"An entire nest?!" Rias shouted in utter shock as she and Sona were talking, the latter having dealt with the latest outcome of the Red Dragon's actions. Namely, the destruction of an entire nest of Strays. "You mean to tell me something like that existed and we were unaware of it all this time?"

"It seems so." Sona replied. "In the defense of the Strays, it was cleverly disguised. Or rather, that is what I would be saying if they could build that kind of place in the first place without us noticing, but I have reasons to believe it was constructed before we came to Kuoh."

"Before we came to Kuoh?" Rias echoed. "Strange, when we chose this place we were informed that there was no such thing as hideouts."

"Those claims were made by the Shinto Pantheon, but chances are they were unaware of them as well." Sona said. "They barely use magic as well, which makes them harder to detect in their own way. Not to mention the golems that your peerage found - or at least, their remains. We got the analysis back from the underworld, and they all agree that they were made by a capable magician. The big one, however, which had extensive damage, showed more advanced magic than the rest, and a different quality as well."

"A different maker?" Rias guessed, but Sona shook her head.

"It is possible, but there are similarities with the others that were taken out so far. Too many to ignore. It is more believable that they simply improved or gained access to more high-quality tools or materials." Sona said. "But enough about the golems. Rias, the Red Dragon is causing too much attention, especially with this latest attack. My peerage was barely able to quence the unrest."

Rias sighed. "I know. I also felt his power spike before. It was…terrifying."

"I also felt it." Sona said, fixing her glasses as sweat ran down her face. "Such a big increase couldn't be produced by their Balance Breaker alone, meaning they likely tried something else."

"Something else? Sona, the Strays killed in that nest were not exactly weaklings, but they were not that strong either, so what could he-" Rias's words died in her mouth as realization hit her, making her gulp. "Juggernaut Drive."

"Indeed." Sona confirmed, sharing Rias' fear. "However, seeing that Kuoh is still on the map, it is safe to say they must have used it to trick the asura. We managed to confirm its identity, and my father was especially upset about it. Turns out this Stray was once his Queen, recruited for his race's natural affinity for power and destruction, not to mention magic. Furthermore, when I asked my father if they had something special, he revealed to me the concept of boons. An asura is usually born with one, but they can gain more throughout their lives"

"And?" Rias asked, not seeing the point of Sona's talk.

"This asura specifically was born with two hearts, and later gained a boon that made it so the more they were hurt in battle the stronger, faster, and deadlier they became." Sona said. "The wounds on their body were extreme, and even one of their hearts was stabbed through with a dagger. It was coated in poison, and we found it in the asura's system. Rias, their powers were likely through the roof, yet the Red Dragon was able to defeat them."

"How powerful would you say the asura became?" Rias asked with curiosity.

"I wouldn't say its power was at the level of a High-Class like us, but I highly believe it came close and even rivaled it." Sona confessed. "But there is more, a detail which we found true on other Strays: Their Evil Pieces were missing."

"Their Evil Pieces?" Rias echoed. "Wait, you mean to say that-"

"After a Stray is killed, their piece usually manifests in the chess box of their former master, but in this case, I found out from my father that he received no such piece, which made him ask Lord Beelzebub for a replacement," Sona said, which brought with it a form of bad news. "Rias, I am sorry to inform you, but Lord Beelzebub has personally taken interest in the events here due to this. To him, a being or person able to steal his pieces is something that cannot stand."

"What?!"

Sona put her hand up, trying to calm her friend. "Relax, Lord Beelzebub has more urgent matters, so he won't be personally dealing with this matter."

"Good to hear." Rias sighed.

"Instead, the duty to get to the bottom of it was assigned to me and my peerage." Sona continued, which did grab Rias' attention. "But, since we know other details, namely the presence of the Red Dragon, I believe that the solution is obvious considering how the victims overline perfectly."

"You believe it is the Red Dragon who is stealing the pieces?" Rias asked, curious about this as well. "What about others? I do believe such issues are more recent than the attacks, am I right?"

"Right on point, Rias." Sona replied. "Indeed, several nobles have sent their thanks for taking care of Strays and then recovering their pieces, when in fact, as we know, it was the Red Dragon killing those Strays. Something changed. We know from before that he seems able to cure the Strays, but this new information makes me believe he is somehow extracting the Pieces without harming them."

"This is getting ridiculous…" Rias sighed. "The Red Dragon Emperor's presence within Kuoh was surprising, not to mention everything else, but things are already getting more than a little frustrating. At this point, I wonder if my decision to stop the chase was a mistake."

"I do admit, giving them free rein is a good way to show good faith and try establishing relations, especially as neither of our peerages took any form of aggressive action against them, but there is still the matter of finding out who they are." Sona remarked. "The identity of the Red Dragon Emperor can offer us a better way to understand them and make a connection, but so far we have nothing on that front either. This entire charade is already stirring waters, and unless we find a way to settle them we risk waking up with more of a headache over us."

"True that." Rias continued. "Koneko was of no use either, but I did get reports from Kiba that she seems to be feeling better these days. It is likely that she finally got over seeing her sister again."

"While that is a positive in our situation, it only benefits you, Rias." Sona remarked. "I swear, at this point, I feel like going after the Red Dragon myself just to get rid of this issue."

"I understand your frustration, Sona, but this is a chance that appears only once in a lifetime!" Rias argued. "We just need to keep things with the Red Dragon Emperor as cool as we can for a while longer."

