Right, so, sorry this is late. Lots of stuff happened over the past few weeks in my personal life, been trying to deal with that. Trying to get back on schedule here, so hopefully I'll have another chapter by the end of next week...hopefully.

A bit of devil-centric drama in this chapter, in that the chapter focuses on the devils. Towards the end though, that's all MC. And...well, you'll probably enjoy him showing up.

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.


"Ah, so, have the two of you decided on any afterschool activities?"

I eyed my mother curiously while shrugging. "Eh, I was planning on joining the Martial Arts Club. The problem is that they've got a pretty high bar for joining." I tilted my head tiredly. "So it's taking a while. Kai-sensei is helping me out with training, but once the next month ends…"

"Oh, don't worry so much! Your dojo will be back up in no time~!" Miki gave me and my brother a cheerful grin that quickly turned devious. "Say, you two have been at school for a while, right? Any special someone you've thought of bringing home yet?"

Issei and I both stopped eating breakfast and gave each other perplexed looks. Our mother's smile faltered slightly, her eyes dulling almost like she was blue-screening.

"I-I can dream, can't I?!" she whined desperately.

"You might wanna keep dreaming," I deadpanned.

"Wahahahahaha!"

I let out a small sigh at that. Thankfully, she hadn't asked this question much in the mornings since the first month. But she was starting to sound a bit more desperate about it, likely hoping that we'd have something to curb our…'tendencies'.

"Would you relax?! They'll have plenty of ways to occupy themselves," my dad said as he passed through the kitchen. Right before he left, he leaned back while sending a deadpan expression our way. "Constructively, of course! You should occupy yourselves in a constructive way!"

"So, training?" I mused.

"Hehe, oppai~!" my brother giggled.

"...Eh, whichever you two decide on, I guess," Gorou sighed tiredly as he entered the living room. "Then again, there's so much more to focus on! I mean, the news is saying that a new celestial object-wait, for real?"

"Oi, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly as I stood to my feet.

"There's this miniature planet thing the size of Pluto that they're saying might pass earth within the next few months!" my father said in amazement. "Doesn't that sound cool? Maybe we should get a telescope to see it?"

…Y'know, I would've thought that was cool if my previous life wasn't one where fucking aliens existed. And, also, they regularly invaded the planet. That kind of thing sort of kills your excitement involving any news involving space, trust me.

A random, runaway planetoid moving towards us would sound benign to everybody here. To me, that felt like some imprisoned space monster or some hidden spaceship heading to conquer the world in secret. I just felt on edge hearing that.

I mean, I was already dealing with yokai, demons, and a giant monster. Did I need to add aliens onto that pile?

"Yeah, sounds interesting, Tou-san. Not really my cup of tea, though," I said offhandedly, trying to hide my anxiety.

"Yeah, it seems nice, but I'm happier with what we've got here on Earth," Issei tilted his head curiously. "Still might be nice to check it out, though? It's a once in a lifetime event. Maybe if I get a girlfriend, I can bring her to see it through a telescope or something? Should make a great first date~!"

"Yeah, shame there's an 'if' there," I chuckled.

"S-Shut up!" my brother whined.

"Now, now, be nice! And hurry up, you two have to get ready!" my mother chided.

"Hai!" both my brother and I chirped.

A few minutes later, the two of us had gotten ready and were leaving the house, waving to our parents as we left. Halfway down the street, I felt a tingle running down my spine, and I discreetly grabbed my phone.

"Oi, don't text while walking!" my brother grumbled.

"Ise, did you ever think there may be a problem on the school grounds?" I asked blankly.

"...Eh? I mean, I guess we're a problem~?" Issei chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, but I meant, like, an actual problem," I hummed. "Listen, I have a feeling that I can show you today. When we get to the school grounds, I think I can catch it on camera. But you've gotta help me out."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Camera phone, you idiot!" I sighed tiredly.

"Ah, right! So, what is this for, anyway?" my brother asked worriedly.

"Trust me, you'll see…"

Yeah, today I was done letting this slide. Maybe I wasn't gonna balls to the wall and wake up a giant monster, but I wasn't gonna sit by. Today, I was gonna do something drastic.

I was gonna tattle~!


"Okay, so, what's this about?" Matsuda asked once we'd joined up at the school grounds.

"Yeah, Issei's going on about how you think something's 'wrong' on campus?" Motohama hummed worriedly. "This isn't like…something criminal, is it? Did you find a criminal enterprise on the campus?"

"Right, word of advice!" the bald boy clapped his hands. "Do not say a thing! Just let them do their thing and stay out of their way!"

"Talking from personal experience, right?" I mused.

"W-Well, yeah, obviously!" Matsuda hissed before blinking. "Wait, no, that's not what I meant! I don't know nothing about no crimes!"

"Relax! It's not criminal activity. In fact, I think I'm doing a service for public safety," I chuckled.

"Okay, so, what is it?" the bespectacled boy asked worriedly.

"...Come with me, behind those bushes," I said quietly, motioning to a nearby corner. "And be very stealthy about it. Make it seem like you just disappeared when you walked around that spot."

"Okay, so, why?" Motohama asked.

"Just trust me, okay!" I said while walking towards the corner.

One by one, the four of us walked around the corner. I hid behind this set of bushes that was just a few feet down the path that way, and the others followed suit. Using what little visibility I had, I watched the path and waited, even as my brother and our friends gave me confused looks.

It was hard to hear, but I could make out small little footfalls going down the path we'd just taken. I tensed as I saw the beastly shadow looming from around the corner, and I had to smack the other three before they could let out louder whimpers. The shadow with a triangular set of ears shifted, somehow growing larger, only to turn normal as its owner finally rounded the corner.

"...Oh," the bald boy said quietly.

"Yeah…oh," the bespectacled boy echoed.

"What the hell?" Issei hissed.

