DxD - The Last Amagiri

by HolyKnightX

Kensei Amagiri, the surviving heir to the Amagiri Clan, after losing his mother now lives on an island, where he fights for survival with his new friends. Left for dead by the Old Devils and Taro, is found by two legends who'll assist him in taking his fate back into his own hands.

64. A Special Guest

Welcome to the next chapter of DxD – The Last Amagiri, but before starting. Let's answer some reviews:

altair95: Yeah, we got to see the brand new house and learn about Minako's origins, which I'm sure was a major surprise.

Guest: I have been getting a lot of suggestions about that being one of Koneko's main job requests, which would fit her all things considered (she has a personal mission in keeping people like Issei in line). So, her being paid and requested for that might be awesome. I'm sure that numerous people would be jealous of anyone with the chance of getting close to Sakura-hime.

---

A Special Guest

"Hmm, I can't help thinking about the conversation we had with Indra."

Kensei found himself uttering holding a basketball in his hands.

At that moment, he and Lingqi found themselves standing inside the personal court situated inside the "Game Room". It was the last remaining days of their summer break, almost a day after their return from the Underworld. Both of them were standing there dressed in the appropriate clothing meant for playing basketball, although neither of them seemed to have gotten started.

"Same, I didn't think that I'd meet one of the strongest beings in the world like that."

Lingqi agreed, being incapable of getting over that meeting.

Kensei proceeded to bounce the basketball around while walking around almost not paying attention to the exact rhythm or sound it produced.

"Wanting to meet me aside, it sounds more important that he knows something about you."

At that statement, he tossed the basketball into the net a distance from behind Lingqi. It went straight inside the basket without touching the rim, causing it to land on the ground and produce a sharp sound. Not turning around, Lingqi could hear that it was heading in her direction with each bounce. Matching the timing, she kicked her back foot up from behind, making contact with the descending basketball. In response to that, the basketball was sent high into the air above Lingqi's head.

"Yeah, that's been on my mind the most," Lingqi replied, holding her hand up and catching the basketball. "It looks as if there's more about my lineage that I'm not aware of."

Taking the basketball in both her hands, Lingqi pressed both hands against it before releasing it. Raising a knee in the air, she caught and balanced it without causing the slightest reaction even as she moved around. She then allowed it to roll down her leg until it reached her foot where it stopped. In one swift moment, she sent it straight in the air, before catching and tossing it towards the basket behind Kensei. But, instead of falling straight, it began traveling around the basket's circular path before being sent straight up into the air. It wasn't until it descended and passed through the net.

It bounced on the ground, bouncing at least a total of six times before being suspended in the air. Caused by Kensei, who without looking back stopped it mid-bounce using Telekinesis, bringing it towards him. Catching the basketball in his hands, he and Lingqi continued with their casual conversation while seeming to get into the right position for a basketball game.

"So, is there much that you're aware of regarding your family history? I mean, aside from you being a descendant of Lu Bu and the granddaughter of a Shouxian."

Kensei asked while suspending the basketball in between them in the exact center of the court.

Both martial artists stood in the same position as the basketball was released, causing it to descend from where it was suspended. As it was falling, it seemed to be moving in slow motion from their perspectives and the two got into position. Just as the basketball touched the ground and bounced up once, neither of them took even the slightest move. It wasn't until the third bounce that the two vanished from their position, heading in the same direction.

Lingqi was the first to drag onto the basketball, passing by Kensei who was a hairsbreadth from grabbing onto it. Her attention was directed toward her particular goal, which was scoring in hoop and being guarded by her opponent without stopping her story.

"Most of which I'm aware of about my family lineage is what I'm aware of," Lingqi replied, as she dribbled the ball and approached the basket. "I know pretty much about Grandpa Jie's parents. My great-grandfather was known as a warrior and farmer who defended people from supernatural beings when the situation arose. And my great-grandmother being an herbalist."

"And about your grandmother?"

Kensei replied, managing to get the ball out of Lingqi's hands, having timed the exact moment it left her hands.

"My grandmother is a powerful spiritual medium. She was among the few people who could sense Grandpa was a human despite being transformed into a tiger."

Lingqi replied, chasing behind Kensei, who was heading in the direction of the escaping young man.

Not wasting time, Kensei stopped and tossed the basketball in the direction of his hoop, sailing in the air, while it looked as if it would make it. But, just then, Lingqi moved at high speed, then leaped into the air to catch it before it landed in the hoop. Before landing on the ground, she tossed the basketball from her current position straight in the direction of hers.

Swish!

It went straight into the hoop, as Lingqi landed on the ground with a smile.

"So, your grandmother was a medium?"

"Yeah, she said that Grandpa Jie was someone with a strong tiger spirit animal and a strong connection to it. She said a lot of the people who could master the first form of Byakko Kenpo, have tigers as spirit animals. Oh, her name is Lu Lian."

"Hm, so would that make your dad a medium?"

Kensei asked, as he went for the basket, which was bouncing around towards him.

"Well, he said that he never got the same feeling as grandma. But, based on what Grandpa Jie said, he might be stumbling across that latent ability. I can imagine that Dad would end up becoming stronger once he returns from his coma."

Lingqi replied, finding herself looking down at the thought of her father still being in a coma.

"You'll be able to see him again as soon as we take down Jun. So, please look forward to the reunion."

Kensei stated, causing Lingqi to smile at the sentiment.

"Always know what to say, don't you?"

Lingqi stated, smiling.