"A bit hard, considering the heat bearing down on us." Sona argued back then she got up. "Thank you for the tea, Rias, but I need to be on my way. The student council is preparing a tour of Kuoh Academy for all of those who wish to take it and signed up for the exams to do so. Preparations need to be made."

"Of course, I will not hold you any longer than I need to, Sona." Rias replied, then the Sitri Heiress left the room, which allowed Rias' smile to drop a bit. "Akeno."

Her Queen, Akeno, came out from the next room. "Yes, Rias?"

"Any news on the potential identity of the red dragon?" Rias asked as she was looking for the Red Dragon's real identity. True, she did say they stopped any chase to intervene in whatever he was doing, but she cannot deny the truth of her curiosity. WHO was the Red Dragon Emperor, and where did they come from? So far, they know he came into town around the time the attacks began, as they know who his first victim was; some drug-addicted Stray.

Furthermore, they had their Balance Breaker unlocked when they met, meaning that they had experience in using their Gear, so they couldn't have been local, otherwise she would have known of their presence before they could achieve that level of power. This means it was someone who had only recently moved into town.

Now, her peerage, despite having some influential clients, did not have anything akin to town hall documents. Instead, they relied mostly on rumors. "Nothing concrete yet, Rias." Akeno replied. "I listened for any rumors and spread my familiars out, but so far I got nothing good. I did, however, find something else of possible interest."

"Hmm. That being?" Rias looked at Akeno, who then got out a document of some kind.

"A list of the locations where they acted, counting from the first murder inward." She said, "I managed to convince Momo to give it to me after a bit of talk without Sona knowing." She chuckled. "Sona is being a bad girl, Rias."

"Care to elaborate on that, Akeno?"

"Oh, why, she is actually looking for the Red Dragon as well…To recruit him into her peerage."

"WHAT?!" Rias shouted in outrage. "Sona is what? Are you certain?"

"I am." Akeno replied, being somewhat more serious in her words. "But this is hardly anything new, all things considered. Devils do compete at times for good potential peerage members."

"I didn't expect her to compete with me, though." Rias said as she got up, looking through the window. "She is being greedy. One of the Vritra Gears is not enough for her, so she desires the Boosted Gear as well." A smile appeared on her face. "Smart of her to fill her peerage with such powerful members, but now that we know, I wonder how that affects her plans."

"Likely not by much, considering this is Sona we are talking about." Akeno replied, voicing her worry. "She is quite ahead in finding the Red Dragon too. She got a narrowed-out search location, in the residential area. Apparently, several individuals moved in before the murders started, and she has a list of houses of anyone who did move there in the last couple of months."

"And with her superior peerage numbers, it is only a matter of time until she locates them…" She grinned. "I think it is time we up the stakes to slow her down."

"How so?" Akeno asked, but then she looked outside where Rias was looking as well. They were looking at Saji. "Oh, Rias, that is quite mischievous. What do you plan to do with Sona's poor pawn?"

"Nothing too bad. Only bad enough to have her worried about damage control for a while." Rias said, already formulating a plan in her mind. The Red Dragon, despite not being a peerage option, was HER target. If Sona believed competition wouldn't arise, then this is one of the rare moments Rias can truly say she made a foolish move.


Now, in regards to the timeline, it has been one entire week since Issei took on that dungeon and fought the boss there, managing to come out with good progress behind him. Now that he was sitting at Level 15 there was no more need to grind for levels and he could focus on other things, which gave him more time for himself and Kuroka.

He did lose RP due to that stunt he pulled with his Juggernaut Drive, but she understood and he was able to recover the lost RP fairly easily, only to once again be blocked by the knowledge that he cannot advance anymore past 90 unless he relies on a quest for it. Well, still better than nothing, he guessed. He did keep training his Skills, trying to get [Aura Suppression] to level 10 to finish that quest as well for good, but the required amount of Skill EXP was massive, meaning it took a while, and he still didn't have it all the way to level 10. But he was close!

Currently, he had 81900 out of 82400, meaning that if he just stands around people for 5 minutes or so the skill will level up, which is good news. But, today was going to be a chill day for him. Why? Because he was getting ready to head to Kuoh Academy!

And no, not for the dungeon near it, but for a tour that the student council there has put together for the potential students. Since he applied for the entrance exam, this will help him get somewhat familiar with the place before he actually joins in order to navigate the building better. Additionally, he also wants to go there for a reason that is more…strategic. He wants to see where the Gremory peerage has its base at. He knows it is around Kuoh Academy, but he doesn't know anything else past that.

The Kuoh Academy website gave him a list of the current members of the Student Council, which included Sona Sitri, who was of course using an alias. But before going there, as he prepared himself in his and Kuroka's shared room, he pulled out the book he got last time from the dungeon. It was a Skill book, and since his perk gave him 1000 EXP per book he uses, it would be foolish not to.

[Observe] told him everything he needed to know.

[Skill Book: Martial Arts: Asura Style - Novice]

[Upon consuming this book, the Gamer will have the Skill [Martial Arts: Asura Style - Novice] added to their Skill list]

"Martial arts?" Issei said, questioning it a bit. He got this as a reward from that dungeon, which he guessed was fitting considering the boss, but how could he fight like an asura to begin with? He only had one pair of arms, after all.

"Issei, my boy, martial arts are not as limited as you might believe." Solomon said, offering some wisdom, as always. "It all also depends on the user's own imagination and creativity with them to develop their techniques."