I knew Tamane was a Kitsune, but I'd yet to actually see her fox form-though, now that I'd seen it, it probably wasn't the whole thing. Her other eight tails weren't out, and she didn't look nearly as intimidating as I'd expected a fox yokai to look.

Looking at her now, I actually felt a bit stunned, because even in fox form, she was gorgeous. The fox before me had silky, smooth-looking silver fur that shimmered in the sunlight. Its eyes were a piercing amber color that glowed with mystical energy. Her luxuriously fluffy tail flowed like water as she moved.

Yes, yokai could be daunting, there was no doubt about that. But, as functions of nature, nobody could deny that they had some magnetism to them. Nature could be cruel, but it could be just as beautiful.

Right now, Tamane was curiously sniffing the air, ears flicking cutely as she tilted her fluffy face in confusion. Her tail wagged cautiously behind her as she leaned forward and narrowed her eyes.

That was when I nudged my brother and our friends. "Alright, cameras, now!"

"Wait, wha-"

"Do what he says!" my brother said.

I quickly slid out of the bushes with my phone in hand, skidding to a halt right in front of Tamane. The fox blinked owlishly as a flash of light washed over her form. The way she tilted her head, it looked like she was starting to blue-screen.

Three more flashes burst out as the rest of the perverted quartet got their bearings. I thought it was just a trick of the light, but I swore the kitsune had a deep blush on her face as I smirked at her. Maybe it was hot out or something?

"So…you wanted us to take pictures of a random fox?" Motohama asked in confusion.

"Well, I need to have evidence when I go to Student Council," I shrugged.

Tamane seemingly went pale the moment I mentioned the Student Council. Which both confused and worried me. If she was a Nine-Tailed Fox, the most powerful level of Kitsune possible, then what the fuck was she so sacred of the Student Council for?

…And how easy would it be for me to blackmail her into not killing me by threatening to go to the Student Council?

Wait, no, that sounds like the start to a Hentai plot, damn it! First I say 'don't kill me or I do this', and then it spirals into me coaxing her into mind breaking sex. Which…hehe, okay, sounds nice-but I can't do that! That'd be awful and irresponsible, taking advantage of what may well be a Sacred Spirit. I need to resist the temptation and focus.

"Oh great, it's the perverted quartet!" a voice grumbled as three people rounded the corner. "Just what are you creeps up t-oh my god, is that a fox?"

"Oh hey, look at that! More witnesses!" I said cheerfully, no longer tempted by my hormones at the notion of peer pressure.

Tamane now looked as though her soul would leave her body. After a few tense moments, she quickly bolted into the nearby undergrowth. I tried to keep a bead on her, but true to her nature as a yokai, it was like she'd never been there at all.

I turned back to the three new arrivals to see a few familiar faces. At the front was the pinkette from the Kendo Club, Katase, looking shocked. Directly behind her was Kiryuu, staring at where the fox had run to in confusion. And just next to her was Tsubasa, who was looking equal parts annoyed and worried.

"Oi, can you come with us to Student Council real quick?" I asked the three girls.

"And why the hell would we do that?!" Katase growled.

I gave her the iciest glare I could. "Because we just saw a wild animal roaming around in the direct vicinity of humans. Said wild animal showed a level of fear very much below what I think should be comfortable for everybody." I leaned forward as a snarl tugged at my lips. "The fact that I have to spell this out for you pisses me off, pinky!"

"P-Pinky?!" the now mollified girl squeaked out.

"I agree with Nii-san!" Issei suddenly chimed in, a frown spreading across his face as he turned to me. "That fox was following us around on a path. What if it wasn't following a bunch of people, but one person? What would happen then?"

"What if it's diseased? Normal animals don't usually walk around this close to people!" Matsuda interjected.

"Yeah, you know, you don't really need to reach far to justify this shit!" the bespectacled boy affirmed.

"Yeah, we should go with them," Kiryuu hummed. "If only because they're not entirely wrong. This is sketchy as hell."

"If nothing else, you'll be keeping the perverted quartet from engaging in their normal activities," Tsubasa pointed out.

"...Ugh! Fine!" Katase grumbled.

As the three girls passed us, they each gave us different looks. Kiryuu was giving the three of us an appraising look, while Katase was glaring at the four of us suspiciously. Tsubasa only gave me a curious look when the others weren't looking.

"Later," I said quietly, to which she nodded.


When we got to Student Council's headquarters, yet another familiar face greeted me. Well, I say familiar, but I hadn't spoken to her since months ago.

"You!" the white-haired girl-Hanakai, I remembered-growled when I entered with the others. "What are you doing here? What, you get into another fight?"

"...Why you always got something negative to say?" I asked dumbly.

"I…you…you fucking-"

"Ahem! Is there a reason you're here, Hyoudou-san?" another voice called out.

I tilted my head to see another schoolgirl sitting at a nearby desk. She was a fairly attractive brunette with long hair done into two short braids and held in a blue headband. Her warm brown eyes were eyeing us all curiously.

Also, she was fairly stacked, so my eyes lingered a bit before I shook myself back to reality. I came here for a reason. I can't lose sight of that.

"Right, sorry, I don't-"

"Kusaka Reya. I'm the Treasurer of Student Council," the brunette said evenly.

"Nice to meet you, Kusaka-san! Yes, I'd like to report a wild animal possibly stalking the campus," I said firmly.

"Just one? What about those other three?" Hanakai huffed while glaring at my friends.

"Okay, shut up!" I heard Issei shouting as he stalked past me. "This is pretty fucking serious, damn it! I don't care what you think about us, but we're not playing around today!"

The white-haired girl's eye twitched as my brother basically snarled at her. "I…okay, whatever! What's the issue then?"

Issei pulled out his phone and scrolled a bit. "Oi, Nii-san? How long ago did you first see it?"

"Just about the beginning of last month. Maybe a bit before that?" I shook my head in confusion. "Only really noticed it ramping up in the past few weeks, actually. I was worried I was going crazy."