"So, if you're aware of your paternal lineage, then that would leave your maternal lineage."

Kensei stated, finding himself bouncing the basketball while heading straight in Lingqi's direction.

"You're right, then that might be it. Because my mom doesn't know much about her lineage herself."

"Oh?"

Kensei replied, as he headed straight for Lingqi, who charged back at him.

He went on the defensive, moving and dribbling around the basketball in his hands, while Lingqi found herself on the offensive. In terms of physical prowess alone she was superior to him in that regard, but she admitted that he had much better coordination. To those watching the entire actions between them would be reminded of a Tiger and Dragon attempting to dance around one another.

"Yeah, my mother, Lu Fei told me that her family was almost completely normal. A simple farmer and hunter, but the one thing that she knew was that our father said there are often people like us who have blonde hair. I mean, it wasn't something serious I ever thought that weird. But, thinking about it now…."

Amid Lingqi's explanation, Kensei managed to escape from her offensive actions, then slipped passed her before leaping into the air. It sailed in the air with Lingqi being unable to stop the basketball from landing in the hoop. As the basketball fell into the hoop, Kensei landed on the ground and turned around to face Lingqi.

"But?"

"My maternal grandparents died after some creature died, but its toxic blood found its way into the village's pond and contaminated it. Not many people realized it until some people started dying and others were inflicted with several different ailments," Lingqi stated while looking forward. "My mother was inflicted too, but her parents kept her alive using some medicinal herbs. The same couldn't be said about them, they died and she was alone bedridden. She thought that she would die until she woke up in the medical room of the White Tiger Sect with my dad tending to her."

As Kensei retrieved the basketball, he kept listening as Lingqi turned around to face him.

"Some people were trafficking supernatural creatures, but did a terrible job with one of them and ended up escaping wounded. The White Tiger Sect found them, and then followed the tracks of the escaped creature. My mom and several other people lived, but the poison caused her to lose some memories. She didn't remember her name until dad returned to her home for some belongings and found it," Lingqi stated, thinking back to the story she heard from her mom. "She joined the White Tiger Sect as a student as a sign of appreciation. She passed the first trial in mastering the first technique, but she didn't like causing pain to others. Despite that, she was adept at learning whatever people taught her without trouble. Mom was able to become a Master herself through sheer technique alone without power."

"That's impressive. I do think that's the original purpose of martial arts in the first place, instead of being focused on raw power alone to win."

"You're not wrong. Grandpa Jie said something similar, with my dad being a Power-type and my mom being the Technique-type. I guess that's the reason that ended up being a Power-Technique type," Lingqi stated, smiling to herself. "My mom got her memories back, and then not long after the couple officially got engaged. I remember hearing about how my maternal grandpa could do a lot of things better than most. A lot of the hunting equipment he used was homemade, ranging from spears and arrows. And she'd always say that he never felt comfortable using something he didn't make himself."

Lingqi thought back to the various things she heard about her paternal grandfather and the fact that her mother could reach the class of Master without hurting a single person.

"There's some reason that Jun is targeting us, in particular, despite Grandpa. If it isn't a part of my paternal side, then it has to be somewhere from my maternal side. But, my mom doesn't know anything about her lineage."

"It is a bit difficult, but it does beg the question."

"What?"

At that, Lingqi was curious about what Kensei thought about the situation.

"If there's something special about your mother's lineage, then how did Jun find out about it? I don't know how he chose the women that he handpicked to be his wives, but I doubt that someone like him would go for anything less than the most ideal choices. So, there must be some way that he picked them out."

At Kensei's thought, Lingqi couldn't help agreeing and finding herself thinking about the same thing. Jun had the biggest ego compared to anyone that she'd ever met before, and so he wouldn't settle for anything other than the perfect genetics to produce strong offspring.

"He does have a habit of collecting strong people and Sacred Gears in his group. So, it wouldn't be surprising if he found someone who could track suitable women. Once again, talking to you seems to make it much easier for me to come to certain conclusions about things on my mind."

Lingqi gave a bright smile as she placed her hands on her hips, despite the sweat that seemed to start appearing on her, she still looked beautiful. And the training outside she wore gave a clear lining of her well-blossomed and athletic body; something which Kensei couldn't deny.

"Alright then, we'll check up on those possibilities later on."

"But, first things first."

""Let's finish this game!""

Kensei and Lingqi stated, with the score being 2:2. Getting into position again, the two found themselves in front of one another, but this time the two of them thought of taking it up a notch. Both of them initiated Haki, resulting in Ki continuing to flow throughout themselves without letting a single drop leak out of their bodies. Then the two rushed at the basketball positioned right in the middle of the basketball court. Taking a step forward, the two of them vanished from the right, with the basketball vanishing from sight.

Both of them were maneuvering around the basket's court, appearing and disappearing multiple times, while they continued playing basketball. From the perspective of those watching the entire thing, this could be explained as the "Greatest Game of Basketball in History". The basketball game between the Dragon and Tiger continued for a good hour before being left off as a tie.

---

"Fuu."

Having finished showering, Kensei found himself stepping inside the living room, where the others were relaxing in the house. Over the summer break, their group trained in Shiamano and spent time outside of training relaxing. But, the atmosphere in Shiamano was a bit dense compared to that of the Human World, due to the dense spiritual power there. It didn't matter whether or not the person was a Pure-Blooded Devil, such as the Phenex's daughter, Ravel, it was a continuous exposure. Although, among the group, Claire wasn't in Shiamano, instead underwent training in the Underworld with Diehauser and the others from his peerage.

