Ugh, I'm sick as a dog. Caught myself a case of what my people call the "Bronchitilis." In other words, bronchitis.
Goddammit, I just can't catch a break in my life, can I?!
Well, fuck it! Whatever! We're back anyway! Get on with the show!
Life 2. My secret admirer is…not human?!
LINE message history:
User 1 - Hyod04
User 2 - Aika-tan_k
H: [Hey, you out of literature club yet?]
- [I have something important to talk about.]
- [It's urgent.]
- [Text me when you're out.]
- [Seriously.]
- [Are you out yet?]
A: [Whoa, you were seriously blowing up my phone, wwww]
- [ (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡]
- [You're soooo needy, Doutei-kun!]
- [Anyway, how'd it go with the student council biz? Didja get in? Are ya banned for life? Expelled?]
H: [Huh? Oh, awful. Terrible. Couldn't have gone worse.]
- [Who gives a shit about that! I have something way more important to talk about than that!]
A: [Well, you sure got over that quick, lololol]
- [And here I thought I was gonna have to treat you to some Yakisoba or something.]
- [What could be more important than that for our resident sukebe-sama?]
H: [A girl just asked me out on a date.]
A: [ ( •_•) ]
- [...]
- [April fool's was a few weeks ago, ya know? That part's already over. Ya missed it.]
H: [I'm serious! It actually happened just earlier!]
A: [Uh-huh]
- [Kiba-kun actually asked me out today too!]
- [He's super into my average sized chest and messy bedhead! Can you believe it!?]
H: [Aika, I'm not kidding! Like seriously! I swear on my entire pornographic treasure collection!]
Seen 17:23pm
- [Aika? You there?]
- [Hey! You listening?!]
- [Come on, seriously?!]
Sent 17:28pm
I groaned while lying in bed, feeling frustrated about my friend who just started just ignoring my texts a few minutes ago.
"Geez! What's up with that, man! Something big just happened to me, something that I never thought would happen in a million years, and she just straight up ignores me?! What a "reliable comrade," huh! Damn brat.."
It was around that time when I heard the doorbell sound off.
"Huh? Guests? At this hour?"
As I was wondering who it could be, Kyoko-neechan, who was cooking downstairs, must've opened the door. I heard some muffled exchange downstairs.
"Ah, hey, it's you, kid—"
"Coming through, pardon the intrusion!"
"Ah, wait! Take off your shoes, you brat!"
Huh? That voice? Hey, wasn't that…
Slam!
Just as I thought about it, my door swung open. Naturally, the person who burst through was my female confidant.
"What the?! Aika?!"
The girl hastily threw off her shoes and tossed her bag on my computer chair as if she lived here. Then she hopped onto my bed and sat across from me. Her expression was deadly serious.
"Who was it?"
"...Say what?"
"The girl! The one who asked you out! Who was she?! Does she go to our school?! Do I know her?! Is she an old classmate from middle school?! Did you have some secret childhood friend character that I didn't know about?! Did you make a deal with the devil?! What's going on?!"
Her questioning was a bombardment of confusion for me. It took me a second to catch up.
"O-Oh, right, that. Wait, is that what you came here for? Just to ask me about that?"
"Obviously, moron! Why else would I be here?! Our "private manga reading" day isn't for 3 more days!"
"I mean yeah, but, weren't you home already? And you ran all the way here just to hear about it?"
"That's right, so this better not be some sorta prank! And it better be good, cuz you interrupted my daily [Kiba-kun joins the literature club and falls in love with me] fantasy!"
I resisted the urge to rub my temples from the overstimulation. Today was already enough, but I swear, this girl drains my battery faster than a late night solo session.
"Ugh… Okay, well, um…. Where do I start? So, basically, a girl from another academy asked me out. And uh, yeah… She was…really pretty."
Aika made a face that looked like she was not only shocked, but somewhat horrified.
"You're kidding…"
"No, seriously. On top of that, I've never met her before today. When I asked her how she knew me, she just told me that she kept seeing me around on the way home from her school and she thought I was cute…"
"You're joking!"
I shook my head. Aika looked even more horrified.
"N-No way… This can't be… If that's the case, then… that would mean that Hyoudou would have a girlfriend before I got a boyfriend, and I'd be the only virgin loser left…"
I deadpanned. That's what she's worried about..?
"Uh, well, I don't think you'd need to worry about that since she's not really my girlfriend."
"Huh?! The hell are you talking about?! Obviously if the two of you are dating, that makes her your girlfriend, dumbass! Don't give me that prude "only after 3 dates" bullshit!"
"But that's not what I mean. We're not dating at all, so she can't be my girlfriend."
"Huh? That doesn't make sense. You're making it sound like you rejected her or something."
"Y-Yeah…"
For a moment, neither of us said anything and the air got heavy.
"...Pardon?"
"Maybe I should just explain from the beginning…"
—.
After taking a moment to explain it...
"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?!"
"Yewouch!"
Aika yelled so loudly that it felt like my eardrums and my bedroom windows rattled. I'm sure anyone outside of my house heard that too. Rapid thumping came up from the stairway. A black haired vixen with a wolf-cut hairstyle appeared at the doorway. Oh, it's just my sister.
"What happened, Aika-chan?! Did Ise finally go berserk?!"
She came up holding a pan, wearing a pink coloured apron that had the word "OPPAI" transcribed on it. Nee-chan, just because Aika gave it to you as a Christmas gift doesn't mean you have to use it when she's here….
"Hey, wait a minute! Why'd you assume that I'm the one doing something bad here?!"
Kyoko-neechan thought about it for a moment, then she returned to her naturally lazy expression.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Anybody can be the victim between two perverts. Well, just use protection if you're gonna fool around or experiment."
"Like hell we're doing any of that stuff!"
