Shin walked beside Issei as they made their way to school. Issei walking like a zombie due to the events of this morning. Issei still hadn't gotten over the shock of any of what happened, and was currently just working off of autopilot, not really paying attention to anything that was going on around him.
Shin himself was listening to some music as he walked to school, planning out the next stages of his plan. He needed to find a way to expand his magic reserves. Unlike most other supernatural creatures, Shin's strength relied on his magic attacks and not his physical. He was similar to Sirzechs and Rias in that aspect.
The problem was, he had no idea how to quickly expand his magic reserves. The only thing he could think of was in a forceful manner. Similar to what he did with Dohnaseek. He could try using Rias or Sona as a battery and absorb some of the demonic energy emitted by them naturally as devils to forcefully expand his magic reserves.
The problem with that was easiest explained with an analogy, in this case, the best way was to compare it to a balloon. When air is blown into a balloon, it expands past its normal state. Then, once the air leaves it, it returns to its original state but stretched out. The problem being that during the point where you're filling it up with air, you don't when it will pop.
It was the same for his magic reserves. He could forcefully send magic into them, forcing them to stretch past their limits, then release the magic. This would expand his reserves, but he wouldn't have any way to tell when it was time to stop absorbing magic before he popped.
His thoughts came to a halt when he was drawn to the noise of someone yelping as they fell down onto the hard concrete. Looking over, he was met with a teenage girl in the doggy style position after falling, her panties there for the world to see.
'So, the time has already gone by this quickly, and now Asia has arrived in Kuoh.' Shin thought as he peeked over to see Issei staring at her panties perversely. Slapping the back of Issei's head, Shin walked over to Asia and offered her a hand and catching her veil just as it flew off her head.
Asia looked up, surprised to see Shin standing there, offering her a hand no less. However, Asia was not one to decline someone's acts of kindness, so she took his offered hand with no hesitation.
"Thank you," Asia said as Shin helped pull her up off the ground.
"It's no problem. Besides, I couldn't just leave you on the ground like that while my brother perved seeing your panties." Shin said with a smile, causing Asia to blush and look behind her, seeing Issei standing there holding the back of his head in pain.
"Oh, I-I didn't realize. Thank you. But I'm surprised you speak Italian." Asia said, her blush gone and now radiating kindness. Asia truly was just like she was depicted in the anime, pure-hearted.
"Oh, yea. I know quite a few languages." Shin lied, knowing he could only understand her due to devils being able to understand almost all spoken languages. Looking over, Shin sighed as Issei continued to rub the back of his head.
He didn't want Issei to get involved with the supernatural yet. He had a plan for when he would get Issei involved and how to benefit him and it was too early at the moment for that. So, he couldn't let Issei walk with them it may risk the chance of his dragon side acting up due to Asia dragon tamer status.
"Hey Issei," Shin said, getting Issei's attention. "Go on to school, I'll help this girl with whatever she needs," Shin said, irritating Issei.
"And what makes you think I can't help her!" Issei yelled, ticked off.
"Well for one, you don't speak Italian," Shin said calmly, causing Issei's face to drop. "And second, she needs help, not sexually harassed." Issei's ire returned once again but didn't say anything, instead deciding to stomp off to school angrily.
"Sorry for that miss," Shin said as he looked down to Asia, handing her back the veil that flew off her head. Blushing out of embarrassment, Asia quickly took back the veil. "I'm Shin Hyoudou, it's a pleasure to meet you." Shin introduced himself.
"I'm Asia Argento," Asia said shyly.
"Judging by your clothes, you are a part of the church. Yes?" Shin asked, Asia now looking at him with hope.
"Yes, I am. I'm actually new in this town and don't know my way there. You wouldn't happen to know where it is, do you?" Asia asked hopefully.
"Yes, follow me, I'll take you there," Shin said as he grabbed her suitcase and started walking off, Asia hurriedly following after him, protesting him caring her luggage as she didn't want to inconvenience him more than she already had.
After watching Asia heal a boy's scrape on his knee, Shin decided to stray away from canon at this point. "Asia, what you did. It was a sacred gear wasn't it?" Shin asked, causing Asia to look at him surprised.
"Umm, yes. How did you know?" Asia asked.
"Because I know of the supernatural world," Shin said, shocking Asia. "In fact, I knew you were a part of the supernatural world the instant you said you were a part of the church in town," Shin said.
"H-How?" Asia asked.
"Because the church in this town has been abandoned for several years and is currently being inhabited by fallen angels." Asia was shocked by Shin's information. "Tell me the truth Asia, you are really an excommunicated nun, aren't you?" Shin expertly used his knowledge of the anime to use.