"Indeed. Besides, you could use a boost in your fighting abilities when it comes to hand-to-hand, and this is perfect!" Ddraig added, and Issei, not wanting to argue with them, decided to go through with it.

He opened the book, which caused the text box to appear and he tapped on the 'Y', causing the book to vanish and, thanks to his perk, he gained 1000 EXP.


[Martial Arts: Asura Style - Novice] (Level 1| 0/400): Fighting like an asura! This is everything this style of martial arts is about, and more! The main attributes of this style are defeating your opponent with overwhelming power and destructive techniques!


And ok, that sounded pretty sick. It was currently only level one, and he didn't have any skills for it. He noticed how it was the same as his fire magic and sword-based skills, meaning this was a proficiency skill, which only leveled up by using Skill located under their tabs. But he didn't have any-

The Skills [Power Punch], [Power Kick], and [Power Jump] have been moved under [Martial Arts: Asura Style - Novice], and will now contribute to it.

Well, that answered that. He checked the time, seeing that he better hurry up or else he might miss it. Saying a short goodbye to Kuroka, he dashed towards Kuoh Academy.


"Ok, ok, everyone." Saji was the one who was going to take everyone around Kuoh, a duty Sona had given him. He figured it was going to be easy enough, since all he was doing was taking them around the place and explaining to them what each room was. He got his clipboard out, checking the names of those present. "Alright, let's see…" Issei arrived two minutes ago, standing at the back of the crowd with his hoodie drawn over his head to try and stay out of attention as much as possible. After Saji checked those who were expected, he began to lead the group inside Kuoh Academy.

But no sooner had he stepped into the barrier that [Danger Sense] acted up.

Skill Level-up! [Danger Sense] is now level 2!

"A barrier." Solomon remarked, narrowing his eyes in the mindscape. "Likely a protective measure. Or a security one. I tend to lean for the former, seeing as they have two High-Class, pure-blooded devils here, meaning this barrier is more or less to conceal their presence."

"Then why did my skill go off?" Issei asked, to which Solomon had a reply.

"Because you are in the heart of enemy territory now, my boy." Solomon said with a serious tone, making Issei understand perfectly just how deep he was. "Be careful."

With the message received, Issei continued to walk with the group as Saji explained to them certain things such as the history of Kuoh Academy. Everyone here already knows the place used to be an all-female institution, meaning that for a bit of time, they will have an uneven male-female ratio. For some of the guys here it meant only more fish in the pond to get a nice catch.

Saji led them to the various classrooms, floors, and offices, showing them where the Dean's office was, as well as the teacher's lounge, and the Student Council Room. Granted, when Issei peeked through the window of the hallway, he couldn't help but notice a somewhat large, older building out back. He couldn't help but ask. "Excuse me, but what is that building over there?" He asked, earning Saji's attention.

"Oh, well, that's the old school building. Before this land was owned by Kuoh Academy, it used to be home to the old Kuoh Private School, which closed down once it was bought. Instead of demolishing the old building, however, they decided to keep it since it was really in the way of the new plans." Saji explained, making sure to use a specially crafted explanation instead of the truth. "It currently serves as the headquarters for Kuoh Academy's Occult Research Club."

"O-Occult research?!" A person in the crowd said with a bit of fright. "You mean, like, demon summoning and the likes?" The person in question was a guy with shaved hair, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt that exposed some relatively well-built arms.

"Well, that does fit under the 'occult' stuff." Saji replied awkwardly.

"Are you hearing this, Motohama?" The guy asked a friend of his on the left. The other one had black hair compared to his friend, and glasses, not to mention a calm air around him.

"I am, Matsuda, but I assure you, stuff like that is pure superstition." The guy with classes, named Motohama apparently, replied to the now-named Matsuda. "Such things are merely fanatical, religious foolishness done by people who cannot tell a story apart from reality. People like that end up butchering humans for nothing in the end."

"I assure you, such practices are not being performed on school grounds!" Saji said, half to protect the school's image and half because their words were offensive towards the inhabitants belonging to the supernatural side of things. But that aside…

Skill Level-up! [Aura Suppression] is now MAX level!

Bingo.

Quest Updated!


Stray Hunter & Secret Dragon

Main Objective: Level up and grow stronger by defeating Stray Devils around Kuoh! Reach level 15 before starting to attend Kuoh Academy! -Complete

Additional Objective: Your actions are bound to attract attention from unwanted parties, so you must remain hidden at all cost! Level up your Aura Suppression Skill to 10 and make sure to not blow your cover as the Red Dragon Emperor or attract the direct attention of either Rias Gremory or Sona Sitri! -Complete

Quest Time Limit: 4 Months.

Main Objective Reward: 20 SP, Title: Stray Hunter, 20000 EXP-Claimed

Additional Objective Reward: ?, 5000 EXP. -Unclaimed

Failure Penalty: Possible death.

Note: After claiming the rewards this quest will officially be over.


His Skill reaching MAX level was a true benefit of this visit, and it could only mean one singular thing.