With that, she walked off. Aika, who appeared completely unaffected, turned to look at me again.
"Okay, like I was saying: WHAT?! You TURNED HER DOWN?!"
"Uh, well, pretty much, yeah.."
"Are you INSANE?! Why the hell would you do that?! Are you planning to stay a virgin your entire life?! Or worse yet, don't tell me! You don't actually think you're gonna try and "obtain" a harem of your dreams one day, do you?! You can't be so far gone that you think that's possible, right?!"
"Oh, come on! Shut up and hear me out first, will ya?!"
"Go ahead, but I doubt anything you say can convince me you're not crazy. I mean, heaven finally sends you a gorgeous angel who totally sounds like she's your type and what do you do? You reject her. Are you into self-sabotage or something?"
"Ugh, it's not like that, it's just…"
I groaned tiredly.
"I don't know… It was so out of nowhere, and I don't even really know her all that well. I mean, the bridge was my first time seeing her. And on top of that, I was already focused on all of these things surrounding the student council and my goals for the future and stuff. So I just kind of… I don't know. Maybe I wussed out or something."
Aika gained a bit more of a serious expression.
"Damn. That student council stuff must've really weighed on you after all, huh… Sorry I joked about it."
"Oh, nah, it's cool. It's not that big of a deal. I just feel bad that this girl had to deal with the consequences. If I was in a better mood, maybe I would've said yes, but… I don't know. I just felt off about the idea for some reason."
"Right. My bad…. Well, did you at least let her down easy?"
"Huh? Oh, well, I think so..? I mean, I just told her that I was really happy about it, but since I had a bunch of stuff going on and I didn't really know her, I wasn't really sure I could accept. But I did tell her that we could start out as friends?"
"Ouch."
"I-Is that bad?"
"Uh, I guess it depends on the girl, but sometimes that can be pretty bad."
"Ugh, geez… Well, she looked okay, all things considered. She didn't seem too bummed out. At the very least, I got her contact info, so we can still talk and stuff…."
"Hmm.."
Aika fell back, lying flat on my bed, opposite of me.
"Dang… Hyo-kun really got asked out by a girl, huh? How times change."
I followed her action by lying against the headboard of my bed frame. This was our usual position whenever we read manga in my room.
"Yeah, tell me about it. I never thought the day would come either."
"Crazy.."
For a moment, we were quiet. Then, Aika asked me something.
"Hey, Hyoudou."
"Yeah?"
"If you do end up getting a girlfriend, that doesn't mean we have to stop hanging out, does it?"
"Huh? No, why would it?"
"Mm.. Just asking. Some girls don't like it when their boyfriends have other friends that are chicks."
I didn't even consider that. Well, not like it changes anything for me.
"Well, if that was the case, I obviously couldn't be with that girl. There's no way that would work out."
"Really? But wouldn't it just be better to do what your girlfriend wants?"
"Not if it means getting rid of you. I definitely won't date a girl like that. It ain't worth it."
Again, there was silence. Honestly, I'm tired enough that I could probably fall asleep right now. Before I could do that though, Aika got up from the bed and started grabbing her stuff.
"Huh? You're heading out?"
"Yeah, I uh, I should be getting home now. Don't wanna get chewed out by mom."
"You're not gonna at least stay for dinner?"
"Nah, not tonight. See ya at school."
"O-Oh, okay. See ya.."
Just like that, she was out of my room and heading downstairs. Well, that was weird. She doesn't usually take off that abruptly. I hope she isn't really feeling down about the fact that I got asked out before she did… Maybe I shouldn't have told her about it after all…
"I'll see ya later, Kyoko-san."
"You're leaving already, Aika-chan? Won't you at least stay for dinner?"
"I appreciate it, but no thanks. My mom would be pretty upset if I came home and didn't eat her dinner again. I'll be back in a couple days anyway."
"Okay then. Iseeee! Come down here and walk Aika-chan home!"
"N-No, that's okay, Kyo-san. I'm fine heading home by myself."
"Are you sure? Your face looks a little red. I don't want you walking home by yourself if you're feeling sick."
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just tired is all. But I'll be okay. It's not as late as usual anyway."
"Mm… Alright, if you say so… Just be careful."
"Yeah, of course…. Hey, Kyo-san?"
"What is it?"
"That guy…. He can say some pretty decent stuff sometimes, huh?"
"Who, Ise? No way, are you kidding? I think he's said about two decent things his entire life."
"Damn, that's harsh, haha."
PART 2
The next day, at school, I was doing my usual thing of reading secret "material" somewhere inconspicuous, which was behind the gymnasium. Originally, I wanted to try using the rooftop of the new school building, but it was too cliche. And by that, I mean that everyone else must've had the same idea at some point, since they keep it locked down pretty tight. Of course, unlike when I was younger and more foolish, I don't carry ecchi manga around with me anymore. Ever since my first encounter with Aika, where she easily caught me up, I've upgraded. Nowadays, I carry all of my "to-go" materials on my phone storage, under a secret file that I keep hidden, just like my PC at home. This way, I can appreciate the art of the carnal human condition with ease, and without getting exposed so easily. Aika still knows whenever I'm looking at anything ecchi though… Even though I've molded and honed my poker face over the years specifically to counter her readings, she can still see right through me somehow…
Anyway, since I'm at school and not at home, I obviously can't do anything but silently admire these perverted works of masterpiece. Still, it's enough to satiate my desires until I get home.
"Mm, yes, yes, this will do. This will certainly hold me over until tonight. I should create a road map for which materials I'll use this week while I'm here."
As I was "strategising," I heard some suspicious sounds not too far off from me. It sounded like giggling. Not just any giggling. I recognise that manner of distinctive chortling anywhere. It's the kind that makes my "pervert sensors" go off.
"Muruyama's stacked..!"
"84-70-81.."