"You are crazy!" I heard Katase deadpanning from behind me.

"And why did you bring them?" Hanakai hummed. "I thought Katase hated you guys. And Tsubasa-san, don't you think your run for Student Council will be tainted-"

"Quite the opposite, in this case," the bluenette interjected. "In fact, I'm inclined to believe that, if I wish to join Student Council, then assisting in this matter is a necessity. The four of them have a good reason for being here today, Hanakai-san."

"Found it! Okay, so, here is the picture!" my brother gleefully presented his phone to the white-haired girl.

"...It's a fox?"

"Yeah, Matsuda and Motohama have similar pics, just at different angles," I mused, motioning to my other two friends. "I've got one as well, and I can give you a location, too. It's…"

Hanakai frowned when I told her the location, a worried look on her face when the others corroborated the details. "That's frequented by a lot of people. You say this fox was walking on the path?"

"Yeah, just about. I mean, once confronted by multiple people, it bolted." I tilted my head, a worried noise escaping my lips. "Thing is, it seriously looked less frightened by people than it should. And that's worrying for many reasons."

"What, you're scared of a little fox~?" the white-haired girl teased.

"...No, Hanakai, I'm not scared of a fox. I'm scared that some dumbass is feeding wild animals, and that's making them act uncharacteristically bold." I narrowed my eyes at the girl viciously as I leaned forward. "Do you have any idea what kind of shit happens when idiots do that? Because it involves hospitals and animal control, and people will freak out."

"It's not just that!" Issei said worriedly. "Look, I get it, we've got a reputation-us four especially. But…if somebody got hurt, and I could've prevented it but didn't, I'd feel awful! This thing could be rabid! It could even be an escaped exotic pet that's going feral! Who knows what could happen the next time it shows up?!"

Kusaka frowned at my brother's words and shifted in her seat slightly. "You're genuinely worried about this?"

"If I could stop somebody from being hurt, I'd jump at the chance! I don't think anybody else here would disagree!"

I nodded along at Issei's declaration. "I know I've got a 'devil-may-care' attitude most days, but I'm not the kind of guy who revels in people suffering for no reason. I don't want anybody to be in harm's way!"

I heard some affirmative noises and words from Matsuda and Motohama. Tsubasa nodded and hummed fiercely, but didn't do much else. Katase, I noticed, looked awestruck and confused, and was staring at Issei in a strange way. I just shrugged that off-she was probably taken by surprise that Issei actually cared about something 'important'.

Kusaka stood to her feet with a nervous whimper and quickly grabbed a blank post-it note. She quickly jotted something down before circling her desk and walking up to Issei.

"That's my number. You and your friends can send me the pictures when you get the chance," the brunette narrowed her eyes in a deadpan glare. "Don't assume that I'm okay with you chatting. This is for something important. Send the pictures and be done with it, okay?"

"B-Bwuh?!" Issei stared in shock at the paper in his hands.

"F-For real? This isn't actually happening, is it?" the bald boy asked in horror.

"Okay, hold on, this is a dream! Because that cannot have just happened!" the bespectacled boy agreed.

"Oi, did you three idiots hear a word she said?!" I grabbed the three of them into a headlock. "Send them the fox pictures and don't do anything else! She'll probably block you once that's done with, y'know?"

"Y-Yeah, that's fair…" my brother trailed off, still in shock.

"I think we need to ask you all just a few more questions. Just to get the details straight," Kusaka hummed.

"Relax, it won't keep you guys from class for long. If you need, I can write you a note," the white-haired girl huffed.

"Yeah, sure, ask away!" I shrugged.

"W-Wait, what?!" Katase whined. "But what about class?! We can't miss-"

"Relax! This is rather important," Tsubasa said soothingly. "Besides, it shouldn't take too long…"


"So, that was the Ninetails?"

Tsubasa had cornered me alone just before our next class. Or, at least, I hoped we were alone. Never knew if some of the yokai students or a random hidden spirit were listening in. But it seemed like we were really alone right now.

"Yeah, sans eight tails. My guess is that Kitsune can hide their extra tails in the fox forms." I tilted my head curiously. "Hey, you ever wonder which are their true forms? Because even in her fox form, she wasn't giving off a lot of 'intimidating yokai' vibes."

"...Honestly? I'm fairly certain their Kemonomimi forms are their true forms." The bluenette closed her eyes and nodded. "Their more monstrous forms are them simply forcing their energy out for combat or hunting purposes. The more natural-looking fox form she took is likely a shapeshifting ability separate from her monstrous form."

"Yeah, that makes sense," I shrugged.

"What were you thinking?" Tsubasa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You do remember that kitsune are rather vindictive, correct? By putting her on the spot like that, you're just inviting her wrath."

"Then I'll just tattle on her again~!" I said cheerfully.

"...Are you serious?" the bluenette deadpanned.

"Yeh!"

"I have a feeling you are just actually insane," Tsubasa said nervously.

"What? What would ever give you that idea?" I asked in faux shock.

"Well, you're certainly proving you're fearless. I can give you that," the girl shook her head. "Who was she?"

"Eh?"

"The kitsune. You said it was a she, and since she was on the grounds, I'm assuming she's a student. She likely returned to her human disguise and escaped to class," the bluenette sighed worriedly. "I'd like to at least be informed so that I'm not caught off guard. If you're worried-"

"Izuho Tamane," I said flatly.

"...For real?" Tsubasa balked when I nodded. "Shit! But she's so nice though. She never seemed like she was an evil yokai."

"She might actually be a Zenko," I mused.

"A what now?"

"Agh! There you go again!" I said, while clutching my head to mime a headache. "Your ignorance is painful!"

"And your annoyance is condescending," the bluenette deadpanned.