So, the rest throughout the rest of the summer break was something that the group was getting used to. Sitting in the living room, the women ranging from Alice, Claire, Kunou, and Minako were watching some movie together. Each woman had their shared portion of candy, popcorn, and soda, while not taking their eyes off of the screen. Ravel found herself sitting at the dining room table, having a teacup beside her and what looked to be papers there.

"Ever the dutiable manager."

Kensei couldn't help finding himself smiling at the amount of attention to detail that Ravel did.

It didn't take long for Lingqi to return to the living room too, something that their group noticed was that she, in particular, liked long baths. So, it wouldn't be surprising to find her being the last person to leave. Stepping inside the living room, Lingqi took note and interest in the movie on the screen, causing her to join in. It looked as if she was soon being presented popcorn by Minako, which was a gesture Lingqi took.

"So, what're you working on now?"

"Oh, Ken-sama. I didn't notice you there."

It looked as if Ravel was too focused on working to notice Kensei's presence, something which focused on just how much concentration she had.

"That's fine. I'm glad to have a manager capable of that much focus."

"I-Is that so," Ravel seemed to blush at the compliment, almost feeling giddier in that instance. "Well, these are just several messages that were directed towards our group over the summer break. Due to the notice ahead of time, none of them are major requests. It seems as if the meeting with the Three Factions has opened up a lot of easier communication between the three sides. A lot of them seem to be some requests from Grigori about a possible meeting with the Sacred Gears users on our team."

"Hmm, must be Azazel or someone like him. I mean, Alice, Claire, Minako, and Lingqi each have some real unique Sacred Gears, which are undergoing some changes."

"That is true, Alice-sama does have one of the strongest High-Tier Longinus and she's learning more creative ways of using shadows and Shikigami. Claire-sama is in the process of mastering general light powers and has become more creative in using her natural demonic powers. Minako-san has gained Balance Breaker already and is versatile in its basic state. And Lingqi-sama has one that's in the process of turning into a divine weapon with its Balance Breaker being different from those recorded thus far."

As Ravel listed out, Kensei could agree with all those with the Sacred Gear users on the Sword Team, being in the process of undergoing unique developments. There was no question that most would look right at Annihilation Maker among the bunch either, but the three other women's Sacred Gears weren't regular either in terms of their particular development. Lingqi, in particular, seeing as there are a few Sacred Gears made from or are Divine weapons in the first place. Depending on how things went, there could be no telling how strong either of them could get in the future.

"Oh, I also reminded Claire-sama and the others about the meeting that Shemhazai-sama wanted to have here in almost three hours."

"Thanks for that, Ravel."

At that reminder, Kensei thought back to the conversation that he had with the Vice-Governor General before the start of the Rating Game. He was surprised about it at first but found himself incapable of going against his first earnest request. However, there was still a good amount of time before their important upcoming meeting with the Vice-Governor General. During the conversation, he soon found himself glancing over at Ravel, who continued staring at the papers in front of her.

"Hey, Ravel."

"Yes, Ken-sama?"

"Do you want to go out for a bit?"

Kensei asked, pointing out towards the door.

After that question, Ravel found herself dropping the pen in her hands and looked forward in surprise at that sudden suggestion. Hearing those words from Kensei almost made her doubt them, and then found herself incapable of believing them. But, not want to hesitate and wanted to do this one simple thing, which didn't need to be an official date but instead a one-on-one outing with the young man in front of her.

"Yes, I wouldn't mind going out for a bit. Humph, you should consider yourself lucky too."

"Alright, then," Kensei stated, smiling at that response. "You adorable tsundere."

"I'm not a tsundere. I know you were thinking it, Ken-sama."

"Heh. I also thought you were an adorable tsundere."

Kensei found himself smiling as Ravel seemed to have caught him thinking about that but then blushed as soon as the "adorable" part came up. At that, Ravel found herself heading straight towards her room to get changed into another outfit for the occasion.

"Hm, so it sounds as if we'll be meeting up with Shemahazai-san soon."

Claire said as the movie seemed to have been going through a commercial break.

"I wonder what that's about?"

Alice asked out loud, not seeming visibly interested, but was on the inside.

"I wouldn't know, because Ken-chan wouldn't tell us. And instead left it as a surprise."

Kunou added, turning her pouting face towards him.

"Well, he must have a reason for it."

Lingqi stated, standing up from the seat to get herself some snacks and a drink of her own before the movie started again.

"Trust me, the surprise is going to be one you'll be looking forward to. Shemhazai-san was so nervous after talking about the entire thing with me. Also, the fact that he even came to us with this in the first place speaks to how much he decided to trust and depend on us."

Kensei explained while turning himself around.

From the sounds of it, this was important to the Vice-Governor General, and wanted to make sure that this went right. It hasn't been that long since the group first met him, but realized from the previous talk with Azazel that Shemhazai was a serious and dutiful person. So, whatever he wanted to talk to them about must be something passed the borders of being important.

"Alright, I guess that we'll leave it at that. Though, we were joking about the entire thing," Claire stated, as it looked as if the movie was starting again. "Besides, Ravel and I already set up the meeting room ahead of time so that it would go on without an issue. Also, have fun out there with Ravel. I think that you'll often have to remind Ravel to take some time off from doing the managerial work."