"Katase's legs are so niceeee~"
"78.5-65-79.."
What the..? When I looked past the tree I was sitting up against, over at the gymnasium wall there was a pair of buttocks sticking out. No, wait, it's two dudes. And they're both sticking their rears out while whispering to each other, their faces seemingly planted up against the wall in front of them.
"What the hell are they doing..?"
I walked closer to catch a better look, but didn't make my presence known. It was only then that I realised what was happening.
"Oooh, Motohama, you've really outdone yourself this time, my friend! This is truly the view of our wildest dreams!"
"Indeed! I couldn't find a better way to describe it if I tried, Matsuda!"
These two..! They're peeping! There's no doubt in my mind! As a pervert, I could sniff it out from a mile away! I knew my instincts weren't wrong! The question is who are they peeing on? The swim team? No, wait, if it's after the 3rd period right now, that means… It's the kendo club! Yes, no doubt about it. They even mentioned those two girls from our class, Katase and Muruyama. They're definitely spying on the women's changing room, which the kendo club is currently using.
Damn, these guys are bold. Do they have any idea what those kendo girls would do if they caught them out here? It would probably end up on the news, especially considering all of the incidents they've had with them before. This duo of repeat offenders is more relentless than the beatings they receive. As a fellow pervert, I can't help but respect the commitment. It's almost a testament of love to their carnal desires.
And whatever they're seeing must be really nice too….
—I mean, NO! No! No good, Ise! Don't think about it! Don't imagine it! If you visualise it too much, you might fall into temptation as well!
"Huu.."
I took a deep breath and controlled my otherworldly desires. You see, as much as I understand the perspective of this duo, I have no intention of stooping to this level, no matter how tempting it might be. It's not because I don't want to, because I definitely do. But rather, it is because of the teachings of my beloved sensei!
….
"Here, my boy. Look at this one."
"W-Whoa! Her pinkies are huge!"
"The correct word is "nipples," my boy, but yes. They're quite sizable, aren't they? Women have ones of different sizes and colours, but in the world of eroticism, they are all equal."
"Wow… I wish I had treasures like yours, Ero-sensei."
"Haha, I'm sure you do! But listen closely, my boy. Let me tell you something important. There will come a time that you will be tempted to follow through on that desire. One day, just like you do now, you will desperately want to possess treasures like mine. And in the future, when you are more capable and developed, you might get the idea to "snap" photos like these without women's knowledge or permission. However, my boy, you must never do this. Never give in to these temptations, no matter how strong they might be. These treasures that I possess were obtained by women who were willing to show and give their everything to me entirely. These treasures were earned, as all treasures must be gained by heroes after a quest of tremendous effort! I show these to you not to flaunt, but to educate you in the complexities and beauties contained within the human form!"
"Is that why I'm the only kid you show your treasures to? Is that why all of the other boys only get to look at your ecchi manga?"
"Yes, indeed! You are the exception, Issei! For you are my apprentice, so you must know this! A woman's body is "art!" A woman's body is "poetry!" A woman's body is "truth!" And any art, poetry, or truth is only understood through torturous amounts of effort and time! There are no shortcuts, so don't take the path of recklessness! For the sake of your future and your dignity as a man, do not resort to the path of desperation! Remember this, my boy: "Even a pervert has class!" That is all!"
"Woooow! You're so cool, Ero-sensei! I wanna be just like you one day!"
"I know, I know. But as your sensei, it is my job to make sure you rise to a level even above my own! All of my knowledge, skills, and secrets, I shall pass them onto you, my boy! So that, one day, you may achieve the glorious title "Harem King" that I never could! And so that you, no matter how old you grow, might never know loneliness…"
"...Ero-sensei?"
"Huh..? Oh, sorry, my boy! I spaced out! Let's move on! Now, as I was saying.."
"—Ero-sensei? Why does this woman have a bump in her panties?"
"Give me that…. That is a discussion for another time, my boy…. As I said, there are women of different shapes and sizes… But we never pass judgement on where such differences might be located. Understood?"
"Okay!"
My reminiscing came to a close again and I smiled.
"Haah, I miss you, sensei…"
No, wait, more importantly, what about these two? Should I just leave them to their perving? Hmm, maybe I should report them? Nah, it's best not to get involved at all. Anything more might put my own reputation at risk. After all, it wouldn't look good if I was caught here with them too no matter what I said. Still, I can't help but feel the urge to do something about this…
Potentially something mischievous..
"Hmm…"
Just then, I was struck with an idea. I knelt down near the shoes of the duo of perverts and tied their laces to one another, essentially "roping" them to one another. They were entirely too absorbed within their peeping to notice me.
After that was done, I snuck away to a nearby tree. With a naughty snicker, I executed my prank.
"Haaa!"
I took a deep breath, placed my index fingers into the corners of my mouth…and blew.
WHISTLE!
The ear-piercing whistle rang out into the air, causing the duo to flinch and freeze. The next moment, movement could be heard from the other side of the peephole they were using.
"What was that?!"
"A whistle?!"
"It's not a game whistle, it came from behind the wall!"
I watched the duo panic as they realised the jig was up. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't stop tripping over themselves.
"H-Hey! Matsuda, let go of me!"
"I'm not holding you! Your shoes are stuck to mine! Get 'em off!"
They struggled to free themselves and I struggled to hold in my laughter. I can't believe they fell victim to such an elementary level trick! If you're going to go secretly peeping on somebody, keep your wits about you, boys! I'm afraid you have too much to learn!
"Oy.."
A menacing voice followed by a large group of women armed with shinai appeared. The entire kendo club came out to greet the duo…
"We should've known it was you two."
"You better prepare yourselves, boys. There won't be any mercy. Not this time.."
True to their word, the duo was beaten mercilessly.
SMACK! BAM! CRACK!