I sighed tiredly as I turned to her. "Kitsune society is divided into two different categories: Yako, which are the kitsune that always get up to no good, and Zenko, foxes which serve Inari and are far less likely to harm humans. They have different social ranks and different types depending on fur color." I tilted my head thoughtfully. "Obviously, you know that the more tails, the stronger the Kitsune-at least in most cases. But…Obaa-chan actually told me they didn't always need to wait whole centuries to grow new tails. Some of them can earn their tails, and some are born having a certain amount of tails-having ninetails might be a bloodline thing."

"That's all very interesting, and I'd love it if you gave me the full explanation," Tsubasa mused. "But you don't sound quite sure you're correct."

"I read a lot of books which give conflicting information. No idea which is real and which isn't." I shrugged while turning away. "It's confusing, especially since Obaa-chan can't really give me straight answers either. Anyway, I've gotta head to class."

"Wait! I need to ask you something," the girl gave me a curious look. "The 'thing' you're afraid of…it isn't a yokai or any form of demon. I could tell by the way you spoke about it." When I didn't respond, she let out a frustrated noise. "Is it something I should be worried about? If it comes here-"

"There's no way it could be here!" I said curtly. "That thing has no way of showing up. Trust me on that…"


Later

Sona adjusted her glasses as she overlooked the report. Then she gave a deadpan glare to the two girls seated before her.

To Andora's credit, she didn't flinch in the slightest. The disguised albino kept an even expression as Sona stared her down. The Paimon heiress simply met the other devil's eyes with a curious expression, only looking away to give her companion a confused glance.

The pinkette sitting next to her, however, was visibly quaking. Tamane had gone ghost white. Her lower lip was trembling, her fingers gripped her seat hard enough that cracks were appearing on it, and she was doing her best to avert her gaze from the short-haired girl. For every time Andora's gaze shifted to her, the young kitsune would slowly sink into her seat in an attempt to disappear.

Sona felt her right eye twitch as she noticed the effects the pinkette's quivering had on her body. Any other day she'd be able to ignore it, but after reading the incident report in front of her, the Sitri heiress felt her self-discipline faltering. For several seconds, the vein on her temple threatened to pop as she glared at the pinkette's bouncing chest.

"Ahem!" Andora leaned forward with a worried gaze. "Is there a problem, Sona? Why did you need to speak with us?"

The short-haired girl took a deep breath as she turned to the other devil heiress. "Yes, I feel disheartened that I have to remind you to reign your peerage in. More than that, I'm concerned that you're allowing them to openly stalk students."

"...Beg your pardon?" the Paimon heiress raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I've made sure my servants have been on their best behavior. And beyond that, I have never given them or any of our associates the go-ahead to hound any of the students here, I promise you that!"

"Ah, so you didn't order this?" Sona gave the other girl a flat look while pushing the folder towards the other devil. "Because if not, then you've made an egregious oversight on how you govern your peerage."

Andora quickly ruffled through the folder, eyes narrowing at the pictures within. "Ah? And who, may I ask, took these pictures?"

"Motohama Shinji, Matsuda Hiroshi, Hyoudou Issei, and Hyoudou Isashi," the Sitri heiress's eyes narrowed as the pinkette let out a near inaudible wheeze. "Additionally, three others-Kiryuu Aika, Yura Tsubasa, and Katase Reiko-were also witnesses to the encounter. They corroborated with their own accounts of the sighting."

"I see…" the disguised albino frowned as she lowered the folders. "I'd like to reiterate that I had no idea this was happening. More than that, I'm certain that this is a misunderstanding-"

"I fail to see that," Sona deadpanned, while sending Tamane a flat glare. "Izuho-san is the only silver-furred kitsune frequenting the campus. So I'm having trouble believing that there could be a misunderstanding when she's stalking a student," the short-haired girl frowned as her glare iced over. "You're stalking Hyoudou Isashi, likely to scout him for your master's peerage. Do you have any explanation for why you've become so brazen about it?"

"Hold on, that's a very bold accusation! I stepped back from Isashi in order to allow Rias a chance to recruit him!" Andora stood up furiously. "You were there, remember?"

"So you weren't aware that, within the last week, Hyoudou Isashi rejected an offer to join the Occult Research Club?"

"...So, I, uh, didn't know that. Honest!" the Paimon heiress sat back down. "I have every intention of giving Rias as much of a chance to bring him in as she needs. One rejection from him isn't my go-ahead to move in on him."

"Then why is your bishop following him?" the Sitri heiress growled.

The disguised albino eyed the pinkette curiously. "That is a good question, but you don't need to be so harsh about it. Tamane, is there anything you need to tell me?"

"I…um…I…eh…ah…m-meep!"

Sona raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Is that supposed to be something we can understand?"

"Hush! Give me a second!" Andora said curtly before turning back to the kitsune with a gentle smile. "Tamane, I've always told you that you can tell me anything, remember? So please, I just need an explanation!"

Tamane went bright red as she struggled to face her master. "I…w-well, see, Isashi…hah!"

*Thump*

To the shock of both high-class devils, the kitsune's eyes went blank, and she fell from her chair. Sona stared angrily for several seconds before slowly losing her color once the fox-girl failed to reawaken.

"S-She's not dead, is she?" the short-haired girl asked nervously.

"No, no, relax, she's just unconscious. It's not a frequent symptom, but she has it," the disguised albino sighed as she rose from her chair and walked towards her bishop. "This is one of the reasons why I'm always talking to Rias in private. I need lots of advice, and she has experience with troubled servants."

"She's…troubled?" Sona asked in confusion.

"It's complicated," the Paimon heiress said solemnly. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare room with a couch, would you?"


Izuho Tamane roused slowly from her sleep, a low whimper passing from her lips. She slowly sat up, realizing that she was lying on a soft couch. A blush slowly crept up her face when she remembered what had happened.

"Good morning, sunshine~!"

The pinkette shakily turned to see Andora sitting on a chair beside her. Her master had dropped her disguise, a kind grin across her pale face as her red eyes danced with mirth.

