and laughed, "You're the first girl I've ever taken on that stunt. I'm shocked you didn't scream or cry."
"Are you kidding me?! That was amazing! You're amazing!" Serafall said, smiling, which made Issei blush a bit since that was a feat that not even Zoe or Daidouji was capable of doing.
'I never thought I'd meet a nice human girl who liked Drag So-Ball Z and going on daredevil motorcycle rides. She's a fucking gem. Despite the magical girl shtick, I think I really like this girl,' Issei thought as he stared at her.
"So, where do you live, Serafall? I should probably take you back now. It's getting late," Issei said, shaking off his distraction.
"Oh, I live at this little house with some nice people hosting my stay. It's close to Kuoh Academy. Down Third Street," she replied.
Issei nodded before driving down the parking garage and making his way toward the location specified. As they pulled up to a red light, Issei glanced back at her for a moment, "Serafall is a strange name? Are you an international or something?"
"Something like that. My sister lives here, so I came to take care of her for a while," Serafall explained.
"That's good of you, I guess," Issei replied as the light turned green.
After driving for a bit longer, he finally reached her street. She pointed at a massive house, "There, that little house is where I stay!"
Issei stared at it, 'Little house? This is where all the rich people in this town live. Actually, isn't this devil territory? That's unfortunate for her. Hopefully, they don't do anything to her while she's here.'
Upon dropping Serafall off, Issei was surprised when she hugged him, "Today was really fun, Issei-chan! We need to hang out again really soon, okay?!"
"Sure thing…" he said as he locked a brief gaze with her. She smiled as she hugged him, "Oh, by the way, do you have a cell phone? I want your email."
"Uhh, yeah. Here," Issei took his phone out. His was red, and hers was pink, unsurprisingly.
After they exchanged emails, Serafall picked up her bags and stood there uncertainly for a moment.
"We can do this again, right?" Serafall asked hopefully.
"I'd be down for that," Issei nodded approvingly.
"Sparkle, shine, your command is mine! See you around Issei-chan!" Serafall cheered before kissing Issei's lips, shocking the Tailed Beasts in him until Issei just nodded and drove away.
'That was my very first kiss.' Issei said while Son Goku decided to ask.
[So when's the wedding?]
'Oh shut up!'
Scene!
I'm glad you all enjoyed it, and I got some inspiration after reading the Dragon Delinquent on AO3; it was very well written, and I thought that it would help with the story, especially since Issei's first two Akatsuki's members are introduced here.
Oh, and as for the Tailed Beasts and Issei's relationships.
Kaguya: Crush on Issei and wants to date him.
Kurama: The older brother who likes to train him and teach him about women.
Gyūki: The older brother who likes to mess with his little brother and give him dating advice while fighting with Kurama on flirting skills.
Son Goku: Issei's Sensei, who is a bit like Master Roshi but not as perverted as him.
Shukaku: Like Gaara but more sociable, though, Issei helps Shukaku with his phrasing.
Matatabi: Energetic big sister who looks out for Issei and keeps any leeches away from him.
Isobu: The Wise Turtle that helps Issei try to enjoy his high school life.
Kokuō: Crush on Issei and often fantasizes about dating him.
Saiken: Little sister who is like Rin but is a fangirl about anything from a romance novel she's read while also helping Rin with her pain.
Chōmei: Loves to ask Issei if he could be her model for new clothing and accessories. She is also a huge fan of fashion thanks to Chomei loving different styles, which is why when she gains a physical body, she wants to make her own business.
Issei's Gang/Akatsuki:
Leader: Issei Hyoudou.
Sponsor: Great Red.
Members: Tailed Beasts and Kaguya.
I hope you enjoyed it, and see you all next time!