" " GUAAAAAAH!" "
The two pervs screamed in unison from the terrible pain. Ough, that's rough… Witnessing it now, I couldn't help feeling a certain level of regret for what I did. M-Maybe I should've just left well enough alone… The funny part of the prank isn't so funny anymore… Especially since, from what I've heard, these guys never learn anyway….
"Tss! Ooh!"
Watching the "flogging" caused me to wince, which I vocalised. Huge mistake.
"Who's there?!"
I hid behind a tree without making a sound.
Shit! Did they see me?!
"Hey, someone else is here! Who's there?!"
"It's another pervert! Get him!"
OH, FUCK!
I ran harder for my life than I ever have before.
DxD
"Haah..! Haa… I think I lost them…"
After a short chase, I was able to get away from the small splinter group of kendo club members that had gone after me. T-They didn't see me, did they? The entire time they chased me, they kept shouting "get back here, pervert!" so that implies they didn't know who I was. Especially since Muruyama was with them, she'd recognise me immediately from class as that guy who hangs out with Kiryuu. I guess I can only know for certain if they confront me during class, or if my reputation changes dramatically by tomorrow.
"Ugh… Give me a break… Hmm?"
Suddenly, I was struck with the odd feeling that I was being watched. When I raised my head, I looked up to see someone staring down at me from a windowsill.
"The old school building..?"
In my desperation, it looks like I ran towards the old abandoned school building? And the person who was looking down at me from the windowsill is…
"That's…"
A gorgeous woman with crimson coloured hair and blue eyes. The sight of her was captivating, so much so that I didn't want to look away. Looking at her was like looking at a painting. Her eyes were mesmerising. It reminded me of what it was like to make eye contact with the student council president…
And for some unknown reason, right now, she seems to be staring down at…me?
"Uh.."
I looked around, registering that no one else was around besides me. Awkwardly, I half raised my hand, as if to wave hello. She…didn't reciprocate. Instead, the girl turned away into the building, causing her hair to blow gracefully in the wind.
"Whoa…"
That girl… She's one of the "two queens" of Kuoh. Rias Gremory-senpai, I think… She's definitely a foreigner. Not from Japan at all. She sticks out like a sore thumb, mind you, in the best possible way. Damn, though… I can see why she's popular. Perfect face, and not to mention, perfect bust… No way I wouldn't notice those glorious mounds..
A-Ah! Wait, snap out of it, Ise! Remember what Sensei said! All sizes, shapes, and colours are equal in the world of eroticism! Whether or not they're natural or unnatural, dark or light, big or small— all mammaries are worthy of affection! Some are melons, some are oranges, and some are mere cherries, but all fruit, so long as they are ripe, are worthy of being picked! All fruits are filled with the juice of love, no matter how little, and they are worthy of being sprayed! With…love….
Man, it's a good thing Sensei taught me to keep these things to myself. My reputation would be in flames if I said any of this out loud…
"Buchou? Is something the matter?"
"No, it's nothing, Akeno… Tell me, do you recognise that boy out there?"
"Hmm? That boy? I believe his name is Hyoudou Issei. He's one of the most recent applicants to the student council that Sona-kaichou mentioned."
"Oh, that's the one she was scouting? Interesting… Do you know if she's decided to induct him or not?"
"As far I'm aware, she's yet to come to a decision regarding his application. Why do you ask?"
"Send her a message. Let her know that if she hasn't replied to his application by the end of the week, I'll send Yuuto to hand him a flyer along with an application to the Occult Research Club as a cover."
"Ara, that's oddly aggressive of you, Buchou. Does that boy interest you that much?"
"I'm unsure of his character. I haven't heard about him until today. But there's certainly something about him that caught my eye…"
"You do tend to have fairly reliable instincts. But are you sure about this? Can you be certain you're not being led astray by your rivalry with Sona-kaichou?"
"Please, Akeno. I'm not so petty. Call it a hunch, but that one isn't any regular boy. There's something special about him. How much or how little, I don't know, but it's definitely a possibility."
"Do you mean a "Sacred Gear?"
"Who knows. I suppose we'll have to wait and see, won't we?"
PART 3
A few days have passed since I applied for a position on the student council. Still no reply either. Ugh, who am I kidding. I definitely didn't get it. Why would they ever take a chance on a plebian like me? I bet every other member is an honour student. The likes of me wouldn't get in…
"Haah… Maybe I should just join the literature club like Aika said.."
Speaking of which, it was only a matter of time until I ran into my confidant this morning, since her place is on my way to the Academy. We don't often walk to school together, but it's time like these that she pesters me to join her morning commute. She claims that it's to keep me from sulking about my loneliness, but she probably just doesn't want to miss out on the opportunity to tease me… Well, I can't complain too much. At the end of the day, having her around does keep me from sulking. Tease or no, she keeps my mind off of stuff, for better or worse.
On the way to school, however, something unexpected happened. I ran into someone.
"Uwaah!"
"Hmm?"
I heard a crashing sound, followed by a thud. When I turned around to look at the source of the noise, I saw…white.
"Shiro...?"
A pair of white bottoms— panties, the colour of snow, softly dug into the no doubt supple skin of a young woman. A perfect buttocks.
—Upon laying eyes on this heavenly sight, I fell to my knees and prayed in thanks to Buddha-sama.
"Praise be to the flawless, all-pervasive illumination of the great mudrā. Yes, praise be."
….
—Wait a minute. What are you doing, idiot?! Help the girl up!
"Oh, right!"
I rushed to assist the girl whose face was lying against the ground, covered by her own dress.
"A-Ah, thank you very much..? Ah!"
The wind blew the girl's veil off of her head, showing her face to me…
Beautiful… S-She's gorgeous. Blonde hair and green eyes, a soft expression that screamed innocence. She's definitely not from Japan… I've never seen a girl like her before. Although, that part has nothing to do with her being a foreigner…
"U-Um…"
"Huh?"