"I totally fainted again," the kitsune stated tiredly.

"You did," the albino nodded. "But I could tell you were overwhelmed. Sona was very understanding once I explained it to her," the Paimon heiress held up a hand before the pink-haired girl could speak. "I didn't tell her everything, I promise. Just the bare minimum, so she at least understood. PTSD, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, the works, so long as it was in your files."

"Ah? I see…"

Andora frowned slightly when the fox-girl turned away. "Hey, I really do need to ask you this. Why are you following Hyoudou around?"

Tamane winced and sat still for several moments before taking a deep breath. "Um, d-do you remember a few weeks ago? It was when the rumors started?" the pinkette swallowed nervously when the albino gave her a confused look. "It was when Isashi-kun flirted with me."

"Ah? Ah, that! Yeah, I remember that, everybody was talking about it. You must be mad, huh?" the albino mused as a chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm really sorry about this, but I thought it was kind of funny-especially since you've been avoiding love confessions like the plague. And, to be fair, you said it yourself that you didn't think any of those were going to be genuine."

"Heh, yeah! They, uh, only cared about…w-well," the fox-girl blushed slightly as she attempted to press her arms together. "And, I would've assumed Isashi-kun was the same way-but, y'know, at least he's honest about it. The thing is, I started hearing that he was flirting with other girls."

"That's his…eh, his 'brand'. All four of those guys have them. Surprisingly, they're a lot more complicated than that."

"They are, yes, I saw it. And, Isashi-kun, well…you know what happens when he gets rejected?" the pinkette turned to her master with a curious expression. "He just shrugs, says something to the effect of 'sorry for bothering you', and then walks off. Sometimes he'll even whistle some tunes, though I can't figure out which songs they are."

"Oh? So it's true then? That is interesting. Most boys would get angry, or grief stricken, or something to that effect. That guy seems pretty stone-hearted." Andora leaned back suddenly as her cheeks puffed up and a pout tugged at her lips. "Oi! I just realized this, but he had two chances to throw a pickup line at me, and he didn't take them! Am I not good enough for him?"

Tamane barely hid her sigh of relief at that before nervously adjusting herself. "Ah, I don't think that's the problem. Um, s-see…he knows," at the albino's confused look, the fox-girl whimpered anxiously. "He, uh, knows that I'm a yokai, that everybody in the Martial Arts Club are yokai, and that there are yokai attending school. And he probably thinks you're a powerful yokai, and is trying to avoid you."

The Paimon heiress let out a loud noise as she nervously pushed air from her mouth. "Ah~! That's definitely something I'm going to have to talk with Sona and Rias about." A frown slowly tugged at her lips as she steepled her fingers. "And yet he's still trying to join the Martial Arts Club? Is he…okay? Like, mentally?"

The kitsune let out a small giggle as she twiddled her fingers nervously. "I mean, I can't really say much about that, it'd be hypocritical. But he's fearless…he's not afraid," the pink-haired girl hummed thoughtfully as she tilted her head. "He's not afraid of rejection, he's not afraid of somebody threatening him, and he's not afraid of us. Of any of us. I…I wish I had that strength. I think it's admirable…"

Andora blinked in shock at her bishop's words. "Is…is that why you're following him? Because you admire him? Not because you're mad?!"

"Uh, n-no, not because I'm mad. I just wanted to find out how he could be so fearless, because I wanted to find that same strength. I mean, I could really use that." Tamane's face slowly grew redder as a nervous laugh escaped her lips. "The, uh, thing is, w-well, it started spiraling into something else…"

"What? Wait, what does that mean…don't tell me? You're-" the albino's mouth snapped shut when the other girl started shaking nervously. "So you like Isashi?"

"Meep!"

"N-Nothing wrong with that, Tamane! It's just surprising, but it's okay! He's not a bad guy-I mean, sure he's a bit cantankerous, but he seems alright," the Paimon heiress shrugged as she leaned forward. "If you, uh, like him, then you should go for it. I'm surprised you haven't tried to-"

"Why do you think I'm 'stalking' him?" the kitsune deadpanned.

"...Ah? But then, why-"

"W-Well, see, I sometimes follow him around so that I can work myself up to it. But, whenever I do that, I end up losing the confidence to do it," the fox-girl slowly sank into the couch cushions as she spoke. "And, um, sometimes he gets so close that I start to freak out even more, because then I've lost all my confidence. So I turn into my fox form instead and try to hide or pretend to be a normal fox just going on its way."

"Oh? Oh, that's…ah," Andora let out a large puff of air when the pinkette looked away. "Wait, what about when you're stalking him in your fox form?"

"W-Well, when I started the whole 'panic and turn into a fox' thing, I thought 'hey, why don't I just follow him as a fox next time? That way, I'll already be hiding when I lose my nerves'. Which is what led to today…"

"Right, that probably exacerbated things. Especially since he…w-well, knows," the albino gesticulated towards the other girl's ears. "So, he probably felt like he had to do something. Pretty impressive that he wanted to keep it 'under the table' without revealing everything."

Tamane's lip started wobbling anxiously. "When I was eavesdropping on him the other day, he was talking to another person who, um, also knows. He thinks I wanna kill him…"

"Oh…shit! Ah, okay, so, it's a big misunderstanding! I'm certain that we can clear that up," the Paimon heiress frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know how we can, but we can fix that. Somehow."

"Thing is, if I tell him…I might as well be killing him," the fox-girl's fingers suddenly clasped desperately as a shudder ran down her back.

Vicious, glowing eyes flashed from the dark. The blue-scaled serpentine body coiled around her form. A single, three-fingered hand tipped with talons snapped forward, threateningly caressing the skin beneath her chin. The fanged maw that approached her slowly shifted into a nightmarishly obsessive grin.

