This chapter is a little late, that wasn't intentional. Next chapter isn't gonna be a chapter, per say, rather it'll be an interlude. Stay tuned for that, it might come early.
Disclaimer: Godzilla and all related trademarks are owned and licensed by Toho Co., Ltd, Legendary Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Pictures. High School DxD is owned and licensed by Ichiei Ishibumi and Fujimi Shobo. I own neither series, please support official releases.
"...Jeez, you're really overdoing it," Kai-sensei noted.
"Don't care! Gotta fix my Karate quick!" I said while kicking at the makiwara.
The blonde man snorted. "Alright, what happened? You've been doing this all week!"
"We took part in club recruitment day. Isashi went to the Martial Arts club and took part in a spar, in which winning was the stipulation to get in." Motohama adjusted his glasses while turning to Kai-sensei with a tired expression. "He lost, if you're wondering."
"Woah, woah! Hold up! You…you lost?!" Kai-sensei asked in horror.
"To be fair, it was rigged. The forms they had him sign stated that he could only use one 'named style'," the bespectacled boy explained. "He was using Muay Thai but…nah, his ass got cooked."
"Holy shit! No, there's gotta be something going on, because that ain't how a martial arts club should work," the blonde man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I mean…unless they specifically didn't want anybody to join. But it shouldn't be that exclusive."
"Oi, pervs?! Are you saying you didn't tell him yet?" I heard Aichi crying out as he and Protagonist entered the room.
"Tell me what?" Kai-sensei asked in confusion.
"Our school's Martial Arts Club! They called us a mcdojo!" Protagonist said hotly.
"...I want all of you to apply for this club and break every member until they fear you as one fears a wrathful god," the blonde said coldly.
"H-Hey! Let's not do that!" Syu-sensei chuckled nervously before walking up and placed a hand on Kai-sensei's shoulder. "We don't need them to get involved with that kind of drama."
"I think we need them to get involved," Kai-sensei deadpanned.
"Relax~!" the bald man said before walking up to me. "And Isashi, don't push yourself. I get that you've finally found your young, high school crush-"
Motohama gagged at that, literal tears coming from his eyes. "Fuck no! I mean, if he is, to each their own…but Morizako looks like a fucking gorilla! Literally a big gorilla!"
I shrugged while tilting my head towards Syu-sensei. "She's not the most…attractive, yeah. But she was pretty nice. That said, I just wanna beat her in a fight, sensei! Nothing romantic about it!"
"What, so, no girls yet? I thought your goal was important?" the bald man chuckled.
"Oh, he's already started trying. The guy started by flirting with a girl who's impossible to confess to," Protagonist chuckled while giving me a pitying look. "Some idiots who couldn't handle that he actually talked to her when they couldn't even confess to her spread a nickname around. Isashi is now the 'Pickup Line Predator'~!"
I dropped to my knees and nearly fell to the ground. "It's not fair! Issei just has to say 'I love boobs', and he gets to be called a dumbass!" I looked at the others with faux rivers of tears running down my cheeks. "But I flirt with, like, three or four girls, and suddenly they calling me a 'predator'?! Why me?!"
"...Do you keep flirting if they say they're not interested?" Kai-sensei asked owlishly.
"No, I usually just apologize for bothering them and go on my way. I figure if I keep doing it, at least one girl is gonna show interest."
"W-Wait, wait! Heh, I'm just wondering…what if you accidentally flirt with a girl who's not single?" Syu-sensei asked.
"I'm usually trying not to do that. Then again, that's like a game of whack-a-mole. If the guys get mad, I'm usually apologizing," I snorted a bit while leaning back. "Eh, actually, one time it was the girl's girlfriend. And not in a platonic way…she was nice about it, tho."
"Oh, I know who he's talking about! Yeah, they're cute together!" Aichi squeaked when we all turned to him. "Ah, they're friends, actually. I've got this sorta…close-knit friend group, it's a bit of a family thing…look, I'd be here all day if I explained it."
"Right, fair enough. Well, Isashi, you've got the right idea, I think? The whole 'never give up' attitude works," Kai-sensei wiggled his hand around unsuredly. "But…you know that old saying by Einstein? The 'definition of insanity' and all that?"
"Actually, that quote was never spoken by Einstein. It was actually a feminist writer named Rita Mae Brown who wrote it in her 1983 book-"
"I…I got it, Motohama!" the blonde held a hand up while turning to the bespectacled boy. "But the point still stands. Sure, there's a chance it'll work, but it's probably more likely you're gonna be hitting the brick wall that is rejection over and over again. And there's likely nothing you can do."
I tilted my head thoughtfully at Kai-sensei's words. "Well, that's a fair point. But my counterpoint…I'll never know which way it'll go," I shrugged while standing to my feet, giving both senseis and my fellow students a determined grin. "I'm willing to flip that coin. Life is about risks, no matter what you're doing! I'm not gonna stop until I get the chance I've been waiting for! I will save our country!"
Kai-sensei stared at me in shock, and Syu-sensei's jaw dropped. Motohama's lip trembled as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. Protagonist and Aichi just gave me deadpan looks accompanied by sweat drops.
"I-Isashi! You're so amazing~! I'm so proud of you!" the blonde man cried out tearfully.
"I wish I could have your confidence! No matter how many times a girl gags at your very presence, you never give up!" Motohama wept. "I wish I could handle it! You're an inspiration, Isashi-kun!"
I felt my left eye twitch at their words, but kept smiling anyway. "I don't plan on stopping! No matter what happens, I can always get back up! No rejection will be terrible enough that I'll forever lose hope!" I turned back to the makiwara and tapped my chin curiously. "Uh…now, where was I?"
"Uh, you were training karate?" Syu-sensei offered.