Only after a moment or two did I notice that I was still holding this random girl's hand and staring at her without saying anything.
"A-AH! Sorry! My bad! Here, let me help you pick up your stuff!"
"I-It is alright! T-Thank you!"
The girl spoke in broken Japanese and had a clear accent, but I could still understand what she was saying. It seemed like she was just as embarrassed as me, but I still helped her pick up her belongings.
"Uh, s-so, miss, are you traveling?"
"Travel? N-No, I am for the church..? I mean, I was assigned here. But I am lost. I-I'm sorry, I am not used to the language…"
"That's okay. I get what you're saying. So, you were sent here for a mission or something? As in, you were appointed?"
I emphasised some words to get the meaning across better, which appeared to do the trick since the girl completely lit up.
"Yes! Yes, "appointed!" Thank goodness! I was struggling to talk to others, so everyone kept ignoring me.."
Yeah, that'll happen. We Japanese aren't always the most helpful hosts. And by that, I mean that dealing with foreigners is not our strong suit.
"Well, if it's a church you're looking for, I can probably point you in the right direction."
"R-Really?!"
"Yeah, I can take you there now. It's on the way for me anyway."
The girl smiled so beautifully that it almost felt blinding. If I didn't know any better, I'd think this girl had a halo around her head!
"Thank you so much! The Lord truly does show the way!"
I think that last phrase was some Christian prayer of some sort? Funny, that was the clearest Japanese she spoke the entire time. That must've been something she practiced a lot. Not surprising, considering the "nun" attire she was wearing.
"Oh, right. I should text Aika."
I sent a message to my perverted counterpart indicating that she should go on without me since I'd be making a detour. Best to keep it vague for now, I can explain better later.
"Waaaah!"
Just as I put my phone away, I heard crying. Oh, looks like some kid hurt himself jumping around the playground nearby.
"Oh, no!"
The girl beside me sped towards the kid without explanation.
"Whoa! Hey, wait, hold up! Don't run off suddenly!"
Once I caught up, I watched the girl kneel down in front of the boy and place her hands gently over the scrape on his knee.
"Now, now, boys shouldn't cry over this."
Again, she said it in perfect Japanese, as if it was something she was used to saying. How odd.
But what was even more odd than that… was the inexplicable green light that was glowing out of the girl's palms..
Shin…
I blinked confusedly, thinking that I might be seeing things. But after a few blinks, I realised something shocking… The bloody scrape that was previously sitting on the boy's knee…was gone? No, that's not possible. I mean, the blood was still there. It's just…. I can't see the scratch anymore. I can't seem to find the source of the wound even though I was just looking at it a few moments ago.. It's like it disappeared into thin air…
"There, all better."
After looking at his knee for a second, the kid smiled and hopped back to his feet. Just like that, he was gone with a friendly wave.
"Thanks, onee-san!"
The girl waved back at him, but I was standing there completely befuddled.
Am I seeing things…? Maybe I didn't get enough sleep…? I…
"U-Um, sir..?"
The girl was looking up at me worriedly, as if she was expecting me to say something or concerned about my reaction. Still confused, I decided to put it aside for now and focus on the task at hand.
"U-Uh, my bad. I'm alright. So, um, you seem like you're used to talking to kids in Japanese?"
"Eh? O-Oh, yes! You see, I am used to dealing with children. Comforting words and phrases, um… I used them often in the past for children in pain."
She seemed honest but reserved, like she was holding something back. But that's probably not my business to pry into. I just need to show her the way to where she wants to go.
"I see..? Well, shall we get going then, um…? Sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name."
"Oh, my name is Asia! Asia Argento!"
"Asia-san, huh? Well, my name is Hyoudou Issei. But you can just call me Issei."
"Issei-san?"
"Yeah. Shall we go, Asia-san?"
"Yes! Thank you very much, Issei-san!"
With that, we made our way to the church.
—.
After some time walking and chatting with Asia-san, which proved to be difficult since her Japanese wasn't the best, we eventually made it to the church.
"Well, here we are..?"
"Wow, thank you very much, Issei-san!"
"Yeah, no problem. But uh, are you sure you were assigned to the church in this town? It couldn't be that you came to the wrong part of Japan, right?"
I asked worriedly due to the rundown appearance of the building in front of us. As far as I'm aware, this is the only judeau-christian church in Kuoh and it looks completely abandoned… Is this place even habitable for human beings?
"Yes, I am sure that this is the one. It looks just like the photos that my benefactors sent over. Thank you so much for your help, Issei-san! I am not sure what I would have done without you! May the Lord bless you for your kindness!"
"Nah, it's really not that big of a deal. It's just how I was raised. My sister would skin me if she found out I just let a poor, lost girl walk through the town all on her own."
She's always the one pestering me to walk Aika home as well. Even though Aika lives like 5 minutes away…
"Well then, many blessings to your sister as well! Amen!"
"Haha, thanks."
"Oh! That's right, I have to show my thanks! Would you like to join me for a cup of tea inside?"
"Oh, no, I couldn't impose. I was just trying to show you the way, I don't need any thanks for something small like that."
"No way! You have been so kind and helpful to me! Please, let me show you my gratitude!"
For a second, my perverted brain started seeing things…. Like this innocent little nun lying down on a silk bed, her outfit loosely unwrapping from her body, and her beckoning me with a cute, shy demeanor…
{..Let me show you my thanks, Issei-san…}
—Of course, I made a stupid face and giggled.
"Guhehehe, w-well, if you insist, hehe~"
"Great! Please, come in!"
Somehow, I got suckered into stepping into the church with the cute nun.
Dakun..
"Hello? Is anyone here? My name is Asia Argento. I have arrived for the mission. Raynare-san?"
