Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!

"You're such a cutie pitootie!"

"Let me goooooo!"

Katherine was holding onto Gasper like he was an adorable animal, with the male Dhampir desperately trying to escape her grasp.

"You're the first Dhampir I've ever met!" Katherine's eyes and face were glowing like a kid that got a puppy or kitten for Christmas. "Does that mean you can walk in sunlight and eat garlic without turning to dust?"

"Waaaaaah! I don't like sunlight or garlic!"

"But when it's sunny, the sky looks so pretty!" Katherine responded with a smile to Gasper's protests.

"I hate the sun! I haaaaaate it! I want it to disappear foreveeeeeer!"

While Katherine was keeping Gasper from running away, the others were discussing the cross-dressing Dhampir's situation.

"Gasper's Sacred Gear is called Forbidden Balor View, the World-Stopping Evil Eye." Rias explained to everyone. "It's an especially powerful ability."

"Isn't the ability to stop time kind of overpowered and against the rules?" Issei asked.

"The same could be said of your Boosted Gear or Luke's Art Creation." Rias replied. "But the problem is that Gasper can't control his ability, which is why he was sealed in that room until now. He can only activate his Sacred Gear involuntarily."

"How were you able to make Gasper your servant with only a single Evil Piece?" Luke questioned. "His ability should have cost at least both of your Bishop pieces."

Rias made a book on Evil Pieces appear in her hands and sifted through it until she came to a particular paragraph. "It's a Mutation Piece."

"What's a Mutation Piece?" Issei didn't seem to understand.

"Unlike normal Evil Pieces, Mutation Pieces are capable of reincarnating someone using just one piece in cases where multiple normal pieces would be required." Yuuto explained.

"So, it's kind of like a wild card?" Luke guessed.

"Yes. Buchou had one piece herself." Akeno told them.

"Roughly one in every ten High-Class Devils possess a single Mutation Piece." Yuuto added. "It's supposedly a bug from when the Evil Piece system was first created, but it was left in to make battles more interesting."

"I think Melody had one of those, too." Katherine spoke up.

"Huh-what?! This is the first I've heard about this!" Spiral looked at Katherine in surprise. "Which piece was it?"

"Hmmmm…" Katherine hummed as she searched her memories for an answer.

Without thinking, Katherine had let go of Gasper and he immediately ran off and hid inside a cardboard box.

"… Sorry, I don't remember!" Katherine was oddly cheerful.

"Oh, how unfortunate." Misaki said in a somewhat unconvincing manner.

"Anyway, the problem is Gasper's abilities." Rias continued. "He's very talented and his Sacred Gear's power increases unconsciously, meaning he's only getting stronger every day. Given enough time, it's entirely possible that it could evolve into Balance Breaker."

"If Gasper-kun can't control his Sacred Gear when he achieves Balance Breaker, wouldn't it become extremely dangerous?" Fumiko asked.

"Indeed." Rias placed her hand against her forehead. "Now that I've been evaluated by the other houses, it was decided that I might be able to manage him. They probably thought that after you, Yuuto, and Luke attained your Balance Breakers."

I wouldn't say I attained Balance Breaker. Luke thought. I could only use it temporarily at a steep cost and in an incomplete state. Although, my victory over Riser Phenex must have had some influence on the higher-ups' decision anyway. I don't even know what conditions are attached to Yuuto and Fumiko's Balance Breakers, but I hope it isn't anything like mine.

"Gah! I don't like people talking about me like I'm not here…" Gasper's voice came from the cardboard box.

Is Gasper that afraid of the outside world or is he just practicing for a sneaking mission?

"In terms of ability, Gasper is second only to Akeno." Rias said. "He also comes from a line of pureblood vampires and is skilled in human magic."

"President, you said that he's a first year student at the academy. Does he even go to class?" Luke inquired.

"The sun and air are bad for me! I'm staying in this box!" Gasper spoke from within his box.

"Never mind." Luke placed his hand against his forehead and sighed. "And let me guess, he doesn't like blood, either?"

"Blood stinks! And I hate liver, too!"

This vampire is a work in progress…

"… Worthless vampire." Koneko spat.