"Oh yeah, that! Yeah, I'm gonna try to surprise Morizako with this in order to beat her," I smirked gleefully while taking my karate stance. "I'm totally gonna kick her ass. That'll show them what our 'mcdojo' can teach!"
"Hell yeah! Just one thing, actually!" Kai-sensei quickly corrected my stance and foot positions before cupping his chin in thought. "Alright, that should be good. Keep striking, let's see how your movements are."
For the next several minutes, the blonde would intermittently correct my movements. By the end of it, I realized I had a lot more work to do before I could regain a competent skill in karate. Before I could even move on, there was a lot of crying and shocked shouts from the front of the dojo.
"Ah, this doesn't seem good. Better check this out…" the blonde man hummed.
I looked at Protagonist and Aichi, who were training alongside Motohama under Syu-sensei's supervision. The three of them shrugged in confusion before moving to follow both men as they left the room. I felt a frown tugging at my lips as I made to follow them.
The crowd at the front room of the dojo was hushed and worried. I could hear Issei sputtering wildly alongside Matsuda, the two of them seemingly unable to form words. When I got to the front of the crowd, I think I joined them along with the rest of the boys.
Standing at the entrance to the dojo was a Kuoh Academy student. He was a familiar boy with blonde hair and gray eyes, and he had a bag of training gear slung over his shoulder.
"...Yo~!" Saji Genshirou gave everybody a shaky grin and a small wave. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
To give you the rundown, Saji left the dojo almost three years ago. The reason for that was because his parents died. One vehicular manslaughter, and Genshirou and his two younger siblings were left orphaned.
From what I heard, it was fortunate that his grandfather could take them in. But Saji, being the stubborn fool that he was, couldn't let his grandfather handle everything on his own. One day, Saji just…stopped coming to the dojo. I'd see him around town over the past couple of years doing odd jobs where he never spoke to anybody save for his employers.
But now he was back, right here sitting on a mat while the rest of our 'friend' group sat around him. Further away, I heard an old man-Saji's grandfather most likely-talking to Kai-sensei and Syu-sensei animatedly.
If there was anybody I was betting on being the actual protagonist, it was Saji. The dude had a tragic backstory, a fierce work ethic, and a determination to help those he cared about. I had almost no doubts that he'd be the one to take the reins once shit went down.
The one thing that made me doubt that, however-
"So I saw that video goin' around! You got real fucking sloppy, didn't ya', dumbass~?"
Was that the blonde boy was still an egotistical shit.
"Fuck you!" I deadpanned.
"Jeez, no need to get all pissy at me, man!" Saji giggled while getting a scummy look on his face. "It's noy my fault you lost your touch~! It wouldn't kill ya' to remember that I'm still your senior, ya know?"
"Hey, how did you even know about the video?" Issei asked.
"A bunch of other students were filming too. They caught everything. I'll at least give you this, you shut those idiots up quick~!" the blonde chuckled. "I almost wondered if you were really Isashi-chan! I still remember beating you a bunch of times at some tournaments~!"
"Yeah, in the loser's bracket~!" I teased back.
Saji, predictably, had a tick mark on his forehead. "W-Well, I still woulda won easily! And I still got further than you ever did!"
"...You've been gone for a while, man. Isashi's way better than you were back in the day," Aichi hummed.
"Yeah, just about. The only ones who can knock him around are Sousei-chan and a bunch of the older students," Protagonist continued, a strained grin tugging at his lips. "And even then, he really makes 'em work for it!"
The blonde boy dropped to the floor in horror. "This isn't fair! My rival has already surpassed me?! How will I recover?" He quickly set a fierce glare at me. "No, I will reach that same height! I'll prove that you'll never beat me!"
"...Uwa~! Chuunibyou!" I whispered.
"I'm not a Chuuni, dammit! You're my rival, I'm supposed to be better than you!" Saji cried out. "Plus, you're one to talk! Who was it who kept saying they want to fix the country's birthrate?!"
"The Prime Minister?" I shrugged at the annoyed growl that escaped the other boy's lips. "Well, you can spend all the time you want. But I'm gonna be too busy." I turned away towards the door, ready to get back to training. "Please don't get in my way. This isn't a 'don't get in my way or else' kinda thing for our 'shounen rivalry'. I really need to focus!"
"That only makes me wanna get in your way harder!" the blonde protested.
I sighed. "This is like trying to herd cats. It's never gonna work…"
"So, why'd you come back? Wait, are you in Kuoh Academy?!" Protagonist asked.
"Yeah, I'm in Kuoh Academy. I'm a second year. And as for why I came back…" the blonde inclined his head with a frown. "Jiiji wanted me to get back into things. He's also pushing me to join Student Council. I guess he wants me to get my life on track instead of wasting it by working myself to death."
"And what? You're not interested in that?" I asked.
"...W-Well, I wasn't originally interested in joining Student Council. I mean, for this place-" Saji motioned to the rest of the room, and likely the rest of the dojo, as he stood up from the mat he was on. "I figured I'd come back, eventually. I liked it here, this was…well, it's the dojo, and Kai-sensei said I was always welcome."
"D-Dude…" Aichi said sadly.
"But I wasn't so thrilled about the idea of joining Student Council. Not…not until I saw her," Saji suddenly got a very familiar, very lecherous look on his face. "Hah~! Kaichou looks so gorgeous! She acts so stern, but it's so hot! I can't help but think about her!"
I felt a snort escaping me as Protagonist and Aichi seemed to blue screen at his words. The rest of the perverted quartet just laughed in response.
"...For real?! You're into Kaichou?" I stared at him owlishly. "I mean, not that I'm saying you can't have preferences, but she's…intense, to stay the least. Not my first choice, obviously."