When Asia-san and I entered the church, it was pretty quiet. There was enough light coming in from the windows to see inside, but mostly because half of them were broken. She also entered while speaking a foreign language that I didn't understand. I wonder, is that Italian..? She's probably announcing herself. Still, who the hell else would be in a place like this? If I was a more paranoid guy, I'd think this was some kind of human trafficking setup. Alas, I'm a perverted buffoon.
"Still, I can't see anyone hanging out in a place like thi…"
—I said that, but stopped in my tracks.
Inside, there were a few people. Two men and three women. One man looked like he was wearing some kind of priest getup and he had white coloured hair. He's the kind of guy that gives you a vibe of trouble, even though he's wearing a bored expression. The other man appeared to be older, wearing a long coat and fedora. He was the definition of shady. One of the three women appeared younger, with the appearance of a classic Lolita down to the gothic fashion sense. Another woman appeared older, more mature, with a tall, slender body and stern facial expression. The last woman….looked familiar. She had black hair, violet coloured eyes and was wearing some sort of BDSM outfit… I felt like I recognised her from somewhere.
But all of those details fell to the wayside because of the most important, noticeable aspect of almost each person's appearance…
"...Wings..?"
Behind four of the five people residing within the church, there was…a pair of dark feathered wings… A-Am I seeing things again? Is this some sort of cosplay thing..? Maybe it's a religious thing? This is a church after all, haha…
That's what I wanted to think, but… for some reason, there's this unshakable feeling of anxiety welling up within me. Like inner alarm bells sounding off, it's as if something inside of me is screaming at me about some kind of danger I'm in…
"Hmm? Who the hell's that brat?"
The priest looking fellow asked his companions, to which Asia-san responded.
"This is Issei-san! He helped me find my way to this church when I was lost!"
"Issei, you said?"
The mature vixen asked the BDSM lady curiously.
"Hey, Raynare. Isn't that..?"
"Ugh, yep. That's him alright."
The Lolita girl sighed in an annoyed manner while kicking her feet.
"Aa~aah, well, there goes that. So much for your plan, Raynare. He found out way too early."
The man with the fedora stood up from the rows in front and stepped forward.
"Too bad. Looks like we'll just have to go with the original plan then."
I then watched as he extended his arm, opened his palm, and something took shape in his hand. It was…a jagged looking stick made of…..light…?
What…?
"This way was simpler anyway."
—Just as the hatted man said that, I felt something deep within me stir. Like a voice without any sound, I felt it's warning down to the very fiber of my being.
《 Run, boy. 》
[—?!]
Without even thinking, my body moved, and I was running away from the church at a full sprint.
"I-Issei-san!"
"Shit! Look what you did! Now I have to fix this! Stay here, you idiots!"
I could hear voices behind me, but I didn't register a word they said. I was running for my life while my mind ran a million times faster.
What the hell's happening?! Was that stuff real?! People with wings, spears of light?! Am I dreaming?! Is this a nightmare?! I don't know what's going on, but I have to run! I can feel it! If I don't run, I'll die for sure! I'll seriously die! My life is in danger!
Foooom!
As I was running, a shadow was cast over me and feathers appeared on the ground below. When I looked up, I saw a silhouette that filled me with dread blacking out the sun. The silhouette of a person with wings…
Swoosh!
In a mere second, the winged person landed in front of me, halting my escape. I fell back onto the ground and sat there helplessly as the tall, winged being stood above me.
"Y…Yuuma-chan…?"
I knew I recognised her face. Despite her mature appearance, I could tell who she was. It was Amano Yuuma, the girl who'd asked me out a couple of days ago.
"Wow, you recognised me. Good. I must've made an impression after all. I was worried because you didn't accept the confession and haven't contacted me once since then. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. You are just a kid after all."
My confusion and my fear combined to leave me speechless. Yuuma-chan— No… Whoever this winged person is, she didn't seem affected..
"Anyway, sorry about that. Here, let me help you up."
The woman offered her hand to me, which I couldn't help stare at worriedly.
"Come on, I don't bite, Ise-kun."
…It doesn't matter what I do now. Even if I run, she'll catch me. I can feel that. My instincts aren't lying. I might not understand what's happening, but I know what'll happen if I get on this creature's bad side. It's like being stuck in front of a tiger. I'm at her mercy. So there's no point in retaliating. If I can get out of this by playing nice, that's all that matters. It's my only chance at survival.
…Cautiously, I took her hand, and she helped me stand up.
"There, see? Not so scary, am I?"
"Y…Yeah… T-Thank you…"
"Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
"N-No, I'm not …"
"Good. Sorry about my friends back there. They can be a little jumpy with strangers. I hope they didn't scare you."
"No, I'm…fine, I think…"
"Haha, liar. Look at you. You nearly pissed yourself."
The woman chided me in a mocking tone before clearing her throat, as if shutting down her true thoughts.
"Ahem. Sorry. In that case, I suppose I owe you an explanation then, don't I?"
Naturally, I asked the most obvious question.
"Who are you…?"
The woman appeared surprised by my inquiry. For a moment, she smirked.
"Heh. Guess you've got a better head on your shoulders than I thought. Well, as you can see, I'm not actually "Amano Yuuma." I mean, I am, but that's just a persona I made up. My true name is [Raynare.] And I— am a Fallen-Angel. "
"Raynare…? Fallen-Angel...? Persona?"
"Yep. Like I said, Amano Yuuma was my disguise to fit in amongst humans like yourself. See?"
In a flash, I saw the woman's appearance change before my eyes. Suddenly, she looked just like Yuuma-chan.
"H-Hello, Ise-kun..!"
I would've greeted the girl, but I was far too disturbed at the moment. It felt like watching someone wear someone else's skin. A moment later, the woman reverted her appearance.