"Waaaaah! Koneko, you're so mean!" Gasper cried.

I don't blame Gasper for crying about that one. That was savage.

"Anyway, while I'm gone, I want you all to tutor and train Gasper." Rias requested. "Akeno and I will be visiting the venue for the leaders' conference. And my brother wants to know more about Yuuto's Balance Breaker, so he'll be joining us."

"Understood." Luke nodded.

"Aaaaaaaaaagh! Stop chasing me around with Durandal!"

After Rias, Akeno, and Yuuto had left, Xenovia was helping to get Gasper into shape by chasing him around outside the old school building while swinging Durandal at him as everyone else watched. Xenovia also wanted to take the chance to fight a vampire as it was something she had dreamed of since she was a child.

I'm worried about Gasper, but Xenovia does seem to be enjoying herself. Luke thought. She did mention to me that she's been enjoying her responsibilities as a Devil, so I'm glad she's adjusting to her new life. Well, if things get too, er… more dangerous than they already are, I'll cast a barrier around Gasper to shield him… Wait, will my barriers even protect him from Durandal?

"I've always wanted to meet Buchou's other Bishop, but he doesn't even want to talk to me…" Fumiko murmured.

"It's not you, Fumiko, it's him…" Akira placed her hand on her sister's shoulder while looking at Gasper with side eyes.

"Gya-kun, garlic is healthy." Koneko was also chasing Gasper around while holding a clove of garlic.

"Eyaaaaaaah! Why are you bullying me, Koneko?!" Gasper screamed.

"Are you sure they're just playing?" Issei nervously asked the remaining members of Rias's peerage.

"Eh, the kid needs to build character." Akira shrugged.

"Wow, they're really getting into it." Saji appeared and came up to the spectators wearing a tracksuit and worn-out gloves with a trowel in his hand.

"Hey, Saji." Issei greeted his fellow Pawn.

"Yo, Hyoudou. I heard about that shut-in servant who had their ban lifted and wanted to see them for myself."

"He's over there." Luke pointed in Gasper's direction. "The one being chased by Xenovia."

"Hey, Xenovia-san, aren't you waving around that Durandal a bit wildly?!" Saji became nervous at first until he saw Gasper. "Hm? Oh! It's a girl! And a blondie, too!"

"… I'm pretty sure I said 'he'." Luke restated. "He likes to cross-dress."

Saji appeared devastated at the revelation. "That fraud. Why would a shut-in cross-dress if they're not going to show off to anyone? It makes no sense."

"Yeah, I don't understand it, either." Issei agreed. "And feminine clothes suit him so well, I don't even know what to say. Anyway, what were you doing?"

"I was tending to the flower beds." Saji answered. "Kaichou gave me this job a week ago. With all of the events going on lately, like the Open House and the upcoming conference, Kaichou wants me to help make the school look good." He proudly puffed up his chest.

To me, it just sounds like Kaichou is giving him odd jobs… Issei thought.

Suddenly, Luke and Issei felt a couple of presences coming from the nearby trees and moved their eyes toward them. What they saw left them in a state of disbelief.

"So, this is where the members of the Gremory and Morag peerages come to play?"

"Such a colorful collection of characters here. I bet there's never a dull moment."

It was a villainous-looking man in a summer yukata and a beautiful woman wearing jeans, a purple T-shirt with her midriff exposed and an open black leather jacket. The latter of the two Luke had immediately recognized.

"Azazel!" Issei gasped.

"Yo, Red Dragon Emperor! Good to see you again." The villainous-looking man waved at Issei with a lighthearted smile.

"Huh?! That's Azazel?!" Luke's eyes widened. This is the governor of the Fallen Angels that Issei met?! This is bad! Really, really bad! And to make matters worse… His eyes focused on the familiar woman next to Azazel.

"What's up, Naughty Boy?" Karlel asked with a playful grin.

Despite Karlel's relaxed behavior, Luke could feel his body tense up and his heart tremble at the mere sight of her.

"WHAAAAA-What a beautiful lady!" Issei's eyes were immediately drawn to Karlel.