"Well, that's because you and your idiot brother are tit-mongers! Bet you'd love the other three members of the Student Council~!" The blonde boy teased. "They're total babes too, with nice sets. I mean, I can appreciate them, but they're not my thing. Still, they're nice to look at, hehe~!"
"For real? Did you actually talk to them?!" Issei asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I talked to Kusaka, and I couldn't believe how stacked she was! She was so cute!" Saji giggled pervertedly. "Plus there was Tsubaki-san and that other girl-ah, I actually forgot her name! She reminded me of Takane from 'iDOLM STER', y'know?"
"I knew I wasn't the only one who thought that!" Motohama cheered.
"Hanakai Momo? Yeah, I know her-or, well, I flirted with her! But I don't 'know' her," I chuckled. "I'd certainly like to know her better, heh~!"
"You lucky bastard!" the blonde boy cheered good-naturedly before getting a dreamy look on his face. "Anyway, when I saw Kaichou, it was love at first sight! I couldn't believe how beautiful she was! Ah~! What I wouldn't give to see her naked~!"
"...Oh dear god!" Protagonist stood up and pointed to me and the rest of the Perverted Quartet. "You monsters! What have you done?!"
"W-What? What do you mean?!" I asked worriedly.
"Oi, the fuck are you pointing at us for?!" Issei asked.
"You idiots infected him!" Aichi hissed while joining Protagonist in pointing.
"We didn't infect him! He's just finally understanding what a real man's joy is!" Motohama cheered tearfully.
"Saji! Now you too understand the joys of small-chested girls!" Matsuda wept gleefully. "It doesn't matter if the biddies are small! They're still enjoyable all the same~!"
Saji turned to the bald boy with a flat look before smiling. "The meat rises for all sizes! Flat is justice!" the blonde pumped his fist into the air with a whistle. "I am a connoisseur of small chests! Good things come in small packages, don't they? It's always best to enjoy the little things in life, if ya' know what I mean~!"
"Oh god, you four really did infect him!" Protagonist whined.
"Are we gonna be turned into pervs?!" Aichi whimpered.
"You'll just need to find out~!" I said darkly, turning to them with a ghastly expression. "Soon, all men will think the same way! Joooooooooooiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnn uuuuuuuuuuusssssssssss!"
"Joooooooiiiiiiiinnnnn uuuuuuussssss!" the other four boys droned.
"AGHHHHH!" the two boys cried out while holding each other desperately.
"Eh? The hell is goin' on out here?" Kai-sensei popped his head in worriedly.
"Nothing, Kai-sensei!" Issei said cheerfully.
"We're just readying the world for our perverted takeover~!" Matsuda chuckled.
The blonde man snorted while shaking his head. "Yeah, you guys enjoy that!"
"So what's with you anyway?" Saji asked when Kai-sensei left. "The whole 'don't bother me I'm busy' thing is new? I heard rumors you were planning to join the Martial Arts club?"
"Yeah, that's because Kai-sensei is closing the dojo down for renovations in a couple of months. I figured I could keep training if I joined the right club." I clicked my teeth angrily while tilting my head. "Thing is, our school's Martial Arts Club is stupid elitist. So it's gonna be tough to get in."
The blonde boy flinched slightly at my words. "Ah, yeah, shame I came back a bit too late. Eh, I'll still stick around for the few months I've got," then he gave me a confused frown. "What do you mean 'elitist'? How's the Martial Arts Club stuffy?"
"They'd only let him use one style," Motohama deadpanned. "So anything that was mixed and hybridized was out. He was also locked into that one style, so no changing things up"
"And it had to be a 'named' style that they knew about," Matsuda huffed. "So he couldn't rename his personal style to get in. He had to use Muay Thai alone-I mean, ya coulda used Baji, but-"
"I didn't wanna bring my ace out yet," I groaned.
"Also, they called him a 'glorified kickboxer', and said we trained at a 'mcdojo'," Protagonist said coldly.
"...Make 'em bleed!" Saji hissed lowly.
"Hey, let's not cause ridiculous amounts of violence?!" Aichi suggested.
"They need to be taught a lesson!" the blonde boy interjected.
"Oh, I'll teach 'em alright! When I finally beat Morizako, they'll fucking understand~!" I laughed viciously.
"...Eh? Who's Morizako?" Saji asked.
One explanation later, and the blonde boy had sat frozen with a dark look on his face. Then he suddenly grabbed me by the shirt while getting up in my face. He had an almost insulted look, a vicious and tearful grimace as he literally growled at me.
"You…got…a new rival?!" the blonde boy roared.
"...Eh? What are you on about?" I asked in confusion.
"Just who does this man-stealing whore think she is?!" Saji growled angrily while shaking me violently. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, getting a new rival?! You and I were supposed to have a shounen rivalry, you jackass! How could you do this to me?!"
"...Saji, I like you as a friend. And I'm happy to see you back as a friend," I iterated while grabbing his hands and removing them from my person. "But that's all we ever were. Just friends…maybe vitriolic friends, but still friends."
"You bitch! How could you throw me away like this?!" the blonde boy growled tearfully. "I thought we had something special?!"
"We were literally just friends. And even if we did have something, you left two years ago. That's not your fault, I know, but you know how that works," I said flatly. "Besides…it's not me you should've been paying attention to!"
Saji stared at me in confusion. "W-What the hell are you going on about?!"
"...Heh."
"Hmm? What are-" the blonde boy flinched back when he turned to Issei and saw the cold look on the other boy's face. "I-Issei? Why are you looking at me like that?!"
My brother's right eye twitched, and he looked away. "I see how it is. No matter how much work I put in, it just wasn't enough, huh?!" Issei let out a sardonic laugh as he stood to his feet. "You still chose my brother over me, even after everything I've done?! I just wasn't good enough, was that it?! Well, fine then!"