[Aura Suppression]: ( Level MAX): This Skill enables the Gamer to hide their Aura and Power from other beings, making them seem like a normal human being for the most part. The Skill is able to hide the user's power from all High class and below Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, and other supernatural beings, allowing the user to pass unnoticed. The Skill can prevent the listed beings from detecting the user entirely, and even conceal the power of their Sacred Gear completely. However, beings who are above High-Class or have specialized skills, can partially bypass this Skill. Additionally, Youkai are able to bypass this Skill entirely, no matter the level. This Skill has no cost. This Skill does not affect the bonus given by [Draconic Aura] to the Gamer's Relationship points


He doubted they had other Youkai aside from Shirone, meaning that right now he was completely safe. He could walk past Rias and her group and they wouldn't be able to tell he was the Red Dragon! Still, if he wanted to collect on his quest, he needed to find a good place to do so, and that meant losing the group somehow.

But he was supposed to do that, when Saji himself was a Devil? He had to keep in mind, he still had superior senses when compared to Issei, but on the other hand…

[Genshirou Saji]

[Level: 11 C]

[HP: 8000/8000]
[Reincarnated Devil(4 Pawns of Sitri)]

He was very much not worried about him.

"Alright, everyone." Saji said, getting their attention. "Now, as part of the tour, you will be allowed to wander around the institution by yourselves for around 10 minutes, after which I want everyone to report back to the entrance where I will check if everyone made it, then you can go back home. However, I beg that you do not enter places like offices and the like, or go to the old building."

That was lucky. Using this chance, Issei slipped to the bathroom, got into a stall, and brought up his interface. Sure, no one else could see it aside from Kuroka currently, but waving his hands about might make him seem crazy. He claimed the quest reward, offering him 5000 EXP and a mystery reward, making him check his inventory to see…a Box? It was a strange one as well, with a question mark on it. He used [Observe], to get some additional information.

[Mystery Reward Box]

No item description?

Congratulations on getting your first [Mystery Reward Box]!

And there goes the system.

Allow me to explain: Those boxes are given to the Gamer as a quest reward, and they are super useful! They can grant you a random reward, from EXP, Items of various rarities, and even Skill Books! However, certain boxes are named specifically for one of them, but you only have a general one, meaning it can grant any of those! The box is completely random regarding WHAT it gives you, but in other regards, your LCK stat can influence it! Well, except Skill Books, they are completely wack.

For items, you can gain an item with a rarity ranging from C (Common) to R (Rare) usually, with the starting chance being of 100% for C-rarity items and decreasing gradually the rarer the item. However, your LCK stat is added to the chance for rare items. (Item rarities will be better explained once [Observe] reaches level 7).

In the case of EXP, you normally can gain only around 1000-5000 EXP from those, but your LCK can influence your chances of getting a random amount that is above 5000! The default chance for this is 20%.

This was…quite something. He checked his inventory, seeing himself still equipped with the armor from last time and having the dagger in his inventory. He still had 4 more dungeons to take on, so he tried to preserve his only weapon, but if he could get more, then…

Without thinking, and mostly because thinking was useless in this case, Issei opened the book, causing light to emit from it briefly that blinded him. However, when it died down, he saw that the box vanished, leaving behind only one item. It was a ring, seemingly made of silver with a sapphire on it. He used [Observe] on it.

[Ring of Fluid Motion]

[While equipped, this ring grants the user an additional +3 to their AGI stat.]

Not bad, he had to admit. Even just a few bits of bonuses like this can be very useful with his Sacred Gear in the mix-

Note: The Boosted Gear's main ability does NOT count bonuses from equipment or other outside sources when increasing the user's stats.

At this, Issei looked confused a bit. "Solomon, a little help?"

"Certainly. You see, Ise, I think the system means to say that you cannot count this bonus together with your [Boost] ability. For example, if your AGI was 23, with 3 being added by this, and you use your gear once, it will become 43, not 46, as the original value is 20." Solomon explained, rubbing his beard. "Quite clever from the system."

"And annoying to no end." Ddraig added, not too pleased with such restrictions. "Slap the ring on anyway, being faster is always nice."

He put on the ring, then, since he had nothing else to do right now, aside from possibly taking care of his SP since he did have 60, he decided to go out. He snuck out of the school, then checked the time. He still had 7 minutes until he had to go back to the entrance, which was plenty of time. He walked to the old school building, despite being told access to it was not allowed, and slowly opened the door.

He entered the building as silently as possible, walking around without a clear aim. This was more of a reconnaissance mission than anything, as he wanted to get more of an insight of his enemies without using Shirone. "This place is big…" He muttered to himself as he walked through the halls. The fact they were keeping such an old building in such a good state goes to show that devils can easily pull strings to get nice things.

He was looking for nothing in particular, mainly getting himself used to the place in case of anything. Alternatively, he could have tried to spy on Sona, but she was too smart and ruthless. She'd piece everything together too swiftly. He was looking for the main office, going through the hallways until he happened to, accidentally, bump into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't-"

"It's ok, really." Akeno…Rias' Queen. Out of every possible encounter in this place, he bumped into the second most dangerous member of Rias' peerage aside from the redhead herself. Still, the opportunity was too good to pass. But at the same time, it made him realize just how careful he needed to be.

[Akeno Himejima]

[Level 39 B]

[HP: 65000/65000]

[Reincarnated Devil/Fallen Angel Hybrid (1 Queen of Gremory)]

"A hybrid with the Fallen Angels? Oh my, most intriguing." Solomon commented, taking notice of Akeno's racial status.

"Say, what is a cutie like you doing here?" She asked him, putting him a bit on the spot. "I assume you are part of the tour, correct? This place is supposed to be off-limits to non-members of the Occult Research Club, and as such, not part of it."