All of the Devils, including Saji but except Gasper who hid behind a tree, prepared themselves by taking up a fighting stance or summoning their weapons or Sacred Gears, while Azazel and Karlel seemed to be completely relaxed.

"Come on, kids, I'm not in the mood." Azazel chuckled cheerfully. "Just relax. You don't stand a chance against either one of us. I was just taking a walk and thought I'd pay this school a visit."

"I happened to be on my way here as well, so I thought my old man could tag along." Karlel stated.

"You were the one who tagged al-Ow!"

Karlel elbowed her father in the rib with an innocent smile on her face. Everyone raised their eyebrows in suspicion.

"Anyway, is that Holy Demon Sword kid here?" Azazel inquired. "I'd really like to take a look at that thing."

"Yuuto's not here." Luke said back as he continued to feel the inside of his body shake. "Are you after his Sacred Gear?"

"Come on, even when all of you were here, you couldn't even come close to defeating Kokabiel." Azazel pointed out.

"You only got as far as you did because he was a dumbass who didn't take you seriously." Karlel added. "Otherwise, none of you would have survived and I'd be sad if I couldn't see you again." She winked at Luke.

"Well, if the Holy Demon Sword kid really isn't here, then that's disappointing." Azazel said.

I don't feel any hostility from them. Luke thought. There isn't even a chill when I'm near something holy, but that lady's presence still terrifies me.

Azazel then pointed to the nearby tree where Gasper hid. "You, the vampire hiding over there."

Gasper made a panicked cry as Azazel approached him.

"You have Forbidden Balor View, right?" Azazel asked him. "That thing will hurt everyone around you if you don't learn how to master it. It's a support-type Sacred Gear, so it should be fine if you compensate for its weaknesses. However, correct me if I'm wrong, but Devils haven't made much progress into Sacred Gear research. An ability that's invoked by one of the five senses when the user lacks skill is quite dangerous as you can unintentionally activate it."

There's still no malice coming from Azazel. Luke continued thinking. If anything, it's just curiosity.

Karlel then turned to Saji, which he couldn't help but react by bracing himself.

"Your Sacred Gear is Absorption Line." Karlel pointed to the lizard face on the back of Saji's hand. "Are you practicing with it here? Try latching it onto that vampire boy and drain his excess power. Do that and he won't be so quick to run off."

"I-I can use Absorption Line to drain the power of other Sacred Gears?" Saji looked at his Sacred Gear. "I thought it just absorbs their power and weakens them."

Azazel sighed. "Seriously… Sacred Gear users these days don't even bother learning the full extent of their abilities. Absorption Line houses one of the legendary Dragon Kings, the Prison Dragon, Vritra. Although, my research was the only one to discover it. That thing can connect to anything and siphon its power. You can even temporarily separate the line from you and connect it to someone or something else."

"So, I could… I could connect it to Hyoudou and the power would be absorbed to him?" Saji asked.

"Yeah." Azazel confirmed. "The stronger you get, not only will your power increase, but so will the number of lines you can use."

Saji became silent as he stared at his Sacred Gear.

Are they really our enemies? They're giving us all this useful advice. Do they expect something in return? Wait, Kokabiel mentioned they are interested in collecting Sacred Gears. Is that why they're so interested in us?

"The fastest way to power up that vampire's Sacred Gear would be for him to drink the blood of the possessor of Boosted Gear." Azazel suggested. "I'm sure you'll figure out the rest on your own." Just as he was about to leave, he turned to Issei. "Sorry about Vali. He wasn't supposed to contact you without our permission. He's very peculiar, but I don't think he wants to settle the score between the Red and White Ones' rivalry just yet."

"In that case, why don't you apologize for summoning us without telling us who you were?" Issei questioned.

Azazel simply gave Issei a mischievous smile. "Just thought it'd be fun. I've got nothing to apologize for."

Once Azazel walked away, Karlel started to walk towards Luke.

"You were killed by a Fallen Angel, weren't you?" Karlel spoke softly to him.

"Ah…" Luke was a little surprised that Karlel knew that but realized that as one of the leaders she would be informed of such an event.