"Wait, Issei! I didn't know you-"
"No, no, you've made where you stand clear! You can have everything you want!" my brother said curtly. "You can have it, and you can forget I ever existed after leading me on like that! You bastard!"
"Issei! Wait!" Saji cried out as Issei left the room. "I…I didn't know…"
"Wow~!" Protagonist whistled gleefully. "You're an awful rival!"
"Why?!" the blonde boy cried out desperately. "WHY?!"
"So, you're still going at it?" Kai-sensei asked me nearly a full hour later.
"I've gotta take this girl down. I don't know if it's pride, or if it's just that I want to have a really good fight." I paused my katas and inclined my head. "I just have this feeling that I've gotta win, even if it's just to prove the other girl-the one that called this a mcdojo-wrong."
"Hehe, yeah! Break her knees," the blonde man shook his head good-naturedly before giving me a curious look. "What kinda style was this Morizako using? I might know about it, so maybe I can help you figure out a counter for it."
"...Heh, honestly? It was kinda weird," I muttered. "It was a bit like Taekwondo mixed with Tai Chi, but with a bunch of Karate here and there."
Kai-sensei gave me a very blank stare in response. "With…with a bunch of weirdly spaced out flurries of punches? Almost like the user's expecting to, t-theoretically mind you, use extra arms or something to that effect?"
"...Huh? You know, Motohama said something like that too, actually," I mused.
"Yeah, I've seen the style. It's based on 'spiders' and what-not, similar to a bunch of styles being based on dragons and mantises and all that." The blonde man's frown was not pleasant to see as he turned away from me. "Are you sure you wanna fight this girl? Let alone join your school's Martial Arts club?"
"...I'm not sure," I said after a few moments. "I don't know if it's me being prideful, or me being stubborn. The only reason I planned on joining the club was because I knew you'd be shutting things down in a couple of months, and I didn't wanna get sloppy."
"And why would you worry about that?" Kai-sensei asked worriedly.
"...I didn't wanna disappoint you. And, more than that, I didn't wanna disappoint myself," I said quietly. "I don't wanna disappoint anybody, actually. Especially if they're relying on me or if I care about them. I'd feel pretty shitty if I let somebody down like that."
The blonde man was silent for several moments before nodding curtly. "I think I can understand that. I…I think I'm okay if you come earlier in the morning, if you can squeeze that in." At my shocked look, Kai-sensei held a hand up. "But you need to remember to pace yourself. Don't tire yourself out just to beat this one girl, ya got that?"
I snorted while nodding. "Yeah, I got it, Kai-sensei!"
About a couple dozen minutes later, I'd packed my stuff up and left with my brother. Outside, I could see Saji talking with an old man that, unsurprisingly, shared a few of his features.
"Ohoho? Which one of you is Isashi?" the old man asked.
"That'd be me~!" I raised my hand. "How've you been? I hope you've been taking good care of him over the years."
Saji's grandfather laughed at that. "But of course! He tried to act like it wasn't a big deal, but he missed you all."
"J-Jii-san?!" the blonde in question hissed.
"Kaho-chan still remembers you fondly, too. You're still that funny boy that talks like the Prime Minister to her," the old man laughed at my bright smirk. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't found her. We were all so worried when we couldn't find her at that park."
"I'm glad she didn't make a habit of getting lost. Would've been worrying, and I don't know how I'd feel being set up as the one-man search party," I snorted at his faux scoff. "Still, I'm glad she's alright. If you guys need any help with the little ones, just let me know."
Saji's grandfather smiled good-naturedly. "I'm glad you're offering. Genshirou could use the help, even if he likes to act otherwise~!"
"Jii-san?!" Saji whined.
"Oh, don't start! You really shouldn't take your friends for granted!" the old man chided.
"Yeah, don't take your friends for granted~!" Issei teased, though there was a dismissiveness in his voice as he did so.
"Issei! I said I was sorry! What can I do to make it up to you?!" the blonde whined.
"Don't talk to me. You've already made your choice clear," my brother said coldly.
"Uh-oh? Trouble in paradise?" Saji's grandfather chuckled. "You should treat your boyfriend better, Genshirou~!"
At this, both of the boys gagged loudly. There was a loud bark of laughter at that, which I quickly realized was from me. And I didn't stop, especially when they started trying to deliberately lose their lunches in a section of nearby bushes.
"J-Jii-san! What the hell?!"
"Now, now, don't be like that! I don't mind how you are, Genshirou-chan~! Love whoever you want!" the old man giggled.
"Yeah, you guys are so cute together~! You can't just throw it all away like that!" I teased in between my chuckles.
"S-Shut it, Nii-san! This isn't funny!"
"I think it's hilarious!" I snorted before turning to the blonde. "Hey, it was good seeing you. But, I'm gonna guess…"
"Yeah, don't talk to me at school, ya perv! I don't need that mark on my rep," Saji grumbled while wiping the spit away from his lips. "I'm a closet freak! Be as degenerate as you want, just leave me out of it!"
"Yeah, about what I expected," I chuckled sardonically while turning back to the old man. "Take care of yourselves."
"You as well! I'm glad he has a chance to talk to his friends again," Saji's grandfather suddenly let out a small coughing fit before giving me a smile. "He-oof! Ah, my apologies! He really needed this…"
I nodded as the two of them left. Issei and I turned away and moved to leave. For a split second, I saw Tatsumiya looking at me worriedly through the windows, but I just shrugged it off.
"It's starting to get chilly, y'know?" Issei mused.