At that, the movie started, with the women taking their seats and continuing to watch it peacefully together as a unit. Kensei agreed with that comment, knowing that Ravel puts her all into acting as a manager, though doing it a lot might end up being exhausted.

---

Returning from upstairs, Ravel and Kensei left the renovated Amagiri Residence, and then proceeded to hear out into the city. There, the two were taking in the scenery after returning from the summer break. Around town, Ravel had found herself taking in the good atmosphere around Kibou Town. Spending most of her time in the Underworld, but having some visits to the Human World from time to time, she didn't spend much time around such places. A lot of Pure-Blooded Devils saw the Human World as nothing more than an unsavory place, but Ravel found places such as Kibou Town as a second home.

"It's surprising how much the Kibou Alliance's influence has spread across town."

As Ravel walked around, she looked to find that the symbols of the Kibou Alliance were situated in several places. A lot of the important departments, including the Police Department, Hospital, and other emergency services have been integrated into the Kibou Alliance.

"Of course, the Kibou Alliance supports the town that it was created in. Our group has made and could make a lot of income for several generations, but it wouldn't be right for it not to go in the places where it's needed to," Kensei stated, wearing a smile on his face as the two continued forward. "The Amagiri Clan has supported the town since it was founded and that's one of my inherited responsibilities."

"Ken-sama is a kind and generous person. I don't think that most Devils would do something like that."

"It's nothing that much. Besides, I love this town and want to make it a good place for the people living here. It's the most that I could do after being gone for so long before."

Hearing those words as she and Kensei walked side-by-side, Ravel found herself moving a bit closer toward the black-haired young man. At the same time, as another couple was walking up, the man accidentally bumped into the blonde-haired young girl.

"Ah."

Ravel voiced out some surprise as she found herself slipping up a little bit from the suddenness, resulting in her moving closer to Kensei. In response to that, Kensei found himself grabbing onto Ravel, who had ended up being moved into his chest.

"Oh, excuse me."

"Dear, you should watch where you're going."

"Sorry, sorry."

"Well, I doubt the poor girl is complaining much now."

At the comment made by his girlfriend, she looked and smiled as soon as she noticed the sudden closeness right between Kensei and Ravel. Noticing this for herself, Ravel found herself experiencing a large amount of heat that was building up in her face. She wasn't aware that she could experience such a thing without even using her flames. If Kensei didn't know any better then steam might end up coming from Ravel's head at this point.

"Well, it seems as if it'd be best if we kept going."

"Y-Yes."

Ravel agreed, while flustered and finding herself moving her hand from Kensei's arm. Noticing this, he turned his attention towards the girl wearing a casual smile and held out his hand.

"You know, if you want to hold my hand. You can."

Kensei stated, holding out his hand to Ravel.

"…," Ravel seemed confused and at the same time, the happiest about that suggestion from Kensei. "A-Alright, I'll do it to ensure that a similar incident from before doesn't happen."

Ravel tried playing it off with a cool look, but Ravel's internal happiness radar was going passed the limit of being in bliss. After linking hands together, she found herself being giggly as the two walked side-by-side without even leaving one another. Amid that, the two found themselves being figured as a couple from the interactions, which wasn't something that either of them minded in the slightest. Of course, most of the townspeople and business owners were aware of who Kensei Amagiri was and treated him with the utmost respect.

Due to the particular situation and how known the Amagiri Clan was, Kensei was noted as being someone who was involved in the Kibou Alliance business. For the longest time, the clan was involved in the numerous things that were related to Kibou Town and would be off if he wasn't involved in this one. So, throughout most of the visits to food stands, he was treated with the utmost respect. And he ensured that he wouldn't receive special treatment and would be treated no differently from others.

"Hm, I love the snacks the people around here sells."

Ravel happily said while she and Kensei sat down to eat some Taiyaki.

"Hmhmm."

Kensei couldn't respond and instead continued eating happily.

Ravel was well aware that one of the most delicious things to Kensei was Taiyaki, something which he could eat without frowning. Seeing the faces that he made from time to time when eating them was often even among the cutest things to see.

"Uh, Ken-sama. Uh, is this a date?"

"Hm, well, I'd consider this more as an outing. Is that what you want to see it as?"

Kensei asked, wondering what Ravel meant about the situation.

"Well, I, of course, would want to consider this a date. But, you did promise Koneko-sama that you would go out on a date with her before me," in saying those words, Kensei could understand what Ravel meant about that. "Not that I care about anything concerning that Nekomata."

"Is that so," Kensei leaned his head against his opened hand while staring at the flustered Ravel, who had looked away from him. "So, cute. Ravel is being fair to Koneko, whom I promised to take out on a date when I had the time. I can see that the rivalry between the two of them is true nonetheless, but when it comes down to it neither have actual hatred for one another. If the two of them get over it, then I'm sure they'll be best friends. …well, that'll take a while for work."

Finishing that thought, Kensei found himself petting Ravel on top of her head comfortably, causing her to glance towards him with a wondering look.

"Alright then, after taking Shirone on a date. I'll take you out on a real date."

"Thank you, I'll be sure to plan things out."

At that, Kensei couldn't help smiling at the usual thing with Ravel wanting things to be punctual and planned out to the finest detail.

"You know, sometimes the most precious memories are sometimes the most spontaneous and unexpected."

Kensei pointed out, speaking from some experiences, considering most of the things in his entire life have been out of the blue.

"Hm, like what?"

"I don't know. Here's an example."

"Huh?"