"I know everything that happened with Raynare." Karlel explained while looking straight into Luke's eyes. "When I revealed my identity to you and unfurled my wings, you froze up just from looking at me. Right away, I knew it was because of your death at Raynare's hands. I don't blame you, it's a natural reaction."

Karlel reached out for Luke and he flinched and closed his eyes, thinking that she was going to attack him, but was surprised when he felt someone's hand gently stroking his cheek. To his surprise, that hand belonged to Karlel.

"You poor boy…" Karlel wasn't speaking in a teasing or flirtatious manner, but rather a genuinely apologetic one. "You went through something so horrible through no fault of your own. Even though Raynare and her allies went rogue and acted on their own, I feel like I should have kept a closer eye on them. Otherwise, you wouldn't have died and reincarnated as a Devil. I'm so sorry…"

Luke looked back into her eyes and saw just how sincere Karlel was being.

"I promise to take full responsibility for what Raynare did to you." Karlel started to walk away.

"What do you mean 'take full responsibility'?" Luke asked.

"You will administer whatever punishment you see fit." Karlel replied. "I'll give you some time to think it through. Let me know when you've made a decision."

Karlel finally left after saying her piece, leaving Luke speechless.

"What do you think Karlel meant when she said 'punishment'?" Fumiko wondered with a shaky voice.

"Maybe S&M play?" Issei had his thumb and index finger on his chin.

In response to Issei's asinine comment, Akira smacked him in the back of the head and he fell face first into the ground.

"You don't think… she just offered her own life simply to make amends…" Azusa suggested.

"That would be a bad move, politically speaking." Spiral responded to his sister. "Even though she's doing it of her own volition, a Devil taking the life of a high-ranking Fallen Angel, and the daughter of the governor at that, would no doubt escalate tensions between the three factions and possibly start another Great War."

"… Luke, what do you think?" Pyra asked him in concern.

Luke remained silent for a moment while trying to organize his thoughts.

She's willing to accept any consequence for Raynare's actions. Since I was killed while I was human, she understands that she must be held accountable for not doing enough to prevent it…

"Luke?" Pyra repeated to get his attention.

"Oh, sorry, Pyra." Luke apologized with a bitter smile. "This is just something I really need to think over." He then summoned his Falchion and stared at the blade. "My decision to take Raynare's life was not one I made lightly. While I don't regret that choice, killing her still weighs down my heart when I think back to that moment."

"Luke…" Fumiko held her hand to her chest in worry.

"Uh, we-we should try out that thing Azazel suggested." Saji tried to break the tension.

Using Azazel's advice, Saji used his Absorption Line to drain Gasper's excess power and everyone proceeded to help the vampire practice using his Forbidden Balor View by throwing volleyballs at him. Despite everyone's best efforts, very little progress was made as Gasper still had difficulties controlling the power of his Sacred Gear.

"Gasper, please come out of there."

Rias was calling out to Gasper, who hid himself in his room in the old school building, while Luke was standing next to her. She asked Luke to take Gasper on a Devil job with him, but it did not go well as he panicked and involuntarily activated his Sacred Gear again.

"I'm sorry for making you go with Luke today." Rias apologized to Gasper from the other side of the door. "I thought since you were boys in the same year, that you could get some experience with him."

Due to the feeling of not making any progress in controlling his Sacred Gear and subsequently stopping them temporarily, Gasper locked himself away in his room and cried.

"President, do you know what Gasper's life was like before he became your servant?" Luke asked.

Rias had a solemn expression as she told him. "… I don't know everything, but I will tell you what I know. You said you met Katherine's parents the other day, right?"

"Yeah." Luke nodded. "Annabelle mentioned that her father was different from other pureblood vampires."

"Katherine is very lucky… The same can't be said for Gasper… His father is of the noble Vladi family of vampires. His mother was human, so he isn't a pureblood. Purebloods are often discriminatory against those who aren't, even those in their own family. Gasper was bullied by his half brothers in the vampire world, and when he left he was treated as a monster in the human world."

Luke didn't say anything and just clenched his right arm.