"W-well, we were allowed to roam around and I got curious." Issei said, trying to lie his way through this encounter. "I entered the building, but I didn't know there were people here right now! I assumed all the members were at home or something, seeing as it is still summer vacation."

Akeno chuckled to herself. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but us Kuoh students, especially those with clubs, are allowed to roam the campus even during the summer." That he didn't know. "I cannot really blame you, however. Say, what drew you into this place?"

"Well, I heard it is the Occult Research Club, and I got curious." Now or never. "I was always fascinated by this kind of stuff, and I wanted to look around."

"You don't say…"

Skill Acquired! [Lie]

That was not the proudest of skills to gain…But it seemed to work. "Well, you did break the rules of the tour, but I guess I can keep this as our little secret. Tell me, what is your name? Given your interest in our club, I think you might fit right in once you join."

"Issei Hyoudou, ummm."

"Akeno Himejima." She replied, giving her name as well. "I am the Vice-President of the ORC."

"Really? Who is the president?" A question he already knew the answer to, but he best keeps it convincing.

"Fufu. I won't say. You will need to meet her when you join the club officially." Akeno replied, then continued. "Say, shouldn't you hurry back to your group before poor Genshiro finds out you broke the rules? He might not be who knows what, but I assure you, you do not want to get on his bad side since he is in the student council."

"Oh, right! I should." Issei said, checking the time. "Thanks for the understanding, Akeno."

"No problem, Issei. Be safe." She replied, then she watched Issei runoff, keeping her eyes on him. It wasn't that she suspected him, but she still found something odd about him. Or rather, it was what she couldn't find that worried her. Usually, even humans have a slimmer of power in them, albeit very small. But she felt nothing from him. He was either hiding it, which was unlikely seeing how normal he seemed to her, or he was one of the very unlucky ones.

Relationship Unlocked!


Akeno Himejima


You have gained 1 relationship point with Akeno Himejima.

Ok, that worked, somewhat.

Akeno Himejima

1/100

She doesn't have a set opinion of you as of yet, although she found you slightly cute in her own way.

"Somehow, she made me uneasy." Solomon commented as they hurried back to the group, arriving just in time and not getting themselves into trouble. However, Issei found something strange, as there was someone else there instead of Genshirou Saji. It was the other girl from the junkyard, Ruruko, he thinks her name was? Strangely, he wondered what she was doing here and why Saji was not there.


"Saji?" Sona said, getting the attention of the already scared boy who was on his knees on the floor. "Care to explain to me why we have a person complaining about sexual harassment from you?"

"I-I swear I went to the boy's bathroom!" Saji said, trying to defend himself. However, Sona was not having it.

"That doesn't explain how you ended up in the girl's bathroom and stumbled right into an occupied stall." Sona continued, eyeing him closely. "I do not tolerate such behavior, Saji, and you know that very well. Now, you know what will come next, correct?"

Saji gulped. "Yes Ma'am…"

"Good. In that case, we can begin your punishment. I think 200 spankings should suffice." She summoned a magical circle on her palm to reinforce the force behind her strikes. Saji once again gulped, but he truly believed he entered the boy's restroom! The signs were somehow switched!


Unknown to him, Rias had Kiba switch them as means to get back to Sona for trying to pull a fast one on her. Now, as the afternoon was slowly turning into the evening, Rias decided to have a talk with her entire peerage, mainly to discuss some things. "So, anything interesting to report?"

"Nothing on my end." Kiba said. "Things have been pretty quiet, especially with the Red Dragon doing our job for us."

"Indeed. The only positive outcome of his little crimes is how we get to relax." Akeno remarked. "I have nothing really interesting to report either, except a little unexpected guest earlier during the tour. He seemed to have an interest in the occult, so he wanted to take a closer look. We might be looking at a potential new member come fall."

"I see." Rias said, facing Akeno. "What can you tell us about this person?"

"Well, they were not bad to the eye, if you get what I am saying." Akeno said with a small chuckle. "It was a boy, I think a first-year that will join Kuoh Academy like us. He had chestnut hair and eyes, and he was very polite."

"And did he give you a name?" Rias asked.

"Issei Hyoudou." At this, Koneko choked a bit on her chocolate, making her couch. This, of course, got their attention. "Oh my, judging from that reaction, I take it you know them?"

"I…I do." Koneko admitted, trying to cover herself. She couldn't tell them Issei was the Red Dragon Emperor, or else she'd be betraying her sister and him after he put his trust in her by revealing his identity. "He is a friend. He is a good guy." But maybe she can help throw off her peerage from his track.

"Anything particular about him?" Akeno asked, seeming quite curious. "When I tried to feel for even a bit of power, I got nothing."

"Nothing?" Rias echoed, catching that part. "You think he was suppressing his power?"

Koneko shook her head, getting their attention. "No, Issei is not suppressing his power. He doesn't have any." She said, trying to come up with a good enough explanation. "I'd know, I checked him for a Sacred Gear or anything else. He was born under a bad star."

"I see…Quite unfortunate for him." Rias said, feeling sorry for him. "I cannot admit someone like that into my peerage. Sorry, Koneko, but even if he is a friend of yours, I cannot afford to take in weaklings without potential."

Her words were harsh, everyone knew, but they could understand why. Power was everything in the world of the supernatural. Issei might have other talents to help him in the normal, human world, but not in the supernatural world. Oh, how wrong they were.