At that, Ravel had found herself feeling Kensei kissing her on the cheek, causing her face to turn red and almost steam. After stepping back, her eyes and mouth were opened wide, while continuing to think about the wonderful thing she just experienced.

"I'll remember that, Ken-sama."

Ravel immediately replied, finding herself considering how much she enjoyed the spontaneous action committed by Kensei in that instance. Though, with her personality, she was likely thinking of situations that might seem to be a romantic and natural moment. As Kensei thought, Ravel was a natural strategist through and through, who could think of various scenarios in her mind.

From there, the two of them continued with their outing with Ravel finding herself relaxing and calming down compared to before. As usual, the calm and serene atmosphere around Kibou Town was something that Ravel loved and appreciated. Not much time passed until the two decided to return to the Amagiri Residence, and then waited for the appointed time with the Vice-Governor General, Shemhazai.

---

As intended, in the meeting room situated in the Amagiri Residence, the members of the Sword Team gathered in the room. The members took their seats on the couch, wearing calm expressions on their faces, waiting for the arrival of Shemhazai. Not much time, a minute or two passed until a magic circle manifested right inside the room. A feature of the renovated mansion was that unwarranted teleportation into the Amagiri Residence wasn't allowed, combining the techniques of different factions.

As expected, the silhouette of the man was shown, but there was an additional silhouette standing beside him, it looked to be around the same height as something like Akari. Once the light faded, as expected Shemhazai had revealed himself; a handsome silver-white-haired and purple-eyed man in his twenties, dressed in the clothes that were worthy of a man in his position. Besides him, there was a similar silver-white-haired and purple-eyed thirteen-year-old young girl. Her hair was properly braided, dressed in proper attire, giving off the overall appearance of a prim and proper young girl.

"…."

She gave a kind and gentle smile while looking forward at the people in the room.

It didn't take long to realize the identity of the young girl in front of them, considering the resemblance between her and Shemhazai.

"Thanks for allowing him to come here, Kensei-san and everyone," Shemhazai started things off, then turned over to the girl standing beside him. "And I'm sure that you've already realized who this child is. You could introduce yourself."

"Thank you, Father," the young girl started before standing in front of them, placing one hand on her chest and bowing her head respectfully. "My name is Serena. My father and uncle have spoken a lot about the Kibou Alliance and the people standing here. And so, being the first people outside of Grigori that I have the pleasure of meeting is the utmost pleasure."

Her tone and posture were the utmost respectful and dignified, something which was no different from that of a Pure-Blooded Devil such as Ravel.

"I can see why Kensei wanted this to be a surprise."

"And why he wanted Shemhazai to do the introduction."

Claire and Lingqi seemed to have noticed the same thing about Serena, who was standing right in front of them. Once the introductions were finished, she linked up her hands behind herself, while continuing to smile wearing a gentle and genuine expression.

"I see that Claire-san and Lingqi-san, as well as some others, noticed it," Shemhazai noted, then turned his sights to his daughter. "Serena, could you please."

"Yes, father."

At her father's suggestion, Serena allowed a pair of Fallen Angel and Devil wings to sprout out of her back, which surprised the people who had some hint in. So, this reveal brought out more of the reveal about the kind of being that Serena happened to be.

"Serena is the daughter of the woman I married, who is a Devil herself. So, she is a half-Fallen Angel, half-Devil," a gentle tone came from Shemhazai's mouth while placing his hand on Serena's shoulder. "For that reason, I didn't want to come out and reveal Serena's existence."

"I can understand that," Claire stated, she was a Half-Devil, Half-Human, but her case was for the fact that her father also happened to be a member of the Church. Due to that, her entire life ended up being turned upside down, however, ironically the incident led her there. "Hm?"

Noticing someone's sights directed at her, Claire found herself glancing in the same direction as Serena, who'd seemed to glance in another direction. She was calm and gentle throughout this entire situation, but as soon as she and Claire locked eyes, Serena became nervous. However, Claire thought to the fact that both of them could be considered "impure" in the eyes of the Underworld's higher echelon.

"Heh, as I'm sure that you noticed Serena has a particular interest in Claire-san. She heard that there was a young girl among the Sword Team who uses demonic and light powers with such finesse."

"F-Father."

Serena looked shy as her father revealed that fact to them.

"Is that so?"

Claire asked, wearing a smile.

"Y-Yes," Serena replied, finding herself staring at Claire and almost losing her previous composure. "I heard a lot about the members of the Kibou Alliance. A lot of them interested me, like the members who referred to themselves as the Numbers. I could recall the number of times my uncle was interested in the development of the Sacred Gears in the group. But, I couldn't help finding myself invested in hearing about the girl who could use demonic and light powers like me. So, this is almost the same as meeting my idol."

[So, cute.]

Those were the thoughts running through the minds of the members there, as Serena acted nervous in front of the person she considered her idol.

"Is that's the case, then I wouldn't mind training you with that. I have something that I plan on creating soon and it might be a fun experience."

Hearing Claire's response, Serena's shy face turned into a smile, having heard those words.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Onee-sama!"

Serena replied excitedly, almost not realizing that she called Claire that.

"Huh, so this is what it feels like."

Claire thought back to the times that she called Kensei, "older brother", almost feeling nostalgic about the entire thing. No matter, the entire situation was a heartwarming moment where Serena was capable of talking with her idol. Seeing the direction where things were going, Kensei gestured for Shemhazai and Serena to take a seat on the free couches in front of them.

"So, I'm sure that you remember our previous conversation, Kensei-san."