"No!" Andora said firmly, her cold expression causing the other girl to flinch. "Tamane, that won't happen. That guy is far away from here, you know that. He has no way of getting to you, and no way of making good on any of his promises." she quickly placed a hand on the kitsune's shoulder, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. "When…when I found you and your sister that day, I always promised myself I'd never let you be in that state again. If that monster shows up, I'll stand in his way, no matter how powerful he is. The others would do it too-not simply because they're 'my servants', but because they care about you. We all care about you!"

"A-Andora-sama!" the pinkette swallowed as a small blush dusted her cheeks. "T-Thank you! Thank you so much! For everything!"

"Hey, about Isashi…you should talk to him," at the kitsune's small squeak, the albino shook her head. "Even if nothing comes of it, even if it isn't what you were hoping for, take a shot. You shouldn't let some spoiled, glorified lizard dictate how you feel about others."

"Y-Yes, I…I know that. I mean, I know that, but whenever I even think about it, this other part of me just…" Tamane trailed off nervously.

"It doesn't have to be right away like that, I promise. But, I am gonna have to do something about you taking your fox form during school hours. You won't have that fallback, so," the Paimon heiress's smile became strained at the despairing look on the other girl's face. "Just tell me the next time you try. I'll be there, or I'll get one of the other girls to come in, and we can give you an escape route just in case. Does that sound good?"

The fox-girl nodded shyly at her master's words. "Yeah, that sounds fine, t-thank you!"

"Now, I'm going to smooth things over with Sona, okay? I'll be back in a bit, just make sure you're 'presentable'," Andora motioned towards the girl's undisguised fox traits.

"Meep!"

The albino shook her head good-naturedly as she stood up and left the room. The moment she closed the door, a small flash of energy emerged from her hand and quickly encompassed the door with a barely noticeable glow. The devil heiress hummed as she completed the privacy spell, before tilting her head.

"So, how much did you hear?"

"Just about everything," Sona chuckled as she rounded the corner. "I'll admit, this was the last thing I expected. Still, that makes things rather interesting~!"

The albino cocked an eyebrow as the other devil adjusted her glasses. "Do you think Rias has a chance with Hyoudou?"

"Which Hyoudou?" the bespectacled girl asked.

"Good point! The younger twin, I mean," the Paimon heiress sighed.

"At this point? Likely no. She's going to try one last attempt, then focus on his brother instead." Sona tilted her head thoughtfully. "You're planning on making your move? Is that because-"

"No, not because of my bishop." The albino huffed. "I mean, I do want her to have more confidence in herself. But with what happened to her, it's not going to be easy to help her through that."

The short-haired girl frowned at the other heiress's words. "I'd like to hear more about that, actually. If only because I'm worried it'll be a problem for us in the future."

"I…yeah, you're right. But I'm telling you now, before you hear it, that you're not gonna like it."

"After every ounce of drama attached to Rias's peerage, I think I've tempered my reactivity. Back to Hyoudou Isashi. You're interested in recruiting him?" the Sitri heiress inclined her head at the worried look on her friend's face. "What's wrong? Is there something about Isashi that worries you?"

"Well, he knows, for one thing."

"Oh, that? Rias already told me," at the other girl's surprised look, Sona shook her head. "She's doing that thing where she has Koneko stalk him. That said, she's still trying to openly recruit him while doing that, but she wants to keep an eye on him."

"Lovely~! That means you've already figured out why he pulled this over on us?" the Paimon heiress huffed.

"Not just him, but an associate as well. They're one of the 'witnesses', and a prospective candidate for Student Council-and by extension, someone I'm interested in," the bespectacled girl hummed thoughtfully. "Both of them can sense yokai. The other one is much more wary of them, to where she actively avoids any yokai students.

"And Isashi?"

"Hyoudou feels threatened by the yokai in school, but he's not afraid of them," the short-haired girl hummed nervously. "I'm not sure if I should be worried about that."

"...Maybe we should? He seems honest in his desires, but today he's just proven himself to be a bit of a wildcard," Andora frowned as she turned to the Sitri Heiress. "From what Tamane said, he probably just didn't want his life or family threatened. It wouldn't be too hard to confront him and talk it out. Offer an olive branch maybe?"

Sona inclined her head in curiosity. "Ah? I see, so by establishing some form of rapport with him, we can keep a better eye on him."

"And we can gain his trust and make him more open to at least cooperating with us. Acting like decent people is practically impossible to screw up," the albino nodded. "Plus, if he's willing to work with us-even if he doesn't join a peerage-he's still quite skilled. A useful and honorable ally we can depend on is a good thing."

"He's knowledgeable too, from what I've heard. Quite respectful as well, at least when it comes to generic nature spirits," the bespectacled girl tilted her head in thought. "Still, there are a few things involving him that…confuse me, for lack of a better word."

Andora chuckled tiredly at those words. "Yeah, you and me both…"


"...You know, I did not expect this so soon," I said tiredly.

That day had ended like any other. Once I was done at the dojo, I'd gone home, done my homework, eaten, gotten in some light exercise, the works. I'd gone to sleep not even worried about potential problems with any yokai in the slightest.

So, I had no idea why I was standing in front of a tree that had a familiar fox-girl pressed against it.

Tamane was in front of me. She was wearing a dark kimono that was…ahem, very open, especially around the front area. Her inhuman traits were exposed as well, fox ears flicking, nine tails swishing, and pawed feet twitching while she dragged her clawed hands down the tree behind her. The entire time, she was sending me a narrow gaze with her golden eyes.

The only reason she hadn't tried to kill me yet was the various talismans locking her in place via a ring of mystical energy surrounding the tree she was against. I didn't even realize I had those types of talismans. But damn, was I glad that I'd picked them up somehow.

"Okay, be honest. What was your plan here?" I tilted my head as the kitsune snarled at me. "Because you knew I had you figured out. Like, I had a big 'gotcha bitch' moment this morning, remember? What do you get from this?"