"Yup! Guess we gotta prepare for winter and all that," I nodded. "Gonna suck to deal with snow. Being up in the mountains just makes that shit worse!"
"Yeah, but it'll be nice, at least," my brother frowned. "Hey, when are we paying Ojii-san and Obaa-chan a visit?"
"By the end of the week, at the earliest," I reminded him.
"Hah! Hell yeah! I've got so much to say to him!"
"Same! I'm gonna tell him my plan to flirt as much as possible until I reel in a girl~!" I chuckled.
"Ah, Obaachan's probably gonna laugh her ass off at you!" Issei teased.
"...Yeah, probably," I snorted while turning away. "But probably not for the reason you're thinking, heh!"
"Eh? Why do you say that?"
I made a sucked in breath of air while looking at a large, wooded area. Though it was hard to see, I could make out a small pair of glowing amber eyes staring at me with curiosity. They quickly disappeared in a flash of silver.
Guess my apology wasn't accepted, huh?
Welp, time to get my ducks in order…
"No particular reason. Just a bunch of funny stories I plan to tell her~!" I chuckled.
"You better not put me on blast, damn it!" my brother cried out.
"Heh! I'm gonna!" I smirked.
Sona sat at the far end of the table while organizing documents. At the other end of the room, the shimmering blue sigil of the Paimon clan appeared in a flash. A few moments later, Andora teleported into the room with a splash of energy that washed over her like the tides.
The albino let out a small whine as she walked up to the table. "Hey~! Sorry, I'm a bit tired. I was, uh, doing another compilation of potential recruits for you guys. Also some other business," Andora sat down only a few feet away from the short-haired heiress, a shaky grimace tugging at her lips. "Eh, Urakuoh had a bunch of new arrivals. You remember what's happening around Kyoto, right?"
"Is that still happening? I thought that was a month ago?!" Sona asked worriedly.
"Well, yes, it's still happening. But there's more happening that's just adding more fuel to the fire," the Paimon heiress hummed nervously. "My father's been keeping me updated in case the Maou or any of the Clans were coming to cut their losses. Did…did your sister not…why am I even asking?"
"Yes, you're right to cut yourself off. We both know she'll give me no warning and instead just kidnap me-probably something involving pink duct tape and bubble wrap." Sona shuddered for a few moments before inclining her head. "I'm certain Rias will get much of the same treatment. Though, considering what's waiting for her in the Underworld, she'll probably be a bit more stubborn about leaving."
The two of them cringed as they remembered hearing Rias giving them the latest news of her predicament.
"I can't believe that slimeball! He has a full set and gets professional trainers for his entire peerage. He knows he can't be beaten!" the albino hissed in annoyance. "So I don't understand why he's basically strong-arming everybody she's gone to into doing fuck all. This has to be illegal!"
"In practice, the legality is…muddy. On paper, he's simply exercising his right to prevent an outside party from interfering, as stipulated in the agreement," the short-haired heiress hummed dejectedly. "Although that's normally done to prevent another suitor from muscling in. The wording is vague enough that Riser is likely working through every loophole he can."
"And the Lord and Lady Gremory aren't doing a thing? They must really want her to be sold off, or they don't want to rock the boat."
"A bit of column A, a bit of column B. Mostly it's column A," Sona mused. "The deal was made to 'unify the houses'. If I'm being honest, I'm certain that Lord Gremory is just being greedy. He already has a pureblooded grandson. He's trying to double dip without thinking of the emotional consequences."
"All we can do is help her the best we can. I mean, it's not like the chicken-shit can threaten us-we don't plan on marrying her~!" Andora snorted loudly. "Isn't that an image? Do you think I'd look good in a tux?"
"No comment," the Sitri heiress deadpanned.
The albino simply laughed in response. "Relax! I'm teasing! Besides, I'm just glad we got that shit locked down on our end-why are you giving me that look?" the Paimon heiress's red eyes narrowed at the cringe the other girl was giving her. "Sona, tell me that everything is alright."
"My parents have been…prodding, I suppose is a good word for it. Trying to see if they can push past the boundaries I've set," the short-haired girl steepled her fingers as a worried noise escaped her. "They've been insinuating that Rias's 'imminent marriage' might convince them to force me to remove my own preconditions. I pushed back on it, but it gave me a bit of a fright."
"And here I thought I only had to worry about my wicked stepmother introducing me to some downtrodden houses with lovely young men who weren't worried about…well, you know," Andora motioned to herself with a sigh. "Of course, I already have an escape route courtesy of my father and my dear sister whenever I need. Plus, all the checks and balances my father and uncle helped me make to prevent that hag from going behind our backs."
"I'm stuck between envying you and pitying you," Sona sighed. "It seems Rias is going to be late. Tell me, is there anything going on that I should know about?"
"Hmm…I have a report about a potential Fallen scout," the Paimon heiress pushed a piece of paper towards the other girl. "Might be worth looking into. Other than the new arrivals to Urakuoh and the general status of the refugee yokai…not much. A few high-class devils came for business reasons the other day, remember that?"
"Ah, yes! Sorry I had to leave that to you. I was dealing with something I had on the backlog." The short-haired girl cleared her throat. "H-How did that go?"
"Well, Lord Oriax is staying in order to gamble in the stock market and purchase some companies. He's been getting intermittent visits from family members as he does so," the albino sighed in annoyance. "He was one of the few who, as it turned out, could actually stand to speak to me and treat me with decency. The only other lord that showed up was Lord Mammon. Neither the houses of Purson, Forneus, and Dantalion were willing to speak to me directly, instead using intermediaries. It's no wonder they missed their chances."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Only that some of the stock, companies, and assets they were bidding on were snapped up by three human companies instead," Andora tilted her head curiously as she shuffled a few papers around before handing them to Sona. "One is a company called 'Liberation Industries'. They're a big name weapons manufacturer and PMC that popped up a handful of years ago. They just set up a huge building in town, bought a bunch of land almost a year ago and everything."