"Yes, you informed me about your having a daughter, but due to certain conditions it was almost impossible for you to reveal her existence."

"Yes, but with the Three Factions achieving finally peace, it meant that I wouldn't have to keep Serena's existence a secret anymore. She's been raised under Grigori's roof since the moment she was born. She learned about the outside world and as such has been home-schooled. But, her continuing to learn under those conditions wouldn't bring out true development in Serena as a person."

Shemhazai explained, causing them to realize more and more where this conversation would be going.

"So, you want us to assist in Serena's development."

"Yes, because Serena has been raised in Grigori. I doubt that there would be much change even if her existence were to be revealed. And among the people our group has a connection with, yours has the most chances for their members to experience the outside world the most."

Shemhazai replied to Claire's question.

"That is true. However, our group has been having certain problems as of late. Are you sure about this?"

Kensei asked, reminding Shemhazai about their group's particular issues.

"Well, the same thing could be said about the Three Factions dealing with the Khaos Brigade. I don't want to turn into that over-concerned father. Serena will be in danger no matter where she is, because of her lineage. Besides, I have the utmost faith in your group. Your group accomplished something that none of us in Grigori has seen in a long time. Despite being children, you all built a group through your own accomplishments and formed connections with gods from multiple factions. I could imagine your group would end up becoming a central location that links all the factions together," Shemhazai stated, then placed a comforting hand on Serena's head. "And Azazel, my wife, and I hope that Serena will become a bridge too."

"Hm, well, we would be happy to have Serena here. But, I have an idea that might work too."

Kensei stated, wearing a smile on his face and opening up another suggestion for Shemhazai.

"Oh, I'm interested."

Shemhazai found himself interested in the suggestion from Kensei, who then proceeded to explain his idea to the Vice-Governor General. As soon as Kensei explained it, it seemed as if it caught the attention of Shemhazai who was in full support of it.

---

Meanwhile, in the Uesugi Residence, Naoto and Akari stood in front of one another, manifesting their respective swords. Neither of them made a single move on the other, instead unleashing spiritual power from themselves, while Yamato and Enten released an aura. Tetsuo sat on the sidelines watching the entire thing, while wearing an impressed look about the entire thing.

"Alright, it seems as if the two of you have progressed much more compared to before. I see that training inside of Shiamano was a good experience for you too. I can tell that you two learned to access their Ki."

Tetsuo pointed out, causing Naoto and Akari to dismiss their weapons.

"Well, I can see that Nariko went through the most change."

Akari stated, turning her attention towards Akari, who was a little bit high in the air, seeming to be walking on the air itself. It was an odd development for a still infant who seemed to have been getting used to her Sacred Gear as if it was the same as learning to walk.

"Ah, yeah. I think most would call me a genius, but Nari-chan is an entirely different story. Same as Aniki"

Naoto stated, wearing a smile as his sister was considered the true definition of a prodigy with great potential.

"Well, you're in the same league too. You, Nariko, and Kensei have astounding enough potential to be considered monsters in your way," Tetsuo pointed out, causing Naoto to think about that. "Well, speaking of Kensei, he and another guest should be arriving soon. And it sounds as if you two are being entrusted with some important task from an important figure."

"Is that so?"

"Hahaha, I wonder what this task will be."

Naoto and Akari seemed to be interested in the entire thing.

As expected, there was a magic circle that appeared in the middle of the area, then soon enough both Kensei and Serena appeared there. Confused about the sudden appearance of the newer young girl, Naoto, and Akari weren't aware of the identity of the girl standing beside him. But, there was the fact that she didn't give off an aura, which could be considered 'normal'. Due to their experience, Naoto and Akari could sense the uniqueness of her presence, but it looked as if Tetsuo was well aware of her nature.

"I see. I can imagine why this matter is considered an important task."

Tetsuo realizing the kind of being Serena was found himself interested in hearing about the situation himself, then looked up to find Nariko floating down.

"Nii-nii."

"Hey, Nariko."

Kensei said as Nariko ended up moving around his neck, with Serena immediately noticing her.

"Huh, I believe she's the child with the infamous Zephyr Shift, the strongest wind-type Sacred Gear with enough potential to…."

"Hello."

Serena was interrupted from speaking as Nariko turned her attention toward her, acting as much kinder than one would expect from an infant. In that instance, Serena found herself experiencing the same thing that most would expect from meeting Nariko at least once.

"So, cuuute~"

Serena said, raising out her arms as Nariko fell into her arms.

"So, who's this?"

Akari asked while Serena found herself caught in the aura of cuteness that Nariko seemed to emit without much attention to what was happening around her.

"This is Serena, she is the daughter of Shemhazai and his Devil wife. And she is going to be attending the same middle school as you two."

"Ah?"

"Eh?"

Naoto and Akari seemed to be confused and surprised about that comment about who the young girl was, who'd been holding onto Nariko. Both of them were just told that the daughter of the Vice-Governor General would be in the same school as them. Neither thought that the situation would end up being something as such, considering the kind of importance someone such as this would hold to the future.

"Ah, I see. So, Shemhazai wants Serena to experience the world outside of Grigori. This does seem like the ideal move from two different directions."

After hearing about the explanation from Kensei, Tetsuo could understand the Vice-Governor General's reasons behind agreeing to Kensei's suggestion.