"I understand, Rias." Koneko replied, somewhat relieved that Issei won't be targeted anymore. She might need to meet them again, somehow, to tell them the news and to talk with Issei about his presence at Kuoh. During the tour, she was, unfortunately, out running an errand for Rias. "On the subject, I also have nothing special to report."

"Good. However, that means we are moving on to the second point of our meeting: New Peerage Members. As you are aware, even if we have a Bishop we cannot use but still exist, and as it was pointed out by Sona, our peerage lacks in numbers." Rias said. "However, I highly believe we are more than making up for that in quality currently, but that will not always be enough."

"What do you propose, president?" Kiba asked.

"Well, with the opening of Kuoh Academy closing in, we will soon have a large selection of potential members before us." Rias said. "However, we do not know which has what kind of power, so the selection might be complicated."

"I can clarify the details." Koneko said.

"I know you can, which is why you are important to this, Koneko." Rias replied, offering slight praise to her only rook. "Which is why you will continue to be so in the following days. With the first year starting, many new individuals will join Kuoh Academy, and among them, there is a chance, however slim, that our dragon friend might be among them." Koenko tensed up hearing that. "I can rely on your abilities, can't I?"

"Y-yes, Rias." Koneko replied, stuttering a bit by mistake, but Rias dismissed it as her being nervous due to Kuroka.

"I know this is asking a bit considering the situation, but time is of the essence." She knew that…Riser. However, Koneko knew that Issei already agreed to help Rias get rid of him. She had no reason to worry. Issei was strong, she felt it, he could take him…She hoped.

"No worries, Rias, I will be ready." Koneko replied, this time with more determination to reassure her king.

Rias smiled. "Good. Well, if there is nothing else left to talk about, I guess I can allow you all the evening free." With that said, everyone went their own ways, but Koneko did something else. Recently, Kuroka had managed to get her contact info, and the sisters have been keeping in touch via phone, but she knew where she and Issei lived. She needed to go to them and talk about some things.

And in part, she wanted to see her sister. They were separated for too long.


After returning back home, as the evening was setting itself in, Issei and Kuroka were preparing themselves for dinner. Currently, they only had 2 months left until Kuoh began, meaning they could still afford to take it easy with their dungeon-hunting. Granted, Issei did feel somewhat ashamed to admit he gained a skill that revolves around lying to people.

[Lie] (Level 1| 300/400): A nasty side of things, but necessary in many situations. When you lie to people, there is a chance they will buy it dictated by your CHA+LCK- (of the person you are lying to)INT/10.

And he got lucky, three times in a row before. Akeno bought his lies. But that was a thing for another time, as he was looking over his stats, trying to figure out where to put 40 SP into. Eventually, after receiving some advice from both Ddrig and Solomon, he decided on the stats to receive an increase. He put 9 into STR. He decided to, since his Mana was beginning to surpass his Stamina, dump 12 points into his MGI stat.

19 more points to go.

He put 6 into his DUR; 4 into ACC; then dumped 8 into WIS, but when he did that, he got a notification.

As a result of your WIS reaching 50, your [Weak Magic Proficiency] was changed into [Normal Magic Proficiency]

No way…NO WAY! Issei checked it immediately, finding that infuriating negative bonus to be gone completely. He rejoiced greatly, and Solomon and Ddraig also commented on the fortune of it. Solomon theorized that all stats might have such bonuses once they reached 50, so he began to look through the system for an explanation for it. But Issei, thinking things more simpler, cursed a bit seeing that he could've gotten a new bonus for his STR or something, a thought which got no reply.

Still, he put the left point into INT. He wanted to use more, maybe see what INT got him since it was so close to 50 as well, but Solomon didn't let him, saying that those 20 points were for emergency situations ONLY. Although he couldn't physically stop Issei, the boy didn't want to be scolded by the king, especially as he cannot just cover his ears so as to not hear him.

The guy was literally in his head!

Regardless, after that, he went downstairs where Kuroka was preparing dinner. "Mmm. Smells good." He commented, going to her and hugging her from behind. "What are you cooking?"

"Nothing special, just some curry for the evening." She replied, enjoying the close contact. "What about you? Anything interesting happened to you?"

"Nothing you don't already know." He replied, then he put his chin on her shoulder. "I didn't see Shirone either while I was there."

"Oh well, I guess I got my hopes a bit too high." She replied and slowly put down the knife, then she turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You know, when you used the Juggernaut Drive chant, I got scared, but a part of me thought about something…Something to restore the possible lost life span."

"Oh? I didn't know there was a possibility to restore it." Issei replied, hearing her little seductive tone. "Can I know it?"

"It is very simple. It is a technique that requires as much skin-to-skin contact as possible, and it slowly rejuvenates one's life. It can make men immortal." Kuroka continued, then she went to his ear. "But there is a stronger version of it; all we need to do is get fully naked and-"

She whispered the rest, but it was enough to make Issei smile widely and chuckle. "You dirty cat." Kuroka giggled in response.

"What could you expect? It is getting harder and harder not to jump on the red dragon himself." She replied, liking her fingers. "But, I guess I did this to myself. That reward will be available to you only if you get first place."

"And there are 2 months left until the exam…" Issei sighed in slight disappointment. "However, who said we cannot do other things?" He leaned in, planting a kiss on Kuroka's neck which made her shake a bit. "I am sure we do not need to go all the way."