"Interesting! Might be worth looking into them. And the others?"
"Destron Electrical, with subsidiaries including Destron Technologies and Delzer Security. A big electrical company with their hands in the big tech industry and their own private security force. I'm kinda getting some serious 'Shinra' vibes from them," the albino waved her hands around mystifyingly. "Also, 'Destron'? That just sounds spooky! Oooh, look out for Destron Electrical! They're plotting to take over the world~!"
"It does sound intimidating, but they're likely just a shrewd electricity company. Which…would actually be far more intimidating, honestly," Sona chuckled, while shaking her head. "What about the final company?"
"A Ugralskan company. They've got ties to their federal government, actually," Andora hummed as she handed Sona the last piece of paper. "Not sure if I should be okay with an evil dictatorship trying to make its way into our local businesses. I feel like I should be worried on principle."
"You should be. I've been told we should all be very worried," the Sitri heiress frowned as she inclined her head. "Ugralska, surprisingly, has several natural deposits of Agrean Crystals. I don't think I need to tell you why that's a bad thing."
"Shit, for real? That isn't gonna be a problem for us, is it?"
"Not for our people's livelihood, no. The Underworld has far more deposits of those crystals, especially on Agreas itself," the short-haired girl leaned forward with a huff. "No, it's what Ugralska themselves might do with those crystals. I'm sure you've heard the rumors? Many members of the government and military are sorcerers or some other form of magic-user. They know what they have there. More than that, they'll be looking for new ways to utilize them."
"They were purchasing bio-tech and engineering companies. You don't think they're planning something, do you?"
"...If they are, we'll need to investigate. Alerting the Maou is the best we can do," Sona nodded seriously. "For now, we'll just need to keep our eyes open."
The two of them blinked when the brilliant red symbol of the Gremory Clan appeared in the air at the front of the room. The two schoolgirls leaned forward expectantly as energy flashed through the air like raging heat.
"Agh! Sorry I'm late!" the emerging devil cried out as she teleported into the room. "I had to help Kiba and Koneko. They received some difficult contracts today, and I was worried they wouldn't be able to sort it out on their own!"
"It's alright, Rias~! You haven't missed much," the albino hummed cheerfully. "We'll catch you up to speed on everything soon. But this meeting was supposed to be for you, remember?"
Rias Gremory was, objectively, a gorgeous girl. She had long, crimson red hair that was characteristic of the Gremory family, fair skin with a heart-shaped face and cute button nose, and blue eyes that shone like crystals. This was all without mentioning her figure, something that Sona would begrudgingly admit she was somewhat envious of.
"I may have had some…other engagements…" the red-haired schoolgirl said nervously after a few moments. "And, I might've gotten carried away with them, ehehe~!"
"...What did you do?" Andora asked flatly.
Rias whistled nonchalantly for several long moments while avoiding meeting the gazes of either girl in front of her. Despite this, Sona's dead-eyed stare, which was quickly accentuated by her 'scary shiny glasses', caused her resistance to crumble into nothing.
The redhead quickly pulled out an oblong box from her bag, a sheepish grin on her face. The other two girls gaped in shock, both for different reasons.
"I don't…what even is this?" the Sitri heiress muttered.
"You didn't!" the albino hissed quietly.
"It's a limited edition! And there was a sale going on! They won't be bringing this back for another year or two!" Rias cradled the box like it was a precious child. "I had to take advantage of the opportunity! I'd regret it forever if I didn't act!"
Sona felt her left eye twitch. "Rias, it's a toy. It's not that important."
"It's not just a toy!" the redhead cried out like she'd been subjected to blasphemy. "This is an ultra rare Natsu figurine. The manufacturer uses a certain material that can't be made in bulk, so they have to space it out! That's why it takes so long for them to get back onto the shelves, and even then they make so few that they're gone by the time you even hear about it!"
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't tell me…" Andora gasped in horror as she rose to her feet. "You bought the last one?! A-Awww! Come on! How could you?!"
"Don't judge me!" the Gremory heiress cried out defensively. "You know I only have so much restraint!"
"It's not simply about restraint! It's about trust and accountability!" the albino cried out, and pointed heatedly. "You can't just go behind my back like this! You know that I've been counting down the days before the latest rare items get released!"
"Is…is this really a conversation we should be having right now?" Sona deadpanned.
"Yes!" both girls cried out.
Sona pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "I'm not even gonna bother trying to understand this. Can we please try to get back on topic?"
"What topic could be more important than this?!" the Paimon heiress cried out.
"Perhaps we could speak about the various outcast Yokai you've invited into town as displaced refugees? Specifically, the various water spirits that you've introduced into various local bodies of water? Or maybe the growing village in the mirrored version of this entire geographical region currently occupying Ikai," the short-haired heiress's eyes shifted towards the redhead. "Or maybe, we should touch on your engagement? Is there anything you need to get off your chest?"
"Ah? Well, that's-um, you see, actually-"
"Please sit down," Sona ordered tiredly.
Both girls hung their heads while obeying the Sitri heiress's command. The bespectacled girl sighed while organizing the documents before her.
"Now then…Rias? What of your engagement?"
The redhead whined at this. "Damn, I really have to start this? Trust me, you are not gonna be happy to hear about this," the Gremory heiress sighed as the other two girls gave her expectant looks. "My father set up a meeting, my mother said she'd be there, and I thought it was just some standard parent/daughter time. Turns out it was an ambush. Riser and Lord Phenex were there, and they attempted to push back against my original stipulation of graduating."