"Yeah, it would be much easier for her to get to know the world seeing as both Naoto and Akari are the same age as her. So, having her attend the same school as them would give Serena a new perspective of the Human World than what she heard in Grigori. Plus, both of them are Provisional Members of the Kibou Alliance until they enroll in high school in their first year. But, until then, as a team, the three of them can go on not-so-difficult missions and learn from one another further."

"It is a good idea. I can understand why someone like Shemhazai would agree to it. It does beg the question as to where she would be living."

"I have an idea for that. And Shemhazai is working on getting things together as we speak."

Kensei pointed out, causing Tetsuo to wonder what that meant, then looked to notice he was looking forward.

In front of them, Naoto, Akari, and Serena, who were still holding onto Nariko were conversing with one another. It looked as if Serena was doing most of the talking, while Naoto and Akari were listening to it, the former looked to be listening more in comparison.

"Hey, Akari mind coming here for a sec."

"Alright," agreeing to Kensei's suggestion, who might as well be her combat instructor too. "I have to admit that girl is pretty smart and knowledgeable about Sacred Gears. I didn't think that I would end up receiving this much of an introduction to theories about Spiritus Armiger. It was informative, but I don't think that I could remember all that in a single conversation."

"Well, I'm sure that you might be able to hold more conversations with her that'll make it easier to get the gist of it all without issues."

"Yeah yeah, since we'll be attending the same school, right?"

"I can see where this is going."

Tetsuo seemed to have understood where the conversation was leading without needing to hear the rest of it.

"It's more that she'll be staying with you."

"Eh," Akari's face turned confused as she heard those words from Kensei about Serena staying in the same house as Akari and her parents. "Why my house?"

"You always said that your parents hated the fact that they were unable to use one room in particular in the house. And the idea of using it as storage would've been a waste. So, I had thought that Serena could stay in the room, while she attends middle school."

"Not that I mind that since it would stop the complaints, but where did the idea come from?"

"Well, Rias stays with the Hyoudou Family, who doesn't seem to mind her being there."

"Didn't that Gremory girl end up taking over the house after staying with them more than a month, with it belonging to the parents in name only?"

Akari pointed out, having heard about that particular situation, almost causing Kensei and Tetsuo to laugh about the reality behind that entire situation.

"You don't need to worry about Serena doing that. She's a real well-mannered and gentle girl."

"I feel as if I live with her, then my parents would want me to be more like that," Akari stated, noting that Serena's presence in the house might end up causing some trouble in her regular life. "Ugh, screw it. I already get it when I bring Naoto home anyway."

"Alright, that's good to hear. And in return, I'll teach you some fire-based techniques."

"Alright, I'll do it!"

Akari stated, wearing a newly excited smile at that payment.

"Alright, your parents should be talking to Shemhazai already. So, let's head out to meet them," Kensei said, which caused Akari to agree to those terms. "Come on, Serena we're going to be meeting your dad."

"Okay, Kensei," Serena agreed, causing her to hand Nariko to Naoto. "I'll see you later, Naoto and Nariko."

"Kay~"

"I'll be looking forward to it."

Getting the final comment from the two siblings, Serena walked towards Kensei and Akari, who would, in turn, be the ones to escort her to the Akamine Residence.

---

Instead of teleporting there, Kensei thought that it would be good for Serena to get a better idea of the layout of the town she'd be living in. Not that the girl minded that, as she wanted to see more of the town herself without a convenient shortcut that'd make it difficult. Kensei was surprised to find how cordial and mannerly Serena was, which went against what he was already expecting. Not much time passed until the three found themselves right in front of the Akamine Residence, something which was a moderate two-story house.

"Well, let's get this one over with," Akari said, walking up to the front steps before unlocking the door, and then walking inside of the house. "I'm home."

"Ah, welcome on, Akari. We have an interesting guest."

Akari could hear her mother speaking from inside the house.

"Well, that's convenient, because I met someone new too. And Naoto's brother is here too."

Hikari heard her daughter's comment and approached the living room, sitting on their couch where her two parents were joined by Shemhazai. Her mother whom Akari closely resembles, is a beautiful spectacled red-haired, reddish orange-eyed woman dressed in casual wear, Hikari Akamine. Right beside her was her husband, a normal black-haired, brown-eyed man dressed in a suit, Isamu Akamine. Her mother worked as a defense attorney, whereas her father worked as a professor.

"Oh, it's good to see you here, Kensei-kun," Isamu stated, waving his hand at the young man. "I wanted to give my thanks for you watching Akari over the summer break and allowing her to join in on your vacation."

"It's good to see you two are in good health. Trust me, it was no issue, Akari is a really fun person to be around," he returned the greeting with a wave. "Her fiery personality goes well with Naoto's peaceful personality."

After reuniting with Naoto and meeting Akari, Kensei found himself becoming acquainted with her parents, both of whom seemed to have become quick to like him. As soon as Serena walked in, the two found themselves in awe about the presence of the young girl.

"Oh, so this is Serena-chan? She is quite the cute girl."

Hikari stated, wearing a gentle smile.

"Thanks, her mother says the same thing no matter how often she sees her."

Shemhazai joked.

"That isn't untrue."

Serena thought in her head.

"So, I can see that Kensei-kun is quite acquainted with you, Nathan-san."

"Yes, my business partner and I have been looking into becoming acquainted with the group that Kensei-kun has become involved in. And he has been a great help with the aid in recommending you two."

Shemhazai stated, deicing to use the fake name Nathan Samuels wearing a smile.