"You….were Yuuma-chan..?"
"That's right. Or more like, Yuuma-chan was me. In reality though, she was just an alias I took on so that I could get close to you. This here is my true form."
"So Yuuma-chan, she never existed..?"
"Oh, don't feel so down, Ise-kun~ I'm still right here, just a little different is all."
I feel all kinds of uncomfortable, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. I'm stuck here until she lets me go.
"S-So, if you're a Fallen-Angel, that means you aren't human, right..?"
"That's correct. What a smart boy you are. Indeed, I am not human. Specifically, I am a former Angel. In other words, an angel who "fell" from heaven."
"An Angel…? Like the ones from the Christian bible?"
"Exactly! And just like the Christian Bible mentioned, there are not only Angels, but Devils and Fallen-Angels like myself as well. All of my friends are the same, except for Asia-chan and Freed-kun, the priest boy you saw earlier. They're fully human."
"Asia is human…? But earlier, I watched her heal a boy's wounds with something inexplicable… It's like his wound disappeared into thin air.."
The woman— Raynare, made a displeased expression.
"Oh, you saw that, huh? Tch, that girl… What a sheltered idiot. She's way too careless."
She must've noticed my caution because she switched back to her carefree attitude.
"Well, whatever! It happens! What's done is done. What's more important is that you understand what's going on. So, to give an explanation: since time immemorial, Angels, Fallen-Angels and Devils have been at odds with each other. In the midst of eons of conflict, every side made use of alliances with human beings for their own gain. Of course, humans have no natural abilities, so they're at the mercy of the rest of us. In response to this, God of the Bible decided to give humans a fighting chance to protect themselves. The main way he did this was by bestowing them "otherworldly" abilities known as "Sacred Gears." What you witnessed earlier was actually Asia-chan's special ability to heal people, the [Twilight Healing.] It's attached to her spiritual item, her Sacred Gear. It's that special ability that has brought her here, to us Fallen-Angels. She's come to us so that she can heal many more people using her power. With our assistance, her ability will be able to heal countless amounts of injured innocents. Understand?"
I was subjected to that entire confusing exposition like it was a matter of fact, but I hardly understood any of it. It was like trying to understand physics for a kid who was terrible at math. Nevertheless, I played along.
"Hey, are you following along?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so.."
"Good, because this next part is where you come in."
"M-Me?"
"That's right. After all, you're probably still wondering why a bombshell Fallen-Angel like me asked a regular human like you out in the first place, aren't you?
"Y-Yeah.."
"Well, the answer is simple, Ise-kun. It's because you're special. The truth is, you've got a special power inside you just like Asia does."
What she said finally started to knock some sense into me.
"A special power like Asia's..? You mean, the [Sacred Gear?]"
"Bravo, Ise-kun! You really were listening! Yes, that's right. You, just like Asia-chan, were also born with some kind of special ability. What it is or what it does, I have no idea. But it's definitely inside of you."
"But, how do you know that...?"
"That's precisely why I'm out here, Ise-kun. You see, the higher-ups at the organization I work for, [Grigori], sent me out here to find out about you. You could call it a "surveillance" or "reconnaissance" mission. I'm meant to observe you closely and determine what kind of Sacred Gear you have. And depending on what type you have, the higher-ups decide what's to be done about it."
The way she explained it caused my anxiety to swell.
"What do you mean by that…?"
Raynare shrugged her shoulders, giving me no indication of what she's thinking. This is a front, isn't it..? I can't tell, but my gut keeps feeling off about her.
"Who knows. I don't get paid enough to know. All I know is that I'm supposed to watch over you and figure out what you are. After that, I make my report and my job is done. That's it, really."
"Is that why you asked me out..? So that you could keep an eye on me?"
"Pretty much. But woe is me, you ended up rejecting my offer."
I felt a drop of sweat slide down my forehead.
"...What were you planning to do then?"
"Hmm? Oh, what, are you worried I was gonna kill you? Like I said, that was just a misunderstanding. My friends are much less experienced than me so they just panicked. But I'm the one in charge here and I never planned to kill you."
Panicked? They seemed very ready and unbothered about killing me…
"You see, Ise-kun, my plan was to recruit you."
"Recruit me?"
"Yes. By that, I mean that it was my intention to bring you over to our side, with the Fallen-Angels, the same way we did with Asia-chan. I believe that you hold a special power within you, and I believe that you can use that power to do great things and help others. That's why I made it my objective to convince you to join us."
"Join you..? But, I don't know about any special powers. As far as I know, I've always been a regular person living a regular life. I can't do anything extraordinary like healing others' wounds… B-Besides, I just want to live a normal life."
Raynare gently placed her hands on my shoulders, causing me to flinch involuntarily.
"I'm afraid that's no longer an option, Ise-kun. Now that you know about our world, it's only a matter of time until you awaken to your power. And once you do, you'll become a target for everyone. You see, people with Sacred Gears are like bright-red, flashing lights. If somebody like you hasn't made an alliance with any side, then that just makes you a loose end to anyone who doesn't know you. You'll be ostracised and discriminated against everywhere you go, and you'll become a target. Not only you, but your loved ones too. Anyone close to you would be at risk. That's what it means to have a Sacred Gear."
No… I couldn't imagine anything happening to Kyoko-neechan. After everything I've lost, if something were to happen to her, I'd…
"Y-You're lying. I don't have that kind of power.."
"You do, Ise-kun. If you didn't, I wouldn't be in this town in the first place."
"This has to be a lie…"
"I know it's hard, but it's the truth. But don't worry! Now that I'm here, no harm will come to you or your family! I'm here to protect you. That's why I came to recruit you. If you join our group at Grigori and become an ally to the Fallen-Angels, you'll be safe for the rest of your life. That includes your family and those closest to you. Otherwise, when you unlock your powers, you'll be all alone, and no one can protect you but yourself. Trust me, that's not what you want."