"Shit!" Andora hissed sympathetically.
"I…I admit, I lost it on my parents. My father was basically bowling over me, barely giving me a chance to talk, and my mother wasn't saying a word." Rias clasped her hands together with a low growl, seemingly fighting the urge to break her own fingers. "I had to start shouting to even be heard. The only saving grace was that Riser at least slipped up, just enough that they pulled back."
"Really? So, the chicken-shit couldn't keep himself contained for the occasion? Maybe there is a 'god'." Sona let out a groan and held the side of her head gingerly. "That was a bad decision. Agh! S-Still, that's good, right? Does that mean your father is reconsidering?"
"I…I think he might've been open to it, if I hadn't made a comment after Riser's slip-up. I flat out said that I would refuse to marry him no matter what." The Gremory heiress inclined her head tiredly. "After they left, father talked to me privately. He had 'very strong words' for me. Started off with 'I know he might not seem ideal'. And then I tuned him out, because everything else he said completely disregarded my feelings, he just…completely ignored every point I made, every justification I had. This is some sort of 'done deal' for him."
"Did you mention how Riser is trying to isolate you from any assistance?" the short-haired girl asked.
"He…he said he'd speak with the Phenex about it. He was rather begrudging about even saying that. My brother actually stopped by later and asked to speak to him," the redhead sighed in equal parts relief and disappointment. "Which, yes, wonderful! But…you know how I feel about that?"
"I can understand that, at least from my perspective. I will point out that you had no way of preventing it from your end, seeing as you were too young," Sona mused solemnly. "So you shouldn't be as troubled. There's nothing wrong with getting help when you are in an unfair situation."
"That's true, but…you know how that's going to look? 'Rias Gremory will just run to her big brother when things aren't going her way'~! Not to mention the backlash against my brother if people point it out," Rias ran a hand through her hair in worry. "And that part about me being too young to do anything…I'm envious of you two. If I'd ever had the chance to be more proactive like you, Sona, then maybe I could've set up some actual barriers for potential suitors. Though I doubt my father would care about my feelings enough to allow them to last…"
Andora noticed Rias's eyes darting to her as she finished, and sighed. "I think there's a clear difference between our situations. I don't think your dad is bad, Rias, he's…he's just doing what he thinks is good for you, and he has to think about the good of the Gremory Clan as well. He must feel like he's buying Riser. Of course, since he doesn't know what chicken-shit is really like…" the albino trailed off before shaking her head. "Plus, you know my ass isn't going to get any actual suitors. Greedy, downtrodden assholes who see me as a 'last resort' for their clans' failing finances, at best. Considering my…'condition', you have to understand that there's a big difference."
"She's not wrong on that last part," Sona mused. "But also she's not off the mark for the former, either. That said…I'm fairly certain that Lord Gremory is just being greedy. You're likely aware of what would occur should the Phenex family line unite with the Gremory's."
"I'd die before letting Riser get me into bed," the redhead growled lowly. "Maybe father won't be pleased by that attitude, but I don't care. That disgusting creep won't even get to first base. That's a promise."
"But since they're pushing the engagement…" the Paimon heiress trailed off.
"The Rating Game is your only option," the Sitri heiress finished.
"And if the writing on the wall is right, the time I thought I had is soon to be withdrawn, likely regardless of any promises. I need to get on track to stop it," Rias clasped her hands together and turned to Andora. "A few months ago, you gave Sona and I a list of outcast Yokai who were willing to accept being reincarnated. I…I know you gave me a month to approach them as an ultimatum, and I know I passed the deadline-"
"I'm sorry, they've all been snapped up. Four of them were taken in by different high-class devils visiting on business…" the albino tilted her head as an apologetic smile tugged at her lips. "The final one is now my second bishop."
"Didn't you also get a second rook?" the short-haired girl asked.
"Ah, that was a special case. I'll explain later, but her situation was dire and I couldn't just leave somebody in a predicament like that," Andora sighed. "I'm trying to get another list ready, since I knew things might come to this. But it's gonna be slow going."
"So the only other option is the Sacred Gear holders," the redhead hummed.
"I'm planning on inviting Saji Genshirou to Student Council, and subsequently adding him to my peerage," Sona said firmly, barely flinching at the Gremory heiress's odd look. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't willing to wait on that. I did give you as much warning as I could."
"I'm not bothered by that, Sona," Rias said gently. "Besides, that still leaves the other two…"
"Ah yes…the perverts."
"Oh yeah, the hunks~!"
Both Sona and Andora had said that at the same time. The short-haired girl was now eyeing the white-haired girl with a shocked expression.
"What? You did see the pictures of Isashi without his shirt, right?" the albino asked.
"No. No I did not," Sona deadpanned.
"...Would ya' like to~?"
"Are you serious right now?" the Sitri heiress narrowed her eyes.
"I dunno, I have to agree with her," the redhead mused cheerfully while grabbing at some documents. "I mean…Issei is kind of cute?"
"Cute?!" the short-haired girl balked.
"Look at this face!" Rias held up a picture of Issei that had been included in the folder that had been laying in front of her. "He's cute! He's got that cute, boyish look, and doe-eyes! I will not deny that!"
"Shamefully, he hasn't been caught shirtless yet. That said, he and his brother both train at the same dojo, with different styles," Andora chuckled. "Which leads me to believe they'll have quite a lot of potential should they be reincarnated as devils."
"They're perverts!" Sona deadpanned.
"And?" the redhead asked, tilting her head curiously. "Before you even think about bringing up Riser, I'd like to remind you that he's a conniving snake. He acts sweet in front of others and rarely reveals his true colors. He's an arrogant, aggressive, and obnoxious slimeball who sees me as an object and states his entitlements to 'own' me," the Gremory heiress ran a curious finger across the picture of Issei. "These two, it seems, are rather honest about their nature, yet seem to have no interest in going that extra step as Riser has. Come now, haven't you realized that none of the so-called 'Perverted Quartet' have gone out of their way to molest a girl? We'd have known if that was a problem."