"Ah, yes that Kibou Alliance. I visited there once out of curiosity and the building itself was quite an amazing one, to say the least. There, I talked with a woman about starting a law firm too. I wouldn't mind working through that law firm if the chance arrives."

Hikari said, wearing a smile.

"Well, it's a work in progress. Besides, the more open business that the Kibou Alliance does isn't something that I'm that involved in. My clan ended up being the founders of Kibou Town and all I do is pretty much decide all the small stuff."

"Well, the 'small stuff' resulted in something that aids the people in Kibou Town."

Isamu stated, wearing a small smile.

"Yeah, though we're not here to talk about the Kibou Alliance. I believe that you were talking about Serena here," Kensei pointed out finding himself taking a seat right beside Shemhazai. "So, how far has the discussion got in regards to that?"

"Well, we were finished talking about it with Nathan-san here. To be honest, I think the idea is good in itself," Isamu stated, wearing a smile. "I don't think that Akari has many female friends. Don't get me wrong, we all believe that Naoto is the best friend that Akari could ask for and he has been an amazing influence on her. But, I do believe that it'll be great for her to have a female friend."

"He's been a good influence on me," Akari uttered under her breath while glancing to the side. "If it wasn't for me, he'd have been bullied by those idiots back in elementary school. Even though, he's fully capable of kicking their asses."

"Akari."

"Geh."

Akari flinched as soon as her mother called out her name.

"I'm glad to hear that. Don't worry, I'll ensure that you're properly compensated for this kindness."

Shemhazai said, bowing his head and causing Serena to stand up.

"I hope that I won't end up being a nuisance in your residence. I'll ensure that I'll be the utmost helpful and also respectful to the residents living here," Serena stated, bowing her head and smiling at the couple, who were surprised by her respectful air. "My name is Serene Samuels and I hope to be of whatever assistance possible while staying here."

"Oh, what a respectful girl. I hope that you and Akari will become good friends," Hikari stated, already liking what she was hearing from Serena, who was being of the utmost respect. "I'm glad that we finally have a use for that room on the second floor. Nathan-san said that most of your essentials were already packed ahead of time. And that your other things should be here tomorrow. So, let's see about straightening up that room a bit in a way you'll like Serena."

"Okay, thanks again, ma'am."

"Hm, I'll help too."

"Thank you, Akari-san."

Alongside Hikari, Serena and Akari joined in to tend to the unused bedroom, leaving behind the men downstairs in the living room.

"I must say that I think Serena will be a good addition to the house. It looks as if you raised a good girl."

"I'm glad to hear that. I hoped that Serena would be raised in a gentle environment without anything to hold her back."

"Yes, that's the dream of all fathers. We joke a lot about Akari's attitude often, but we're happy that we gave birth to such a strong-willed girl. Most might see her as unruly, but her aggression often comes from a good place, like the time some boys tried bullying some poor girl. Also, my wife might not want to admit it, but Akari inherited a lot of her fiery spirit from her."

"I share the same feeling with Serena. Her attitude and grace are reminders of her mother."

At that, the two adults shared a light from one another about their respective daughters, with Kensei sitting down on the sidelines listening.

"So, what kind of things do you teach at the university here?"

"Oh, I teach history and I'd like to think that I'm more unique compared to most. I also have another interest that's more of a secondary topic."

"Oh, and that would be?"

"It's the research of the Paranormal."

Hearing that surprised Shemhazai and Kensei, neither of them was expecting to receive such an answer from someone such as Isamu. It was also kinda of ironic considering that the two of them were a part of the same paranormal world that he was interested in.

"I know, it sounds odd. But, this has been something that interested me since I was a child."

"Oh no, neither of us were thinking that. So, what brought up this interest?"

Shemhazai asked with interest, wanting to hear the man's answer.

"You might not believe this, but when I was around in my teens. In the forest that I used to live around, I thought I saw someone my age there lifting and stacking different-sized stones on top of one another without touching them," Isamu revealed. "I know it sounds weird. I almost thought that I was seeing and hearing things because I thought that I heard him mumbling something too. I couldn't get it off my mind until I went back and all the stones were in the same position. So, since then I made that a little hobby of mind and started a club too."

"Well, it does sound hard to believe. But, who knows what exists in this world."

Shemhazai stated, wearing a smile and seemed to humor Isamu. But, neither he nor Kensei doubted that what he saw might've been true. There were a large number of people in the world who had supernatural powers, most of them either Sacred Gears or innate abilities. But, since nothing happened, it meant that there wasn't even a need for them to get involved. So, from there, the three men continued with a simple conversation with one another. And treated the events of today as a welcomed success.

---

A/N: And there goes the next chapter of DxD – The Last Amagiri, well, this was the newest chapter of the current volume still in the summer break. It started with Kensei and Lingqi having their conversation, while both of them showed more of the reason why it wouldn't be fair for them to play sports with normal Humans. Ravel and Kensei had their outing. But, I think that the most surprising thing is the fact that Shemhazai unveiled he had a daughter with his Devil Wife. A child between him and her was mentioned in Volume 4 canon, but whether or not that child was born was never revealed. But, here she is revealed, her name is Serena, and she'll be the new addition to the life of Naoto and Akari.

I hope that you liked the chapter, until next time.

Kensei's Harem: Alice, Claire, Hisui, Kunou, Yasaka, Lu Lingqi, Sarah, Minako, Koneko, Kuroka, Ravel, Amaterasu, Brynhildr, Rossweisse, Ophis, Misaki.