Asia looked down, ashamed. "Umm, yes. I am." Asia said quietly, afraid of what Shin will do once he knows the truth.
"Thanks for telling me the truth Asia; I appreciate it. In return, I will be truthful with you and tell you that I am a devil." Asia stopped in place, unable to walk, her hands shaking and now scared. Looking back, Shin gave her a smile. "You don't have to worry Asia; I don't want to hurt you."
"H-How do I know you're not lying," Asia asked frightfully.
"Because if I did, I would have done it already," Shin said, easing some of her worries but they were still there. "But I do not tell you all this for no reason, there is a reason I'm telling you all of this," Shin said.
"What's that?" Asia asked, her hands stopping their shaking.
"I just wanted to warn you. The church your going to is under the command of fallen angels and trust me when I say they are not nice people." Shin paused for dramatic effect as well as giving Asia the chance to comment. However, she did not.
"Believe it or not Asia, just a few days ago, I was human." Shin said, surprising Asia. "However, one of the fallen angels commanding the church in this town found out I had a strong sacred gear and labeled me a threat. So, she killed me."
"W-What?" Asia asked, appalled and shocked.
"Yea. She drove a spear of light into my stomach, regardless of the fact I had no information about the supernatural. Simply because I was a potential threat." Shin said. "Luckily, however, a devil reincarnated me, giving me a second chance at life," Shin explained.
"I-I see," Asia said as she walked up to Shin. "I'm sorry something so terrible happened to you," Asia said as she bowed to Shin.
"Asia, stand up straight. There is nothing to be sorry for, it was in no way your fault. Besides, it's not like I hate being a devil." Shin said as he started walking to the church with Asia again. "But I just want you to know that you need to be careful around those fallen angels. I have no doubt in my mind that they have an ulterior motive to you being here than they told you."
"Oh, I see," Asia said, now panicking slightly but didn't show it. There walk now awkwardly silent as they walked to the church. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Shin broke the silence.
"Asia, if you don't mind me asking. How come you were excommunicated from the church? You don't exactly strike me as the type of person to do something wrong." Shin asked.
Asia shuffled uncomfortably, twiddling her fingers. "I umm, I healed the wrong person." Asia said, Shin, looking to the side and giving her a look, edging her on to continue her story. "I found a wounded man outside the church, and I healed him. Afterword, however, it was revealed he was a devil, so the church labeled me a heretic." Asia said, depressed.
"I see," Shin said. "So then, tell me, Asia. Do you regret that decision? Do you think you should have let that man die?" Shin asked, causing a fire to appear in Asia's eyes.
"No! How could I just let someone die?" Asia exclaimed.
"Then that's all that matters. You shouldn't live your life trying to please others nor making decisions based on what you think other people would want you to do. Stay true to yourself, what you believe." Shin said, Asia, staring at him in awe.
"Also, Asia, you should keep in mind that nothing in this world is born evil. Just because someone is a devil does not mean they are a bad person. Even Lucifer, the pinnacle of evil, was born innocent. An angel even." Shin said as he felt a tingle run down his hand, causing him to stop walking.
Asia stopped right next to him. "This is all the further I can go, Asia." Shin said as he looked to the side and saw the abandoned church. "That is the church right there," Shin said as he pointed to the church.
Asia looked at the church, nervous and afraid. "T-Thank you, Shin. I appreciate you showing me the way." Asia said as she took her suitcase from Shin's hands and started to walk off but was stopped when Shin grabbed her arm.
Looking over his shoulder, Shin gave Asia a smile. "Like I said Asia, you should live your life doing what you want, what you believe to be right. If you no longer want to go to that church, you don't have to." Shin said.
Asia looked down at the ground. It was obvious she didn't want to. "But. I don't have anywhere else to go." Asia said in despair, lost. She had no idea what to do.
Shin stopped to think for a moment. He could invite Asia to his house right now, however, he didn't know what kind of butterfly effects that would have on the canon timeline. Just as Edward Lorenz proposed, one tiny alteration to the timeline can have disastrous consequences.
Asia was an essential character to canon, and despite planning to veer away from it, it was still his strongest ally. Knowing what was to come in the future was a huge advantage no one else had. If he was to change Asia's path right now, what advert effects would it have on canon?
Luckily for Shin, however, he had been planning everything out for over a year, so he had already come up with the situations that would happen. "Then how about you come with me?" Shin asked Asia, offering her an out.
"I-I can't do that. We just met, and I've already inconvenienced you enough. Plus, I might just bring danger to you." Asia said shyly.