"Nya~." She moaned cutely. "Sorry, Issei, but I don't know if I can control myself if we start doing even something as light as foreplay. As I am sure neither can you."

"Is that a challenge?" Issei asked, the two looking into each other's eyes.

"You tell me, red dragon," Kuroka replied, leaning onto him.

"Perverts." However, their little flirting was interrupted as the two of them looked towards the entrance to the kitchen, seeing none other than Shirone, AKA Koneko, standing there with a blank look on her face.

"Nya! Shirone!" Kuroka said, surprised by her presence, which had her stiffen a bit. Issei was also blushing due to being caught in an act like that. "W-we have all the right to flirt in our own home!"

"I was standing here for a few minutes, watching you." She said, which further surprised them. "I tried knocking, but you didn't answer. I invited myself in."

"That is not…very nice? But I guess we were being bad hosts for not answering the door." Issei said, trying not to upset Shirone more than she might already be from watching her sister flirt with her man. "Regardless, you came at a good time! Dinner is almost ready!"

"Do you have salmon?" They were sisters, alright…

"Nya, we do!" Kuroka replied, going to the oven and using magic to open it, revealing a salmon. "I bought it today! It's fresh!"

"We will also have some desert." Issei added, which caught Koneko's attention.

"Desert?" She asked.

"Yeah, some chocolate pudding, nothing too serious." Issei replied.

You have gained 2 relationship points with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou

There goes his perk getting him a bonus RP point.

"Is there enough for a third?" Koneko asked.

"Nya! For you, sis, there is always more!" Kuroka said, which made Koneko show a rare smile. The three of them then got themselves to eat, with the two cat sisters joking around a bit. It was a warm image to see the two of them together again. Honestly, he even forgot Shirone was part of Rias' peerage, but he still used [Observe] on her to check her stats.

[Shirone "Koneko" Toujou]

[Level 33 B]

[HP: 70000/70000]

[Reincarnated Devil/Nekoshou Hybrid (1 Rook of Gremory)]

She had greater HP than Akeno, which was to be expected of her rook stats, but seeing that she had it with a 6-level gap was impressive. She must be pretty durable if her HP was so high. He also noticed that her profile page changed somewhat, with Shirone no longer being in brackets. It must be a result of him unlocking her relationship or something, or of his skill has leveled up.

Still, not that big of an issue.

However, what was an issue was when Issei noticed how she finished her bowl of pudding in record time, and Kuroka barely had any. She looked a bit saddened by it, which led him to believe she really liked sweets and the likes. "Here." He said, pushing his bowl to her. He still had a healthy amount to it. "You can have mine."

Koneko looked slightly taken aback by his offer. "Really?" Issei nodded, making her smile brightly. Her overall size and body type made her look much younger than she actually was, so it was like giving a child candy, and the smile she showed was so bright he believed for a second he needed sunglasses!

Well, not really, but for the sake of the joke, it counted!

You have gained 3 relationship points with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou

Three points? Ok, that couldn't be his bonus alone! This girl really liked her sweets, that was very clear. She finished the other bowl as well, then she faced him. "Thank you for the food. You are not that bad, for a perv."

"Thanks…I guess?" Issei replied, not sure how to answer the part about being a perv. It was his nature, he couldn't help it! "So, how are things going, Shirone?"

"Good." Koneko replied. "I really enjoy being able to spend time with Kuroka like this."

"Nya! Likewise, sister!" Kuroka replied cheerfully. "It has been so long since we spent time like this, just being here with you almost brings me to tears!"

"Can this get any more wholesome and sweet?" Ddraig commented, not realizing he did so aloud. His presence startled Koneko, who looked at Issei with widened eyes. The boy, with a sigh, put his arm on the table, letting his gear manifest.

"The Boosted Gear…" Koneko muttered.

"Yes, and the dragon that comes with it." Ddraig replied. "Let's get through proper introductions first; I am Ddraig Y Goch, the Welsh Dragon, and the Heavenly Dragon of Domination."

"Koneko Toujou." Koneko said, introducing herself. "Also known as Shirone Toujou."

"The sister of Kuroka, hmm?" Ddraig said, analyzing her. "Would have barely been able to tell if not for your sister confirming your relation."

"Nya, how so Ddraig?" Kuroka asked, curious.

"I think I know…" Issei said with another sigh. True, they were sisters, but when you compared them, you were literally comparing their names 'Shiro', meaning white, and 'Kuro', meaning black. That is how different they were from one another, especially in their bodies. "But better leave it unsaid." The sisters, although still curious, decided to listen to that advice.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, red dragon." Koneko said, trying to be polite towards Ddraig.

"Likewise, despite the rough meetings." The dragon replied. "I have to say, this development is quite something, even if unexpected. At first, I highly considered scolding my partner for revealing his identity, but I guess that is no longer needed."

"Since everything turned out alright, that means we are all doing well enough and we trust you not to tell Rias anything, nya!" Kuroka said, making her sister flinch a bit. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate that you are betraying her, it's just that-"

"It's ok, Kuroka, I know what I am doing." Koneko replied. "I am feeling bad for lying to her, but I do not wish to betray her. Additionally, I am here to tell you this, Issei."

"Huh? Tell me what?"