As Raynare was speaking to me, I heard someone call out my name. I could see Asia-san closing from the distance. Only now did I realise that I damn near ran down the entire hill this church was sitting atop of.
"Issei-san!"
Raynare tapped my shoulder again with a friendly smile.
"Look, just think it over, okay? We'll be here for the next two weeks so you have to decide by then."
Asia stopped beside us to catch her breath.
"Haa.. Issei-san, I am so sorry! You did not have a reaction to my powers at the park earlier so I thought that you might already know about the existence of the supernatural world! I should have warned you! Please forgive me!"
Asia bowed her head, causing my courteous reflexes to respond in kind.
"Ah, n-no, it's okay, Asia-san. It's not your fault. You didn't know.."
Raynare directed Asia towards the church.
"Alright, alright, you've said you're sorry, Asia. Now go on and head back up to the chapel. We'll be up there to join you shortly."
"Eh? But.."
"We're having a very important talk right now, Asia, please. Go on now, we'll catch up. It's fine."
"Okay…"
With some hesitance, Asia separated from us and returned to the chapel. Cautiously, I started walking away from the Fallen-Angel so that I could escape the situation. Although I tried to play it naturally, I still flinched when she called out to me again.
"Oh, and one more thing, Ise-kun!"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Like I mentioned before, there's a whole lot more out there in the world than just Fallen-Angels. In fact, you can assume that pretty much every major mythology has a great deal of truth to it. That being said, one of those things that you should definitely be worried about is Devils."
"Devils..?"
"Demons, from the Underworld. They're our mortal enemies. While they might take human shape and form, they are anything but. They are greedy, selfish beings who will lie and manipulate anyone to get their own way. Whatever you do, you can't trust a word they say, alright? Especially not the ones who attend your Academy."
(—?!)
Raynare said something that shocked me.
"What…. The ones who attend my academy…? Do you mean….there are Devils who go to my school...?"
"Of course. Why else do you think I didn't approach you directly in your own academy?"
Her statement sent an overwhelming chill down my spine… I didn't notice it right away, but she smiled before turning around.
"See ya around, Ise-kun."
"...Right…."
I started walking away, feeling too many questions on my mind to process at once. One thing did stick out though.
"Hey, um, Raynare, is it…?"
"What is it?"
"...If you don't mind me asking… How exactly were you planning on convincing me to join your side while we were "dating" anyway..?"
"Hmm? Oh, by seducing you, obviously."
Unintentionally, I laughed.
"Hahahaha!"
"Hey, what's so funny, you damn brat?"
"O-Oh, nothing, sorry... It's just… Well, I was just thinking about how that definitely would've worked on me."
Raynare paused before letting out her own chuckle.
"Ha! Why didn't you tell me that earlier? I would've saved all the trouble of talking."
Although I chuckled, my smile disappeared more and more the further I got from the church.
Today was… It was all too much to handle. The things I've learned about the world, the "truth" about myself, Sacred Gears, the Devils in my school… All this time, I've been surrounded by things of a supernatural nature that I had no idea existed. Or was it just until recently that this happened..? There's no possible way for me to know… Still, if everything that Fallen-Angel told me was true, then that means…
Hey, Jii-chan, Ero-sensei… You're both "up there," aren't you? You're out there somewhere, right? Watching over me? Looking after me?
I don't know… But if you are, please, keep taking care of me. I need you guys now more than ever.
Because to tell you the truth… I've never been more scared in my entire life than I am now…
End
Okay, well, in the time between first starting this chapter and finishing it, I've recovered from my sickness. It seems the chapters for this story are slightly shorter than what I'm used to writing, but that's alright. I'm not gonna force myself to keep my arbitrary standards as much as I usually do. Because unfortunately, I think I've started to notice that such things hinder me more than help.
Anyway, I want to address a couple of things before we keep going with this story so that everyone has an understanding on how this one is gonna work.
1. Like I said before, this is still a harem story. As such, there won't necessarily be a "main pairing." Or at least, not in the traditional sense. Sure, there's probably gonna be one relationship that takes more focus than others, but since there will be more than one love interest, that won't limit progress with any other girls. Also, if you were wondering, yes, most of the girls comprising the harem will likely be members of the student council and not the ORC, for very obvious reasons. That's not to say ORC girls are off the table, just that it's a case by case basis. At the end of the day, we go where the story and characters take us, and if it doesn't make sense to go there, we won't.
2. The more important thing here: I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression so I'll say this here. In terms of how far out I have this story planned, I only really have it fully mapped past the first volume. So everything encompassing this arc (Raynare Arc) and the next arc (Phenex Arc). Yes, that will still take place. Like I said, mostly the same universe. However, things will be much different for obvious reasons. You'll just have to see how I handle that part for yourself. Other than that, I have a majority of the key moments of the Holy Sword arc thought out, and some of the Peace Treaty arc. So if you're expecting any hiatuses or breaks for the story, it would be around those arcs.
Now that we're clear on that, you guys should prepare yourselves. Just like in this chapter, some surprises are naturally in store. Some small, some huge. Hell, I'm sure you're still wondering how Issei is gonna unlock his Sacred Gear. I can tell you one thing. If you haven't noticed, it's not gonna happen the same way as in canon. You'll see…
Anyway, let me know what you guys think so far. Did you expect Issei to reject Yuuma-chan's confession? Did you think Issei was gonna find out about the supernatural world so soon, let alone as a human? Were you surprised about how Raynare handled the situation with him? What is she planning to do in Kuoh? Is it all the same or are some details different..? What's gonna happen between Issei and Asia's stories? And how will Issei cope with being surrounded by Devils? What's gonna happen?!
FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAG'SO BALL!
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