Shin smiled and chuckled at Asia's innocence. "Asia, there is no need to worry. Yes, the fallen angels are expecting you, but they don't even know that you are here yet. If you come with me now, they will assume you never came." Shin said, knowing it was the truth.
However, this would have adverse effects. Asia was their whole reason for being in Kuoh, which meant if Asia never comes, they will leave. The whole Raynare arc, the very first arc, will never have happened.
"Be that as it may, I still can't burden you with the responsibility of caring for me," Asia said.
"Don't be ridiculous Asia. What kind of person would I be if I allowed you to just go to those fallen angels, knowing that they do not have something good planned for you?" Shin reasoned, weakening Asia's resolve.
Shin, seeing Asia was close, used his knowledge of her past to convince her. "Besides, you're a good person. Kind at heart and someone you can put your faith in trust in. You're the kind of person that is a great friend. I wouldn't want to let you go so easily." Shin said smiling, Asia's head shooting up as tears trickled at the corner of her eyes.
"You really mean that? W-We could be f-friend?" Asia asked hopefully.
'Hook. Line. Sinker.' Shin thought as he inwardly smirked. He didn't want to be arrogant or anything, but he thought of himself as an up and becoming a master of manipulation. "Yes, of course, Asia. I don't have any reason to lie to you." Shin said, lying straight through his teeth. There were obvious benefits of swaying Asia to his side at the moment.
"O-Ok. If you say so." Asia said, looking up with a heartwarming smile.
"Alright then, follow me," Shin said as he pulled out his phone and started calling Sona. The phone rang a few times before Sona picked up.
"Shin? Where are you, school starts in four minutes." Sona said irritably. She was usually pretty irritated with him when he doesn't show up at the student council room before school as usual.
"Yea, about that. I'm not going to make it to school today." Shin said calmly.
"What?! Why not?!" Sona yelled.
Shin looked to Asia by his side looking at him confused since she didn't understand a word of Japanese. "I met a hot blonde," Shin said, causing Sona to gain a tick mark on her forehead.
"That doesn't mean you can skip school!" Sona yelled, furious and slightly jealous.
"I'm not coming to school today Sona," Shin said seriously, the tone of his voice causing Sona to straighten, realizing that Shin was serious about this. "Tell Rias I need to talk to her as soon as possible. I'll be at the ORC." Shin said as he hung up the phone and put it back into his pocket.
"Sorry about that Asia, I had to call into school and tell them I wasn't coming today," Shin explained to Asia what he was doing, causing Asia to look down in shame.
"I'm sorry I made you miss school," Asia said as she bowed to Shin once again.
"Asia, your too cute for your own good," Shin said as Asia's face went atomic, never having received such a compliment before.
"Ummm. I, umm, I." Asia stammered, not knowing how to react.
Shin chuckled, quite amused by this situation. "My point is proven." Shin said as he focused on what was to happen next. From this point on, canon was thrown out the window. He had just made a crack in the foundation of cannon, and the next step in his plan would cause it to fall apart. However, he wouldn't be able to take that step until he had explained Asia's situation to Rias.
(Scene Break)
After showing Asia around the ORC, Shin took a nap on the couch, determined to let his body rest and adapt to the light energy in his body. It wasn't until school was let out that he was awoken when Koneko opened the doors to the ORC.
His eyes fluttering open, he noticed across from him, on the couch opposite from the one he was taking a nap on, was Asia, her eyes closed and a line of drool coming out of her mouth. It would appear that after she took a shower in the large shower room Rias had in the ORC, she decided to sleep just like Shin.
"Hey there Koneko," Shin said as he slowly sat up, relishing in the reenergized feeling in his body. He could already tell that his body had now fully adjusted to the light energy in his body. Just a few days ago, he couldn't feel any magic in his body. Now, however, he could feel two completely different sources in his body.
The main source, the magic that was being coursed throughout his veins, being emitted from his body was demonic magic. The magic feeling like an ocean inside his stomach, several rivers being connected to the ocean and filtering the water in and out of his body at all moments.
But then, right next to that saltwater ocean, was a freshwater lake. Polar opposites of the other yet coexisting. A damn blocking all the connections the lake had to the rivers, yet ready the dams ready to be burst open at any moment. All it would take was thought and the damns would break, flooding through his body.
The only question is, what would happen if they opened? Would the demonic and holy energy fight each other, trying to become the only inhabitant of his body? Or would it be like oil and water? Would they separate themselves from one another, coexisting inside of him?
He would test it soon. It was better to find out the effects sooner rather than later. Sitting up fully, he took a deep breath, relishing in regaining his energy. Glad he no longer felt weak and tired. This meant he would be able to move on with his plans.