"An eye for an eye, so to speak~!" the fox-girl giggled sweetly before leaning forward with a dark glare. "My kind are the best at making the fool out of you humans. The thing is, when we're the ones on the other end, it doesn't tend to look good. The other kitsune will start looking down on me!" the pinkette whined, a cute little pout spreading across her face as she tilted her head. "Ah, I can already imagine it. 'Look at Tamane', they'll say. 'She's a ninetails, yet she still got bested by a human'. I'll be a laughingstock!"

"...Are you shitting me right now?"

"Of course not! I have a reputation to uphold!" the girl shouted.

"I don't-you couldn't have just put a bucket of water over a doorway?" I shouted in exasperation. "Maybe a fucking whoopie cushion?"

"That pedestrian shit? Not a chance!"

"Okay, try that Nopperabou thing then?!" I groaned.

"...W-Well, that's not gonna work if you're expecting it!" the ninetails whined.

"For fuck's sake, just pick something that won't permanently harm me. Or kill me, or kill/permanently harm my loved ones, or will mentally scar me and/or said loved ones!" I quickly amended when the girl smiled viciously. "I'm not letting you pull a fast one like that. Just get your whole 'equal retribution' thing, and we can both go our separate ways!"

Tamane tilted her head, a small hum escaping her. "A fair deal, certainly. But…I have another idea~!"

And then the fox-girl snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the ring of energy holding her back disappeared, the talismans crumbling to dust before they even hit the ground. I felt my jaw drop as the ninetails rose to her feet, a playful grin tugging at her lips.

"Welp, I guess I walked into this," I shrugged before taking a somewhat guarded stance without bringing my hands up. "Go on then! Do your worst!"

Her 'worst' as it turns out, was to suddenly jump forward and wrap her legs around my waist while curling her arms around my shoulders. I barely had time to react before the kitsune's face was only a few inches away from mine, a lascivious look tickling her features.

When she pressed her lips into mine, my first thought was 'oh shit, is she draining my energy?'. I mean, fox-spirits can drain life-force, so it had to be that.

My second thought, however, was 'wait, is that her tongue-woaaaaaaaah-yeeeeeheaaaaaaah~!'

I felt myself falling back on the ground as my hands slowly reached towards her waist. Tamane broke the kiss with a pleased moan, a small giggle passing her lips as she straddled me.

"Ara ara~! No need to take charge, darling," the fox-girl gave me a pleased smile as she slowly danced her fingers across my chest. "And don't worry, there's nothing nefarious about this. I never said my 'tricks' needed to be pranks. I can show you a lot of special tricks-though we'll need to do without the bed~!"

"Oh? W-Well, don't get cocky!" I felt a goofy grin tugging at my lips as I gripped her hips and caused a surprised moan to escape her lips. "I've got a few 'tricks' of my own! I'm sure you'd love to see them~!"

I'm pretty sure Tamane let out a lewd giggle at that. The thing is, anything she could've said next was drowned out.

*GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

For a split second, I felt myself going pale. The fox-girl had no reaction to the sound, so I wondered if it was just me. But then the world around me suddenly shifted.

Tamane faded away just as she leaned back, almost like she'd never existed. There wasn't even a single trace of her.

One second, I was in a forest. The next, it was like everything tore apart to reveal ocean depths. The deep, dark waters cracked and rumbled around me as I stood to my feet.

It even felt like I was completely submerged in water. Moving was a pain. Walking through thick liquid that pushed back against your every step was taxing. And all around me, the sea remained pitch black, the only light I had was a circle of light that spread in a five-foot radius around me.

"...I'm dreaming," I said dumbly, idly noting the bubbles of water floating away as I spoke.

I mean, that explained it. One, I didn't even know Tamane aside from hearing her speak one time, so my mind simply made up a personality for her based on the legends I'd heard of kitsune. Also, it made the…s-scenario up based on my predilections.

So…a wet dream.

…That face when you have no sexy kitsune girlfriend willing to show you 'special tricks'. I will never recover from this. Life has no meaning.

"Also explains all of…all of this." I fought back a dejected sigh as I motioned to the world around me.

I mean, one, I was at the bottom of the fucking ocean. Pretty sure I should be getting crushed to death right now if this were real. Second to that was the fact that I could breathe and speak just fine, which wouldn't be possible even if I could survive crushing ocean depths.

Yeah, those alone hammered it home that I was dreaming. Plus, y'know, that I had a personal light radius around me. The only things that would have light down here are bioluminescent creatures and submarines.

*GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

…Speaking of bioluminescence, that was happening.

Something nearby was glowing blue intermittently. Something that was very visible, with a dazzling light. And despite logically knowing that this was a bad idea, my caveman brain wasn't willing to let me stay away from that light for too long without checking it out..

So, I started walking towards it. And then I quickly realized that walking underwater sucked. And running underwater was worse. So the only real option I had was to swim.

I've been told I was a good swimmer. I'd once joined a swim team when I was in elementary school, though I wasn't serious about it, but I was good. I started going at what was a leisurely pace that was fortunately faster than when I was walking and running.

As I got closer to the light, I heard it again, only louder this time.

*GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

"...That's not just the ocean," I realized aloud. When I saw the glow again, now slightly closer, I felt like I had confirmation. "This is that, isn't it?"

The glow revealed the barest hints of a very large silhouette. It wasn't close enough for me to make anything out, but I could see that it was big.

"So, this part isn't quite a dream, huh?" I mused, a frown tugging at my lips. "Well…I guess today is the day we finally meet!"

That was when I started burning rubber towards the source of the blue light. I'd only seen glimpses of this thing, and it was just its eye. I wanted to see it, to know just what I'd had foisted onto me.

…Besides, I'd lived in a world with Kaiju the last time around. This one was from a different universe entirely, right? It might be neat to compare and contrast this thing with some I remembered.

I swam for what must've been about, from my perspective at least, over a few dozen minutes. The glow grew ever closer, but halfway there I lost sight of the silhouette. With everything so dark as it was, I wondered if the creature had shifted around.