"With nowhere to belong, he wandered the streets until he was nearly killed by a vampire hunter. Gasper was fortunate that I was touring Italy at the time and found him…"

"I-I-I wish I was never born with this Sacred Gear!" Gasper cried from inside the room. "I'm always stopping everyone! I don't want to stop them! I don't want to stop my friends! I hate it! I… I don't want to see my friends' stopped faces… I-I don't want to do this anymore…"

"This isn't good…" Rias dejectedly said. "I can't let Gasper go back to being a shut-in… I'm a failure as a King."

"No, President…" Luke murmured. "I was tasked with helping Gasper… If anything, this is my failure."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Luke. It hasn't even been a day."

"… Aren't you going to be meeting with Sirzechs and the others in a little bit?"

"Yes, but I want to stay and take care of Gasper for a little longer."

"… President, I'll look after Gasper. This meeting is incredibly important, after all."

"Luke… are you sure you're up to it?"

"It's better than leaving him alone."

"All right." Rias smiled and nodded. "I'm counting on you, Luke."

Once Luke saw Rias off, he went back to the classroom door and sat down against the wall.

"Gasper, can we talk?" Luke asked loud enough so the vampire would be able to clearly hear him.

"…"

"You know, before I met President, I would just hole myself up in my room and not talk to anyone at school… Something happened… And I was scared of getting hurt again… Even though it took some time and me dying, I'm finally able to talk to everyone without stuttering."

"… Aren't you afraid of getting hurt again?" Gasper finally spoke up and asked.

"Well… yeah. I'm still scared… but there are other things I'm even more scared of. You know that Rating Game you missed? Things turned pretty bad near the end. We might've won in the end, but I still wasn't strong enough to keep President from crying… I never want to see her cry ever again, and I'll do whatever it takes to see that through."

Luke heard the door open up and Gasper peeked through the slit.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't be there…" Gasper's eyes were wet and glazed.

"I don't blame you for what happened. But now that you're with us, things might be different going forward."

"B-but… I'll only cause trouble for everyone… I'm a recluse… I'm afraid of everyone… And I can't even control my Sacred Gear…"

Luke placed his hand on Gasper's head and gently smiled at him. "We're the juniors of the group, so you can count on me to be there for you."

Gasper looked at Luke in surprise.

"I might not have the power to stop time like you do, but my Sacred Gear does have a powerful dragon inside it. I know Azazel said that drinking Issei's blood would help raise the power of your Sacred Gear but drinking mine might be worth a shot. Katherine drank my blood a couple weeks ago and she got a massive power-up from it, so it might be the same for you."

"I'm afraid to drink a living person's blood… My power terrifies me… If it gets stronger, I…"

"You want to be the one to control your Sacred Gear, not the other way around, right? You've got an amazing ability. I'm kind of jealous, even though my Sacred Gear is pretty powerful, too. I have a feeling Hyoudou would use time-stopping powers to peep on girls, but if I had that ability, I would probably use it to slow the teachers down so I can take detailed notes without missing too much. Honestly, my idea sounds kind of lame, but it would take a lot of stress off my chest and that's all I really care about. Oh, or I could slow down opponents too fast for me."

Thinking Gasper would think lesser of him, Luke was surprised to see him joyfully smiling.

"You're a really kind person, Luke." Gasper said. "Nobody has ever told me anything like that before. Being jealous of my power, I mean. And the first thing you thought of to use it was for school. You're an interesting person."

Luke bashfully rubbed the back of his head.

"You said you have a powerful Sacred Gear, too, didn't you? What does it do?"

Luke held out his hand and summoned his Falchion. He then swapped it out with Aymr, then Gradivus, and then Reginlief. "I can create just about any ability I can think of. The possibilities are practically endless."

"Wow!"

"Lord Sirzechs even suggested a pretty silly ability the other day."

"Really? What was it?"

"O-oh, well…" Luke's cheeks turned pink from embarrassment. "He said I should create an ability that makes President's breasts larger."

"I-I never even thought a Sacred Gear could be used in such an obscene way!"

"I bet Hyoudou has already come up with ten different ways to use Boosted Gear for his lecherous desires. I wouldn't even be surprised if he also came up with the same idea as Sirzechs."

"Are you going to go through with it?"