Scooting over on the couch, he patted the cushion next to him as he looked at Koneko. "Sorry I took your spot. I was feeling tired." Shin said as Koneko sat down on the now-open seat and pulled out a bag of chocolates.
As she started to take bites of her chocolate, she stared at Asia confused as to who she was and why she was here. Noticing this, Shin knew he would have to explain this to her, but he'd prefer to wait until everyone else got here, not wanting to explain the situation more than one time.
So, as time went by, the members of the ORC all arrived, Rias being the last person to arrive. They were now all seated on the couches, Asia having been awoken once Kiba arrived so he could sit down on the couch. Asia was now sitting in between Shin and Koneko, nervous about the current situation.
"So, Shin, would you mind explaining who this is?" Rias asked irritably. This was definitely not something she expected to see when she entered the ORC. She knew Shin wanted to talk to her, but she figured it had something to do with his sacred gear or something of the like. Not some blonde who she could faintly sense had a sacred gear.
Shin sighed, already feeling a headache coming. "This is Asia Argento, an excommunicated nun from the church." Shin said as he comfortingly put his arm around Asia in a protective manner, knowing the occupants of the ORC would not want to be associated with an excommunicated nun.
"Shin, why did you bring an excommunicated nun here?" Rias asked, not liking this situation one bit, neither did Akeno, Kiba, or Koneko.
"Because she needed help, and to be honest I don't give two fucks what she is. The simple fact is she needed help, and I was inclined to give it to her. So, she is going to be staying with me for the foreseeable future." Shin, Asia shrinking into Shin's embrace for protection.
"You can't do that Shin, she's an excommunicate nun. If the church found out about this, they would be in outrage." Rias informed Shin, but Shin wasn't looking to negotiate on the matter.
"I don't think you understand what I'm saying Rias," Shin said dangerously. "Here, let me put it in a simpler way. Not even NASA's new multimillion-dollar supercomputer could calculate how many fucks I don't give when it comes to who Asia used to be associated with." Shin said, causing the eyes of the ORC to narrow.
"The simple fact is that I already offered Asia my help, and I am not going back on my word. This has already been decided, and if you don't like it, then label me a stray." Shin said, the hidden threat his words obvious.
"Regardless of that, it is still risky. The only way I can think of avoiding the ire of the church would be to have her join my peerage." Rias said, stating her opinion on the matter.
"No," Shin said plainly, refusing to let Asia become a devil without her consent. If Asia wanted to become one, then very well. However, the choice was neither his nor Rias'. Shin may not be the best in terms of being a good person, but he still had his morals and self-rules he carried over from his past life. One of those self-rules being that he would not force anything upon anyone.
"Excuse me?" Rias asked, offended by Shin's immediate refusal.
"You heard me. It is Asia's choice and her choice alone when it comes to becoming a part of her peerage. However, she will not be forced into it. Now, Asia and I are leaving, I need to introduce her to my family. Your welcome to try and stop me, but I wouldn't recommend it."
After stating his stance on the matter, he stood up, taking Asia with him, and left the ORC. None of the members made any move to stop him, knowing they couldn't afford to at the moment.
After he left the ORC, he couldn't help but think how out of character what just happened for him was. This was the second time something like this has happened, the first time being when he pinned Rias against the wall the morning, he found out he was reincarnated into a devil.
He wasn't sure what the cause for these out of character actions. Whether it was something to do with his sacred gear, becoming a devil, or repressed emotions he did not know.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring you so much trouble." Asia said shamefully, feeling guilty for what had just happened. One could say that Asia is the cause for what just happened, but Shin did not fret over it.
"Don't worry about it, Asia. Despite Rias' words, she was just trying to turn the tables so that it favored her. After all, she is a devil that has been spoiled all her life. She most likely felt your sacred gear and wanted you to be in her peerage so it would become stronger. There was never really any danger with the church." Shin explained.
"Even if the church finds out about this situation, it wouldn't even matter. Since you are an excommunicated nun, they do not have any right to raise anything anymore. They cut all ties with you when you were excommunicated." Shin's explanation eased Asia's worries slightly, but she still felt as if she had been bringing a lot of trouble to Shin.
"However, don't get the wrong idea about Rias. She is a good person. However, due to a situation she has been put into by her parents, her greed oftentimes gets the better of her." Shin said to Asia, not wanting Asia to dislike Rias. After all, they would most likely be spending a lot of time with one another.
"Well, let's get going. I have to introduce you to my parents." Shin said as he started walking off. As soon as he got this whole situation with Asia out of the way, he could finally do what he had been wanting to do all day long, go and confront the fallen angels at the abandoned church.
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