The glow was still flashing, though. It was so bright I had to cover my eyes, and when it died down, I couldn't get a good look at it. But I saw the glow was ascending forward in a strange way. And, if I were a betting man, that meant that the creature was flashing some sort of communication signal towards its head.

So, I swam towards it, blocking my eyesight so that I wasn't blinded. I swam for what felt like another couple dozen minutes. And once I was sure I was in the right place, I slowly descended back to the ocean floor.

Even while holding a hand out to shield my eyes, I could still see the bioluminescence ascending towards this spot. Yet I couldn't make out anything else in the pitch black waters around me.

"Agh! So, what, is he camouflaged? That's lovely!" I deadpanned while leaning forward. I shrugged as my hand met a thick stone wall and turned away. "I guess this was a waste of time~!"

…Wait, hold on a second.

"Oh shit!" I hissed while pulling my hand away and turning.

The 'wall' was a mass of thick, jagged and warty, crocodilian charcoal gray scales that shimmered with a metallic sheen. The area I'd leaned against had four monstrous vertical slits lining it. I could see fleshy filaments flexing behind them and pressing against the creature's skin. Between each of the gills were these flaps of skin that trailed down and away from its neck, moving and swaying on the ground like strange limbs.

"Is this thing, like…an amphibian?" I asked in shock before shaking my head. "N-No, too scaly for that! Probably doesn't actually have a classification that makes sense. I mean, it's not from any of my worlds-agh!" I winced when the blue glow flashed through my surroundings once again. "Fuck, that's bright!"

*GrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

"Hmm?" I felt my blood run cold when the gills shifted and moved as the creature lifted its neck off the ground. "Oh, no."

Soon enough, I was staring at a very groggy, and very cranky looking, fire-colored eye that was larger all around than some of the tallest humans. The eye barely scrutinized me for a moment before completely narrowing. And then the glow flashed, this time a bit more mellow and easy to look at.

I wished it hadn't been easy to see. I felt like my soul would leave my body right then and there. I wanted to die. I wanted everything to just end at the cruelty of it all.

"Y-You?" I gasped with quiet horror as the creature flexed its neck and shifted in its half-asleep state. "No! No, I left you behind when I died. You're not s-supposed to be here. You're not supposed to be here!"

I felt like my world would crumble to dust when the beast regarded me. Those brilliant, fiery eyes flashed a bright and all-consuming blue for a split second as it leaned towards me.

It had an angular, dinosaurian head with cat-like and ursine features. More of that metallic, jagged and warty crocodilian skin covered its whole face. Its chin and jawline were squarish and covered in bark-like spikes.

The front of its face was mammalian, with bear-like nostrils at the tip of its snout. Its mouth was too wide, I think-it almost went past its jaws, cutting off just before its neck in a way that almost seemed like a slasher-esque grin.

That just made the teeth look worse to me, especially when the creature peeled its lips back. The teeth were a bit bigger than a man was tall, and its fangs were twice that size. Close to the back of its mouth, just behind its eyes, were these two huge tusks that had to be nearly twenty feet long.

Peeking up from the back of the monster's head were two large cat-like ears that flicked and twitched as it moved. As the monster tilted its head, one of them perked up before both quickly laid flat against its skull.

"No, no, this isn't real! You're not real!" I said desperately as I fell on my back and tried to scramble away. "This is some sick fucking joke! This-this isn't right! This is just a bad dream, damn it!"

Gojira, King of the Monsters, still barely awake and cranky, simply rumbled as he shook his body. Behind him, the three massive rows of jagged, maple-leaf-shaped spines lining its back glowed that brilliant blue again. One of his monstrous clawed hands dug into the ground as he groggily blinked at me.

"Why are you here?! Why the hell are you here?!" I cried out in horror.

The Roaring God leaned towards me in his dazed state, monstrous jaws opening wide. I felt my chest growing tight as I heard him sucking in water around me. A low rumble echoed in the ocean as he glared at me in his half-asleep state.

And then he let loose.

*SKREEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKgggggg!*

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


"AHH-"

I clamped a hand over my mouth as I awoke, shuddering when I felt the tears streaming down my face. My breathing was ragged as I stared at the room around me. I couldn't even think straight.

A wracked sob escaped me as I pressed a hand to my chest. For a split second, I thought I could hear an annoyed rumble echoing in the back of my head. The only reason I didn't cry harder was because I was afraid somebody would come.

But I was fairly certain I was one moment away from breaking down. I felt everything tense up as I cradled my head gingerly.

"W-Way to eat your fucking words, Hyoudou~!" I giggled madly to myself through tears. "You said he was far away from here? The entire time, he was right under your damn nose! hAhaHahA~!"

I felt a shudder running down my back as another hoarse sob passed my lips. I had to stop myself from pulling out my hair. My teeth were clenching so hard I was sure my gums might bleed.

"This isn't fair!" I wheezed desperately. "This…this isn't fair…"


So yeah, there's Godzilla. Finally introduced. And with it, all of Isashi's vietnam-esque flashbacks that come from living in a world filled with real Kaiju. Poor guy is gonna have constant fuel for that shit...muahahahahaha~!

Most of the stuff for the devils and the yokai will come to a head in a few chapters. I said it on SB, but it'll definitely do away with most of canon-I even said that Raynare doesn't kill Issei this time around. Lot of switch ups and changes, and I'm hoping it'll be fun to write.

Now then, onto the reviews.

Zet4: You're welcome. The yokai in the Martial Arts Club have unique styles as well as greater physical abilities-they're not human, so they can keep going for a while longer, and they can take more punches. The thing with the Martial Arts Club is that they're making a rule that you can only use one style, and it has to be a widely known style (I.E Karate, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Doo, ect.), which precludes anybody from using hybrid styles/MMA to join in. The reason they're surprised is because they didn't think he'd try different styles he knows rather than sticking to one style.

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.