"While I do love my breasts big, making them too big would have the opposite effect than intended. On top of that, it's a downright ludicrous technique."

Eventually, Gasper let Luke into his room and as Yuuto returned, he saw his two male juniors chatting.

"I'm impressed, Luke-kun." Yuuto said as he entered the room. "I didn't think the two of you to hit it off so quickly."

"… You know, Yuuto, a thought just occurred to me." Luke spoke as if he had an idea. "The three of us, as well as Hyoudou and Spiral, should get together sometime. We're the only men in the Occult Research Club, so it would be good if we all got to know each other."

Gasper was noticeably trembling. "S-sorry, but can I go back in my box? I won't close it, but I feel more comfortable talking to people from there?"

"Well, no sense in asking you to do so much at once." Luke replied. "At least you're talking to us and not trying to hide."

Gasper went inside his cardboard box and let out a sigh of content. "Aaaah, much better… This cardboard box is like my own private oasis."

Don't cats do that, too? Luke thought to himself. "If you don't want people seeing you, maybe there's something we can try…"

After quickly grabbing a paper bag and poking two holes in it, he put it over Gasper's head. However, Luke quickly regretted the decision as Gasper's glowing red eyes peered straight through the eyeholes and he shambled around the room like a zombie.

"How do I look? Does it suit me?" Gasper asked.

"Yeah, you look great." Luke unconvincingly replied. Best not to tell him he looks like a perverted creep…

On the next day off, Luke and Pyra were heading somewhere on the outskirts of Kuoh Town. He had wanted to speak with Akeno alone about something after noticing an unusual change in her behavior the last week or two. Luckily for him, Akeno asked him and Pyra to meet with her earlier that morning.

Does Akeno live all the way out here?

Luke and Pyra kept walking until they saw a set of stone stairs in their sight and at the end of those stairs was a red torii gate.

"Uh, am I heading to the right place?" Luke questioned aloud. "I'm pretty sure shrines are just as taboo for me as churches."

At the foot of the steps, Luke saw a familiar Yamato Nadeshiko in shrine maiden attire.

"Welcome, Luke-kun, Pyra-chan." Akeno greeted him. "I'm sorry for calling you on such short notice."

"Oh, it's no problem." Pyra smiled back.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something for a while now. But, uh…" Luke looked up at the torii gates. "Are we allowed here?"

"It'll be fine." Akeno assured him. "A special agreement was made so that even Devils can enter here."

Luke, Pyra, and Akeno walked side by side up the stairs and the former felt anxious as they approached the torii gate. The moment they passed through the gate and nothing happened, Luke breathed a sigh of relief. They continued walking toward the old, but well-maintained shrine before them.

"Is this where you live, Akeno?" Luke inquired.

"Yes." Akeno answered. "After the last priest passed away, it became vacant and Rias acquired it for me."

Once Akeno opened the door to the shrine, a piece of wood flew out from inside and struck Luke straight in the head.

"Ow!" Luke exclaimed as he clutched his forehead.

"Luke, are you okay?" Pyra came up to Luke to check on him.

"Oh, looks like you couldn't dodge it."

Luke heard the voice of a middle aged woman and stepping out of the shrine was Seiryuu.

"I was expecting more from someone who harbors a Heavenly Dragon and the Aegis." Seiryuu looked at Luke with a dissatisfied expression. "Take this as a lesson, Sapphire Dragon Emperor. Never let your guard down."

Who is this woman and why is she so crazy? Luke then recognized her clerical robes. "An exorcist?!"

"Relax, kid, I'm just here as a bodyguard." Seiryuu told him. "I suppose my son and niece didn't tell you about me, either."

"Hm? 'Son and niece'?"

"Luke-kun, this is Seiryuu Hirano, the strongest woman in the Protestant Chuch." Akeno introduced her.

She's Spiral's mother?! "… Oh. Wait, you said you're here as a bodyguard. Is there someone else here?" Luke asked Seiryuu.

"Yeah, head inside." Seiryuu pointed behind her with her thumb before heading back inside the shrine.

"I called you here because someone wanted to meet you two." Akeno petted Luke's temple as he recovered.