"What, you're saying they're only interested in looking?" the short-haired girl asked incredulously.
"I'm saying they value something called 'consent'. Something I can get behind-it's supposed to be illegal to force somebody into your peerage, after all," Rias shrugged blithely as she set the photo down. "I should have enough pieces for the two of them. Perhaps I-"
The albino let out a small cough. "Ah, I should inform you, but Isashi attempted to join the Martial Arts Club. And he's stated his intentions to gain entrance no matter what, even after losing the entry match."
"...Oh," the redhead winced and groaned. "You're planning on recruiting him?"
"He has a sea monster," at the curious looks from the other two girls, Andora sighed. "In his Sacred Gear. The thing sealed inside it is a sea monster, and it's powerful. I have a feeling that if it wakes up, we'll all feel it."
"So you've already called dibs?" the Gremory heiress frowned.
"I'm willing to pull back on it. But, and this is a very clear 'but', you need to make an attempt to recruit him by the end of the week," the Paimon heiress said firmly before the other girl could interact. "And don't do that thing where you have Koneko stalk him for a large amount of time and then do nothing throughout. I want you to approach him ASAP and extend an invitation. Be proactive, Rias! Take an opportunity when you can. That's the key to gaining control over your freedom!"
"...Okay, okay, you're right. I understand," Rias nodded. "I'll have Kiba invite him to the old school building the first chance I get. Things should go pretty smoothly."
"Perfect!" the albino cheered. "If it doesn't work out…well, he's still got that 'cute' brother of his, right? I'm sure he'll be more receptive, huh?"
"...Maybe~?" the redhead licked her lips as she eyed the photo again.
"Well, if that's out of the way…we need to talk about the status of Kuoh's analogue in Ikai," Sona gave the white-haired girl a dark look. "And we need to have a serious discussion about the ramifications of an entire town possibly cropping up in the adjacent spirit world."
"...Can we not talk about that and just say we did?" the Paimon heiress asked nervously.
"Andora!"
"Fine! I'll fill you in on what's been going on," the albino sighed defeatedly. "But you don't have to worry. Urakuoh's development isn't the problem you think it is…"
I had this asked on SB, but if you're curious, Issei and Isashi are already in their second semester of school. Japanese High School usually starts in April, and the semester ends in July with the next one starting at the end of August/beginning of September. There are some regional differences at least-Kuoh is supposed to be somewhere in the Chūbu region (the Manga and anime show that it has high elevations, so lots of mountain) and it's distance from Kanto is close enough that it's only an hour train ride to Akihabara, and combined with the academy being an Escalator school, there's some differences in schedule.
I also glossed over the summer vacation, so just assume a bunch of stuff happened during that time that they're mentioning offhandedly. The vacation itself wasn't something I wrote because I didn't have anything important for the story planned involving it. Next vacation will be important, at least.
If anybody is wondering, 'Ikai' is the Spirit World-if you've seen Spirited Away, it's literally just that. It's a mirrored world that's heavily connected to the 'real' world-they can't exist without each other-and it can only be accessed from both ends (outside of designated entrances) at dawn and dusk. I might go over it more in story, but it's based on both Japanese legends and...well, any mythology, really, since they all have a near similar concept. So, assume that, say, the Japanese part of the Spirit World has all the Yokai and stuff, but the British/Irish Spirit World would have all the Fae instead, and so on.
Also, if you squint, there's some references to some of the future villains I mentioned a couple of chapters ago-not the group of Yokai, again I'll reiterate they're still all acting spooky and mysterious and hiding. The villains I'm hinting at here are all humans...mostly. See if you can figure it out~!
Now then, onto the reviews.
IdleManRPG: Oh...you thought that was a reference to Void Ghidorah? Next chapter will certainly be...surprising for you~!
Zet4: So, first of all, there's a reason why a few Yokai are being reincarnated as devils-I've hinted at it this chapter, and when it comes up there will be more details on it. But I do agree that Devil society is backwards-maybe not as much as you're saying, for instance they literally can't risk loosing stray devils out like that against the other two biblical factions, no matter what it would start a war. But the peerage system is definitely something that's being abused, I will agree. I'm pretty sure it started off as a Lord/Vassal system, with some of it akin to noblemen adopting orphans when they find out they can't have children, but the loopholes and lack of laws covering it basically allowed situations like Diodora to occur. Some of the way I'm covering it, at the least, are based on what I think may be some random supplementary material I read-or it's fanon, but that's certainly not gonna make it look any nicer. Still doesn't mean every devil is evil, just that their society is backwards as fuck.
Riverflow2020: New fanfic rec, lets go~!
Saurian96: Godzilla is gonna be grumpy at most when he wakes up. 'This stinky little insect is his prison, and it's doing stupid shit?' are his regular thoughts-though he thinks that everything that humans do is 'stupid shit', so that's a high bar to pass. The jingoism with Ddraig will be there, but it won't be so vitriolic as with Ghidorah. Godzilla hates evil space aliens, not dragons in general. I mean, unless you count Tiamat-the consensus is still split on whether she was asking for it or not (imo she was probably trying to usurp the big G, and he wasn't having it).
For anybody whose interested, you can check out my P a treon. Unfortunately, FF. Net doesn't do the links well, so you'll have to close the spaces below/rewrite it slightly on your browser.
P a treon. com(slash) Locksoli
As always, please leave any thoughts, questions, and constructive criticism in your reviews. And thank you for reading.