"I…I might have messed up." Koneko said, a bit nervous. "When you came to Kuoh yesterday, and Akeno tried to sense anything special, even a bit, I got worried they might get interested in you as a potential peerage member, which might have led to them discovering you are the Red Dragon Emperor. I had to lie and say you were born under an unlucky star, and you had little to no power."

"Oh…Ohhhh, yeah, that is not going to be easy to clear out." Issei said, realizing what that meant. "If Rias believes I am a weakling, then she won't even think about hiring me as her magician!"

"Nya! Not to mention she will immediately figure out Shirone's lie if you reveal yourself as the red Dragon Emperor!" Kuroka added. "This is not good…"

"But not an impossible situation either." Issei said, getting their attention. In truth, Solomon was giving advice in real time to help figure out the situation. "If we play our cards right, we might be able to diminish the effects of lying to Rias and still ensure me as her magician."

"How?" Koneko asked, looking at him.

"You said it before and it is a known fact that the Gremory treat their servants very well." Issei began. "However, lying to her might affect the trust she has in you, which is why you are afraid. But what if someone else seems to be the one who tricked your trust?" He continued, but then Kuroka came forth.

"Or we can tell her the partial truth." She suggested, and Issei's head fell on the table. Even Solomon was crestfallen. That was…a good idea, as long as they approached her correctly.

"Alright then, new plan!" Issei said, this time not using Solomon's advice. "Once I start going to Kuoh, I will try for the Occult Research Club!"

"Rias won't let you join due to her belief that you are too weak." Koneko pointed out.

"Which is why I need to become stronger." He said, then he held his hand up, creating a little flame using his fire magic. This had Koneko taken aback a bit.

"You know magic?" She muttered a question, and Issei put the flame out.

"A bit, but I can learn more." He replied, which confused Koneko a bit. "Don't worry. Know this: By the time I join Kuoh, I should have the magician part all figured out. As for the Red Dragon Emperor part, well, we will need to wait and see about that. If I am to reveal myself, I might as well do it in style!"

"I hope you got a good plan in the works." Koneko said, being skeptical of his planning. He didn't strike her as the most ingenious person ever.

"In the works, Shirone, in the works." Issei said, confirming it. "However, I assure you, I will never go back on my word; I promised to help you and Rias by getting rid of this Riser douche, and I plan to keep my word."

"The house of Phenex is famous for their regeneration abilities, nya." Kuroka remarked. "How do you plan to counter those?"

At this question, Solomon smirked. "Well, it all depends on the rule of our little brawl, really."

"Something tells me I will regret asking you for aid…" Koneko sighed.

"Hey, have some fate, ok? I am busting my ass here trying to help you!" Issei said. "Besides, I am not only doing this for myself or Rias but also to knock some good sense into that douche! Seriously, I might be a pervert, but at least I have some standards."

"I can remember your speech from that night very well." Koneko said, her face still deadpan at Issei's words, but truth be told…

You have gained 1 relationship point with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou

Slow and steady wins the race.


Far from the commotion within the city, Danbooru and Leon were once again at work on the outskirts of town, the two traveling under the cover of the evening. Their aim this time? Just a casual meeting with someone else. "Do you have what we want?" Danbooru asked as he and Leon stopped and met with another person. The one before them was wearing a cloak and hood to hide their features, however, one could tell they were a man by their voice.

"I have. My payment?" He asked, and Danbooru pulled something from his pocket; a ring, which was recovered from one of the nobles he crushed during that assault. The man took it and inspected it, nodding their head. The noble was still alive, but now they lacked a hand. "Here is what I managed to learn: the ones you are tracking, yes? They still have a hideout in Kuoh, but somewhere here, in the outskirts."

"Where?" Leon asked, desiring a location, but the man shook his head.

"I do not know. That kind of information they managed to hide very well. I do know, however, that documents with the location had been supposedly kept in the hideouts within Kuoh before being ditched and stuff within burned."

"So, it is a dead end…" Leon muttered, but Danbooru hummed.

"I do not think so, Leon." He said. "If I managed to find intact documents before, maybe others exist."

"Yeah, but do we know where those other hideouts are aside from the one you were in?" Leon said back.

"Maybe we do not, but we know who seems to have more ideas." Danbooru said, which had Leon realize what he meant. He signaled to the information broker to leave, as they knew he'd sell their bits for a pretty penny if he heard anything, and so Leon and Danbooru also left to make sure no one heard them.

"The Red Dragon Emperor." Leon said, looking at Danbooru. "True, he seems to know their locations…He took out some of them."

"He must have come upon good fortune and found a map." Danbooru said, analyzing the situation. "That being said, it makes our job easier in the long run. We can leave that to him and focus on other things."

"Leave it to- Danbooru, you know I trust you, but this is a very high-priority target," Leon said, a cold sweat running down his face. "You know just WHO they have in that last hideout! Do you think the Snake of Adam is going to be an easy enemy to face for the Red Dragon? Especially when they are as young as they are?"

"I know, but think more, old friend: After we fulfilled that goal, we would have ended up with an extra weight that would have slowed us down!" Danbooru reasoned. "There was nothing we could have done in the end, so we need to take what we can get and use every opportunity we have."

"Damn it!" Leon swore, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Fine then. We will let the Red Dragon take on the hideout. What then? What are we going to do?"

"It is the easiest and hardest thing, my friend…Time to break into a high-security prison."

"..." Leon remained silent after hearing him. "If I didn't know already you are a no-joke person, I would have totally called the bullshit."