Akeno guided Luke and Pyra inside the shrine's surprisingly grand main hall.

"You must be the Sapphire Dragon Emperor."

Luke heard a new voice and looked around to see a beautiful young man with brilliant golden wings, luxurious white robes, and a shining halo levitating above his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sapphire Dragon Emperor, Luke Sigmund." The man held out his hand with a gentle smile and unfurled ten more golden wings, for a total of twelve. "I am Michael, leader of the Angels."

"Ah-Oh! I-i-it's an honor to meet you." Luke flustered a little at meeting a major figure among the three factions. "Er, wait, is that okay for me to say?"

"Hmhm, it's quite all right." Michael chuckled before turning to Pyra. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Aegis. Hm… You seem a bit different than from what I've heard."

"It's… a long story." Pyra seemed like she didn't want to talk about whatever Michael was implying.

"Excuse me, but there's something that's been on my mind ever since the aftermath of Kokabiel's attack." Luke interjected. "I know there's supposed to be a conference between the leaders of the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils, but I'm not sure what these talks specifically entail. If it's confidential, then I won't pry any further."

"I see this summit as an opportunity to form an alliance between the Three Great Powers." Michael answered with a smile. "As Kokabiel already told you, the Lord and the original Great Satans died in the Great War. And even Azazel admits that he doesn't want to be involved in another war. As such, this is a great chance for all sides. If we continue fighting with each other, our races will become extinct. Even if we manage to survive, we may face another threat that will overwhelm us if we don't learn to work together. As such, I brought gifts to both the Devils and Fallen Angels. Your superiors have also retrieved the stolen Excaliburs, for which we are all particularly grateful."

"I really hope this alliance happens." Luke said. "Not only will that be an elephant off our backs but think of all the various research we can share."

"Heheh, it would definitely be for the best if we all got along." Pyra chuckled.

"Yeah, and I won't have to worry about turning my son to dust." Seiryuu added.

That's grim…

"I look forward to seeing you again at the summit." Michael then turned to Seiryuu. "Seiryuu, let us go."

"Yes, Michael-sama." Seiryuu politely bowed her head before standing up.

Seiryuu walked to Michael's side and when the archangel erupted into light, the two disappeared.

Once Michael and Seiryuu left, Luke and Pyra were taken by Akeno to a Japanese-style room for some tea. While Akeno was preparing the tea, Luke and Pyra were sitting next to each other at a table.

"Pyra, I'm sorry if this comes off as rude, but do you mind leaving the room for a bit?" Luke whispered to her. "There's something I want to talk to Akeno about and I think she might be more inclined to open up about it if we're alone."

"It's… nothing risqué, is it?" Pyra whispered back.

"No, no, I just want to ask her a personal question. That's all."

"My, my, what are you two talking about?" Akeno asked as she approached them with a tea tray. "Perhaps an affair?"

"Do you have an obsession with affairs or something?" Luke blurted out with lightly pink lightly pink cheeks.

"Akeno, would you mind showing me where the restroom is?" Pyra asked as she stood up.

"Sure, it's just down the hall and to the left." Akeno answered.

"Thank you."

Just before leaving the room, Pyra flashed Luke a smile.

Thanks, Pyra. Luke smiled at her as she left.

"Pyra-chan is very kind, don't you think, Luke-kun?" Akeno teased as she poured Luke's tea.

"She is." Luke felt bashful at first, but his expression became a bit more serious as he prepared himself. "… Akeno, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about since Open House. It might be a bit personal, so just let me know if you don't want to talk about it."

"Sounds serious."

"… Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Akeno looked down with tearful eyes.

"You haven't been yourself since I came back from that last job I had with Karlel. I'm sure I hurt you when I said that I might have a crippling fear of female Fallen Angels."

Akeno's eyes widened. "How did you…"

"President told me that your father is a Fallen Angel, so I naturally thought that you must also be one."

"… You're right. My father is Baraqiel, one of the leaders of Grigori. My mother was human and the daughter of a priest at a Japanese shrine." She then looked Luke in the eyes. "I was told she came across my father one day and nursed him back to health after he was badly injured. That was how they met, and eventually I was born."

Akeno made her wings sprout from her back, one leathery bat wing and one feathery black wing, the mere sight of the wing caused Luke to freeze up. His hands were shaking, his breathing was rapid, and his mind kept repeating the images of Raynare unfurling her wings and piercing him with her spear of light.

No! It's happening again! Not now! Not to Akeno!

Luke's mind and vision was becoming distorted as his fear and anxiety were taking over his body's functions.

I… I…

However, Luke's senses returned when he felt something latch onto him and saw Akeno embracing him and crying into his shoulder.

"Luke-kun, when you realized you were afraid of Fallen Angels, I…" Akeno sobbed with tearful eyes. "I can't bear the thought of you hating me…"

As Akeno continued holding onto Luke, he could feel himself calming down.

I… I feel a lot of warmth coming from Akeno…

Akeno was then surprised as Luke embraced her back and she could feel his warmth.

"Akeno… I could never hate you…"

Akeno was taken aback by Luke's response.

"Raynare and Kokabiel were despicable… You're nothing like them, Akeno… You're always so kind and gentle…"

"Look at my wings… My filthy, disgusting wings…"

Luke looked directly at Akeno's feathery Fallen Angel wing and rather than feeling fear like before, he just marveled at the sight.

"Your wings aren't filthy, Akeno… Actually, they're beautiful."

Surprised again by Luke's response, Akeno stared at his face and peered into his eyes. With flushed cheeks, her eyes started to shed tears once again.

"No! Did I only make things worse?!" Luke briefly panicked.

His panic dissipated as he saw her start to smile and wipe her tears.

"That's not fair, Luke-kun…" Akeno's voice was mixed with joy and relief. "If you keep saying things like that… Please… whisper my name with passion…"

"Huh? W-Okay…" Luke blushed as he prepared to acquiesce to Akeno's request. "… Akeno…"

The way Luke said her name sounded like what he would say if they were in the middle of making love, mostly unintentional on his part.

"I'm so happy, Luke-kun…" Akeno's tone wasn't her usual dignified self and more in line with a regular teenage girl. "Please say my name like that whenever we're alone."

Akeno is being really, really cute right now. And… she really is beautiful…

"Tell me, Luke-kun… Do you like Rias?" Akeno asked.

"Huh? W-well…" Luke stammered with flushed cheeks as he struggled to divulge his secret thoughts to Akeno.

"I can tell you like her a lot." Akeno playfully giggled. "She's pretty serious about you, too. I guess becoming your legal wife is out of the question. Although Fumiko and Pyra might have a better shot. Well, if the top three spots are taken…" She leaned into Luke's ear. "I'll be your fourth…"

The seductive voice Akeno was using combined with her very large breasts pressing against his chest, Luke felt his hair stand on ends and his face heat up from arousal.

"Teeheehee…"

At the very least, Akeno is back to her usual self.

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is a little late and kind of short. Work has been brutal this week, so I'm going to keep the author's notes short. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!

Luke Harem: Rias Gremory, Annabelle Wright, Akeno Himejima, Fumiko Kazuya, Melody Morag, Setsuna Kazama

Issei Harem: Misaki Shirayuki, Asia Argento, Hikaru Ueda, Akira Kazuya, Kiyome Abe

Rias Gremory Peerage: Rias Gremory (King), Akeno Himejima (Queen), Yuuto Kiba (Knight), Xenovia Quarta (Knight), Koneko Toujo (Rook), Fumiko Kazuya (Bishop), Gasper Vladi (Bishop), Luke Sigmund (8 Pawns)

Seth Sigmund Peerage: Seth Sigmund (King), Annabelle Wright (Queen), Alastair Wright (Rook), Emery Belmont (Rook), Hana Sakuya (2 Bishops), Setsuna Kazama (Knight)

Melody Morag Peerage: Melody Morag (King), Misaki Shirayuki (Queen), Katherine Petrova (Knight), Spiral Hirano (Knight), Azusa Hirano (Rook), Akira Kazuya (Rook), Hikaru Ueda (Bishop), Asia Argento (Bishop), Issei Hyoudou (8 Pawns)